Romanticize 22: Still Life
Take a creativity-boosting break with a mini drawing or painting exercise.
A few years back, I began every writing session by making a quick colored pencil sketch of something in my cottage. A potted plant, a photo in a book, the view out a window. It was one of the fastest ways to turn off my rational brain and get grounded before putting words on the page. The thing is: I was raised by a woman who emphasized perfection, always, and it’s made any kind of art pursuit deeply difficult for me. Frustration with my…let’s just say lacking ability eventually snuffed out those regular pre-writing exercises, but every so often I feel the urge to grab my watercolors and paint something.
I’m not a talented artist, but I do notice and relish details…and I feel like that’s 50% of it. I once watched a YouTube watercolor tutorial where the instructor said, “Paint all the colors you see,” which was incredibly freeing. I’ve tried everything from acrylics to oils, and watercolors are the hardest to wrangle—they’re relentlessly changeable, refuse to take direction, and generally only reward patience. My nightmare. So why are they my medium of choice? Because I’m well aware that I must learn to shed perfectionism and submit to the process. When I do, I’m able to access a deeper level of self-connection and creativity. And thanks to today’s Romanticize, I’m hoping you will, too.
The Romanticize
Find something to paint or draw, gather the materials, and let your creativity flow.
The Advice
I’m going to be a broken record here, but if you’re foraging off your own property for the subject of your art, make sure it’s legal and make sure you only take what you’ll need.
You don’t have to spend a bunch of money on art supplies! Grab whatever you’ve got—acrylics, colored pencils, a pen to make a line sketch (press light or hard to control the ink released and create shading effects), crayons…even food coloring will work! You can draw or paint on a piece of notebook paper, newspaper, paper towel…again, the sky’s the limit. One of the brilliant things about creativity is that it can conform to any material and your technique will adapt (who knows, it may even evolve!)
If you want to treat yourself, my favorite fancy (!!!) art store is London’s Choosing Keeping. My go-to in NYC was always BLICK, and they have a very robust online selection.
Where you set up is just as important as your materials—find someplace that sparks peace, calm, and creativity. For me, it’s a quiet space at a table with good natural light, but your mileage may vary (maybe you like spreading out on the floor! Or you prefer working in bed! Or you need to stand with the paper taped to the wall!)
Release the need for perfection. All you have to do is draw or paint what you see. Let your hands take over, give your mind a rest, and ease into the experience.
The Inspiration
It’s 60 degrees outside today, so I happily set up my art studio on the back patio—I grabbed my set of colored pencils, my watercolor paints, a thin paintbrush, watercolor paper, my ceramic palette, some paper towels for dabbing, and two glasses for cleaning my brush as I went.
I strolled around the perimeter of the farm and foraged the very first daffodil to bloom on the property—what better subject to immortalize? I’ve found that sketching my subject’s details with corresponding colored pencils first gives me a bit more control (however fleeting) over my watercolor placements. I stared hard at the sunny flower, studying not just the bright yellows and deeper oranges of its cup and petals, but also the grey-green-orange of its inner eye and the olive-yellow of its stem.
I had to breathe deep against the urge to direct where the paint ran and blended, but in the end, I think the portrait of the happy little daff came out looking vibrant, if not entirely lifelike. I sat back and watched it dry, feeling like I emerged from a mildly intense but cathartic therapy session.
I’d love to know the results of your Romanticize—feel free to share your experience in the comments, or tag me on Instagram. Until next Wednesday, fellow romantics!