Back in the day… I played musical instruments and I drew and painted stuff. I had the time to nurture creativity and I dreamed of doing that for a living. Then reality took over — grown-up life got hectic with a job, then marriage and a family to raise..and of course the farm life with the work that entails. I’m not complaining, it’s all good.
Now that the family is just about grown and I don’t have to punch a clock at an office somewhere… I want to encourage my creative side again. I’d love to pick up an instrument and play again, but my hearing impairment hampers that tremendously. I have no excuse not to pick up a pencil or paint brush though, and at the beginning of the summer I had a moment. I was kayaking down the Menunketesuck River with camera in tow… and witnessed this moment of morning summer light and reflection on water that I felt could be a painting. So I took the picture and studied it at home.
Then I went to the art supply store and held the photo up to the girl working behind the counter. I said…” I want to paint this. Help me. ” You see… when I was younger I painted and then quit, because my work was flat. There was something missing in the depth of it all. I asked her to set me up with the right equipment to paint this painting, and I’ll see if I can figure it out this time.
We walked around the store as she picked this and that out, just the basics to start me off. She only pulled about eight colors off the paint rack… (oils) … and didn’t grab black. I said… “Don’t I need black for this painting?”… and she replied… “Well, you can buy one if you want, but here is something I learned in my painting classes……. NEVER use straight black. MAKE it… using other colors. In nature, there is no black… there is light reflecting off objects, which creates the colors you see. Also….. the trouble with oils is most people don’t have the patience to let the layers dry. Work from back to front, background to foreground”.
It was an AHA! moment for sure.
So I brought my supplies home and set up the easel in my living room. I got to work and this time had the patience to let the layers dry as I went… setting the whole thing aside for days at a time (oils take days to fully dry). I created the areas of darkness (not black!) with Raw Umber, reds, greens and blues. Go figure.
And holy cow, just like that, my painting was no longer – flat –
Now, I’m no professional artist, but I’m happier with the results and it feels so good to nurture creativity in this way again… all these years later.
Original photo
