This week I picked Daring Adventures in Paint by Mati Rose McDonough off of my shelf.
I have had a lot of fun laying down color and finding a use for my canvases. It’s been so much fun that I’ve once again let the jewelry making simmer on the back burner.
The book is just so colorful and fun and playful that I want to do all of the exercises! The author feels like the kind of person you want on your side to cheer on your creative endeavors.
The collage exercise, so far, has been my favorite. Maybe it’s because I’m happy with the results.
Here’s the silver-leaf squid.
I admit, silver leaf and I are not the best of friends. Maybe had I picked a simple shape and not a squid with swirly tentacles to paint with the adhesive and then make all silvery. Twice I tried. Once I painted over everything to start over; once I painted over some of the silver leaf to create more of a squid-like shape.
Here’s something I just started doing. While I appreciate the vague tentacle-like nature of the painting, I still want to paint over it. I think I’ll let it sit for a few days. Maybe I’ll figure out how to save it. Maybe I will paint over it. But there’s no need to be so immediately dismissive of my work. (And, making it ugly also fits into the Kim Werker book I “reviewed” last week.)
Oh! Just looking at this photo hurts my eyes!!
I really do love the act of painting. In as much as I’m trying to learn some useful techniques, I also need to learn how to let go of the need for perfection. Or, the expectation (wish) that I can master any craft/art on first attempt. Silly me.
Check back next week. I hope there will be a few more images to share — regardless of how good they do or don’t look.