It’s All About the Process

First of all, thanks for the advice on my foot. I took it. It is still sore, but seems to be healing nicely. I thought of doing a water color of it since it is so many pretty shades of green, yellow, black, blue, purple and red, but I made another choice.

Last night I went back to my art classes. I decided to go back to something I enjoy – drawing people, so I did a watercolor study from one of my books, to learn something of the technique of working a portrait. Why I like doing people is beyond me, as it is the most demanding of all. I mean if you mess up a flower, it is creative, but if you get a nose one millimeter off, it doesn’t look like a person anymore. Anyway, I was happily painting away, working on learning how to make the colors right for a face, which is like a major challenge for me, and working on learning to shade the face, etc., when my teacher complimented me on my brushstrokes. I knew there was more she wanted to say, so I asked what was wrong. She pointed out that the mouth and eyes and nose were too big. I looked and I knew she was right. It was too late, as there is nothing you can do to correct a watercolor gone wrong. I still had fun and learned a lot in three hours. I commented to her, that I wouldn’t finish it, as I had learned the essential and she agreed. Then came the discussion that led to a huge breakthrough for my life (if not my art). She said the problem with the painting was not the painting, but the drawing. And I said that drawing takes so long, that I just sketched it out and filled in the rest with paints. She reminded me that colors don’t resolve something that is badly drawn. Again, I answered that I wanted to learn watercolor from this exercise and not take time with the drawing which takes hours, if properly done. Now here comes the important stuff: “You have to learn to enjoy every part of the whole process, not just the result”, she said. Stop the train and think about that.

That comment just reached out and grabbed me. She’s right! I have lived my life always in a hurry to see results. I can’t wait to finish the articles I write. As I do my Bible reading, I am anxious to finish the chapter. The same is reflected in my art. I want to see the finished work of art. I don’t like waiting. I don’t like ambiguity. I don’t like “in-between” stages. Even in my life, I am always anxious for the “next” thing. I definitely do not reflect patience in any aspect of my life. So what would happen if I could slow down and enjoy the journey, instead of worrying about the destination? Would I cease to be Peggy? Would it be earth-shattering? Effective change requires small steps. I am going to try to learn, with my artwork, to enjoy the process of creating and not the final product. Trust me, this is a BIG thing.

That being said, I must say I was happy with the result of last night’s class. I learned something about painting portraits and came out with a new way of working. Two for the price of one!!!