Here are some of my unfinished works - I'm missing my magnolia (it wasn't any good, so no great loss). I might try to work on two of them a little more - the rest might get a nice coat of gesso so I can start fresh - with no rules.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
The Flower Painting Class
Each week now for about 9 weeks, I've been going in to class with a beautiful flower or bunch of flowers... inspired by their beauty, color, texture, shape... ready to paint my masterpiece. And then, our teacher imposes her rules on us. "We will be painting in watercolor style this week" (the class was in acrylics), or "only use contrasting colors this week", or, "only use analogous colors this week", or, "no, don't paint all of them, just pick one and paint it from three different angles", or, "paint with dots this week", or "this week we will paint a close-up, cropped version of your flower - no no, don't paint two flowers, just one", or "paint this picture one square of the grid at a time". I have never been one for rules, especially when it comes to creating things. Really, I hate rules in just about everything. Impose a rule on me, and I will almost always find a way to break it. I'm afraid I was just born that way. But in this class, I tried to follow her rules - for the sake of... I don't know what - in case I might learn something new? Or just because I've been too exhausted to fight it. Whatever the reason, it has not been enjoyable and I have not finished a single painting. I'm not sure I'll even finish the class - next week is the last week and I think I might just play hookey and go play with my new camera instead.
Here are some of my unfinished works - I'm missing my magnolia (it wasn't any good, so no great loss). I might try to work on two of them a little more - the rest might get a nice coat of gesso so I can start fresh - with no rules.
Here are some of my unfinished works - I'm missing my magnolia (it wasn't any good, so no great loss). I might try to work on two of them a little more - the rest might get a nice coat of gesso so I can start fresh - with no rules.
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Yeah, sounds like too many rules. I like the gerber and the big purple though.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I tremble at the thought of going to school again. The offspring try to encourage, but I resist. Back when I was in school I had the same kind of teacher. Just when I thought I was finding my technique or gaining talent in this or that the teacher would stop the progress in favor of "whatever".
ReplyDeleteugh! I feel your pain. Don't give up, just try what you like at home.
Thanks Brad - yes, just too many rules - she was very nice as a person, just not the teacher for me.
ReplyDeleteS'mee - thanks, I won't give up! LOL, I love painting too much - but it's the getting sucked in and loosing time part I love, which almost never happens in class it seems (though I've had teachers who let that happen - they do exist!).