I am a graphic designer by day, one of the things I love about my job is the ability to explore new software and design options that often I am completely unfamiliar with. I have a problem saying I don’t know, in that vane I tend to learn as I go.  Recently I have learned to do scripts for Flash, interactive powerpoint and multiple software interfaces which has been just as enjoyable as it is exciting to learn. So why is it that painting tends to be more uncomfortable to step out of my comfort zone? I believe it is the time that is very limited outside of work and the fact that while I am wasting time painting something I am not good at, I could be painting pieces that I do feel comfortable with.

My homage to Gustav Klimt-The Kiss

I believe this is how an artist digs him or herself into a rut. Attacking something that is not in your comfort zone is kind of a reboot on the creative as well as the logical side. Several things that you are forced to do when you step out is try harder than you usually do. The normal short cuts you have adopted over the years of doing the same subject matter are not available. You have to work harder and use more inner discipline to capture what you are not used to creating.

The best out-of-the-comfort zone experience I have probably ever had was creating a painting of the kiss from Gustav Klimt. I have never painted another artists’ painting and the challenge began as a commission but what I learned through the experience really improved my overall creativity and skill as an artist. It was a large image, four foot by three if I remember correctly, I laid the image down on the grass instead of having them sitting up as in the original. The wonderful thing about creating an image like this, there is a right and wrong way. You can’t rely on what you feel your interpretation of the painting is, the client wants the painting to be the kiss or the closest thing to it, not an image you envision. The painting forced me to push myself to be accurate and attempt to capture an essence of the image you are seeking.

Plein Air Art Contest-Koi Pond

The next painting was a painting of my son, he still doesn’t feel I hit the mark but again portraits are not my thing but attempting it is a great way to strengthen my observation techniques and discipline my perception of proportion, light and shadow. In recent, I have added Air painting to my list of experiences-the idea of painting outside in Texas in the Summer is kind of maddening by itself, if the chiggers and mosquitoes don’t kill you there always is heat stroke. Again, the experience taught me to see the images in a spontaneous, immediate perspective. When you paint from memory or from images you have sketched out long ago, there are many details that become less important or overlooked taking a backseat to the overall inspiration, Plein Air changes the whole process, all of the details are still fresh in your mind’s eye and they appear very easily onto the canvas.

A night at the opera

I am in the process of finishing another portrait, this is another image that is a bit out of my standard subject matter. It is called A night at the opera and there is a story that is actually being written in tandem with the painting describing the mystery behind the image, these things tend to create themselves over time so the painting might be done long before the story. This image has forced me to
capture two portraits and architecture as well, it has been very enjoyable learning through this whole experience.

How have you pushed your own creative envelope? How has the experience changed you as an artist and what has it done to your creative process?