Time for action

© A page from Sketch Journal

"The point is that you learn how to make your work by making your work, and a great many of the pieces you make along the way will never stand out as finished art. The best you can do is make art you care about..... and lots of it!" - Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted orland.

Gathering ideas is a big job. As artists we relentlessly spend our days researching, reading and traveling to gather as much inspiration as we can. But thats not where the creative process ends... there is more. Oh yes! Inspiration is just the first step.

© My working table: Summer 2011

The next step is all about rolling up our sleeves and diving in. Its action time! This is the stage which scares me the most... this step is always threatened by expectations. The fact that once you have stained a canvas with paint, you will never be able to take it back to its clean pristine state again. The fear of not being a 100% certain about the end result.


Every piece is part of a learning curve, there is always scope for accidents (some happy). 


So here's what I do. I close my eyes, choose a color and paint in a base coat. A more logically approach of course is to choose a neutral color to do this. But since most of my work have at least 7-8 layers of paint and mediums, it doesn't matter. All it does is help make a mark. (Except for when I work with Water Colors, then I plan every single brush stroke in advance).

The rest is a matter of perseverance. It requires a creative to be hopeful, excited and being their own cheerleader. Because until you get famous only people who care about you, care about your work. 

© Happy Hour_10X14_Water Color on Paper

Artists are famously known for being moody and work only when inspiration hits them. A very romantic notion indeed. In real life however, its like any other profession. To be successful, we toil for hours in our studio. We diligently lock ourselves in gathering what I like to call "Paint Miles". Agreed every single piece of work is not a masterpiece, but every deliberate brush stroke is a step closer to it.


Until then what keeps us going is obsession!