Sat down in front of a blank canvas, going cross-eyed, tortured in the realization that inspiration does not come from a divine intervention... We've all been there!
Putting on some well chosen music, feeling a little uplifted, it's a good start, but it probably won't be enough and we know it. I've known it for a long time yet I still sometimes forget that creation needs preparation, nourishment and a certain amount of discipline. I thought I would share a few tips which help me, might help you and will put us all back on the right track!
PREPARATION:
From preparing your work space to preparing your work subjects, there is a lot that can be done to avoid wasting precious time and become more productive.
I personally find that if my studio is cluttered and in a bigger mess than usual (lets be honest here, it's never that tidy in there), I need to sort the mess out before I get to work and even often get distracted in the process. The solution? Well to keep it tidy in the first place would help, as for the rest of the house, but as we all have lives to live.
-Incorporate a tidy up of the studio in the general housework time instead of eating on precious creative time.
-Fit in, once a month, a bigger clear out, keep the regular tidying up simple using files and boxes that can be sorted out once a month.
For me, it also corresponds with my monthly inventory of stock and material, which means I kill two birds with one stone, and that I have a clear head and a clear work space at least for one day every month!
Preparing the actual work subject is equally if not more important to be efficient. Many a time I have gone up to the studio and started rummaging through hundreds of images in search of the one I would like to paint... after a few hours, I might have deleted a few pictures, but I am no closer to finding a subject for painting and obliged to abandon the day's session having wasted too much time.
-Sort out pics as they come out of the camera!
If you are very organized that will work best, dealing with a small amount of pictures every time.
-Have a "TO PAINT NEXT" folder on your computer desktop, limit the number of pics to less than 10 in this folder. If like me you are of the indecisive type, limiting your options will always work best!
-Be ruthless in your selection. With experience we know what will not make for a good painting, DELETE!
-Have different size canvas prepared. I prime my canvas and boards with acrylic, often bold colors. I like to have a few prepared in advance, again saving time not watching paint dry!
-Have sketches made of your "TO PAINT NEXT" pictures. If you have already worked out your composition, sketching the canvas will be a piece of cake.
NEXT: Nourishment and discipline
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