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Comfort zone
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Message
Posted
You don't learn much by sticking to your comfort zone, I firmly believe that. Even if you feel dis-spirited when something new hasn't quite worked out I think you learn something, you take something from it. For the last two years I've attended an art "critique" group, led by a former university art tutor. He encourages us to push ourselves, to try something a little different. Today, to get started again, I turned a painting upside down and plunged in. It seemed to come more easily, I enjoyed myself, I noticed I wasn't being so " careful". I'm sure it's connected to trying different things. For goodness sake, I'm even thinking of painting a car assembly plant!
Anyway, I'm feeling happy enough at the moment, tomorrow? Who knows?😁
Posted
Marjorie I totally agree with you, I seem to be happy when I experiment, it doesn't always work for me, but I learn from it..and sometimes forget what I did last time,. Triale and error.. Mind you this is just from my personal experience.. and not having any tuition, just our magazine and a some iTunes.... It's all about giving it a go..
Posted
I, unfortunately, tend to play it safe these days. I stepped briefly into portraits a couple of years ago, deffo out of my comfort zone, and it bit me on the bum. I like painting cars, I'm quite good at it, so that's what I stick to for now. But I plan, when I have more free time, to diversify a bit and try some new stuff, just to see how I get on :)
Intrigued with the assembly plant Marjorie, I hope you do have a bash at that one and I look forward to seeing it!
Anth
Posted
Well I think it's a great idea Marjorie. Painting out of one's comfort zone may mean choosing a different medium or tackling subjects that perhaps you haven't considered in the past - or a combination of both.
There is a really interesting 4-page feature in the current (March) edition of The Artist. The artist is Peter Kettle, and he shows us some great idea's on experimenting with mixed medium. I'll give you a couple of examples: Tryfan, Light on the Ogwen Valley, gesso mixed with marble dust powder, watercolour ink, acrylic and oil on canvas. My favourite is: Port Talbot, copper paint, watercolour ink, plaster and oil on canvas.
He does work fairly large, so he achieves maximum impact. He explains his methods of mark making and so on in some detail. A really useful article that I'm sure may inspire a few of us into having a go. It has inspired me anyway, and I've made a start on a large 40 x 48in canvas which already has an old painting on it, an ideal base for working on.
