Simple Ideas: Rule-Making
Just like my art students, sometimes I need an easy way to get started.
I had been taking extremely close-up photographs of water for my Fractal project. One of the photos I took that was really successful was of a sunflower about to open. I couldn't figure out how to get moving with it once I had painted it a few times. So, I added a rule. I had to build it in squares. I drew/painted these square by square starting with my photographs and then allowed the composition to overtake its original design. Basically, once I got moving, I abandoned the original idea in favor for what happened as I was working. For me, my favorite part of making art is the moment that happens in the midst of creative flow where I discover my visual interest in the piece. Visual ideas are hard to put into words. I find them difficult to think about. I feel it is easy to recognize them once you get in the habit of building an artistic set of habits. For me, the moment comes when I no longer need the rule and the original project goal to find my way forward. The painting takes on a logic of its own. |
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