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Articles
About Painting & Art
The Creative Journey, The
Creative Process
By Mary
Baker
When people ask me how to paint,
I always tell them that it is as important to
know when not to work on a painting, as it is
to know when to actually paint. For me, painting
is as much about listening as it is about doing.
I spend a great deal of time listening to my paintings,
so that when I do paint, I can paint with deliberation,
because I know what the paintings are saying.
To most people, it looks like I am doing nothing.
It takes a great deal of confidence to hold the
secret, not to say anything, to know that in reality,
a great deal is going on inside.
I have a lot of people who want
to come and study with me. I always say, "yes",
but warn them that almost nobody lasts. I tell
them that there is no one to hold their hand,
no one to tell them what to do, no one to tell
them what to paint or when to paint and no one
to paint with, and it is up to them to find a
suitable place in which to create—for this is
what it is like to be a professional artist. Art
is not for the faint of heart.
I once heard a scientist describe
her creative process. She painted a wonderful
picture of the cycles of the seasons. She said
it started with Spring, the blooming of an idea,
then the long work of Summer, the harvesting of
Fall and the long dormancy of Winter, for which
there can be no Spring, no new ideas. I have never
heard a better description of what the creative
process is like.
Those "ah ha" moments, the germination
of an idea for a painting is one of the most exciting
times in the process. In the beginning I plan
a whole series of paintings, usually seven to
eleven, and then work on them as a group. This
is the "Spring" of the creative process-seeing
ten paintings beginning to blossom on my studio
walls.
The long work of Summer, that the
time of actually physically putting paint to paper
or canvas, can be the really hard part. Creativity
is not a straight and paved thoroughfare for me.
Rather, it is a circuitous path which I explore
with deliberation, hope and expectation. At the
end of the day, that small step along the journey,
I often have no idea whether what was created
is effective or not. The next morning I am usually
relieved to see that not only a great deal was
accomplished, but also that it was a successful
step along the way.
Finishing the piece of art work,
the Fall, is rewarding, short and infinitely enjoyable.
I know when a painting is done when I sign my
name. All seven to eleven paintings usually get
done within the same time frame. The "letting
go" of the paintings is when I photograph them.
After that, they are for anyone to purchase
Then there is the long dormant winter,
when there are no ideas, and it takes pure faith
that somewhere inside one's personal soul is the
ability to create once again. Because then there
is, not only the blank canvas, but also the blank
studio wall as well, to be filled again with paintings.
It takes great deal of courage to believe that
there really will be a "Spring" again of "ah ha"
moments, that there will be a studio full of new
paintings and that the creative journey really
will happen all over again.
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© Mary Baker 2005
Mary Baker is a professional
artist, whose studio is in Newburyport,
Massachusetts. The artist is known for her crisp
realistic oil paintings.
Mary Baker is a professional painter and has shown
in New York City art
galleries. Mary’s art work has passion, depth
and beauty, capturing
moments in time that many people pass by.
You can visit Mary’s website,
Mary Baker Art, at http://www.marybakerart.com
,
see her paintings and read her comments on the
creative journey, the creative
process, Tips on breaking the creative block and
creative space—the
illuminating silence. A list of all articles can
be found on Mary Baker’s Site Map at http://www.marybakerart.com/sitemap.html
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