Antidote
Posted: February 29, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized 74 CommentsToday I ripped up three paintings. I had a bouquet of tulips in a vase in front of me, and no matter which way I tried to paint them (wet-in-wet, wet on dry or direct watercolour), they were just awful. They all went into the blue bin. Some days are like that. One failure after another.
When that happens I try to analyze why it didn’t work out. Bad planning is sometimes the answer. Impatience is another reason. Too much water on the brush. Too little water on the brush. Sometimes I even blame the subject — in this case maybe these tulips were just a little too pretty.
But I try not to get discouraged. And one way to do that is to paint something completely different. Something mundane and hopefully not so pretty. One option I considered was to sketch a messy shelf in my garage but it’s still a little too cold to sit in there, so instead I chose a shelf in my kitchen pantry. Same sorts of bottles and jars, but a little warmer. The garage shelf will still be there the next time I tear up three paintings.
Thanks for your honesty about being frustrated! I know this feeling well, but I forget that others–with tons of experience and talent–may encounter it, too. The shelf ingredients look great, and tomorrow should be better.
Thanks for writing Elizabeth. I think tomorrow will be better too!!
Would have enjoyed seeing wh
HI Sherry. Your comments was clipped but I assume you would have wanted to see what I threw in the bin, right?
Right. I would have liked seeing what you considered mistakes. A critique would have been fun. I always learn better from errors…..human nature I guess. That said, I always enjoy your artwork. Your lovely spontaneous strokes belie your years of trial and error.
Oh, I love your honesty! Thank you for letting the rest of us feel better (or normal). Sometimes I feel it’s just that my mind is not aligned to the hand/ brush. But it’s really something in the mindset (for me). I hope tomorrow is a new mindset for you.
I agree De. It is often the mindset, and although I blamed the tulips, I think it was just a bad day and tomorrow will be better.
Shari, you give me hope to know “some days are like that”. Thanks for sharing your downers as well as your uppers. Love your pantry.
Thanks for reading Robyn. Glad you like my pantry!
Some days (or subjects) are like that no matter what you do. Same here! You know it makes some of us feel better that it sometimes happens to you, too 🙂
Your pantry shelf painting is wonderful!
Tomorrow you can successfully paint the tulips, or wait til they fade!!
Laurie
Laurie, thank you for writing. Yes, some days are like that. Thankfully the sun is shining again in my studio.
Good recovery! This is just lovely–at first I thought it was a photo. Maybe you had some kind of Leap Day phenomenon. I once bought a 4 x 6 card from an artist who said it was from a failed painting. She layered on more paint and some abstract shapes then cut the “failed” painting up into postcard-like pieces and sold them! And I bought one and still have it.
Mary, I do that all the time. I had drawers full of sketches, some good and some bad. Before we moved I tore up a big pile of them and gave away many to friends and family. Everyone was happy including me because I didn’t have to transport them all. But yes, postcards are great too.
Mouthwatering!
xx
•••Karimobile
514 9944433
Merci Karim!
Oh Shari, you make me smile. It helps to know you too struggle at times. You’ve raised the bar on WC paintings but even those that are not “perfect” make for good examples of what NOT to do next time.
Perhaps the painting as a whole didn’t work out but “parts” may be OK! Sometimes, I’m able to use parts of my failures in a collage.
Thanks for your honesty and courage to tell us about your failed efforts. Keep going. That’s what you would tell us….isn’t it.
Yes Bernadette, that is definitely what I would tell you too. As for collages, I think that is a great idea. I also use bits of failed paintings for cards. Often the bits are better than the whole. Thanks for writing.
I am sorry you had to go thru this, but in a way, it is encouraging to know you go thru these “art swamps” on occasion – it gives the rest of us permission to fail, lol!
It was a bad day at the swamp but fortunately things have been better since then. Thanks for writing, Yvonne.
I think tulips are hard
I think so too.
Wow thanks for sharing this! It gives everybody hope 😂
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Thanks Judy!!
P.S. love your shelf painting!!
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I’m inspired by your pantry painting!
Mary, thanks!!
Delicious jars! They’re making me hungry 🙂
Re: Tulips
Another strategy could be to save the outcasts & let them dry.
Later, another day when you are in the zone – try something experimental with them.
Some ideas: paint away some key areas with bleach and water to see how much pigment can be softened or removed.
or apply a Spritz with bleach and water in a sprayer to create a stipple (or pointilism-like) effect. Masking some areas to prevent spray effects also comes to mind. (rubber cement protects well – like using a crude type of frisket).
I guess gouache spatter/spray can work well instead of bleach and water.
Oomph up dried areas with coloured markers; or coloured ink; or b/w linework/design.
or get really brutal and create a collage with all of the above experiments.
Then ditch the results if they aren’t ‘you’.
Just a thought.
I truly like today’s shelf still life – the work proves to be a very positive recovery from any form of frustration – it won the day!
Chris, thanks for all of these great idea. I’ve never tried using bleach on paintings, except in very small areas when I take a piece of a magic eraser to bring back the white in small areas. I’m not really sure how bleach in a spray bottle would work. I do sometimes go back in with an india ink line after the paper has dried if I feel like the painting is weak. Sometimes that helps too.
In the end, I think it was just a grey day both outside and in my head, and the results would have been the same no matter what I did.
Shari – I think your pantry is just lovely! The tulips will happen another day. And I so enjoy your work – as always, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Lynn, thanks. Yes, the tulips will definitely be for another day.
Thank you for sharing that even professional artists have days like this! This gives me the impetus to try harder even when there are failures
Thank you Karen
Karen, I never give up. It’s only paper!! Thanks for writing.
Good for you. You are still a wonderful artist and I love your work
Pegret, thanks so much for writing.
Shari,
Flops aren’t fun… been there! Tomorrow is a new day, new opportunities and new subjects to tackle.
Big hug💕 Brenda http://www.SwensonsArt.net
Exactly! Thanks for writing, my friend.
The sketching equivalent of comfort eating?
Most definitely!
Aww…Those days when nothing works are the worst. I hate that you had to have one, but I love that you shared it, if you see what I mean. Your work is always so accomplished, and so beautiful, that I guess I thought you never had those kind of days too.
Here’s to an inspirational day flying your way soon, and thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for that Clare!!
Thank you, it’s good to hear that you are not as perfect as I thought, but just as human as the rest of us but with a special talent…and I do mean special!
Charles, haha, yes, we are all struggling along. I think I have just put in more hours of that and trashed more paintings.
Like everyone else has commented, I repeat, thanks for letting us know that even you throw out paintings! Although, I think you could have painted the said “filled trash can” and made it look amazing!
Denise, what a great idea!! Why didn’t I think of that ??
Your bin cast offs ..treasures to others:) Shari did you use some gouache with the olives? So great the distinct medley.
HI Monique,
The olives are painted with a mix of Sepia and Perylene Violet. The perfect colour for black olives!!
Thank you!
Very encouraging 😉
Glad to help Franceen : )
Great idea!
Don’t know about the tulips you binned but I love these bottles !!! Mira
Mira, thanks!
Love the bottles and SO appreciate you talking about your frustrations. Good information for those of us still learning!
Cathy, thanks!!
I’m still learning so much and that is the joy of it. When a painting comes together, it is wonderful. When it doesn’t I go back to basics and do some pencil sketching of my coffee mug, or a very simple still life arrangement, OR revisit one of your many excellent online courses and paint along!
This is so nice to read. As for going back to basics, yes, that is the best remedy for me too.
I love this painting of your pantry shelf! I love even more that it came out of a “failed “attempt. Thank you for sharing your experience. It gives me hope for my own “failures”. No matter how often I hear this lesson it always helps to hear it again!
Thank you Shari!
Deb, thank YOU for writing too. I really appreciate it.
Love the painting today and also glad to hear you too rip things up!! I know you sell most of your paintings but what would advice be the rest of your pieces of art. I am getting quite a stack! 😊
HI Linda, I actually don’t sell that many paintings. Most of them are in a drawers in my studio. When we moved recently, I went through them. I trashed the bad ones that I would never want to look at again, gave away a big pile to friends and family, and saved some to turn into birthday cards.
It is good to know that artists that I admire don’t always have a successful painting experience either. I’m glad to see that you were able to find a successful subject to work with. I like paintings of ordinary things like these bottles. They always make me smile.
Thanks Joan. I’m glad I made you smile.
Interesting drawing Shari I really like the bottles.
Thanks Shawn!
I always wondered if you( and other artists) threw out bad paintings. I’ve seen Youtubes showing journals and every page looked good.And then heard that you should never throw out a painting. Sorry but I couldn’t look at them any longer.
I really felt I was a failure. So thank you for helping me through this. Your work has always been so lovely. So is your kitchen shelf painting. You have taught me a lot and I continue to learn thru your classes.
Thanks Judy. I eventually throw out stuff that I know I will never want to look at again. I also don’t want anyone else to have something I don’t think is successful, so better to trash it now. I also recently gave away tons of stuff to family and friends when we moved in November. That felt great. I didn’t have to move it and they get to enjoy it.
Agradezco su sinceridad,es un impulso para la humanidad de no habiles.
Muchas gracias Carlos!
A good lesson in perseverance and just changing your outlook can make all the difference
Thank you!
I am sure that hundreds of your followers were empathetic reading your Anecdote blog entry on 2/29. Those like me who struggle with watercolor might have been secretly elated to learn that those we admire so greatly have “bad” days. Of course, you, good teacher that you are, recognized that there was an important lesson here. Bringing painting down to eye-level, so to speak, humanizes and dignifies the effort itself. That was the message. Brilliant. Of course, the you turn around and painted those humble olive oil bottles so beautifully, I wanted to cry. Thank you!
Ahhh, Michael, what a lovely comment to read. Thank you.
Maybe you where frustrated about something else, the weather maybe.. and then nothing goes as you wished. Just accept it. You are human after all ❤️
Hi Shari:
I just came across your email, to which I was very surprised at the contents. I appreciate the honesty and openness of your message. You are one of my favorite artists and its very surprising to read that you too have “bad days”. But even though you tore up 3 sheets of paper, you still created a beautiful cupboard scene at the end of the day. It is important to acknowledge that we can all have bad days, but, its important to keep moving forward, as you did.
Thank you for your openness and inspiring all of us to keep sketching and painting!
Regards,
Stephanie