Plunge, as in just go for it; dive in and give your all.
Painting Is Like Taking A Plunge.
Greetings! As I near the end of #30paintingsin30days challenge, I find myself thinking about painting and taking plunges. And, it all applies to a painting about stacked espresso cups.
Conversation With Dad.
What? To explain, I need to go back a few years…maybe even many years ago. I remember having a conversation with my Dad, artist John Stermer. And, we were talking about the arts and being an artist. Somewhere in the middle of the discussion, Dad gave me a gem of insight.
You see, he said that with the arts, one does not just put a toe or foot into the water. One needs to plunge in; give it your all.
That is at some point, one has to commit and do your best.
Artist Carol Marine’s Blog.
So. What does this have to do with a small painting of stacked espresso cups? Well, I’ve been reading Carol Marine’s series of blog posts about drawing and painting cups…like coffee cups. She ends the series of posts with stacked cups. Her paintings are marvelous and her description it good.
I Can Do This.
Hmmmm, me thinks, I draw and paint espresso cups. Why don’t I do a painting of stacked espresso cups? How hard can this be?
Oh…did I mention that she noted at the end of the discussion that stacked cups are hard?
So, I scanned her instruction and figured I could do this. And, I got started laying out today’s painting. After awhile, as you might guess, I started blocking in the cups with some acrylic paint.
Benefits Of Limited Time.
Let me say this, one thing great about this #30paintingsin30days and similar challenges is time is limited. In other words, you don’t have three months to create the perfect espresso cup.
Oh no, no, no! You need to do it now because tomorrow you need to do another painting.
And, thats where this plunging thing comes in. When I start a painting, I’m thinking about getting the cup just perfect. Then there is all the issues of composition; etc., etc., etc.
Eventually, and at some point, my brain pulls a switch! Just plunge in and paint the cups!
Trust.
Its really a moment to be cherished. One has to have some trust and faith in all that you’ve learned and your abilities. And, then, you say it just doesn’t matter anyway, go for it!
Paint On!
So, these may look like stacked espresso cups, but they’re really about taking the plunge and painting for all your worth!
Finally, you take a breath and say “I’m done!” Time for the next one!
PS. Carol Marine was correct; it is not easy to draw and paint stacked cups. But, it is worth the effort!