Two abstract paintings

[MikeW]

Yeah but abstract expressionist paintings on ms paint just aren't the same.

Sitting here biting my lip on that one because what I want to do is encourage you to experiment. I just read your reply to [MENTION=23369]Boaxy[/MENTION] so I know you're already a very busy guy, though, so I'm not sure how truly interested you are in getting down and dirty with paint. All I can say is that for me, there's something about working directly with physical materials. (I also use digital media for some of my art projects, just FYI.) It needn't be an expensive thing, either. I'll give you an example.

Many years ago I used to be part of a gay men's community that organized regularly scheduled, long weekend retreats. These retreats were somewhat facilitated events that also included activities of various sorts. I decided to organize a "painting class" for one afternoon. For this project I bought a roll of very large "BEE" paper. The roll is six feet by about 10 years as I recall. I also bought a variety of "poster paint" colors. These are inexpensive water based paints, the kind of thing children paint with in their art classes. I also bought a bunch of paper cups and paper plates to mix paint in and a dozen or so inexpensive brushes. I took all this stuff with me to the retreat.

I announced the "painting class" to the group on our first Friday night meeting. So, come Saturday afternoon, several.... I don't remember how many... about a dozen or so... gay guys gathered with me on a lawn outside the main meeting lodge. I rolled out five or six yards of paper on the ground, put out the art supplies and gave some basic direction:

First, everyone had to at the very least take off their shoes and socks. Second, if they were wearing long pants, I suggested they strip down to their underwear. This was a clothing optional event so they could get totally naked if they wanted.

I then explained that this expanse of paper was an "open space" of pure potential. Theirs to engage with collectively in a kind of "dance" with paint. I also explained that I wanted to see the entire surface covered with paint, with very little 'white space' remaining by the end of the group time. They were to use the paint however they saw fit, applying it to the paper with the brushes, or hands, or feet or body, making areas of color, line, and shape that in some way directly expressed their PHYSICAL presence through movement.

I went on to suggested that once they began, they be sensitive to spaces others had already filled. Not that they couldn't cover over areas of paint that had already been applied but they simply be aware that this could obscure what had already been done. I suggested that a better approach might be to consider whether or not what they were doing, or about to do, could in some way "enhance" (rather than obscure) what had gone before.

Finally, I suggested that as well as focusing in on specific areas of paint application, they try and keep an awareness of the whole field of possibility. That they look at the whole area of paper as "one thing" or "one space" within which many separate things needed to be, in some way, united or connected together.

After that I pretty much just let them do whatever they wanted.

At first, of course, everyone was hesitant to do ANYTHING. It takes a bit of courage to put yourself out there, to leave your mark, to have it seen by everyone else. The first marks on a blank sheet of paper are often the most difficult because in a sense they "spoil" the totality of the open space. They define a "something" that was not there before and set in motion unforeseeable consequences.

Seeing this I suggested that we not "hesitate", that together we just BEGIN, not giving it too much thought. "Just try and let go of any preconceptions of what 'ought' to happen: What ought to happen is whatever DOES happen. There may be a 'better' or 'worse' but there is no WRONG. .... And with that it began.

I can't really describe what went on in the next hour or so but, although it didn't happen all at once, within a rather short period of time, the guys began to let go of their ADULT selves and allow themselves the freedom of once again being children HAVING FUN WITH IT. Pretty soon, there was just about as much paint on each of US as there was on the paper and, yes, of course, WALLOWING IN IT was definitely part of what happened. Not everyone, of course, but there are always a few truly brave souls among us.

As the end of the "play time" came I had everyone step back and just LOOK at the whole thing from every angle and asked the question, "Is there anything this space NEEDS that it doesn't yet have? If so, now is the time to put it there." Within minutes it was "complete" (more or less by group consensus).

It was quite amazing, actually. Once the paint dried I loosely rolled the paper up, then push-pinned it to a large wall in the main meeting lodge. It *was* a "work of art". Everyone agreed on this. Near the end of the weekend, I cut the large piece of paper up into smaller sections about 12x6 inches and encouraged all the attendees to take a piece or two of the painting with them when they left.

ALL OF THAT to simply say that if you WANT to play with paint, just fucking do it. Don't even think about it in terms of "art". Whether it is or isn't is utterly irrelevant. What it IS is an opportunity to engage physically with primordial matter, undifferentiated space and infinite potential. An opportunity to once again be a child, marveling at the most simple things: The human capacity to create something that previously did not exist. It doesn't matter "what" it is or whether or not it is any "good" or has any "value". The act of creation is itself of value -- and it is only through exercising it that one learns to get "better" at it.

A funny side story to this: A few years after I led that painting group I was on another retreat. I always took some art supplies with me of some sort or other when I attended these retreats. So I was sitting at a table in the meeting lodge with a large box of crayons and sheets of paper onto which I was scribbling furiously, creating page after page of "just scribbles". This one guy who did not know me and had not been on one of our retreats before noticed what I was doing and said, "Keep at it, you might become a real artist someday." He thought he was being funny. Others around him who knew who I was blanched and told him, "Uh... Michael IS an artist already, a rather fine one as a matter of fact." The young fellow looked at me with some confusion on his face. I said, "Yes, what you don't understand is, it has taken me a lifetime to unlearn everything I was taught so I could feel FREE enough to once again just scribble like a child."

[Emiliano]

I appreciate you sharing your story, [MENTION=20947]MikeW[/MENTION] . I really like drawing and coloring, and I have led a lot of art workshops with kids, and for adults with special needs. My brother really likes painting, and when I'm helping him we usually end up making art of some kind together too.

I've had a lot of people tell me I should take art more seriously, explore it more, but in all honesty its not where my passions are. I love art, and I love looking at it, and talking about it, and making it, and helping and encouraging others to do so too. But for myself, I view it as more of a hobby. Something to play around with when I want to make people laugh or when Im bored and drinking.

I really admire and am inspired by people like yourself who can do the fun, free sort of art you described - I especially love how collaborative you made it. But I also feel that way about very serious artists who are able to make the sort of art I saw in the website you posted. I love that you can get down with poster paints and crayons, but are also able to produce art that is so clearly on a different level in terms of technique, theory, quality. I guess the word Im looking for is, fine art.

Its humbling because like the guy you wrote about, I hadn't realized that you are a fine artist. So to see it, and to know that you make yourself so accessible here, and in your day to day life as well... I mean, maybe it a poor word choice, but I feel its humbling. And I like being humbled by people I respect and admire, so I only meant it as a compliment when I said that.

Im humbled by the amazing fine art you are able to create, but I am also very inspired by the way you can share your passion and just the joy and release of making art with others. I am also of the belief that the art in a lot of ways is the moment of creation - the movements, feelings, planning, emotions, smells, sounds of art making. The canvas or sculpture is in some ways just the product of the real art. So especially that you can pass along to people to focus more on the process than the product and to embrace the uncertainty of a blank sheet of paper - that is very inspiring, and speaks more directly to what I am passionate about in my life.