In my last blog I outlined my reasons behind my move to digital abstract painting . In this piece I would like to touch on some of the unplanned benefits to my creative process.
When I paint traditionally with acrylics on panels or canvases, my process generally follows a process of input relating to providing materials, inspiration and an output of further materials, exhibiting and then hopefully sales.
TRADITIONAL
o Purchase panels, canvases, paints and brushes
o Gain inspiration
o Painting until satisfied with result or send to storage for over painting in the future
o Add to physical storage
o Purchase frame and make ready for exhibition, framing and hanging materials
o Exhibit
DIGITAL
o Gain inspiration
o Experiment and produce a number of options, sometimes up to 4 or 5 versions
o Select an option to finish until satisfied or store digitally for future use
o Decide on preferred output, materials, frame and hanging method
o Purchase the print, frame and hanging materials or exhibit on an on-line platform
o Exhibit
These comparisons simplify the processes but perhaps you can see some key differences :
o Painting digitally my costs appear after I have something worthy of an exhibition
o Exhibiting a digital painting on-line can incur annual costs for the platform, but a collection can be 100s of paintings so costs are minimal
o Storage only increases after I have decided if I am going to physically exhibit the painting
o The time I spend creating a digital painting is always a period of learning and each period of creativity is unique and often involves switching painting tools and using a variety of those available to me. To me every dabble, doodle or experiment is pure creativity.
So in conclusion; I reduce the demand on storage space, I’m not committing money until I’m happy with my painting and my creativity is back on an upward curve.
That said, I remain a fan of painting plein air and will always have my acrylics to hand for those adventures.
M.
In 2021 I made the decision to move my creative painting forward by seeking ways to differentiate my work from the other artists around me.
Differentiation – the action of differentiating or distinguishing between two or more things or people.......
For some years I painted traditional portraits and landscapes in acrylics, developing my own style, but I was still part of a large pool of talented artists. I sold my paintings and they contributed to the growth in my exhibition opportunities and helped build a following on social media, but I often found myself in competition with better artists painting the same subjects and every day I felt less creative energy and a little stuck with my audience’s expectations of what I should be painting.
So I took a step to restore my urge to create.
Inspired by two major exhibitions by David Hockney RA which featured his iPad digital paintings I bought a less expensive tablet and started to sketch. Then I started to paint. Then I started to create.
I also did something else I had never done before, I started to paint abstracts.
During 2022 I have only shown digital paintings in an effort to introduce the medium to my audience and to refine my approach to using all of the tools within my painting software: watercolours, oils, pastels, chalks, sponges , sprays, air brushes, rollers..... I could go on.
What have I gained? Minimal sales at present, but now I am enjoying being creative and I especially enjoy the reaction from my audience when they try to understand the painting method and the resulting painting.
I’m still exhibiting with lots of very talented artists, but now I know that I’m also a creative artist whose work can be distinguished from everyone else.
Will this to lead to recognition within the international art world? I very much doubt it, but it doesn’t matter because I’m actually enjoying the process of being creative now, and I know it’s my art.
M.
P.S. I’ll still venture out to paint plein air but that’s just for fun now.