I expect my husband to be my first reader of my new blog as he would no doubt love to fathom out how my crazy head works!
I am normally full of buzz, and I love what I do, but to get that energy I need to be around people as being an artist can be a lonely job.
Exercise
One of the most important parts my day is going to Crossfit and exercising amongst the most amazing people. Always up for a challenge, Crossfit members help each other get through the class, but the endorphins that come as a result help me to create. The more energised I am, the brighter the art, and I can genuinely say that without this as part of my routine my mental health would suffer from working alone.
Classes
I also like to meet with other artists once a week at a class run by the amazing Jamel Akib. It is vital to keep on being challenged as an artist and being pushed by someone that talented is a real luxury. It is also good to talk to others about their experiences with galleries and discuss how to promote yourself. If you are an artist, you know how hard it is to sell yourself as well as your work. Best of all I love the people and their stories…
Getting Started
When driving home from my classes I normally start planning what I am going to paint. I have a massive pool of photos that I have taken on my travels, but I always have a few favoured images that I enjoy re-working in a different palette.
I like to paint big. The bigger the better. This lets me really get behind the paint. With sweeping moves and an old credit card in hand, I can cover a canvas fairly quickly by putting down some initial strokes. This sets the base and a landscape can start to be created on top.
The good thing about using acrylic paint is that you don't have to wait too long for it to dry, and a hair dryer can soon help out if necessary. Its always worth getting good paints too. I love Liquitex, but besides good quality canvases, I don’t spend money on any other art supplies. All my brushes are left over from when the kids were young!
Shapes
I mentioned on my website that ‘I view the world as series of shapes inter-connecting with each other’. Its strange, but whether its a field, or I'm practising my drawing skills by sketching a self portrait, I break everything down in this way. I remove the label of what I am looking at and just get down to the basics. I am not sure how this has come about, but for me it really works. I suppose at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether I am painting a woodland or a chicken, they can all be broken down like a jigsaw.
How others think
I am always curious to find out how and why people do things. Do you or others that you know of have a particular method when they paint or draw? If so I would love to hear about it. I would also like to know what you do to stay mentally healthy so we can share with others in need of some inspiration.
