Tag: mastery

The Illusion of Spontaneity

Spontaneity in watercolor is and is not an illusion.  For the beginner, it looks spontaneous when you watch an adept painter at work.  For the beginner, you realize what is looking spontaneous is not because you cannot replicate what the adept creates.

Nearly everything requires practice – practice leads to skills that lead to mastery.  I should know this.  My problem is my impatience and my tendency to not focus.  In today’s world it is hard to find time to focus and means a deliberate choice to make time.  Rather than fritter away time putzing aimlessly on the internet, it is better to take that time to do something which will hone my skills a bit.

New Year, New Focus

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I’ve done watercolor off and on since I was a teenager, back before the dinosaurs disappeared, but I have never made it a resolution to spend time – a lot of time – mastering it.  Rather, the approach I have had has been sporadic and amateurish.  Now, I want to be the “serious student” I never was . . . and while I think I am off to a good start, the real question which lies ahead is how well will I integrate painting into my work life?  I’ve managed to integrate both sumi-e and photography into my life, but I began both of those long before I ended up working 10-hour days.

There are a lot of good books about “how to” watercolor, and I have looked through and purchased a number of them.  As well, there are a number of good YouTube channels with talented artists, with whom you get to cruise along with as they produce a painting.  For me, this visual is what gets me all the time.  While books show you step-by-step photos, some in color, some in black and white, there is absolutely nothing like the video of beginning-to-end, with commentary as the painting develops.

I still plan on pursuing photography – in fact, I have a 365 project planned, with different subjects on a monthly basis.  While I am shifting my focus away from photography as my primary creative outlet, I really want to master watercolor and drawing, and to do so, I need to spend more time doing it rather than thinking about doing it.

So, Happy New Year to everyone!  I hope you have new intentions to keep you happy and creative in your life!