Art does not always have to be created for the purpose of impressing others, or for making money, or for a competition in an art show. Art can be personal and therapeutic or simply a fun and enjoyable way to share your time with your friends and family. Sometimes I do not feel like thinking about a painting, or drawing any preliminary sketches or studies. Sometimes I just want to paint and get right into those deep rich colors and textures and just let my imagination run wild. I think as artists we need to do this sometimes and not spend so much time on the technical aspects of things.
The other day, my wife Pauline and I sat down and decided we would do just that. We went out to our local art store and bought some art supplies. We spent about 50 dollars. I was feeling rather adventurous that day and decided to steer away from my normal comfort zone of oil paints and decided to try something new. I had been reading a few books and articles on mixed media work and thought I would give it a go. I picked up a box of Reeves assorted gouache paints, a box of 25 Cray Pas oil pastels, a set of 30 brushes for acrylics, watercolor and oils, a mixing dish, Master's brush cleaner and preserver and a pad of Strathmore watercolor paper. I wanted paper with some texture or "tooth" for accepting different mediums. I picked up a pad of acid free Strathmore 300 series paper. It is a heavy weight, cold pressed paper. According to the packaging, it is suited for watercolor experimentation and it accepts a variety of techniques. I felt it would do just fine for a mixed media work of gouache and oil pastels.
When we got home, we printed out two photos from our honeymoon vacation. References photos are below.
We then turned on some of our favorite music. We chose some music that would ignite our imaginations and help us relax and get into the painting mood. We were not concerned or worried about technique or preparation, or whether or not the paintings would last or anything that would otherwise hinder our creativity, we just sat down and let ourselves go. Here are the results after about 1 hour of painting....
This picture is Pauline's work. She was very proud of the work she did and felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. She did not think or study the photo or do any preliminary sketches. She just started to draw and paint what she saw. It is not an exact copy of the photograph , rather, it is her own creative interpretation of the photo.
This picture is my work. Again, this is not an exact copy of the reference photo that you see above, just my interpretation of what I saw and felt. Whatever popped into my imagination is what I decide to add. I over exaggerated colors and warped the perspective of the buildings a bit, because that is what I felt at that particular moment. Perhaps it was the music or maybe it was because I wasn't so preoccupied with the final outcome or anything technical.
This exercise accomplished much more than just painting. It brought me and my wife together for a while and we shared something special. Our time and creativity. We complimented one another as we painted and also gave each other tips and direction if we needed suggestions. Anyone can do this activity. It doesn't matter if you never picked up a brush or pencil in your life. There are no rules. So grab your family and friends and get painting! Enjoy and God Bless!
Ralph Serpe is Webmaster and Founder of Creative Spotlite. Visit today for more free art lessons and instruction. For more free painting lessons, be sure to check the Creative Spotlite Art Instruction Blog. |
