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| Unwind through Painting |
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| Written by Jarrod Demeza |
| Sunday, 18 December 2011 09:52 |
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Painting is the ideal hobby for you if you are in a rut and want to challenge yourself creatively. You may easily enough go to the shops and buy all the needed supplies and set right to it. However, understanding some basics may really save you lots of frustration. Taking a short course is a great way to begin. You commit yourself, and you will have a guide to assist you. Each town or city will have different courses that are offered, do some research to determine what your region offers. Professional artists often run workshops from their residences; these courses are perfect for the first-time student.
Painting is the ideal hobby for you if you are in a rut and want to challenge yourself creatively. You may easily enough go to the shops and buy all the needed supplies and set right to it. However, understanding some basics may really save you lots of frustration. Taking a short course is a great way to begin. You commit yourself, and you will have a guide to assist you. Each town or city will have different courses that are offered, do some research to determine what your region offers. Professional artists often run workshops from their residences; these courses are perfect for the first-time student. I discovered landscape painting, watercolour painting, abstract painting, and portrait painting offered throughout the year by a native artist in my region. The thing I appreciated about my instructor was that he got you to bring in a photo of what you wished to paint, and then you began from there. In the first couple of lessons he went through the basics by explaining the concept of the colour wheel, and explaining shapes, lines and materials. It is essential to understand that everyone has the ability to tap into their creative potential. I can't stand it when people state 'I am not artistic' or 'I cannot paint'...no doubt you can, everyone is able to Being nice to yourself is incredibly important, in addition to, not judging yourself too harshly. You need to give yourself time to become adept at painting, it isn't easy. Nonetheless, over time you are going to progress and very soon be churning out perfect art. Don't get frustrated when a painting does not turn out how you want. We are usually our own toughest critics, however, it is important not to get hung up and quit. You have to remember to step away from your work from time to time too, since it is difficult to see the big picture if you are too close to something. The process of painting is therapeutic that is one of the added extra benefits of it. Mixing colours and applying them to a canvas is extremely calming. A blank canvas can be overwhelming at first, but the truth is you get to do whatever you want with it. I find that abstract art is good fun as it makes no difference if it looks absolutely nothing like what you were trying to paint. Just smear paint where you want it and see what happens. Dive right into it. It is messy and very fun. It is quite easy to lose time as you go into the 'zone'. Before you are aware of it five hours have gone by. I've never left an art class stressed-out. It is a cathartic encounter and is good for the soul. Many individuals run classes that fit in with working hours so having a full-time job is no excuse. It is not so time consuming to commit to a class once a week for six weeks. You will get the opportunity to create something genuinely special. Why wait? Everyone knows what it feels like to be in a rut, trapped in a pattern of circumstances that we cannot escape. Sometimes, those circumstances change by themselves, but more often we need to take action to ensure that we don't become stuck in a rut. |