Practice Makes Better

Slowly, very slowly, abilities are acquired, knowledge becomes more sure. Having joined a Facebook page, HowToPastel, run by Gail Sibley, has helped. Every week there is a challenge to meet. 

That means that every week I force myself to meet it. If it hadn't been for that, I probably wouldn't have painted every week. I would have drifted back out of pastels for a couple of months, probably. This way, I paint and slowly develop my abilities. I have grown more confident. 

Practice, practice, practice. How true the old adage is. Physical and mental abilities need to be practiced. If they're not, they don't develop. They remain in a primeval state and never grow. Even small talents need to be worked on to become better talents. One is not born being able to see things. Anyone can see a stone. One must train oneself to see the different veins of minerals, the myriad of colors, and the mystery of its evolution and origin. 

Let's keep practicing.  

Intentions

I have always loved art. I have loved looking at it, and have always wanted to create it. But I never had an inborn talent. I would sometimes see a talented artist take a pencil, and with a simple movement of the hand create a face. I always wanted to do something like that, but never could. My head was stuck in the "grass is green, rocks are black, lips are red" childhood art routine.

Then, one day, someone at work told me all I had to do was forget what I was drawing, and pay attention only to the lines and how they intersected and leaned against each other. And, slowly, I began to draw recognizable shapes.

Color was an obvious step up. I bought a box of Derwent pastels. I experimented with them. But I did so on the wrong paper and with no instruction of how to use them. We moved to Spain and I brought the box with me, on the off chance that I might find a way to learn. Then, ten years ago, I saw abstract paintings done by someone my husband and I knew. I thought to myself, "I think I can do something better than that." I found a book on pastel painting, bought the appropriate paper, and the rest is history.

I haven't done work continuously, though. Not until this summer, when I discovered Karen Margulis' blog and others, such as Gail Sibley. I have found this summer that I can do more than I though I could. Also, that practice is necessary. And now I find myself practicing every week, if not every day.

There is a satisfaction upon looking at something that you have just done, and realizing that your hands coordinated well enough with your brain to bring out something recognizable, if not perfect. 

Let art continue.

Into the Wilderness

It's not always easy striking out on your own, with no one to show you the way. It seems you are walking along a star-lit path that leads into the black ink of an unknown forest where you must try to find the way to the other side.

It wasn't easy putting the first pastels to paper. It was even worse because the paper was white watercolor paper and it felt as if I had picked up a piece of colored chalk from the blackboard ledge and was trying to paint like Turner with it. 

But the path continued under the black felt of the trees, and I found my way by stepping gingerly, noticing where the weeds made walking untenable, and stepping on the well-worn path with increasing firmness.

Within a reasonable amount of time, with a little guidance from the tree trunks, I made it out of the forest onto the other side.