fascinating and interesting methods for making art.

Whilst looking and researching for those 50 simple and fun painting techniques I came across many fantastic and novel ideas, websites, blogs and images that literally blew me away . Admittedly some are just too complex or time consuming to consider and include in my list of 50 easy, fast and unusual painting methods. I mean the title says it all and I did stick to my brief in this case.

When I started the list I naively (perhaps) thought that finding 50 things would be quite easy and straightforward. However once you sit down and think about you quickly realise its not as clear-cut as that.  Often we use different words for the same things or we are limited by the processes itself…

In painting for instance we are reduced to the following processes,

• Applying :  Adding paint by brush, fingers, sticks or whatever.

• Removing : remove paint by peeling, dissolving, rubbing, wiping, scratching or scraping.

• Reactive : adding, changing or removing colour by developing, staining, chemical reaction or glazing, thin layers that effect the colour below. 

I fully accept that this is not an exhaustive list but I am positive you get the idea as many artists often use all or some these on the same canvas. The combinations of these three processes might well lead to a vast arrays of effects but it has to be admitted that essentially you only have three ways to paint.

However during my research I did find some fascinating and interesting methods for making art. One such Fantastic artwork I found was art formed from burned out cars which is in my opinion a Reactive Process. The artist John Garghan finds and photographs the burnt out wrecks and the effects are printed on glass. These images are visually stunning and I would highly recommend taking a look at his website and blog to fully appreciate the 
artwork he produces.

John Garghan website
John Garghan Blog

50 fun, simple, creative and interesting art ideas.

As a modern and abstract artist I love and enjoy a challenge especially when painting... But like all artist ( I'm certain) I find that the greatest single challenge is the blank canvas... it literally terrifies me, it is almost paralyzing.  I Set out with all the enthusiasm and energy necessary but as my brush rises to the canvas the fear grows, seizing me, tying me up in knots, my hand shake as a cold sweat brakes out....

Its madness, all the preliminary studies, research and sketches seam to mean nothing. All I can hear is the little voice inside my head screaming at me... What if its the wrong colour? what if you put it in the wrong place? what if you mess it up? what if you are wrong? what if you are right? Its Total madness. Total agony.

I read books on developing a positive mental attitude and dealing with fear and doubts to no avail... I know that there is no such thing as the wrong colour or wrong place, I even understand that there is "No right or wrong,  just dose it work!" and work is what it is all about.! any good artwork or painting that I or any one can produce is about energy. Raw energy that the artist binds within their work. The energy that is bound in every brushstroke, that literally leaps off the canvas and make a painting vibrate with a life all its own.

Fear like all deep human emotions creates energy and vibrancy without it paintings can feel flat and lifeless and no amount of artistic skill or talent can conceal or hide this missing inner energy that all exciting paintings need.  I for one keep this painting to keep me focused... (No matter what I personally feel about this piece) it still posses an inner energy that I constantly seek to capture and reproduce in all my work and paintings.

However if we consider that fear like all emotions add emotional content, and is a vital part in any modern or abstract paintings, despite any understanding we as individuals might have of our deep emotional stance, we, as artist must to some extent live with and encourage extremes of emotion if we are to paint worthwhile artwork that touches the human psychology that all of us have been conditioned with through out our lives.

Finding solutions that work
Faced with this paradox I found myself struggling both to balance the need for fear and to overcome its personal effects.  The solution is essentially simple  "take action" "Just do it" the more you face a fear the more that fear diminishes and recedes, this I can vouch for... as once I have made that first mark all my fear vanishes leaving me buzzing with excitement. The fact is that most fears are not real they are just phantoms that are easily banished.

The more that I have considered this the more I have come to realise that it is not the painting that is holding me back or even the feelings, but rather the value that I as an individual artist I have for the modern and abstract art that I lovingly paint and devote myself too as a slave. I simply value my art to high and as a consequence I'm frightened that I will "cock it up" and make a mess of it.

Art Is Fun ! especially modern or abstract art, even the making of art should be fun and it seams that I have forgotten this…. The solution to this is to get back to basics and start to have some serious fun with what I do and paint. Seams simple don’t it, but How. I sat down and started to write, throwing ideas about and seeing what happened then it hit me.

Make a list of 50 fun and interesting art ideas. Keep it simple, make it fun and don’t take it to serious. By using different media and techniques that are outside the box, radical and even unorthodox, I can play with Ideas, colours, shapes and concepts in a fun and novel way. I know that most of pictures and images produced will probably just get thrown away but that’s OK. I will have fun and explore art as it should be and when I’m ready I will be able to just paint.

The list itself started with a stream of creative ideas, but by the time I got to 42 things started to get a bit more challenging. I have covered all sorts of mediums from pastels to inks, water colour to acrylic, photo and film mixed-media and found objects, even. Dare I say it “Installations”. I have had so much fun with the list alone that I’m buzzing with excitement and energy and cant wait to get started….

I have been making art or modeling in one form or another for all of my life however it struck me that to simply dismiss the product of this project would be remiss of me... Lets be honest the success and failures of any artwork are of value not just to me but to any that have an interest in art and painting. What I should do is make a record of this body of work recording the Good, Bad and dam right Ugly, how it was made, the media used and what was learnt or gained in the making of it...

Now all I have to do is decide how best to do this ? Do I put the work on this Blog ? Create a new Blog dedicated to to this ongoing art project ? or something else ? what to do ? If you my readers have a suggestion I would welcome your input immensely.