Sometimes, you just don’t know what you’re doing. Or, more precisely, things happen, and you don’t really know why or how! It’s exciting and alters the course of events.

Here’s the story.

Painting one – Trying to lose the plot! – The result of a free five day online workshop that a friend told me about. I thought to myself, “what the heck, just do it!”

We went through various stages of loosening up, as well as new ways to think about and work on our paintings. Lots of thinking, but lots of doing too. Here, there was no plot, and we still managed to lose it. In fact, that was the aim!

There was a component of self reflection and getting familiar with some of our more personal thoughts. The kind of thoughts you can use to base your art around. Social comments, narratives, depiction of life experiences, and so on. (Please excuse the shadows from my painting wall nails in the next photo.)

The end result was something “new.” Different to my work of recent times. It’s hard not to be influenced by the art you have made, are making or might be dreaming of, but this one feels like it’s pointing somewhere interesting.

I have titled the painting “Terrain.” It’s now available for purchase on Bluethumb.

Painting two – Finding the plot – Searching for the path I’d like to go down, plus, how to create a similar mood to an earlier painting … the first photo below. As I moved along, I discovered various things that felt like they’d fit well in this developing work. Even so, things started to veer a little sideways at times. I wondered, what would emerge next?

When exploring, you experiment and try new things or revamp ideas from the past. This painting was a series of trials and errors. On again, off again seems to sum up the relationship!

Put paint on, take it off again, and repeat! The process reveals the underlayers. You can even go back to before you started if you’re prepared to scrub enough. Generally, though, it is more desirable to see what has resurfaced, then accept it as it is, or integrate it in some manner.

The aim is to have the underlayers visible in places, or at least influencing the newer layers. Sometimes, marks from previous layers add a cheeky, playful acceptance to what is appearing, disappearing, or reappearing on the surface. I love using chance and randomness in my art. It provides a quality that you’d never get from trying to make the same marks to order. The plot isn’t lost with this one, but more work is needed on the overall idea.

Painting three – The plot – It started out with me being fairly certain that this one would look similar to painting number two, style-wise. Okaaaay!

The first stage, and the one below it, are like painting two (above), but from there on, things went their own way. With me wondering how I’d keep things looking similar. The further I went, the more I realised it just wasn’t going to happen. So what then? Move ahead intrepidly of course, embracing the unknown!

The next two stages went off on a new tangent, with less removing paint and more putting it on. The opposite to the second painting. Plot successfully lost!

Looking back at some of the photographs of other stages, maybe some of them could have worked. Ideas for future paintings perhaps.

Conclusions – The painting process is amazing! You can use it to broaden your ideas about art as well as other things. It can help you sort out what’s on your mind, even if it isn’t art related. Exploration and experimentation happen with the smallest of adjustments to equipment or intent. The effects are compounding, enlightening, enlivening, and enthralling for all those who venture forth with an open mind and attentive eye.

Losing the plot can become a desirable outcome!

How many other ventures are there where you can get away with that!?