Blog

I haven't written a blog post for several years now.  There are many reasons for this but I think the most important factor is the word should.  Every time I thought about writing something that word should loomed.  A blog should be informative and useful to a known audience, should be entertaining, should have a schedule, should not be just self promotion.  The list could go on and on.  Good advice is everywhere.  Sometimes a whole lot of good advice can be an impediment to ever starting anything. 

I was painting in Ocean City Maryland recently and a woman asked me, very apologetically, if I would mind a few questions?  The bottom line was she loved painting but had stopped long ago as a result of a very critical family environment.  She wanted to start again but it all seemed too complicated.  Where to start? 

First of all, make it easy to start.  Simplify your equipment so you can get to it and set it up when you have a spare half hour.  I use a 6x8 thumb box that I can use anywhere and you can buy or adapt all kinds of small accessories (small jam jars, saw the handles off of some brushes, etc.) Work small.  Simplify your colors.  Use the three primaries and white, or use just one or two primaries with white, or several related colors and white, or use an earth color, blue and white.  Have fun for half an hour and don't labor over anything.  Keep it simple.  Write notes to yourself about what happens when you mix colors or spread them thinly, dilute them or lay them on thickly. Relax and have fun. You can't paint if you're stressed out about it or you're trying to think about too many things at once.  Start something and pay attention to what happens. That's how you learn.  That's what I'm going to do with this blog too.  So please do check it out again.  I hope to add something once a week or so.