Artfully Asked

Recently I received and email from a lovely, enthusiastic painter I have know for a long time. Over the years she has taken several classes with me and is a beautiful painter.

She wrote, "I am in a definite painting slump and could use some inspiration. Can I phone you this weekend?"

Hopefully our conversation was beneficial to her, because, surprisingly it was for me! It made me think about what motivates me, ask myself how I recognize when I am in a slump, and what do I do to get myself out of it.

When talking to her she explained that she has a room full of unfinished projects and she did not feel like painting anything new until she finished some of the unfinished pieces. None of the unfinished pieces inspired her to paint, but refused to start anything new until she finished those she had. What could she do to get started? What do I do when I get in a slump?

I asked her, and if you are experiencing the same doldrums, I ask you the same question - What was the purpose for taking the class?

Was it to paint with a specific artist, learn a new technique or to have that particular painted piece?

I explained how I finished very few of the class pieces I took. I considered them the means to an end. I wanted to hear what that teacher had to say, learn techniques for painting different subject matter, always to learn the reason why something was painted a certain way, to paint with the MDAs. I remember getting the Convention Catalogs and my first choices were always theory oriented, more advanced classes. This one time I got my 25th choice, an acrylic Noah's Arch, and taught by a MDA. I believe it was the only class I ever finished at convention and taught when I got home.