Paint for Your Self

I’ll start by saying that I am not an acrylic artist, I don’t paint on canvases (usually) and I don’t know much about layering over wet paint. But I know that I love playing with colors, I enjoy experimenting and I am intrigued by mixing colors and mediums willy-nilly!

So, last morning when my kiddo suggested we do something new together, I asked if she’d like to paint on a canvas outside. We set up a table in our backyard with back-to-back easels, our paint supplies within arm’s reach and listened to the birds chirp as we got busy.

In under an hour, my canvas had gone from being plain white to a symphony of colors, textures and movement.

You can see in the video how organic my process is and how “random” my strokes are. The only thing I really decided before we set up was my color palette: transparent red, phthalo blue and cadmium yellow acrylic paints. Halfway through, I decided to use green and red acrylic ink drips which then got incorporated into the painting.

I didn’t have a vision when I started this painting. In fact, I had no idea it would end up becoming what it did. There is a lot of “in the moment” choices I make when painting…rarely giving them the luxury of thought. It’s more of what “feels” right — and I know many of you wonder how I determine that, especially since I don’t rely on color theory or refer to the color wheel. I just “know.”

But how? Well, here’s my simple answer. I think of what makes me happy, without judgment. I no longer have to silence that critic in my head that tells me I’m no artist…because I have decided that I am. I am an artist just as much as my seven-year-old is. I have given myself the permission to evaluate my art through the lens of an unencumbered child.

There is no rule of thirds to follow or tangential lines to avoid….I don’t ascribe to the dictat of never using paints straight out of the tube nor do I follow the rule of not poking the canvas with my brush. It’s just me, my brushes and my colors…and the freedom to use my tools wantonly.

My secret is: being in the moment, savoring the journey and having fun!

I hope that this painting gives you the freedom to paint for yourself, to feel the joy that comes from “random” selections and to relish the story as it unfolds. That blank canvas is your invitation to play — what are you waiting for?

List of supplies used:

• Deep Canvas
• Tabletop Easel
• Tim Holtz/ Ranger Ink Distress Crayons
• Wide Brush
• Liquitex Transparent Red Acrylic Paint
• Liquitex Phthalo Blue Acrylic Paint
• Liquitex Cadmium Yellow (Medium) Acrylic Paint
• Liquitex Titanium White Acrylic Paint
• Caran d’Ache Neocolor II Water Soluble Crayons
• Stabilo Woody Colored Pencils
• Derwent Inktense Water Soluble Pencils
• Dr. PhMartin’s Acrylic Inks
• Honeycomb Stencil by Altenew
• Off the Loom Stencil by Catherine Pooler
• Swirl Art Marks Stencil by MansiMakes
• Ranger Ink Texture Paste — Matte
• Golden Clear Tar Gel Medium
• Golden Crackle Paste

See you next time,