Fenland Rape ©Anita Davies
Over the past few years I have stepped aside (not away completely) from painting to focus on my drawing skills; attacking those subjects that I told myself in the past that I couldn't draw!
CHECK!
The desire to paint returned with a passion.
So I tackled that urge with a brand new medium that has always interested me... oils.
I'd always felt they were so complicated and scary even, with all the different mediums and 'rules'.
CHECK!
I'm quite a positive, emotional, deep, seat of the pants kind of gal and I have always yearned for that passion and emotion to be apparent in my work, I really felt that was missing from my previous painting. An essence of ME!
So I went into my 2nd, 3rd and 4th oil with no sketch layout, just brush and oil and felt my way around the canvas laying down paint as if the connection that moved the brush came from the heart not the brain.
CHECK!
LOOSER!
The last step led to me applying my paint in a much braver way, working with shape, tone and light...not lines!
CHECK!
Horses were also scary to me, so 3 oil paintings in, I went for it!
CHECK!
I really believe that as an artist one has to challenge oneself constantly.
Aim for something more, try something new, step out of the box and be totally honest with oneself. Paint the very best that you can paint at that moment in time, be proud of that achievement but always stay honest and open to what's missing, even if it is beyond your capability at that time....aim towards it. What will it take? How do you get there?
Know what you have done is your best...don't settle just because someone likes it!
All of the above steps have brought me to a place where I now feel more confident in my capabilities, heck, sometimes I've shocked the shit out of myself!
That is such a fantastic feeling!!!!
BUT
There is no time to relax, become set, over indulge!
I have an artists soul, eyes and some capability to be able to transfer my UNIQUE vision from my head on to canvas.
I owe it to myself to leave behind the best that I can be!
©AnitaDavies
So...what's the next step? What challenge can I introduce to push my creativity further?
I've been giving it some thought and realised that when I am out with my sketchbook I draw LIFE as it's happening, as I see it, through my eyes! I take what appeals and I leave what doesn't, I move a tree closer to include it, I trim a hedge to see beyond it, I change a woman into a man if my model moves out of my frame...I manipulate nature to create what I FEEL is interesting.
So
Slave To The Ref
That's my next challenge
Using the ref above and my sketch books I am going to create an oil painting.
Wish me luck!
What's your challenge today?
.jpg)
