Looking....seeing....

My studio right now!

P3031421P3031422P3031423P3031424

 

 

A lot of time in the studio is spent looking. That time is a luxury, time to sit back and look at the work, in different conditions. I work a lot at night, so it is really nice to come out on a sunny day and view them in full sunlight, shade and so on. Nuances come to light, I may have missed in the artificial light at night. 

I like to be creative more so in the evening, when the day's duties are done and all is generally quieter in the world. The phone doesn't ring, emails are answered and anything else can wait until the morning. It feels most like 'play' time to me.

In daylight hours I will often research different things related to my art making or read art related material, watch youtube creativity and make up my canvas'. It is also the ideal time to prepare the ground. (Apply 2-3 coats of Gesso primer to the raw canvas. This gives the material some tooth. Paticles that absorb and allow the oil paint to grab on and bond.) It also means I have canvas' prepared for when the inspiration strikes.

There is always something to do in relation to actually prepare for painting. I don't think many people realise just how much there can be to do before those creative moments can occur.

I know some artists who do sketches and small studies (small scale representation of what the larger work will be), I don't because I don't generally plan my work. It just becomes, as I paint. 

No matter what garage or space I have converted in to my studio at the time, I have always loved being there!