My Art Painting Journey So Far #1

Last week, I began a new journey in painting and thought I’d write about my painting story up to this point. It’s filled with starts and stops and avoidance of the real “heart call”. Ultimately, it’s a lesson in what not to do, but also a lesson in recognizing that small and simple steps are important markers of progress along the way, even if spread out and even if not quite on point. All creative efforts work toward developing creativity.

Let’s begin a loooong time ago when a strong desire was born inside my heart – to paint.

I have literally wanted to learn to oil paint since the mid-1990s! But I had two young children and there were very few local resources for learning at the time. Couple that with the impractical financial commitment and I wasn’t able to pursue this dream at that time. So instead, I experimented with drawing and decided I couldn’t draw. I tried drawing again a few years later using some book methods and discovered that I could actually draw, but it required lots of hours and lots of work. Again, I had two young children, and by this time I was homeschooling.

However, around this same time, I became friends with a woman who did decorative painting (toll painting), and she taught me how to paint on wood with acrylics. I really loved it and made things like this:

About ten years later, and a move to Utah during that time, I met a woman in my neighborhood who was an oil painter. I mentioned to her that I wanted to learn to paint and she invited me over to use her supplies and give me a few pointers. I created this, my one and only oil painting:

A few years ago, while still “avoiding” oils, I purchased an online acrylic course from Will Kemp Art School and did the first two (of four) paintings in the class. I have yet to finish the other two. Here are the two I did complete:

After that course, every once in a while, I’d get the bug to paint, but instead of learning to oil paint, I’d pull out my acrylics and try to paint something on paper or canvas without getting any education on skills to build my confidence – which left me feeling ambivalent about painting (and which also fed my long pauses between efforts).

Earlier this year, I got kind of a false start and created this painting, but it didn’t go any further. Months passed with no effort (again) but. . .

. . .After 30 years of “dabbling” and putting off painting in oils, I recently decided to make an effort to learn. I don’t know what it is about oil painting that has made me keep it at bay for so long (and painting in general- beside toll painting- cause I did quite a bit of that back in the day). Generally, if you put anything creative in front of me that I’m interested in, I’ll jump right in with both feet and try it!

But oil painting has been different.

It’s like I didn’t want to find out I couldn’t do it or something! Or it just seemed too overwhelming to learn. . .

As of today, it’s still not the right time for classes, but I have decided to oil paint anyway. I purchased a few books and am doing one small activity per weekday to get a feel for the medium, and so far, I’ve been happy with my results. I really love the blend-ability of oils and their rich, creamy texture. I’m using water mixable oil paints and I LOVE them!

One of the things that put me off when I tried painting with my neighbor all those years ago was the toxic nature of the chemicals required to clean the brushes, etc. I love that I can clean my brushes with soap and water and thin my paint with water as well! It’s a great fit for me and my preferences. Here are my first week’s paintings:

The plan: I intend to make my way through several books and learn all I can on my own for now. I’m just gonna take it one day at a time and see where it leads me.

As I consider this journey so far, my advice to readers is: Don’t wait thirty years to create what your heart wants you to create. Listen to you personal “heart calls”. The time will pass anyway. Use it to grow. Imagine where I’d be now if I’d been painting all that time!! But, no regrets, just forward movement.

What’s one creative dream you’ve been putting off?