The Benefits of Painting with a Friend

Today being Wednesday, my friend Kathy (http://kathywoodworthart.blogspot.com) and I spent the day painting. We've been getting together to paint most Wednesdays for the last eleven years. We alternate locations, taking turns traveling between each other's studios. This involves advance planning (What supplies should I take? What am I likely to need?) and no small amount of physical exertion. Lugging stuff from studio to car and then from the car into the other's studio calls for effort. But that effort is totally worth it.

Painting together one day a week benefits us both in many ways. It helps rekindle our motivation when our muse has seemingly gone AWOL. It can be easy for an artist to succumb to a creative slump when they work in isolation, but slipping into that netherworld is much less likely when a friend is there to offer input and encouragement. Because Kathy and I are both abstract painters, there's a commonality of understanding between us relating to aspects of our work that makes explanations unnecessary.

Another benefit is that having a standing date to paint is an antidote to procrastination. As in, "I'll start that new canvas/experiment with inks/make collage papers/try that medium etc. etc. tomorrow when I have more time." When you know you have a set time to paint together, there's plenty of time. Procrastination isn't an option, and the excuse of being "too busy" doesn''t hold up. In six dedicated hours you can get an amazing amount accomplished.

Just being in another artist's studio can open one's eyes to new possibilities. When I visit Kathy's studio, I see her works in progress (always interesting!) and peruse newly finished pieces on her walls. Sometimes it's a combination of colors she's used that sparks an idea for a new jewelry design I go on to develop. Sometimes browsing the titles in her bookcase leads me to try a new painting technique. Kathy might say she experiences a similar phenomenon when she comes to my studio. A studio environment that's not your own can generate plenty of artistic curiosity and creative inspiration.

Last but not least, there's the benefit of camaraderie. In the many years we've been meeting each week, we've supported each other through difficult times, celebrated each other's achievements and commiserated over life's inevitable ups and downs. Eleven years' worth of Wednesdays. Eleven years of a cherished, enduring friendship. Eleven years of mutual support. Eleven years of laughter. It just doesn't get any better than that! 

©2014 Lynn Edwards

Gorky and Kandinsky on Abstract Painting

From my growing collection of quotes on abstract art, here are two from painters whose work I admire:

"Abstract art is the emancipation of the mind." -- Arshile Gorky

"Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most difficult. It demands that you know how to draw well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for composition and color, and that you be a true poet. This last is essential." -- Wassily Kandinsky

My long-awaited Burridge workshop

Belfast, 12x12" acrylic on canvas

After years of waiting, I'm finally getting the chance to take a workshop from one of my all time favorite artists, Robert Burridge. It was largely due to Bob Burridge that I fell in love with abstract painting and the freedom of exploration that comes from painting with "no holds barred." Although my own style differs from his, my work and attitude have been greatly influenced by him. Belfast, shown here, is a painting I did a few years back, approaching its creation from the experimental viewpoint Bob advocates.

My reason for taking this workshop: I want to return to my "artistic roots" -- laying paint directly on the canvas. These last several years I've focused increasingly on mixed media collage. One day, it occurred to me that I might have forgotten how to "just paint." Slowly, over time, I had gravitated more and more toward using papers in place of paint. Hmmmmm. Might it be time for a tuneup in the creativity department?? When I learned of an upcoming Burridge workshop I signed up. Exactly what the doctor ordered for jump-starting my directional shift, and taught by the guy who got me hooked in the first place. Perfect!

Not that I don't love collage. I'm crazy about it. But increasingly I've found myself yearning for that incomparable sensation of splashing, smearing, stabbing or smooshing paint directly onto a canvas in spontaneous, even reckless, fashion. My collaged pieces, on the other hand, require a lot more forethought and planning. The whole process takes much longer. That is, if it's to be done right, i.e. with archival integrity in mind. There's the drying time between layers, the paper prep, the additional steps required to prepare the support, etc. etc. While the end result may appear wildly spontaneous, the process itself is pretty time consuming and labor-intensive. Collage is more of a carefully composed fugue than a jam session. Right now, I'm aching for some improv.

So my goal for Fall is recharging my painting batteries. Can't wait to see what happens next. Will keep you posted.