A Timid Painter’s Strategies to Begin Painting

 

My husband would love for me to paint more than I do.  I know he loves my paintings.  I know that I can paint fairly well.   Still I get very intimated and I’m reluctant to start.  Even without a blank sheet of paper staring at me I struggle to begin.

It would help if I could or would paint in the style of the day, loose and verging on abstract.  I’m just not that kind of painter.  When others are producing watercolors in a matter of hours, mine are taking weeks and sometimes months.  I’m detailed oriented.  I concentrate on every bit of the painting.  I would probably make a better botanical illustrator than a landscape painter.  Yet my husband loves my landscapes.

Because I do love to paint, I decided to come up with a few strategies to get me painting.  Here’s what I decided. 

First, I promised to paint  a watercolor landscape for two of my brothers.  I took a lot of photos while I was on vacation because I know they prefer the desert over the scenery we have around here.  I’m pretty sure I can finish one of them by Christmas.

 

Second I try to boost my confidence by making a few drawings and putting in some detail.  I’m not going to finish any of the drawings and they can look pretty bad.  I’m not trying to make everything perfect, just one small piece, an eye, a nose.  I’ll draw until I know that my hand can match what my eye is seeing.

Third, I would ignore the quick and fast painters.  I would soak my watercolor paper and stretch it.   I would staple my paper than tape it to my board and wait for it to dry.  The process of stretching the paper is soothing to me.

Fourth, I promised myself to at least look at the paintings every day.  I have an easel in my studio.  If I look, I know I will feel motivated to pick up a pencil or paintbrush and work on it a little.

Last, I told myself that if I finished two landscapes, I could work on two portraits.   It’s been a long time since I did figure drawing.  I want to try my hand at some paintings.  I found two wonderful subjects while I was on vacation.  I begged them to allow me to take their photo and both agreed.

I made my promise.  I did some drawings.  I have my paper stretched and drying.  My paper is out where I can see it.  I’m ready to begin.  Let’s see if this works.