More negative shape painting success

Negative shape painting, it turns out, is not a simple concept. As I pointed out in class, many of us are taught to build a painting from the bottom up - you paint in the sky and the ground, say, and 'pop' the trees in over the top. Or, you travel across your canvas with tiny brushes building each element in sequence until the darn thing is finished. It works for some, but for me, this is not an exciting or engaging process filled with possibilities.

Filling a sheet of 140 lb watercolour paper with splashes and dashes, dribbles and splatters of colour, it turns out, IS an engaging and exciting process. Finding the possibilities within that 'mess' is a great creative exercise. Painting out what you don't want, while keeping the vision of what you do want, is an experience in letting go. And, as I explained, this is an exercise (so let go your fear). It could become your practice if it engages you enough. It should 'inform' your practice no matter what. And the brain training in negative painting is valuable.

The paintings here displayed used this process, and you can readily see the creative unleashed. Wow!

Click to see larger images.

My flowers from Monday:))

Monday group, negative painting, flowers. And, there were no flowers in the room!

A quick shaky pic of my trees completed. Fun!!

Students 'found' their trees and painted around them. There were (haha) no trees in the room.