Painting Experience

Question(s):
 

Would you describe how you approach the painting experience? George

________________

Do you paint everyday? Susan

Lori's Response:
 

Again, two questions that can be answered with similar thoughts.

Easy to say, Susan, that I paint every day. Well, every day except when I'm writing this blog party or on a plane, obviously. But yes, it is my job to paint every day. I have no days off. Often times I spend weekends at home preparing so that when Monday comes, I am ready to hit the easel without wasting precious time.

Green Light, Laguna Beach, CA

George, while it may sound a little corny, every new painting location is, for me, a chance to grow as an artist. A large part of that experience is seeing different atmospheric conditions and the effects they have on sunlight. It hones my observation skills, so that a painting of Laguna Beach is different in an obvious way than, say, a painting of Ireland.

Barley Under the Rain, Hook Head, Ireland

When you start later in life like I did, I think there is an urgency to approach every situation and every painting as a new challenge. Painting is less about a finished product and more about the experimentation along the way.

If I look out the window and see it is raining, I can just as easily decide to roll over and go back to sleep. Sure, sometimes that may be because I am actually exhausted. More often, however, it is about the fear of finding some success. That fear of failure, (lack of success as in that the end product might not be great), can hold an artist back. That's really self-defeating from the get-go. I know that the more difficult the subject is perceived to be, the more opportunity there is to learn. Even if the painting is a “scraper” as they say, it’s been a good day when I can still recall even years later that thing that "worked" and why it worked.

Wexford, Ireland. We painted 2 hours which began in sunshine, which changed to rain, which changed to sunshine, which ended in rain. Flip-flops courtesy of my morning pedicure. :)

The main reason for taking time away from the otherwise hectic schedule of making art for exhibitions and collectors, is to go some place I have never been or to explore different types of lighting and weather. My time away from the studio is precious in a totally different way, and those trips present great exercises in continuing education with no pressure to actually produce framable product. 

If you have a question you would like Lori to consider, email it to lori@loriputnam.com