Getting My Hands Dirty
What is your favourite way to get your hands dirty?
I'm sure you can guess, mine is covering them in paint!
A few weeks ago, I wrote about why art is a real job (if you missed the newsletter, you can read it here as a blog). The truth is, sometimes the business side of being an artist can feel like it wants to overtake the art side completely.
I wonder if it's the same for you?
Do you find yourself spending more time on your computer than in the real world, sometimes? Do you suddenly realise that weeks have gone by, and you've done nothing creative with your hands, like cooking for fun, or gardening? When was the last time you had to properly scrub your hands clean after a project that brought you joy?
Art as Gardening
There is an artist I love and aspire to be like, called Geoff Uglow. He says that gardening and painting are very similar for him: 'It's about a moment lived, a moment felt.'
I haven't been able to paint as much as I need to this year, and if I'm honest, I've been feeling a little sad. I realised I needed to live in a moment, to get my hands in the dirt, in my way.
So I sat on the floor with a giant canvas (I love to sit on the floor when I paint), and I left the paintbrushes out of the way, and started painting with my fingers.
Whisky, of course, was with me... in fact, she even came and sat on my lap for a part of it (I did have to scoot her away because I didn’t want to get oil paint on her).
Now, I’m on such a high from this painting that I think I’m going to continue with another one and just see where it takes me! It’s so easy to fall into the trap of always having a very specific plan as an artist, but sometimes you’ve just got to let loose and enjoy the creative process, even if you don’t necessarily have a specific direction for a certain series.
And the best part? I had two showers to get all the paint off! But it’s still stuck in between my fingernails. I LOVE IT. .
When did you last make a joyful mess? Send me an email, I'd love to hear all about it.
With love,
Katherine