What’s YOUR process?

Reaching – sfryjones

 

 

 

 

 

For my portraits class we had a final writing assignment that was intended to highlight our painting process and views on when a painting is complete. This assignment opened my eyes to many ideas and beneficial steps that I hope will enhance my personal process. In addition, it’s made me think about different processes within my life that might benefit from a little analysis and review!  I would love to know your process, for whatever it is that you do – cooking, photography, painting, excercising . . . anything, really, please share! Below is my writing assigment in which I describe my process; and above, are a few samples of my portrait assignments throughout the summer.

My Process

The essay When is a Painting Finished? by Paul Gardener highlights the painting process of many artists and their personal thoughts on when a painting is finished. I can identify with many of these artists on different points. The following artists describe actions that are most similar to parts of my current process: Tom Wesselmann’s process of painting the image at least twice with the second layer being “intensely done”, perfecting colors and details; Fernando Botero’s creation of colors in the act of painting and his initial attraction to one color; Janet Fish’s continual growth of a painting as she works on it and final steps of hanging it on the wall in her studio; and Elizabeth Murray’s process of choosing colors and shapes.

My painting process begins with a choice in subject, followed by one or more thumbnail sketches to work out a good composition. I typically start with a light wash or pencil drawing of the subject, which provides a first layer to guide the rest of the painting. I build upon the initial “sketch” layer with layers of color and detail that bring the subject to life. My choice of colors is a spontaneous decision at first, usually inspired by something that immediately attracts me, and later develops into more deliberate choices created in the act of painting, responding to what I see at that moment. At certain points throughout painting I step back to get a different perspective on my piece. Or sometimes if I feel I’m losing momentum I’ll put the painting aside and work on another painting. Stepping back and/or walking away at stopping points allows me to continually study my work and be more critical of the content and concepts. I rely on my eye and sense to tell me when a painting is “resolved”. At this point I put it up in my studio, which is currently my dining room, for review. This gives me a chance to critique it and make minor changes, whether deliberately, or while passing by on the way to the kitchen. As Elizabeth Murray points out “it’s necessary to have paintings around, to live with them”. When I can walk by or look at the painting with a critical eye and feel that all parts of the painting are resolved, I consider my painting complete. 

To me, the start and finish of a painting are very similar because of the “risk” factor. Regarding finishing a painting, Joan Snyder describes that “[i]t’s risk. A ‘risk’ can be taken when you push [the painting] further, or it can be a ‘risk’ to leave it alone”. Beginning a painting for me also incites these feelings of risk in the initial placement of color and details. So in a way, my process of completing a painting comes full circle.

My artistic process is still in flux, developing and evolving as I paint more and more.  I have come away from this reading with a list of points from the artists that might improve my current process, or that I feel are at least worth a try. With this list I’ll continue to evolve my process to complete more works of art.