Sooner or later you are going to end up with something in your painting that you just don't like. Maybe a drip or a slip of the brush in the wrong place. Maybe your skill fell short of your intentions and no one else would know that brown blob was supposed to be a dog. The basic idea of process painting is that the results don't matter. What do you do when they do matter and you aren't happy about it?
Here are a few strategies for dealing that uncomfortable situation:
Here are a few strategies for dealing that uncomfortable situation:
- Work with it in your painting. Try doing more of what you don't like and see what happens. Or paint your response, let the "not liking" show up in the painting too.
- Remind yourself that it really doesn't matter how it looks. After all, your subconscious (or your muse, if you prefer) wanted you paint the idea. That idea is still there, even if you don't like how it was executed.
- Try to think of as a misbehaving child - love it for being what it is, even if it wasn't what you expected.
- Notice the part of you that doesn't like it. "Not liking" is a feeling. It's OK and you don't have to do anything at all about it - just go right on not liking it.
What do you think of the painting above? It was done by my friend and fellow teacher, Linda Bolton. She titled it, "I Might be Pissed". She didn't like it and was surprised when I asked to include in the gallery for my website. I love it. If you want to comment on the painting or on this essay, please offer your thoughts in the comment section below.
- Remind yourself that it really doesn't matter how it looks. After all, your subconscious (or your muse, if you prefer) wanted you paint the idea. That idea is still there, even if you don't like how it was executed.
- Try to think of as a misbehaving child - love it for being what it is, even if it wasn't what you expected.
- Notice the part of you that doesn't like it. "Not liking" is a feeling. It's OK and you don't have to do anything at all about it - just go right on not liking it.
What do you think of the painting above? It was done by my friend and fellow teacher, Linda Bolton. She titled it, "I Might be Pissed". She didn't like it and was surprised when I asked to include in the gallery for my website. I love it. If you want to comment on the painting or on this essay, please offer your thoughts in the comment section below.
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