Hi all!
Last week I gave you a peek inside my journal at how the idea for a painting of bread came to life. Today I'm sharing some insights surrounding another painting idea that is making its way to the easel and a pivotal truth about the relationship between artists and the people who love and follow their work.
When I started the "Painting Ideas" section of my journal, one of the first ideas that I sketched out was of a wedding dress. I envisioned a demure and delicate lacy bodice with sheer sleeves all sparkling where shafts of dappled sunlight fell on it. I imagined a songbird sitting on the shoulder of the dress with nesting material in its beak. It was meant to depict two of God's creatures, one human and one bird, preparing for life as a new family.
Many ideas come to me this way, as a fully formed mental picture.
That idea spent two years in my mind's eye as I searched for just the right photo reference to make it a reality. I must have examined and rejected dozens of dresses before I finally realized I was missing a key ingredient in my search......
The bride!
Well, what I mean is, I needed someone's brain other than my own. I needed to find someone who actually possessed the dress I envisioned and who was also willing to dig it out of storage and let me come photograph it.
So I put out a description of my ideal dress on social media and simply asked.
When I saw Jenny's dress about the fifth one down on the list of responses, it was EXACTLY what I had envisioned. And if finding it were not enough of a treat, the interaction allowed me to appreciate this friend and art fan even more than I already did. It was such a delight to watch Jenny tenderly position her graceful gown on a low branch and then stare in silent wonder at the elusive glint of sunlight on glass beads.
See...THAT's the very kind of thing which lends meaning to my work. It's all about the story. Just think what I would have missed had I simply bought a stock photo to work from.
Artists are often a solitary folk. We are sometimes given to self-doubt and we can keep people at arms' length without even realizing it. People want in. They are fascinated by the unusual way we live and work. Oh, how much richer our lives would be if we stopped trying to go it alone and just let them in.
I'll be posting several in-progress photos of this and the bread painting on Instagram. Follow me @jandalefineart if you'd like to see them.
Until next time...
Take a moment to open a window and hear the birdsong!
Jan
