This surprises no one.
The square series are not designed to be phenomenal art. They are a series of experiments – each one trying to stretch my skills with something I hadn’t really tried before (or have typically not been good at). This means some come out “fine,” and some I am surprised to be quite proud of. You just never know what you’re gonna get.
Here is the latest:
Things we’ve learned:
Yes, I CAN make something that looks really easy and simple take three times as long as it should. I am gifted like that.
My painting habits are based on the fact that the clothes I wear to paint in aren’t “nice” and therefore I don’t have to worry about messing them up. This means that if I’m not paying attention to what I’m are wearing, my exercise clothes also end up looking like something exploded on them. As this takes away from the obvious food stains because I am a total slob, I am okay with that.
Painting consistent thin lines is harder than it looks, and I suck at it. Scalpels are nice for this, but I can’t make them do longer lines. However, finding the right “magic” brush helps a TON.
The right magic brush can make the hand-trembles not nearly so obvious. Yay!
Deciding to put a darker line down before the lighter seems like a good idea (adds depth, right?), but in actuality it just means you’ll be SO PLEASED with the first set of lines, then spend most of your time un-painting the next set, since you didn’t get them in quite the right places.
If you are in the middle of trying to paint a layer all at once before your paint runs out, you will get more phone calls during that time than in the previous month. All will be spam.
Agonizing over how the lines look up close is all very well and good, and goes toward technique (mine clearly needs improvement), but from two feet away none of it is noticeable, so there are more pressing things to worry about.
If you set a painting of a spiderweb on your window bench, and wander by later and see what look like giant spider legs in front of it, you may, or may not, freak completely out before realizing it is just a crumpled lanyard cord.
Maybe, being afraid of spiders, it would be smarter not to give myself ideas.
Also, fun tip: If you want to get a better photo of a spiderweb, spritz it lightly with a water bottle. It shows up a treat.
PS-You’d THINK I would ALSO learn to MOVE the black cord instead of leaving it there to scare me anew each time I pass it. But you’d be wrong.
