Baby steps, Kate, baby steps!
I've recently decided to step one baby step out of my comfort zone and try painting on boards, rather than canvas or paper.
So I've made a simple start on mdf boards I had cut to 60x60cm. Now this is a fine material for a basic start, as long as it is well sealed. The glue that holds the fibres of the board together can chemically affect the paint if you paint directly onto the board, so I used several layers of GAC100, an acrylic primer, on ALL sides, then a couple of layers of gesso (a white primer) . Great! Now I'm ready to start!
OH!
And there are my six perfectly white, perfectly square boards...waiting...anticipating my best work! Eeek!
Ok, so now that is scary.
"Ssh! It's ok. I'm just doing this for me, no-one else needs to see this. So let's just scribble all over it and stop" ...I tell my Fear that has come and tapped me on my shoulder!
I put some music on, pick up a pencil and close my eyes! SCRIBBLE!
There! No longer perfect and now scratched with a few interesting patterns....phew!
OK....so lets get some paint on there....and so it starts!
And then...
...it stops again. What now?!
I was about to go of on holiday for a week and I couldn't take my paintings with me.
I have been learning lots of good stuff in the Connected Artist membership, so I now put some of this into practise. Each board was then numbered and photographed, then I printed out 4 small "wallet" size photos of each board. I glued these, each different way up, into a little journal, my Studio Journal and took this away with me to Scotland.
Sitting in the Findhorn Forest I sat with my journal and considered each image. What does it need? Which way up is it? What do I like and not like about it? What does this colour palette mean to me? What is the mood of this series?
I sat with this and thought, and journalled and now, back in my attic studio I can now dive straight in! I have key ideas on mood and feel that I can keep referring back to whenever I feel a little stuck or lost. I'm taking the next baby steps!
I have NO idea where this series will end up and that's ok. I'm enjoying the journey. I'm sharing my progress with you, but the paintings may never see the light of day....and that's ok. I'm exploring. I'm deepening my process and my practise. I like it. I'll keep taking one step at a time, keep myself on track with my journal and I'll keep you posted.
Hope you enjoy the journey.
KM 20/7/22