Today’s the day I’m going to become an artist.
I’m going about it the same way I tackle every new interest: with unbridled enthusiasm for the research and the acquisition of books and materials, combined with procrastination about actually doing the thing in question.
Last week I visited a gazillion blogs and websites about altered art and collage. I made several trips to the library and ordered all the books at all the branches. I ordered four books from Amazon.ca, but later discovered that they won’t ship for seven weeks because one of them is on backorder, so I ordered three others that were immediately available. So now I have three brand new books, four more brand-new books on the way, three library books in hand, six more library books on hold, and a set of links that would impress a Hungarian sausage-maker.
Today I went to Michael’s to buy my supplies. I made a list last night, because you know how it is if you go in there with only a vague idea of what you need. You end up confused and frazzled and you buy way too much stuff. You get home and you ask yourself questions like “What the hell is Crackle and why did I buy it?”
My Shopping List:
Gel medium
Canvas board
Gesso
Paintbrush
Acrylic paints, including a neutral colour
Watercolour paper
Palette paper
Transfer paper
Elmer’s Glue-All
Estimated cost: $30
Actual Purchases:
Gel medium
13 Canvas boards of varying sizes
Gesso
25 Paintbrushes
20 Foam brushes
Acrylic paints
Watercolour paper
Elmer’s Glue-All
Watercolour cakes
A palette
Actual cost: $131.40
I knew I was in trouble when my arms were full and I went to get a cart. I never get a cart, even at the grocery store, because I need to stay aware of how much my stuff weighs since I don’t have a car. But today I got the cart because some of the canvasses were too unwieldy for a basket.
There were many, many choices to be made at Michael’s. Which paintbrush to get? Which glue? Which paint? I am not known for my rapid decision-making skills. Sometimes, if I can’t decide between two things, I’ll eventually buy both just to get it over with. But that strategy doesn’t work when I am I faced with thousands of paintbrushes. This is only HALF the paintbrush aisle. I’m lucky I only bought 45 of them.
The palette, well, I knew I didn’t really need it, but I thought it was funny. And it was only $1.69.
I wasn’t quite finished: I still needed transfer paper. But there comes a point during every visit to Michael’s when I suddenly hate Michael’s: the endless decisions, the smelly potpourri crap, the ugly seasonal crap, the fake flowers, the crowded aisles, the crafty people, the prices, the whole commercial crafting scam. It can happen in an instant. All of a sudden I’d had enough, I hated Michael’s with all my heart, and I had to get out of there immediately. Fortunately it was a quick trip through the checkout and the nice cashier gave me a coupon for 40% off my most expensive item (the set of acrylic paints).
I crammed as much as I could into my knapsack, but it got full fast, especially since I’d gone to Bulk Barn next door first and done some pre-Michael’s impulse shopping. My knapsack was full and heavy, so I had to carry the rest.
Now here’s a complaint that you short people should be able to relate to. The 16×20 canvasses were put in a big Michael’s bag for me. When I hold a big bag by the handle, it drags on the ground. I don’t mind being short, but they shouldn’t make the bags so damned tall.
I carried the unwieldy bag in my arms so it wouldn’t scrape on the ground, caught the O-Train, and transferred to the #101 bus. The bus dropped me off at the Civic Hospital and I walked the last 15 minutes home. And guess what I found? A fabulous frame, just lying in a snowbank waiting for me. I took it as a sign that I really am supposed to be an artist. I put it on top of my pile and held it in place with my chin. I brought it home and hung it on the wall.
And now here I am, at home, fully equipped with art supplies and instruction books, about to step into my studio and become an artist. But first I need to check my horoscope and eat one of the fortune cookies I impulsively bought at Bulk Barn today.
Horoscope:
Using technology to share your creative and fun-loving side could include chatting on the Internet, downloading music or taking artistic photos. Set the tone for the days ahead by finding something totally different to do now. Whatever you spontaneously try today can inspire you to take it more seriously later on.
Fortune Cookie:
A financial investment will yield returns beyond your wildest hopes.
Hmmm, all the signs are positive, so I guess I’ll go become an artist now. I’ll report back later with a picture of my first creation.
Runs in the family…good luck with it. At least you have a room that you can put all your stuff in now.
Absolutely loving your writing — sent here by my Ottawa friend Grace, and I’ll be coming back. And now I have art to look forward to, also! Most wonderful.
“I wish I was an artist!”
That’s the complaint I hear most often when people see my paintings. And I tend to respond with the following:
“ANYONE can be an artist. Buy some art supplies and get to work.”
That is literally all it takes.
Then people complain that they don’t have TIME to be an artist — mainly because there are so many good TV shows to watch.
The most useful art tips I have, that hopefully can help you and anyone else:
1. If you’re trying to paint something you’re looking at, paint WHAT YOU SEE, not what you think you see. For example — most people assume faces are symmetrical and paint them that way. No face is symmetrical — especially if they’re at an angle, lit from one side, etc.
2. Mistakes are good, not bad. If you make a mistake, think of it as an added “style” to the work. Obsessing over being perfect is a sure-fire way never to paint anything. Errors are good. If you ever get “stuck” while painting, deliberately make a mistake. This often helps me get unstuck.
A boss of mine once saw my paintings and said she wished she could just put the brush to canvas and do wild, crazy lines and splotches like I do. What the hell is stopping her? As far as I can tell, this desire to be so perfect and right and good. Want to make big, sweeping, messy, splotchy lines? Just do it.
Heck, if it doesn’t work out, let the paint dry and paint over it.
3. Fill the canvas. Be brave. Fill the entire space. Don’t limit yourself to a corner.
4. EVERYTHING is art. Whether it’s of commercial value is a whole other question. But if you want to paint a canvas red, cover it in white dots, and call it DONE, fine! Anyone can paint Mondiani squares — I saw them throw together a quick one on Trading Spaces. So why not you?
Deb, I think it has something to do with that OCD gene that runs through the family: we’re intense but paradoxically easily bored. Right now I’m discovering that being an artist involves a lot of waiting for things to dry. And then when they’re dry, you get them wet again.
Rachael – welcome, and thanks so much for the kind words. Much appreciated. I just clicked over to your blog for a quick peek – great stuff, I’m adding a link. I wish you and your plumber lived closer to Ottawa!
Nik – thanks for those tips. You’re absolutely right about the perfection thing. I was feeling paralyzed, unable to do anything, because I wanted it to be right and I didn’t trust myself to do it right.
Finally, in the middle of the night, I had a little chat with myself and told myself that my first piece was just an experiment to see what happens when I do stuff. It’s not really art, it’s just experimenting, and experimenting doesn’t have to be perfect. And then I started!
Now I’m going to go google Monidani squares.
Find your signature, that is your art.
Maybe it’s the OCD gene or maybe it’s just a Libra thing…. When we start something new, we like to come prepared and organised 😉
OCD can add some great stuff to art. I like how my OCD tendencies give me weird but strict rules that I have to follow.
One trick with personality disorders and art is to be aware of which one you’re most under the influence of at a given time and do the kind of work that goes well with that disorder.
An even more clever trick is to summon the disorder that goes with the stage of work you’re at. But I haven’t really got that one down yet.
David, I like that idea. I’ll try to cultivate a few more personality disorders, and teach them to come when they’re called.