Motivation for Painting
Posted By Carrie L. Lewis on January 22, 2010
I’m wondering if I’ve started something.
At the first of the year, I set a goal to paint fifty-two ACEO horse paintings. That’s one a week. The reasoning was that I could paint one little painting a week without cutting into other obligations such as traditional portraits, writing or family and other obligations.
I’m wondering now if that goal wasn’t a little short-sighted on my part.
The reason is that it took two weeks to get the first ACEO horse painting done, but since that completion on January 16, I’ve finished or worked on four others. I haven’t worked on an ACEO every day this week, but for the most part, I’ve worked on more than one every day I have worked on them and I’ve finished a total of three this week. A fourth one may be finished. I just need to take a look at it tomorrow and decide.
At this rate, I’ll meet the goal sometime in March. Then what?
I’m not celebrating. There are still forty plus cards to paint and anything could happen. A lot of time spent on a portrait or a surge of inspiration with writing could slow work on ACEO horse paintings down at any time.
Seeing those cards lined up on the drying rail, though, is a lot of motivation. There’s no question about that. Adding to the collection on a daily or every-other-day basis is a huge boost to morale, too. It gives a little extra zing to those portraits that take weeks to finish.
As I recall, the same thing happened in 2007, when I gave myself the goal of painting one ACEO landscape painting every painting day for the entire year. Some days, I did three or four and overall productivity skyrocketed. That year ended with 315 new tiny paintings and a nice collection of larger works, too. It was my best year ever.
Am I on course for similar results this year? I don’t know. I’m putting more time and detail into the ACEO horse paintings than I did into the landscapes, but I also enjoy the subject more, so that additional work is not a hardship.
And it is translating into better painting sessions with the portraits, whether they’re going well or not. Today alone, I worked on the portraits of Clyde and Lockkeeper in addition to the three ACEO horse paintings I did.
As if that weren’t enough, the lessons learned in the ACEO studies of Lockkeeper have already improved work on the portrait. I’ve also picked up some ideas for color selection and application that I can’t wait to try on the portrait.
So maybe I was a little short-sighted when I set this goal and thought the only thing I’d get out of it was fifty-two ACEO horse paintings.
There has already been a lot more benefit than just a growing collection of miniature paintings. Only God knows what lies in store.
I am a self-taught artist for the most part. Lots of trial and error in the past forty years! Formal art training consists of a couple of years of high school art, a painting class at a community college, one semester in the Fine Arts program at Abilene Christian University and a couple of local workshops.
I am always looking for ways to better my artistic skills, so I am a permanent student in the School of Trial and Error. I love reading and have been known to spend hours online researching materials and techniques. As a result, I've painted in several different styles, including the direct method (which goes straight for the color) and Classical methods (which involves underpaintings, layering and glazing).
I have exhibited paintings in locations such as Lone Star Park Race Track, Grand Prairie, Texas and Remington Park Race Track, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Since the early 90s, I've worked with the Michigan Harness Horseman's Association, donating custom portraits to their annual benefit auction.
In the course of maintaining a growing art business, I have taught myself web design (a skill that will no doubt prove to be a continual learning experience).
I also enjoy puttering around the yard, chasing trains with my husband, Neal, travel and, of course, looking at horses whenever they appear on my horizon.
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