Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I only liked the birds

I thought this had possibilities when I first sketched it. 
But then I started painting and began to get a bad vibe.
The problem is, it was time for work and I had to walk away from it at the bad vibe stage. 

Here is what I know.  
Here is what I have learned several times. 

Walking away at the bad stage is a huge mistake.
 It is hard to start again without the excitement of fresh inspiration churning inside of you.
Starting again but with a bad vibe is like taking bad medicine.  
First you have to talk yourself into taking it. 
But that doesn't make it taste any better. 
Sure enough, I had to quit again still holding onto the bad feeling about the painting. 
For the record, I didn't like the colors and I didn't like her face. 

 During another short session yesterday, I changed some of the colors.
This morning, I tried to be happy by tweaking her features.

Then I thought, who is the boss of this painting?
It's me.
 I picked up a big brush and scrubbed Gesso over the parts I didn't like.
I only liked the birds. 
Then, I added collage papers and more paint.
And some more paint. 

I had to walk away from it again.
This time, with good vibes.
I like the colors.

♥Sharon

14 comments:

  1. Well, I have to agree; when I saw 'her' face, it reminded me of the wicked godmother/queen in Snow White! I'm arcing back years here to my childhood and Walt Disney!. I do so agree that leaving something with bad vibes is not good for one's soul; I tend to keep my failures so that I can look back and say to myself, "ah, once I was afraid to alter what I don't like'. I loved your blues and greens - shades I would die for.

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  2. yes, i like the colors too....good for you to be able to just paint and collage right over this painting... ;-)

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  3. What a wonderful lesson for anything creative but also for life. It's like being told not to go to bed angry.

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  4. Good gut instinct Sharon! I felt turned off by the first face too. The attitude, the colors, the angles everything was putting me in a bad mood. But by the end you left me with a positive feeling! Way to turn the situation around. And I like the birds too!!

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  5. Yes, I do know about that bad vibe and you are so right about walking away on a bad vibe. It's very hard to recover when you get back to it.
    I do like these colors better but the other ones were pretty cool too! I actually liked her and I think you did a great job on her profile. All my profile faces are---well, ---demonic looking. Yikes!

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  6. Love this new, warmer, color scheme.
    I've learned at your class it's Ok to paint over the previous layers and I'm thankfull for this.
    Waiting for finished painting.

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  7. Such a statement to oneself, and I think I forget sometimes who is in charge of the painting, I have a friend who does say in times of frustration, "Who is driving My Bus"?

    Almost every painting I do has a point of bad feelings, it has to be near the beginning tho or it does go down the tube, ocassionally not, except for right now I can tell that pain medication it altering me a bit, things seems extra difficult, decisions are hard, and I make poor ones sometimes in my backgrounds.

    I also like your birds see that they have strokes that seem like real birds, I find that thrilling.
    How can one not be able to paint a bird???? I don't know.

    Well my ride will be here in a bit as I go for therapy, I am doing quite well and getting stronger on the broken leg.

    So now I will wait to see what develops on this new background.

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  8. I just know this painting will work out beautifully for you - your faces are always delightful!

    I have to tell you, though, that I was quite drawn to the original, and more interested with each phase in progession.

    She, and the colors, were different (more startling) than your style, but I believe she, they, were intriguing. I wanted to know her story, and my imagination was taking me away.

    Still, I cannot wait to see how this change develops!!!

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  9. I like that sometime you too have creative opportunities.

    xoxox-kt

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  10. Process process process...this is the magic of making ART! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

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  11. It is good to know when to cut your losses so to speak. Isn't gesso great? A little painting first aide kit in a bottle.

    Darla

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  12. Oh, I like that you shared your fustration, and that yes--it's okay to cover up your work--we're allowed to do that. For some reason, I'll think that I can't, but you're right--you did it and you can take it back.
    I actually liked her--kind of the sinister circus clown (clowns are scary anyway :)

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  13. Well you know I have been there! What about those decorative napkins! You sure got me using them when I can't think of nothing else to do with a painting!

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  14. so true sharon, have been there!!! loved reading your take on it xx

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