Painting After A Break
I recently took a two week break from painting. The break was partially self-imposed because I was working on a sort-of-secret-non-painting-creative-project and also born out of necessity as work ramped up in advance of my major field trip event at my museum job.
Whenever I take a break, starting again feels extremely intimidating, especially if I was in the middle of a painting when I stopped. These are the kinds of thoughts that buzz around my brain:
I worry about not being as excited about painting as before I stopped.
I worry that I will mess up whatever project I was in the middle of.
I wonder whether all of this painting, blogging, and posting is a waste of time.
These thoughts are a recurring part of my process. If I am being honest, these thoughts used to derail me and I would avoid painting. More recently, I try to just let them do their thing. I know it’s my brain trying to protect me from things like failure and overwhelm. However, I’ve also realized that I do not actually feel better or more relaxed when I avoid painting.
Let’s Make Art Watercolor Tutorial: Eiffel Tower
This week when I was scrolling through Instagram, a reel by Mel Robbins got me to pause my scroll. She said “Never ever let your mood dictate what you do. You have to take action first.” Essentially the idea is that you just have to start and even if what you accomplish isn’t what you hoped, you will still feel better and feel like you made progress.
Now when those thoughts appear, I go back to basics. I try a tutorial, I make color swatches, or I just make an ugly mess. I always feel better afterwards and suddenly it is a lot easier to get back to my projects. I am excited again about the possibilities.
Here are some resources I turn to when I need a little creative pick-me-up.
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Online Learning
The internet is sometimes a beautiful place. Here are two of my favorite free online learning resources.
Shealeen Louise Watercolor Tutorial: Orange Blossoms
Let’s Make Art is an oldie but goodie. It’s how I got into watercolor in the beginning and watching a new YouTube tutorial after a break is like catching up with old friends. I’ve progressed enough in my own practice that the tutorials themselves are really just a guide. I typically will play with my own variation of the project and enjoy the video like I would a podcast.
I discovered Michaels online classes when an artist I follow was doing a class for them. Little did I know that they have a TON of free classes for all manner of arts and crafts: watercolor, acrylic, calligraphy, printing, drawing, jewelry, scrapbooking, design, etc. The amount of content is almost overwhelming. You can find the classes on the Michaels website or their YouTube channel. My favorite watercolor classes have been taught by Shealeen Louise.
Analog Learning
Sometimes I want a break from all the screens in my life. When this happens, I turn to books or just experiments.
Mini paintings from Kolbie Blume’s Wilderness Watercolor Landscapes
Kolbie Bloom was recently a guest artist for Let’s Make Art, which is when I realized that she is the author of two watercolor books, both of which I could get out of the library. I started with her landscapes book. This book is great because it has a thorough introduction to watercolor if you are just starting out. As you progress through the book, the projects build on each other. I have only completed a handful of paintings using this book so far, but it is nice to try out somebody else’s approach to building a landscape painting. I’m also using the practice to create mini paintings, which are perfect to use as bookmarks or to mail as postcards to friends.
Experimentation: Playing and Making a Mess
While it is hard to accept, it is true that you have to make a lot of bad art in order to learn and have hope of making any good art. Sometimes my paintings start out well but then get to an ugly stage that I can never get out of. You can read more about a project like in my post Painting Ugly. Other times, while experimenting with techniques, there might be one aspect of a final painting that I love, while overall the painting is a bit of a bust. Regardless of the final result, I am always making progress. It’s helpful to remind myself that it’s just a piece of paper. If it’s really terrible, I can just throw it away. Although, I’ve found I am rarely disappointed enough to throw something away and forget about it.
Summer Sky, 5.5 x 7, 2023
J. Gagnon Original
Close-up of Summer Sky. I love the texture of this corner.
Chasing Sunset, 5.5 x 7, 2023
J. Gagnon Original
Pink Sky, 5.5 x 7
J. Gagnon Original
If you are working on a long term project, whether at work, through a hobby, training for an athletic event, whatever it is, taking a pause can sometimes be really helpful. It can give you perspective regarding why you are doing something. It can give you time to miss that thing so you are excited to begin again. It can make space to try something new or different that might turn out to be useful.
Life is full of detours and unexpected events that you are not prepared for, both positive and negative. Even if a break was just what you needed, it can be hard to get back to it. I love to learn, so when I am feeling unsure about myself or what to do next, that's what I go back to. It gives me a little low pressure nudge to get started again.
How do you get back into the swing of things after a break?