Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Short takes

Fresh from Heather's Garden
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010
(Still a work in progress. There
are finishing touches some
colour decisions to finish.)

What? I have artists friends who literally sit or stand
for hours in front of a canvas with no breaks. They
are not me. I have never actually been diagnosed with
ADHD, but if a painting has a problem -- or feels
difficult I certainly manifest most of the signs of
Attention Deficit Disorder. My answer? Small
takes.

We all know we're supposed to stand back. 'Stand back!'
say the experts and our knowledgeable friends. But
I say go away. That's right -- if you are at a loss --
get out of the room. That doesn't mean you pack up,
and decide to quit. It means you go and do something
else. Water the lawn, make a phone call, write an email,
and then come back. Make a comforting tea or coffee,
if you're not on a diet eat something like a cookie,
and look at the painting again. Aha! you say. I could
...(soft little voice in your head telling you maybe if you
just put some paint in this place it would be almost easy)...
and you do! And it works, so you keep going and then
doubt, worry, distraction hits again.

Break time.

Little by little, no matter how *distractable you are, and
believe me it doesn't take much. Something gets done.
In fact a perfectly reasonable facsimile for a work of art
gets done, and done well. And if you continue this practice
a whole lot of it eventually seems to happen. But it didn't
just happen. You did it! Hurray for you, and hurray for
me. Now about that cup of tea, and maybe five minutes
with my novel. It's a scary one so I'll get back to work
quickly. Promise.

Have a getting-right-out-of-the-room day.
*

7 comments:

Liza Hirst said...

That's exactly what I do! And it works!

Gwen Bell said...

This is a real beauty, Barbara! Love your bright palette and the way the blossoms fill up the canvas. Those little breaks are working!

Sheila Vaughan said...

Love the boldness and the harmony of this Barbara and also its unusual abstract feeling. It's really quite something!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Liza,

It certainly works for you. Wow does it.

xoxoxoxoxoxBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Gwen,

Thanks so much. I'm delighted that you like it. You've made my day.

xoxoxoxoxoxBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Sheila,

Thanks so much. I'm so glad you're back. I wish I could fly over to England and here all about your experiences on your trip.

Take care,

Barbara

Linny D. Vine said...

As always, your fleurs are beautiful!

Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!