intuitive painting and drawing

Last night I attended my first class at the Lill Street Art Center. I signed up for several reasons. 1)to get out of the house and be with other adults 2)be around and meet other creative folks 3)grow in my creative process.

The class is called Intuitive Painting and Drawing and I decided to take it because I really want to explore my own marks and drawings. I use my photography a lot in my work, which I love to do. But lately I’ve been feeling this urge to do something different. It’s scary to step away from what is known, what I feel comfortable doing. But really, my first love is drawing and painting and I feel like I want to focus on that more. And what better way to do it, than in a classroom receiving guidance.

We did several collaborative exercises in our small class of 5. The first was a Round Robin drawing and then after that we did Exquisite Corpse. It was actually fun after I got over the first paralyzing moment with brush in hand and worrying that I was going to ruin my classmates work. Then after these exercises we worked individually and collaged the exercizes with other papers and paint.

When our instructor mentioned that we were going to collage, I thought to myself, “great, collage. That’s what I do all the time, what a waste of time. I should have taken a how-to technical painting class instead”. But, ohmygosh, it was such a wonderful exercise. I felt something inside me budge. I felt a freedom, an expressiveness that was different than what I normally feel. I always feel “free” and “expressive” in my work, but this was different. Can’t quite articulate how or why. But I felt like I was really tapping into something……intuitive! ha!

one
exercise done in class

The above result was just an exercise, but it may be something that I will develop further. We are supposed to keep a dream journal during this quarter, to really develop our inner symbols. I’m really excited about this class. My other classmates all come from creative fields and very different backgrounds. But we all share the same desire to come back to our intuition, come back to our own inner dialogue, come back to the freedom of creative expression that has always made us love to draw and paint since we were kids.

We were all a little anxious at the beginning of the class!

Speaking of painting with a child’s love and energy, I gave my little guy a brush and ink and had him go at it on one of my started canvases. He had so much fun. Every time he made a mark on the canvas he would laugh and wriggle around with delight.

n_painting2_w
noah, 20 months

14 Comments

  1. This sounds like fun. It really does. And I’ve had a billion drawing & painting classes.

    I really like the idea of a dream journal to help us recognize & develop our inner symbols. I’m gonna steal that idea from you & your instructor, starting tonight.

    🙂 Debi

  2. yes, noah is a cutie!

    the class sounds amazing. i think it is great that you are being brave and exploring different parts of your creativity. in the piece you did in class–the part of the bird’s chest, the black and white area, really draws me in. it is just beautiful.

  3. It sounds like you had such a great experience in that class, Bridgette… isn’t it wonderful when you feel that shift down deep? Or that opening? Or however one can describe it. And five is such an intimate number… I can’t wait to see how things unfold for you there. And what a lucky boy you have in that his mom encourages him so! xoxo shari

  4. That class sounds so wonderful! I love what you created – when I was looking at it before I even read what you wrote I saw birth in it. ANd your little guy painting is just too precious!

  5. Glad to hear even an accomplished artist like yourself still can learn something new-it sounds like a lot of fun. And to be so free as a child with a paintbrush….!

  6. Noah looks great with a paintbrush in his hand. And that painting he’s enhancing is quite dramatic.

    I love what you came up with in your intuition class. That collage does look to be informed by intuition. Very exciting!

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