Workshop gremlin

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of exploring and painting this bust sculpted by Nick Tsoulhos that will be the subject of my new 2-day workshop coming on October 18-19 in Nanaimo. Also present alongside the 3rd annual Emerald Brush painting competition held by my friend Ian :) In this workshop, I’ll be going through my construction of the colour palette with the aid of references, painting textures, and illumination of volumes. More details will follow shortly, so stay tuned!

This piece also comes with lessons and surprises for me. Working more comfortably from a white primer base, to new colour interactions generated, and overall with more purposeful brush strokes. Leading into what surprised me as the fastest piece I’ve painted (10 hours). By no means was speed considered or even pushed remotely as a goal in the painting. But rather it was a sum of a bunch of minor tweaks, continuous practice, a complete removal of planned expectations, and a good dose of confidence on the brush from last week’s painting stream session with Erik Swinson.

It also gives a reminder that as artists and hobbiests, we are allowed to feel a bit down when it comes to how we feel about our paintings. We can go through rough patches, a series of fuck ups, or even a lack of inspiration. A reminder that those things will pass, given just a bit of time. Creativity is something that needs to be positively nurtured, allowing time to rest and to return when that’s done. Just like with physical training, our gains come after our bodies rest and recover. And I think that is also true in the creative act.

I hope you guys continue to have a fantastic week on the brush, and hope you’re enjoying the start of the Skin Challenge if you haven’t started already! All the best & Happy Painting ☺️✌️

Bb