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Starting a New Painting: where to begin?
Dear reader: I have made the first drawings for two paintings that I must finish by spring. That would not be a problem if I were able to
paint about just anything. These paintings are to be submitted for a show with a theme and must have a feminist slant. That
would not be a problem either if I had no time frame. But I have a time frame and a theme to consider.
After much thinking, I have come up with two ideas and the drawings. Now how to put the ideas and drawing into to a painting.
Not just that but I will possibly be show with some very good, professional arts. You know like the ones who show in big time NYC
galleries. I haven't come anywhere near that level and it is making me nervous about putting my brush to canvas. So instead of painting
I sat down to write in my blog. It has gotten dark out so the light in my studio is not very good. Another excuse to stop until tomorrow.
The canvas is large and will be staring at me reproachfully tomorrow if I don't start. Oh,! don't I have a dentist appointment tomorrow?
Yet another reason to procrastinate. I hope whoever reads this will feel like sending me some encouraging words to begin. I will stop for now. Maybe next time I will have started a painting.
In the Beginning I didn't know I was an artist or the art and art history were my passion for the first 50years of my life. I discovered this large thing about myself when I decided to volunteer at the Corcoran Gallery of Art ( still morn Its passing) and sign up for an Art History class at NOVA. A huge window opened up for me. I mean I really loved this stuff. I then began to attend Docent training at the Corcoran and studio art classes along with art history at Northern Va. Community College. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Here I was doing something I discovered I absolutely was in love with but I also discovered "Kathleen Norris Stark, person". Pure Joy !
When I was an art student, part time, at the Corcoran , in m yearly 20's I really didn't know what being an artist meant. I was told to fall in love, get married, have babies and then come back and be an artist. It wasn't possible for a woman to do both! ( This was 1962 so take that for what it is worth.) Since a certain handsome young man wanted to marry me and I didn't know I could do both, I chose to get married, have three babies and forget about being an artist.
It wasn't until my youngest baby went off to college, that I started to think about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Then I found my passion, ART, and have never looked back Now I don't say that I am a great artist or even a very good artist. I do say that I love making art and I love sharing it with other people. I love being around those people who also love, love, love art the way I do. I think I would die if I didn't or couldn't make art. So now you know! I am an eccentric, bohemian , crazy81 year old woman who lives to make art and share it.
IF you feel the same way about art as I do, I would love to hear from you. Please look at my website and give me your thought as well. That is all for now. Aug 10, 2023
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