April 2018

The Painting Process... and an Apology

I am often asked how I paint-- from pictures, from actual scenes, out of my head? The answer is Yes. All of those things. Mostly, though, I paint ideas: compositions or colors or atmospheres that have been percolating in my brain, sometimes for months.

By the time I put the blank canvas on the wall and start to apply pigment, I have "painted" it in my head. It doesn't always go to plan, but that is part of the fun. I just follow along as it develops. The anchoring concepts like the horizon line, time of day, or mountains vs no mountains don't change (usually!), but the roll of the land, how much distance, colors, these things all flow organically.

There's a lot of mental preparation, which allows for lots of freedom in the execution. Because I'm painting viscerally at that point, not intellectually, my mind is free to focus on other things. I like to listen to music, podcasts and audio books while I paint. It's a beautiful system unlessit goes sideways. If I hit a point in a piece where I have to problem-solve, my brain shifts back over and I might find I've missed the last chapter or two without noticing!

There's further discussion of painting organically, below. Enjoy!

Warmest regards,

Rachel
Intellectual? Visceral? Systematically Shooting From the Hip? :D

PS. My last newsletter was composed primarily of what I thought of as entertaining snark. Some of you thought I was as hilarious as I did; some of you weren't amused. While I refuse to be shifted from my anti-WN stance (one must have a platform after all, even if it's nonsense), I am most definitely NOT anti-WN-fans. If I offended you, I'm sorry. Please believe that my intention was to be sassy, not mean. 
(For new readers who want to read my controversial remarks, they can be found here.)