Exploring & Finding My Medium(s)

By the time I was in grade school, I knew I wanted to draw realistically & paint with oil colors.  In part, I think oil paint drew because of both the rich history and the rich effects achieved with oil paint.  I received my first painting set in junior high, an acrylic paint set with a very good color-mixing guide.  I still have my first two paintings, and while I was thrilled to experiment with the acrylic paints, I knew the results were not the same as oil paint.  I finally purchased my first oil colors in college and absolutely loved the luminous thin glazes you can create.  I also loved the ability to work on a painting over a long period.  One aspect of acrylic paint I struggled with was the quick drying time and the in ability to smooth out the surface once it dries.

While I loved oil colors, I explored other forms of water-based paint as an undergrad including watercolors and gouache.  Surprising, I loved watercolors.  They are demanding, but the brilliant thin washes of color appealed to me, and also allowed my mind to work differently than when oil painting.  Because of the nature of watercolor paint, reworking is not usually an option, you need to be sure in application, and this was freeing for me as a young artist.  I had to stop second-guessing my paint strokes.

In my twenties & early thirties I was so busy with work and rarely spent time painting.  Part of the reason was due to the nature of oil painting.  At that time, you needed turpentine and paint thinner to work the paint and clean brushes.  These chemicals do not smell great and can be unpleasant to use in small or shared spaces.  When I heard about water miscible oil paints in the early 2000’s, I ran to the local art store and bought my favorite colors from Grumbacher’s version: cadmium red, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, ivory black & titanium white.  Grumbachers version is a thicker, more pigmented paint and definitely works well with water miscible linseed oil. Suddenly, I didn’t need hazardous chemicals that I would have to dispose of.  It was absolutely freeing and since then I have tried Holbein’s Duo version, perfect if you like a soft, buttery paint, as well Windsor Newton & Cobra versions.  I also learned that Murphy’s Oil Soap was a brilliant brush cleaner for oil colors and acrylics.  This helped me slowly rebuild my studio practice, focusing on landscapes using water miscible oil colors.

All this time, I still wanted to explore the ancient method of encaustic painting, and for the past ten years, it has been my main focus.  I really wanted to dive deep into the medium and develop my own style.  Even now, I am drawn to study it further with a focus on portrait techniques from ancient Greece & Egypt, not to become a portrait artist, but just to learn new techniques and also train my eyes to look at faces in a different  way.  Nevertheless, I still have my oil paints in case I am inspired by a beautiful sky or vista. I have my sketchbook and pencils when I want to focus on form and line. I even keep some acrylic paint and watercolors for when I need to get past a creative slump, just make some marks, and use color without second-guessing myself or over thinking.  Like pencil sketches, these painted sketches are not always good, but they help me loosen up my process and see where my mind or my technique has become too tight.

A studio of one’s own

Having a dedicated space is major aid to maintaining a practice of any kind.  As a student and after I graduated I would pick a corner where I lived to set an easel in, usually temporarily. More often I would layout paper or canvas and paint on the floor of my bedroom, usually at night when others were out or asleep.  Over time, as life filled with work, family & friends, I set up my easel less frequently in part because I never completely claimed one space for artwork.

When I decided to reinvest in my practice a large part of the investment was changing my spare room from a guest room to a studio.  I am so grateful to have this space and it is perfect for how I work. I love having my cat with me while I paint, and taking a break to make tea in my own kitchen.

However, a home studio is not for everyone, and in my case, it isn’t as professional as a separate or rented studio space if you want to have studio visits.  If you do rent a studio, you also have chances to exchange ideas and inspiration with other resident artists.

Nevertheless, I know a wonderful professional artist who has their studio set up in the entryway of her home. She works in a small format and the entryway is actually a quiet area away from the family room and kitchen where her family gathers.  I also know artists that maintain their practice through drawings and need only carry their sketchbook and pencil.  Others have a desk in a spare room, a workspace in a basement, a renovated garage, the tablet they use to create digital art, and another is a plein air painter who journeys outside in all kinds of weather to paint.

In some ways, you need to dedicate two spaces.  One is the intention in your head and your heart to pursue your art, the second is to find your space: in your room, your home, a studio rental, your computer, or the great outdoors.  Once you’ve dedicated your headspace, you can tailor your physical space to the way you work best: absolute quiet, loud music, the energy of people nearby or the beauty of the natural world.

Choosing to practice. Dedicating your time. Finding your physical space.

These intentions can be begun in the smallest increments, and built on over time.  It’s natural for things to arise in life that require your attention and take you away from your studio practice at times.  But once you’ve laid the groundwork and can always return to your practice.  It is also natural for your practice and space to evolve and change over time as your art and your life evolve.

Time - Practice - Protection

When I was a child, I learned to ride and work with horses at a local stable.  The owner mostly had school horses but did keep a couple of show quality Morgan horses to exhibit.  Once a man tried to tempt him try out a Tennessee Walker and he simply refused.  At the time, I was surprised that his did not even want to check out the horse’s gait.

I now understand he was protecting his focus.  He had committed to exhibiting Morgans and adding a different breed would split his energy, focus and resources.  He was protecting his practice.  I had a similar moment some years ago when a friend offered to teach me bead working.  I loved her work and admired the skill, but I felt a strong pull to focus on my painting in encaustic media, and did not at that time to have my focus on encaustic media split with a new interest.  

As a child and young adult, I had a constant drawing practice.  It was what helped me decide what to study in college.  I also loved to read and write and briefly considered an English major.  However, once I learned about Art History and saw how I could combine research and writing with studying Studio Art, I did not look back. 

I maintained my studio practice for the first year or so after I graduated, but I soon lost both time and focus to my other jobs and family responsibilities.  I found a new professional path in librarianship and eventually found work in art libraries that has been extremely rewarding.  I thought that being immersed in an aspect of local art communities at the library would help renew my practice.  As my career demands increased, so did my time caring for aging family members and my art practice became relegated to time during my vacations. In reality, I was spending more time on hobbies such as knitting and growing plants then I was on art practice.

In the summer of 2008 I decided to make a time commitment to renew my art practice each weekend.  Initially all I did was create color studies, but I found it soothed some of my feelings of lack as an artist.  Over the next few years I began to exhibit locally and found my practice unfurling like a flower as learned from other artists’ practices and became inspired by their work. 

In 2013 I committed not just painting but to learning about encaustic media.  Around this time, I realized how intense my focus was when I felt the need to ‘protect’ my practice from the distraction of learning beadwork.  This was a bit of an over-reaction, but the years when I did not find time or energy to give to art practice have left their mark. 

Ironically, I now find myself tempted to engage in encaustic portraiture, something very different from the painting series I am currently working on.  That may manifest as future blog post…

Maintaining a Practice

Practice

1.“perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency.”

2. “ the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it.

"the principles and practice of teaching"

Maintaining anything takes some level of commitment. There are so many distractions in the world. Other jobs that pay bills, family, friends, social media, global news, physical exhaustion, emotional apathy. Time for any practice; art, exercise, meditation, sport, etc. involves more than an time block on a calendar. It takes energy, commitment and emotional investment often for intangible rewards.

For me, it is the intangible rewards that keep me investing in my practice. It isn’t art sales, exhibits, or stacks of finished work, although each of those things are intensely gratifying. It is the sense of wellbeing, mentally and emotionally, that keeps me maintaining and even protecting my practice. When I don’t have studio time, I see a drop in my creativity and my outlook in life.

Studio time isn’t always fun or playful. It can be frustrating when a composition doesn’t work out or when inspiration is lacking. But working through the frustrating times along with the inspiring times leaves me with a feeling of mental stimulation and inner wellbeing I hope I never have to go without. My art practice is what allows me to continue to grow as an artist, to explore new techniques, revisit old ideas, refine my skills and stay engaged. This engagement is what leads to new inspiration for me, and it is what keeps me going.