Mess-of-the-day (that’s not the title, but it could be)

The artistic process isn’t linear –or at least it isn’t for me. Painting isn’t a tidy endeavor either –or, once again, at least not for me.

When I paint, it’s a given that I will get paint on my hands. I also get paint in my hair, on my face, all over my clothes, and even on my shoes. Inevitably, paint gets spattered throughout the space where I am working. Chunks of paint are likely to be found on the easels and tables, yes; but also on the walls, floors, door knobs and heck, maybe even all the way up to the ceiling. It’s called painting. That is a verb. I work in a painting studio. I planned on a mess. Or at least that was how it started. Now my art space seems to be morphing into semi-living/office space and that won’t work. Paint is messy. Solvents are stinky. I need to leave things out and about, or I lose my train of thought. Oh ya, and speaking of my train-of-thought: I need to focus when I am painting. My studio space needs to be my studio space. Period. No phones. No computers. No distractions.

I’ve visited a fair number of art studios over the years, and I can count on one hand the number of über-neat spaces that I’ve seen (if the studio is neat, usually it’s a plein air painter). Have a clean and tidy work space? Great. Congratulations. Is your studio a disaster area? Welcome to the club. Ever seen Jackson Pollock’s floor? Hey, whatever works for you, I say! There’s no right or wrong way to create. Besides, most people are primarily interested in your art —or at least they should be— not your work space.

When I make art, I happen to make it from chaos. Viva chaos!

It has become clear that I need to completely separate my work space from my living space.

When I’m in the middle of a painting (which is almost always the case) I don’t put my paints away. Why? Because I don’t want to lose my train of thought.

When I am painting, these oil bars usually end up scattered on the floor. Why? Because I can see them better that way.

You will likely find globs of paint on my studio floor. You may find me there too.

These are my studio shoes. Hmm. Looks like there may be some orange going on today!

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