Showing posts with label filling the well. Show all posts
Showing posts with label filling the well. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

365/2013 - Day 65

filling the well

From time to time (like after I have been really tense/intense about something) I have a need to "fill the well"...it has been coming on and today I surrendered to it.  Sometimes I just need to decompress and do mindless, repetitive things.  One of my favorite ways to fill the well is to go through my magazine stash and pull images for collages -- most often in preparation for an upcoming batch of Animal People collages for Art-o-mat.  I guess I am heading that way.  It feels like it has been a long time since the last batch.



And what better way to achieve the non-thinking aspect of the process than to do it while spending time with dear friends who are also working on projects of their own...and talking and sharing and just "being".

Thank You, Joan and Lean, for a lovely morning!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

2012/365 - Day 155

filling the well

I first heard that term in a classroom setting of Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way".  I think I may have always been relying on something along those lines -- but without that term -- for most of my life, certainly for the last 10 years or so.  Being a major Capricorn I tend to really love/need repetition, routine and mindless activities.  For me personally, this is how I "fill the well".  

Whether it is sorting through my stash of magazines pulling out pictures for collage, doing laundry (which I love to do, btw), listening to a few songs looped one after another, going for a walk alone (which I used to love to do but physically can't do much of anymore)...it doesn't matter.  I have also recently discovered these ridiculously mind numbing online games like Mahjong and Scrabble and Monopoly the World Edition (that I can play with computer players instead of real people) are working in the same way.  I just kind of zone out and get into the rhythm of it.

Another way for me to fill the well is to work on a simple part of a project that requires a lot of repetitive motions...


I gathered up the materials and spread them out at my desk.

I decided today that I was going to try adding paint over the layers of tissue paper and see what happens.


First I wanted to darken around his nostrils and mouth a bit so I mixed up some white and burnt umber.


What the HECK have you gotten into young man?!?

Yeh...I didn't want to look at that mess for very long.

I chose some colors that were similar to the colors of the registration dots in the tissue.  I think when I originally base coat/color washed him before the tissue paper layers I was still using the little jars of craft paints.  Since then I have taken that leap into tube acrylics and I am much happier with them.

I also pulled out the acrylic glazing liquid (satin).  I was hoping that would allow the paint to mix together without using water because that is where I usually start running into most of my problems when I am painting.

I put the iTunes on and let it go on random play.

I didn't stop to take photos of the painting process because I was in the filling the well/rhythmic pouncing with the brush and dabbing at colors mode and mixing colors together and...and...and...you get the idea.


For an under coat this is not so bad. 


I know it is definitely nowhere near "done" but it needs to dry before I will be able to see if I want to try more painting or more layering of tissue...or both.


The acrylic glaze really helped with the blending of the colors.


I like this particular picture...it looks like he is wearing a coat or a uniform or something.


He "cleaned up" fairly well (so far).


colors -- colors -- colors


I was trying to turn him into the light to show (myself) how he looked while he was drying.



Friendly-looking little guy with very dangerous sharp claws.

I got poked a couple of time today.


And believe it or not -- I actually cleared off my desk when I was done!

There really are areas where I keep things when I put them away.


Clear desk!











Now that I have done that little filling the well project I am feeling somewhat refreshed.  I actually want to keep going with the same sort of things today...laundry especially.  Who knows...maybe tonight my Universal collaborators will show up?
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