CREATIVITY EXPLORED

"Martha" by Bill Slavin

For the last year, I've been working to practice watercolor techniques, sketching in my art journal, and practicing hand lettering, all techniques that require, for me, a lot of concentration and work. With lettering, I need to make several drafts of a lettering project and decide what medium I'm going to use to finish it. It's a slow, steady process. Drawing in my journal is similar. I often draw from a photograph or from memory in pencil and then complete it with markers.

All the drafts to make one piece

The same is true each time I paint with watercolors. I have to remind myself of the techniques I've learned. I first draw the image I plan to paint, lightly erase the pencil marks, spray the paper with water, let that almost dry, and add a very, very light wash of Cobalt Blue across the top of the paper, and sometimes a similar wash of Permanent Yellow Deep across the bottom part. Those last two steps takes away the problem of "white paper--how do I begin?" that often crops up in writing or artwork. I am careful to leave any white areas showing that I want to keep. All of these precise techniques are more technique than experimentation.

Value study and light blue and yellow washes to prep for painting

I didn't realize how much I missed experimenting with materials until I took a recent workshop making abstract designs with sumi-e ink. Being creative and learning techniques are two separate parts of being an artist. Cutting up the papers that I had splattered with ink and water reminded me that nothing I make is precious and that I can find good designs within something larger. Putting the small papers together into a sketchbook with 60 sheets has given me a way to free myself up and to think more creatively again.

If you are one of Postcards in the Air followers, you might not see the video just above. You can go to https://marthaslavin.blogspot.com to see the video while I try to remedy the display. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

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Check out Natalie Cole's Instagram page for future art classes in San Francisco:

https://www.instagram.com/natalie.cole_studio.art/