A Journal Page Demo
In this week's sketchbook journal workshop we have been talking a lot about painting very simply and quickly. It is not about laboring over a masterpiece. It is about getting the impression of "here and now" on the journal page.I understand that it is difficult to take a chance on a page being less than perfect, or even less than good, because someone might look at it, and of course, we will look at it ourselves and feel as if we have failed if it isn't great (or good).
I think that I have made a dicision somewhere along the line that has made it easier to "let go" and just get it on the page quickly and simply. There are a lot of things in this world, and if I labor too long over each page, I'm just not going to be able to get to all those things. If I just do snippets here and there, I'm going to be able to cover a lot more ground.
Decide what it is that made you stop to paint - and paint THAT. Then move on!
This week's class is doing a great job of moving on, but we do talk a lot about simplicity - just to make sure we don't get too hung up on each little thing. Because there is another little thing waiting for us . . . and another . . .
11 comments:
Sounds like a wonderful workshop!
Thank you,Catherine. We all need to hear this. You are just so inspirational and practical. The ferns are so fresh-- all the essentials of what we love caught so quickly...
annie
Vicky - it is a great group - very eager and talented. Fun!
Annie - thanks. I don't think anyone ever called me practical before :)
I sometimes think I need this tattooed across the back of my hand so that I see it when I'm painting! "Keep it simple, sweetie!!"
I also think the word "next!" should be just below that as a reminder for those page that don't turn out as I thought they would!
Thanks for the reminder!
We did have a wonderful time and group! I agree with Laure-- a "KISS" tatoo might work! Wish I had kept it simple the last day and painted just the Flag and some steps, but I always learn SO much anyway! And "old" friends are fun too! See you at "Bookbinding." So excited to do one of them.
Your class was great! I so much enjoyed every minute of it. Now I'm determined to paint/journal often. Thanks for the class and your help!
Laure and Marj - it is hard to keep it simple when the "whole world" is there in front of us. Using a viewfinder might be a little less drastic than a tattoo :)
Marj. and Mary T - it was just a great group of painters, wasn't it!?
Everyone came pretty fired up, and I hope they left even more so. It was fun.
I just followed links and found your blog - loved this specific posting and I want to try to remember it! I spent 3 days sketching with Liz Steel, an architect from Australia, during her recent visit to New York City - and watched her capture the essence of everything in very short sketching sessions. I will never her her skills, but I tried hard to adopt her carefree attitude and abilitiy to simplify. Your post made me realize this again. Oh why can't I remember it for more than one week?
I just wanted to tell you that I am really trying to remember this philosophy and added a few of the senetences from this blog post, with attribution to you, on my blog.
http://www.paperandthreads.com/2010/09/keeping_a_visual_journal_1.php
I love this post and your page. I found it from Shirley's blog (see her comment previously) and really want to remember this idea.
Shirley - what fun it must have been to sketch with Liz Steele for 3 days. And thanks for mentioning me on your beautiful blog!
Scrappy Cat - thank you! Maybe we should all have "simplify" stamped into our brush handles.
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