Themes and Prompts
Ooops - back on Day Fifteen I said we would talk about themes. Sorry.There are a few ways to use themes as thought starters - or painting starters - prompts. Themes can easily turn into a series. If you're doing a series, you almost always have something in mind to paint.
- A few years ago in the winter I did some little sketches in my journal using the alphabet. The sketches were only about two inches square. The self-imposed criteria was that the subject had to be something real - something I could look at and draw.
- Sometimes I have used a grid to set up some themes for a long weekend. I would use ideas such as "simple pleasures", "light and shadows", "tastes", "just being here". Art Escapes by Dory Kanter is where I read about this idea.
- For some reason a few years ago, in the back of one of my sketchbooks, I made a list of my 100 favorite things. The list grew, of course. It would make a pretty good reference for painting and journaling ideas.
- There are always the simple, quick sketches you can do in restaurants - the salt and pepper shakers everywhere you go, your water glass, your lunch.
- Then there are subjects such as gates, doors, gardens, figures, every view from your porch . . .
- And the more obscure themes such as passions, random thoughts, gratitude, spiritual . . .
- There is always that view from a window every day for a year - watching the seasons change.
In the next day or two, I'll explain a little more about each of these and show some examples. Creative writers use prompts, and I think they work well for visual artists too.