Just Chillin'

In art as in love, instinct is enough.

Anatole France

This Bloom True intuitive painting course is challenging me on many levels.  No sooner had I added a second layer to two of my canvases last Friday than I started second guessing myself, wishing I had done this or that differently...blah, blah, blah.  I almost talked myself into covering the whole thing with gesso and starting over.  So much for trusting the process!

With the help and encouragement of fellow classmates I worked through some insecurities (at least for now) and decided to accept that "there are no mistakes" in this course.  Funny thing, most of these marks are already covered by another layer of paint anyway!  (I painted well into the evening tonight so I'll have to wait for daylight tomorrow to take photos to share.)

So far this class is revealing so much to me about how I think about making art and even about life in general.  I have wanted to paint freely for a long time but have always held back.  I have to fight a lot of the perfectionism that came with graphics training and, honestly, I have to fight a spirit of comparison as well.  It is so hard not to look at my work and see what it's not instead of what it is.  it is also hard to be patient as I wait for the next step of the process to be revealed.

I have to say, though, I am really happy now with the way my paintings are progressing.  In fact, when I think back to the thoughts I had over the weekend about starting over I have to smile.  I really just needed to chill out and stop thinking so much!

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