Quantity is Your Best Teacher

In January I did the 30 paintings in 30 days art challenge with Leslie Saeta. The commitment to show up in the studio every morning and to complete 30 paintings which were posted daily was good for me.

I didn't aways like it, but it taught me a great deal about how to make MY paintings. When you paint on a consistent basis...especially everyday, your art evolves and you discover your unique creative voice.

On the left is my painting on day one, and below is what happened on day 29.

 In addition to moving into greater abstraction, I learned many new techniques via experimenting. New ways of laying paint produced greater visual depth and fascinating textures.


 At a recent workshop Carol McIntyre and I were discussing the story about quantity vs. quality in the book Art and Fear, by David Bayles and Ted Orland. Here it is:

                               Perfection

The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on it quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the "quantity" group: fifty pounds of pots rated and "A". Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the "quantity" group was busily churning out piles of work-and learning from their mistakes-the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to sow for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.

                                                      JoanFullerton.com

                                             JoanFullertonWorkshops.com

Come a little bit closer now...discover some magic.

Out on a Limb, 38x30, mixed media on paper, 
laminated onto a board and framed. 

When composing art, my goals include wanting to create powerful images, bold enough to be appreciated from across a large room, and delicately embellished enough to captivate and entertain upon intimate viewing. I don't want you to "get" it completely at the first viewing, but rather I encourage you to  become acquainted  over time and from different vantage points.

With this detail of the painting, you will see a spot of pale yellow which could be a small sun residing low in the forest. You are likely to discover the delicate lines at the horizon, marks which animate and perhaps suggest life on the earth; you might enjoy the embossed gold drizzle on the large tulip-like shape, reflecting light and sitting above the surface, and you might even discover the small 5 white spots, which for me represent family.

If I had painted a representational landscape, I would have offered less for the viewer to contemplate. The magical aspect would not be part of the visual design. 

"If I paint a wild horse, you might not see the horse...but surely you will see the wildness."           Picasso

Beneath the Surface

It has been said that many teachers and gurus teach what they need to learn. This is true for me when I teach, and also when I paint. When I teach and when paint I am always both the teacher and the student.

This small painting 10x8, titled Beneath the Surface, reminds me that I am more than the image I see in the mirror, more than the art I make, more than the thoughts I think. The unseen, larger part of me, the unconscious part; is inclusive, non-judgemental, loving and wise.

This painting is composed of a heavily textured background, upon which I glued a translucent gel skin. Putting the luminous skin over this gritty composition, totally intrigued me. The underlying marks and rough texture appear to be at the bottom of a pond.

Following your curiosity is key...you must be intrigued.

Nicholas Wilton the painter, has a great quote: "If it feels slightly like a yawn, stop immediately."

Be the whole swimming pool...both the deep end and the shallow!

JoanFullertonWorkshops.com

Paint with Intuitive Artist Joan Fullerton in Alabama, Sept 18-20, 2014

"Out on a Limb", mixed media abstract painting 38x30 on paper, laminated on board and framed To purchase this painting go HERE. To enroll in the upcoming Intuitive Mixed Media Workshop in Huntsville, AL go HERE. To learn more about Joan Fullerton Workshops visit: http://JoanFullertonWorkshops.com