‘Boom Bird’ – Day 277/365

‘Boom Bird’ – Day 277/365

The painting process is very much endothermic before it can become exothermic. It’s painstaking before it’s passionate. It listens before it’s ready to talk.⁠ So without the sitting and the quieting down and conversing with the self, you can’t ever expect to have anything to release.⁠ Don’t give up on your creative expression because it’s not flowing. It’s just not flowing yet. ⁠

(artist retains all rights to print reproductions of this painting)
Inspiration image: artist’s own


ORIGINAL COPY POSTED ON INSTAGRAM DURING THE CHALLENGE

This is what my man would call a badd-bing-badda-boom painting. “Just like that” he says.⁠

Yes, just like that. I painted this in 40 minutes. Mainly out of necessity  – life was calling.
But “just like that” 10 months into painting every single day – and for about 7 of those months for hours on end.⁠
.⁠
In the beginning, I didn’t have the skill, the confidence or the expression of self to even know how to begin doing something like this. Being so loose and so free with my colours and techniques took a truckload of patience and very nitpicky painting on my part.⁠
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In that sense, I think the painting process is very much endothermic before it can become exothermic. It’s painstaking before it’s passionate. It listens before its ready to talk.⁠
.⁠
So without the sitting and the quieting down and the taking on of your own self, you can’t ever expect to have anything to release.⁠
.⁠
Don’t give up on your creative expression because it’s not flowing. It’s just not flowing yet. ⁠
.⁠
Plod through it and you’ll begin arriving at multiple places where the water flows freer from your tap. But give yourself the serenity and tolerance and perseverance to build that muscle.⁠
.⁠
Artists never tell you that. You see their work and think they just woke up one day and could just do that. Maybe that’s true for some, but it wasn’t for me and I just wanted to share that with you. 🙏⁠

‘In The Moment’ – Day 224/365

‘In The Moment’ – Day 224/365

ORIGINAL COPY POSTED ON INSTAGRAM DURING THE CHALLENGE

So, what’s more true to the moment?⁠
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To sit and watch the sun sinking peacefully as the reflections shimmer and the sky dances its final orchestra of colour and to then paint it unhurried from memory with only the palate of impressions left on your heart?⁠
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Or ⁠
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To keep up with the golden pea as she plops below the horizon daubing on colour hard and fast while she fills you with fast fleeting feelings of fading reds and bellowing blues?⁠
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I think both or either – the sun doesn’t care how you dance with her, slow or fast, as long as you dance a dance, she’s happy to see you make something of your moments. And therein lies the rub. Make. Make fast or slow. But make.

(artist retains all rights to print reproductions of this painting
Inspiration image: common licence

‘Freedom in Failure’ – Day 156/365

‘Freedom in Failure’ – Day 156/365

ORIGINAL COPY POSTED ON INSTAGRAM DURING THE CHALLENGE


Shizer Minelli! Son of a motherless goat! Today, I’m just gonna come out and say it. This painting a day challenge is faarking hard. ⠀
.⠀
Plans were made, inspiration was plenty, calendar dates aligned and then the whole deck of cards just didn’t want to balance. Oh well. I had me a little cry, and seriously contemplated defeat. But after sitting on my pillow and breathing for 10 minutes I decided defeat could go suck an egg and that another quick abstract painting to see out the day was better than holding myself to my stupid-high standards.⠀
.⠀
They were never all going to be masterpieces. But I guess you only really accept the discomfort of that reality in the trial and error than in the theoretical planning.⠀

So sorry World Environment Day, the beautiful tribute painting I was working on for you today will just have to be your IOU gesture for tomorrow (or the next day). ⠀

But I’m glad it came out this way, because ⠀
1) It gives me the chance to share how much unnecessary pressure we can knot ourselves up for in the pursuit of adhering to some pre-ordained social media calendar and ⠀
2) it gives me the chance to show any other artists contemplating a 365 challenge that the near misses, self-considered failures and f*%#-ups are part of it and you just have to stay committed and find a way under, over or through it.⠀

Thanks, tiny abstract house on a hill for saving my ass and setting me free today!⠀

(artist retains all rights to print reproductions of this painting)
Inspiration image: artist’s own