Here’s the canvas with the first coat of paint on. I wasn’t really in the mood to work on it today. It was extremely hard to focus on the canvas and ignore all the nagging “need to do’s” in my peripheral vision. I did it anyway.
I have no idea where this is going or what it might look like when it gets there. Rarely, I start out with an idea or vision and I actually get where I was going. Often, I end up somewhere far afield of the original intent.
The canvas journey is not always enjoyable. Some of it is fun. Some of it is aggravating as hell. Some of it is beyond tedious. Sometimes the canvas finds itself buried for a period of time…days, weeks, months, forever…but, usually I come back to it ready to try again.
It’s not unusual for me to reach a certain point and wonder, “What am I doing, why am I doing it, and what was I thinking when I started?” Experience has taught me to persevere and push through the frustration. Sometimes this involves moving in a new direction.
This is all sounding a lot like my life, come to think of it!
As a result, my art work is almost always textural and multi-dimensional with a lot of bumps, occasional rips and mended spots, and layers.
In the end, when the canvas says its done, I stand back and say, “Oh” softly. “That’s what I was trying to say”. It would have been easier in the beginning if I had know where I was going. That’s just not how the creative process works for me. I seem to have to wander around from here to there, double back, try again, and emerge from the darkness into the light.
There’s that life journey again.
Tomorrow, I will add another layer (or two) if the spirit takes hold. I will need to intentionally look and listen to what the canvas and life are whispering to me. I’m out of practice. I haven’t made an art piece in quite a while. Other things have held my attention. Important things to be sure. I need to find my balance again – the ability to make space in my life and my heart for all of the things that I love – and for the things that I don’t love, but have to do anyway.
It’s a start.
The 5 Decluttered today:
- a knick-knack that I don’t love enough to dust
- a cross that was a gift but isn’t really my style anymore
- a small box of art supplies that “might be useful someday”
- several spools of thread
- a slowly deflating ball that’s been rolling around my studio – original purpose unknown
FaithAcre Studio | Kelly Barrow 
Is it an intention your set for your art to paint a layer a day? Or is it because or work?
I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but there is a book that might interest you. “New Order: A Decluttering Handbook for Creative Folks (and Everyone Else)” vby Fay Wolf.
Can’t wait to see how it goes 🙂
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good question. When I started doing art again after a long time away from it, I was a stay-at-home mom homeschooling 3 kids. There was very little time. My art style developed then. I do tend to work in small time increments and like to let the piece kind of evolve. Art is definitely therapy for me. All kinds of questions get answered as a piece comes to life. I haven’t heard of the book, but will definitely look for it. Thanks so much for stopping by…and for the comment. I feel like we are friends already!
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