Steam Punk: Rule Breakers

 

 

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” ~Pablo Picasso

 

With this page, I start out with one of my ‘using up paint’ pages.  I seldom have the blank page syndrome.  This time I am going to tone down the background with titanium white.  I paint a thick layer over all the page and the paint there and then wipe it with Wet Wipes.  This immediately tones it down and unifies the page. 

Sometimes you can totally break all the rules that you might have been taught.  This month’s art is truly out of the realm of anything that I know.  It is a totally new genre and not one I have ever gravitated towards.  Having said that, here are some rules for artists:

Never stop learning.  I have always been a proponent of life-long learning.  I think artist and creatives fall easily into that group.

Watch your ego.  Do not let your ego suppose what others might say about your art.  Your art is perfect right as it is because you have done your best job, yet, on it. Don’t expect to become the next Picasso overnight.  It takes many years and great patience and perseverance to finally get to a place where your art sells.  I have been at this many years and I watched Jane davenport go from a good artist to a fabulous artist.  I have watched many of my artist friends, who always amazed me, simply blow it out of the water.  Part of it is finding your voice and sticking to it.  I shall never find my voice because I am still very much an experimental artist.  But I am in love with experimenting and learning new ways to do old things.   That is the most important to me.

I see some of my artist friends completely ace something and I know that I could not compete even if I tried.  I compete with myself.  It is the joy of doing something better the next time, of getting a sense of my voice, that thrills me.  Do not compete because at the moment you sense you are competing you are going to lose because your critical inner voice will never have you feel like you won anything.  Art is not competition with anyone but yourself. 

Do not put your art and creative endeavors down.  Yes, you are going to fail... speak to the learning that takes place as you fix things.  There will be times your Muse abandons you right in the middle of a project.  Learn to let things go, walk away, come back another day. 

As I worked on this page, I had the brilliant idea to use the pain brush as part of her.  I wanted the Victorian gown (something old|).  I wanted the little rusty cat on the paintbrush (my nemesis is my critical inner voice).

The page almost does not feel done, yet I am done with it.  Perhaps I will come back to it another day. (I hope that rusty button survives on her dress.)

Something feels missing. I shall go find it by doing another page and it might come to me.

 

Be a learner, always.  Play with products, materials, styles, genres.  Open up your artist world and box of crayons and color on.  Learn the rules and then break them.  This is art and all! 

©Carol Desjarlais 5.10.21