Do You Listen To Your Paintings?

'Beautiful Dreamers'           20x29            pastel        ©Karen Margulis

The painting started to speak. I ignored it at first. After all I had a plan. I didn't intend to change it. But the painting persisted. It spoke louder. And louder. I put down my pastel and took a step back. Maybe I should listen. I could always go back to my original plan if it didn't work out. And in the end I was very happy that I had listened. 

Do you listen when your painting talks? What does that even mean? It isn't just some Artsy talk. It is real.  Your painting is talking when you find the voice in your head asking questions such as "What if I.......(fill in the blank) or "Should I just......(fill in the blank)  When you find yourself asking these types of questions it is your painting pushing you in a different direction. Call it a gut feeling or intuition. The questions are the result of your experience guiding you suggested by what is happening on your painting. 

When you listen to your painting (your gut) you either end up with something interesting or a failed experiment. But since you never know where it will lead you it certainly doesn't hurt to try. Remember it is only paper. 

A big piece of yellow Canson Touch sanded paper 

 Today I listened. I was painting a large 20x29 painting . It is for my newly refreshed bedroom. I want to use some of my Queen Annes Lace paintings from Ireland. I already had two smaller paintings framed and wanted a large focal painting.  I selected a small study for inspiration. My intention was to simply enlarge the small study....same composition and colors.

The painting had other ideas. I decided to listen and the result was something that is just right!

My inspiration was a 6x8 study

Would you like to see the step by step photo demo of this painting? It is available on my Patreon page. Join for just $4 a month  for weekly demos, exercises and more! www.patreon.com/karenmargulis

After blocking in with darks and yellows

The finished painting