Copy paper. $4 medium size tube of acrylic paint. Tempera Paint. One Brush. Game Changer!
That is all I need. I usually paint on Canson XL watercolor paper. I have Golden Acrylics. There are beautiful greens and pinks. Right now copy paper and tempera paint are working beautifully. I painted this in like 15 minutes.
Lately I’ve been arriving at my painting sessions with these thoughts:
I like my colorful art on a cream background but other artists have full page color.
Should I be thinking about trends?
Should I take time and draw with pencil? But I want to paint!
I should get to know good paint but I don’t want to waste my good paint.
The good paintings happen on cheap paper with the wrong colors. When I try to replicate, I can’t.
Maybe I should sketch with a pencil first?
The biggest thought of all is that I’ve been painting for a long time and have yet to see the results I seek. It’s been about three years since I started painting flowers. I’ve written six stories and counting. I self-published the books. I wrote, edited, and purchased an ISBN for three of them. I painted all the artwork. Have I grown personally with these projects? YES. Am I keeping my writing skills alive? YES. Is my curiosity satisfied? YES. Am I having fun? YES. Did I fulfill a life dream? YES.
I was recently asked, “What do you see yourself doing? I was beaming on the inside with ART. I am an artist. I always will be. I want THE story. You know the story of I just doodled to pass the time or for comfort. I started posting and I’ve been busy ever since. Not my story AT ALL.
I am an artist. I like the feel of the paint on my fingers. I like that I can paint with ornaments or a fork. This post is about me saying forget about the art business. Keep creating and growing. Be open to what lies ahead. Trust that you will be where you are meant to be. Let go, stop comparing, judging, and keep painting.
Siempre,
Mireya
an art journal of an expressionistic spirit 