Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

GreenPartyVoter

(72,377 posts)
Wed May 20, 2020, 09:41 AM May 2020

I have destroyed 4 paintings this week. Not torn up, just worked to death because of little

imperfections which got worse with each panicked attempt. Will be glad when this cycle of self-destruction passes through. Also wish meds for this stuff worked better. I don't want to be a stereotypical tortured artist.

On the plus side, I painted in my 80lb sketchpad, and I like how it went. I like that I took the time to make some studies. In retrospect, more studies on painting the white wicker might have been good. I think I captured some pretty delicious light in spots, and I like my composition.

Anyway, there's a story behind the buoys.

"Two family buoys in my faux wicker rocker. One hung around Nana's kitchen all day, the other worked for a living."








19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
I have destroyed 4 paintings this week. Not torn up, just worked to death because of little (Original Post) GreenPartyVoter May 2020 OP
Have you considered working in oils? The Velveteen Ocelot May 2020 #1
Thought about it. I love some aspects of watercolor GreenPartyVoter May 2020 #2
I second the idea for a different media. Watercolor is famously unforgiving LiberalLoner May 2020 #16
I used to tell my students, "There is no such thing as perfect in art." femmocrat May 2020 #3
Thank you. I was debating whether or not to ink the chair, but GreenPartyVoter May 2020 #6
Especially with unforgiving water color, if the juice isn't there, working it harder won't .. marble falls May 2020 #4
If we were at Hogwarts, the chair shadow would be screaming. LOL GreenPartyVoter May 2020 #5
Art is a fickle beast! marble falls May 2020 #8
Sure is! GreenPartyVoter May 2020 #10
I feel your pain. bif May 2020 #7
Yep. Just one more--dammit!!! GreenPartyVoter May 2020 #11
My best work has come from failing at first lunatica May 2020 #9
This one is going in the try again pile. Too many lovely bits to give GreenPartyVoter May 2020 #12
What are the items on the chair? KatyMan May 2020 #13
Lobster buoys. :) GreenPartyVoter May 2020 #14
Thanks! KatyMan May 2020 #15
Your post makes so much sense LiberalLoner May 2020 #17
Once you stop feeling frustrated you'll lunatica May 2020 #19
I have to say I really like your work LiberalLoner May 2020 #18

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,267 posts)
1. Have you considered working in oils?
Wed May 20, 2020, 09:47 AM
May 2020

I've found oil painting to be a lot less frustrating than water colors because you can always fix a mistake - just let it dry and paint over it. I've got a couple of paintings that I really don't like how they turned out, but I didn't throw them away; at some point I'm just going to go back over them and redo some things. The negative aspect is that oil paint is messy, but I like not having to give up and toss something I've worked on.

GreenPartyVoter

(72,377 posts)
2. Thought about it. I love some aspects of watercolor
Wed May 20, 2020, 09:49 AM
May 2020

that I can't achieve elsewhere. I might split the difference with gouache.

LiberalLoner

(9,761 posts)
16. I second the idea for a different media. Watercolor is famously unforgiving
Tue May 26, 2020, 07:26 PM
May 2020

Last edited Wed May 27, 2020, 08:02 AM - Edit history (1)

And I truly think you would be so much happier with acrylics or oils. Gouache is almost as hard as watercolor, to be honest. You have so much talent and really these paintings are lovely, I just wish you happiness instead of frustration is all.

femmocrat

(28,394 posts)
3. I used to tell my students, "There is no such thing as perfect in art."
Wed May 20, 2020, 09:53 AM
May 2020

Some of them would get so frustrated that they would cry. We can always learn from our "mistakes.”
BYW, I do like that second chair!

marble falls

(56,353 posts)
4. Especially with unforgiving water color, if the juice isn't there, working it harder won't ..
Wed May 20, 2020, 11:11 AM
May 2020

make it flow. Sometimes its better to get the pencil out and see if you can get a line to start talking to you.

I think I see some frustration in there.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
9. My best work has come from failing at first
Wed May 20, 2020, 02:42 PM
May 2020

If you haven’t learned something about painting from what only you believe are failures then you aren’t capitalizing on one of the most powerful ways to learn.

Acknowledging that your failures are your best teacher is to be open to exploring and growing. It is to be fearless in your journey. Otherwise you just run around being fearful and only staying in your proven comfort zone. Artists should never stay stuck. Especially when they FEEL stuck.

I know you want to let yourself explore spontaneity and wildness because you told me so. Maybe that side of you is trying to manifest in these paintings.

In the last painting with what looks like a wicker armchair you have done some really interesting things. It reminds me strongly of Matisse’s paintings because of the way you are treating all the edges of your canvas. Everything except the armchair is a view of a partial depiction of a larger room. And your attention to all the squares and rectangles running off the page and back onto the page is beautiful, architectural, and in sharp contrast to the rounded gracefulness of the armchair and it’s shadow. The viewer’s eye is invited to travel all around the scene by being guided by the dynamic composition. The chair is dead center on the page, holding its own among all the strong rectangles around it. I think your subconscious is doing the very thing you wanted. Trying to break your self imposed rules. The way I see it this painting works very well. Does it need work? Yes. I urge you to take another look at it, taking into account that it has something to teach you. Don’t worry about “fixing“ it. You have many blank canvases waiting.




GreenPartyVoter

(72,377 posts)
12. This one is going in the try again pile. Too many lovely bits to give
Wed May 20, 2020, 07:40 PM
May 2020

up on it. The camera picked some of the composition. Interestingly, I was only going to do the chair on a soft background, but when I looked at my porch again in the early morning light I knew I needed to get the whole scene. But those lovely long shadows, I grabbed some indanthrone and didn't test it on scrap first...

I was going to do my usual inking of the subject, especially since it's a white chair. But, maybe I won't after all.

LiberalLoner

(9,761 posts)
17. Your post makes so much sense
Tue May 26, 2020, 07:28 PM
May 2020

My biggest jumps in growth and understanding always come after periods of intense frustration and wanting to quit altogether. Not that I’m advanced or anything, but I’m better than when I first Started.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
19. Once you stop feeling frustrated you'll
Tue May 26, 2020, 07:55 PM
May 2020

start seeing the possibilities in your mistakes. And a bonus is that if you allow yourself to appreciate the results of even small “happy accidents” you’ll learn even more. Sometimes a small accident can lead you into a totally new direction.

Another result is that you also learn what not to do, which many times means stop painting because overworking it is ruining everything worse.

LiberalLoner

(9,761 posts)
18. I have to say I really like your work
Tue May 26, 2020, 07:32 PM
May 2020

And see so much talent.

Do you also have some really nice watercolor paper like arches to do your final paintings on?

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Artists»I have destroyed 4 painti...