I just finished my first month of my residency. It was pretty intense to say the least. I did end up getting 4 1/2 paintings done in one month (the shortest month)! I still have a hard time believing what I accomplished.
I really enjoyed working on the paintings. But, when I was in sight of the finish line, I experienced something new. Traditionally, when I finish a painting, I feel really attached. I want everyone to see it, but want to keep it for myself. This time, I got to the end and had to ask myself if I liked how they turned out, because I didn’t have that usual feeling. And the answer is yes, I really do like how they turned out, and am very proud of them, but for some reason I didn’t feel that need to hog it for myself. Is this because I enjoyed the time I was working on it more than usual, the fact that my storage is getting pretty limited, or that I am just seeing my work in a different way? Who knows, but it’s nice.
I was able to apply to 3 juried shows and a magazine. After everything was submitted, told myself job well done, and started thinking of my next project.
For this month, I am focusing on making small, quick paintings where I can really experiment. It’s been pretty freeing to not really having a plan and just be able to respond to my materials. So far, I have been experimenting with different painting surfaces.
I mainly paint on panel. I love the firm smooth surface. In college I painted on canvas, because that’s what painter’s typically paint on and I didn’t think about panel, until my last semester. I thought I would try surfaces that don’t require a lot of preparation to save time and take away preciousness. I invested in Arches oil paper and sheets of mylar. Both of these surfaces can be painted directly on with oil paint without being primed.
Sounds great, right? Yes, but it s actually as good as it sounds?
First, the Arches oil paper. I know lots of artists that really enjoy working on this oil paper, so I thought I’d see if it’s worth the hype. This paper is great and definitely saves time. It has a smooth surface, which is what I prefer, but I imagine people who mainly paint of canvas may not like it. This is great for studies, but I think I prefer a panel for larger pieces. The one thing I will mention is to make sure you store it in a different place from your watercolor paper. If you are using sheets straight off the pad you shouldn’t have this problem. However, I like to buy large pads and cut them into smaller sizes. (Yes, it does take a little more time, but it is more cost effective and is a good productive procrastination activity, when you don’t feel like working.) I did have my pre-cut watercolor and oil paper separated with a post it note, but with small hands around things happen. They look and feel fairly similar, but do not respond the same to oil paint.
Now, the mylar. I like the idea and feel of mylar, but it is a super slick surface. I don’t particularly like painting on it, but I do like it’s transparency. It opens up a lot of opportunity for play. I’m thinking about experimenting with layering multiple layers of painted mylar to build more dimensional paintings. It will also be interesting to see how it handles thin washes.
Along with surfaces, I’m exploring adding different materials and applications of paint. I’m working to incorporate oil pastels, as well as working with different thicknesses of paint and scraping.
Happy painting!