Getting Started

One of the hardest things for me as an artist is similar to a writer staring at the first blank page.  Generally, I have an idea of what I want to create in my mind's eye, but more times than not, the painting takes on a life of its own, and I basically fill in the blanks.  During the process, I have to keep tabs on where my colors are.  I mix my own colors, and only buy the primary colors, which are red, blue, and yellow.  Not being able to see these, I keep them in a very orderly fashion in my studio.  Many times (more than I want to count), I've mixed the wrong color and came up with a "happy accident," which could consist of a purple tree or water that is not as blue as the Bahamas. 

It isn't unusual for me to be working on several canvases at the same time.  When an idea pops into my head, I like to get as much done as possible, then continually come back to it and refine the painting.  I have been called very prolific and eclectic when it comes to my work.  It may take me several weeks to several months to complete a project that I started in this way.  It mostly depends on the content of the painting. 

Over the years, I have been my own worst enemy in overworking some of my art.  Knowing when to stop is just as important as knowing how to start.  The completed work usually speaks for itself.  I am my own worst critic when it comes to knowing when the piece is finished.  It's not unusual for me to place a finished piece in my drying rack for several months, then learn a new technique, and then go back and rework a finished painting.  The abstracts obviously are the easiest, but I work really hard on their composition.  The florals seem to come relatively easy to me, and I have been told they look like Van Gogh rip offs.  The landscapes are the most detailed and take the longest, but in the end are the most fulfilling for me as an artist.  It never ceases to amaze me seeing all my works at a show and thinking, "wow, I created that," especially knowing how they got started.