Something painting the impressionists’ art is teaching me to explore in great detail is how much layers bring things to life.
I’ve said to creatives for years “Don’t compare your first draft to someone else’s 10x edited manuscript.” And now I’m exploring this again but visually.
When I first look at the piece, I’m simply trying to figure out what came first. And end up blocking some very very rudimentary shapes and colours on the canvas – as did they also. At this stage, it looks crap.
And then in the next session, I’m trying to build some base layer of texture. To figure out the colors, the ingredients, the core elements of the piece. Again, as these great masters also would have done. It still doesn’t look great here.
It’s only finally after the 3rd, 4th or 5th layer of dry oil paint (that takes ages to dry) that it starts to truly look like something beautiful. And even then it’s probably another 3-4 sessions of layers and delicate touches.
You see, you can’t really cheat the process of greatness. There’s no shortcut to the process of exploring, of taking one layer at a time. And here’s the kicker, not giving up just because you still don’t have all the elements down yet.
I do not have the skills of van Gogh, or Manet as I start these pieces, but as I finish them, it seems I do. It’s not their level of artistry, because I’m not trying to be van Gogh.
But I am enjoying their process.
However where I do not give up exploring and creating is my own process, and through those many many many cycles, I am a master of creation.
I trust my own process.
And there is truly no comparison.
Slush? And it reminds me of the joy of my own creative process. And then home I’ve created there in it for myself.