Art Is Medicine

"Art is a medicine that I must take and, my goodness, I feel better, lighter, alive, energised and I've started humming again!"  -- Lucia Leyfield, Wild Ink

I subscribe to an art newsletter from the delightful Lucia Leyfield, who offers online classes and work-alongs. In a recent issue she posted the quote above and boy, did that resonate. 

From my art journal, a good 10 or more  years ago.

I confess, I haven't been "taking my medicine" of late and it's beginning to show. With the basement stuff, along with PT, MRSA, cataract stuff, and life in general, things have been a little stressed. My work table was (and is) still covered with china and time and motivation have been at a premium. So, I decided that I needed a little inspiration, even if I don't actually do anything with that inspiration for now.

I turned to an old art journal from when I was doing mixed media work and this was a journal I really liked. I did a little bit of everything in here -- painting, collage, drawing. And while I don't want to go back to the mixed media/collage, I found some inspiration here. Possibly, the best bit from this page below isn't the art on the page, but the words on it.

No rules, just guidelines. But I need to keep these in my head -- noting the work I do, focusing on individuality and building confidence. Comparisons with others can lead to a slippery slope (that's in things to avoid -- the "not good enough" trap.)

Working in mixed media is so different than working in watercolor only. There is a difference sense of texture and layering that you can't do with just the one medium. (Well, I can't. At least now yet.) This is from that journal so the art is "old" but look at the difference.

On the left is paint only (gouache) and done from a photograph I took at Kinderdijk. I know I could do the same windmill composition much better now but the water and sky are pretty good. The buildings aren't terribly detailed, though. The one on the right used a napkin (blue and white) for the windmill and buildings, so it's not my art, just my composition. It's much more detailed than I could paint. Then I did some over-painting as well as painting the water and sky. It's a different palate, but you also get a different level of detail. (I have to say I love the blues in this one more than the watercolor-only, but I might have to try that scene again. I'm better now.)

That said, I can't really call it "my" art. Yes, I arranged the elements, carefully cutting up the napkin for the buildings and arranging the composition. But I didn't create those elements or draw them. There is no technical  skill in putting together pieces that are drawn or designed by others (unless you are really crummy at working with glue!), But there is an artistic skill in arrangement and layering, along with having a vision for what you want to "say" with the finished piece. I still call it art, but it is not MY art, meaning all of my hand.

I feel better about this piece.

Yes, this is mixed media. But there is more of "me" here, with more (and better) painting. I used a book page as my substrate and then painted over it, but some of the type comes through. It gives a sense of depth and interest with the layering that I couldn't do with watercolor alone (at least not yet -- I'm not that good!) but there is more of my own work in it.

Sometimes you can say things with mixed media that might be more difficult with watercolor.

For example, this piece uses gelli print papers, paint, a photo of my parents and print elements from both a pattern and a book. The colors are more vibrant than I can get from watercolor alone (this might have been gouache, which is opaque so the brights hold up a bit better, but more likely it is fluid acrylic). The wording (which seems so right for this photo) would most likely not look even close if done by hand and then overpainted. And, because I printed the gelli papers myself, I feel like I can claim a bit more of the "art" in this one, with the painted scene and gellis. The only things here NOT by me are the photo, the printed words, and the Simplicity scrap.

Looking at this journal spread above reminds me there are techniques I can use in watercolor that I did with acrylic but haven't really done in my more controlled painting style (as controlled as you can be in watercolor, which isn't the easiest medium for control!). I rather like the mix of colors on the left. I could do this in watercolor with a silhouette form in the foreground and I might have to try it. 

Going through the journal revealed a couple of paintings that I liked (gouache) but aren't all that well executed. I will do these again in watercolor and see how they turn out. They will be different, with the viscosity of the paint and changes in my skill, but it will be a good exercise.

I find going through earlier work an important thing and I'm glad I've saved it digitally (and much in original form). It reminds us of where we came from and how we have evolved. It shows how our we have experiemented with different styles -- for example, loose painting, such as this one below of Lizzie.

Or, doing the same subject, different pose and different detail. This is far tighter but so accurate. (I love doing pet portraits!)

And, it can be a little disconcerting to realize that some of your best work was done several years ago.

The one thing that this retrospective journey has shown me is that when you don't do something regularly, your skills slip. It can be hard to get back in the groove and the routine. Rick tells me that happens with his bike, too -- after winter it takes some time doing shorter, less demanding rides before he is ready to increase the distance. This summer he will ride to the Maritimes, possibly crossing to Newfoundland. Even if the weather was nice, he wouldn't be doing that for his first ride of the season! (If I was doing this piece over, I would had more texture to the road and perhaps blend the woods in a bit differently.)

And, it's always good to remember where you came from.

Probably done around third or fourth grade.

It helps you know where you are going. 

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