Someone Like You

So what does “Someone Like You” have to do with painting. A lot! Why? I can not wait to share with you today. But first, here’s a link to a previous but purpose providing post. Check the link out if you’re new to this blog. It offers a brief description of the (colorful) purpose of today’s post and the entire blog, too.

Moving right along, let’s get on with the thinking behind “Someone Like You.” I’ve decided painting enthralls me because starting a painting is a lot like falling in love. Stay with me here as I make a case for the phases of painting and their similarity with lasting love.

Caveat

First though I want you to know that when I speak of love, and the amazing song of the same title by Van Morrison, I’m thinking about my life partner and comrade in creative endeavors aka Mr. Studly. But I am pretty sure these phases of love I am about to describe could also apply to love for a pet (including ours BDE (best dog ever) and AK (ancient kitty) and, though I’m no expert, love for a child, too. Let’s dive into this in more detail, shall we?

Early Love

Early love is just like the start of a painting. I love the start because there’s so much to discover. In fact, my heart goes pitter patter when I start a new painting. And, heck yes, I felt that way when I first met Mr Studly and BDE and AK.

The tricky thing about early love is, with painting anyway, there’s this idea I have and even a feeling I want to share. This is where words are going to start to feel pretty useless to me. Why? Because there really aren’t many words to describe what it is that I want to paint and they way I want to feel. If words could describe what I wanted to paint, I would use them instead of paint.

And, I might add, this feeling occurs even if I have done a gazillion compositional sketches ahead of time. Also, I find it’s super fun to talk about this with abstract painters. Because some think there’s no feeling associated with painting realistically. So, it’s fun to hear this statement (artist: I just have this feeling I want to paint) and then agree with that person and say “Me too!”

Anyway, I digress.

One way to hang onto the early stage of a painting, for me anyway, is by doing a big old sheet of color sketches from imagination. Maybe this is like the “date night” idea of painting? Here’s an 18×24 inch canvas paper sheet of color sketches.

Let’s move on to the middle phase, shall we?

Middle Phase of Enjoying Someone Like You

I will come clean and share that, for me, the joy can move to struggle sometimes in the middle stage of a painting. This is particularly true if I don’t pay attention to the early stages of the painting and I’m not clear with my intentions and expectations.

Hmmmm…does that sound familiar to you in other life situations? Such as? Oh, how about your new puppy? Or that moody teenager? In fact, I have heard more than one painter call this phase, the teenage phase of the painting.

In the past, I also can share that I would take a poor approach to this phase. Meaning? The best way to describe it is if you were training for a long run like a marathon. I have only run one marathon. But there’s this annoying expression in that world: push your way through or run through the pain.

I am not sure that’s the best way to do many things; running or otherwise. So, I take a different approach now.

Listening to Someone Like You

I feel a bit uncomfortable sharing this with you but here’s what happens with my teenage stage paintings. I’ve learned (from fabulous painter and teacher Adriano Farinella) to ask what the painting wants and what the painting needs. Those of you with teenagers or kitties or puppies realize immediately of course that the ‘want’ may be completely different from ‘need.’ And, so it is with paintings. Someday, I will be able to show visual examples of this with a painting. For now, we’ll just roll with this concept.

The mechanics of listening to the painting are not unlike listening to your beloved. The listening could lead to a time out. In the painting’s case, it gets turned to face the wall and left alone for a period of time.

It’s amazing how much more objective I can be with assessing next steps in a painting when I haven’t looked at it in a while.

Refining Someone Like You

Once I have reconnected with said painting after a time out, there’s a new phase. I can only say there’s tremendous satisfaction in this phase for me. Why? Well, I’ve realized the annoying, fidgety issues are problems that I will figure out.

So whether it’s knowing that my otherwise perfect dog acts a bit unpredictably around certain other dogs. Or that words show a new, surprising point of view from Mr. Studly. Each are a part of my own personal landscape now. And, I get to think about them and how I respond. And, the same is true with paintings.

How so? Well, with paintings I start to think about nuance, emotion, the feeling I want to get across. Oooh la la I absolutely love this phase of the painting. My only complaint is that it, like most amazing moments, is fleeting.

The two paintings I’ll share with you today are nowhere near the refining stage. They are imaginary landscapes. Here’s the first one.

I am excited at the thought of making this into a larger painting. This sketch is less than 3 inches by 3 inches. And, here’s it’s “cousin” showing a stormier sky. Each of these were painted during the same session and are similar sizes.

Having a stormier version of something, helps appreciate the calmer more serene moments. Don’t you think?

And I couldn’t sign off today without sharing the song that inspired this week’s blog:

Your Turn

Well there you have it gentle reader. Paintings and love; just two variations on a theme. At least that’s what I’m thinking. What about you? Is your current critter, companion, kid making you realize there are good and not so hotso phases? Yes? Even if you’re thinking, heck no, I don’t see the connection at all, either way, please do share in the comments below.