Latest posts by michael wilson (see all)
- JORDAN RIVER - February 5, 2019
- Inspired Art - August 2, 2018
- Waiting for Inspiration - July 31, 2018
- The Bridge between Painting and Photography - July 31, 2018
Fear and art is an interesting title, right? Why should there be any fear in artistic expression? There is a new art book out. This one is different. It is by an artist from Scotland and is a coloring book for adults with elaborate ink drawings of trees, vines and forest animals. I think this is a great idea, especially when our time is limited and we don’t have the time to invest in coming up with our own ideas but want to paint and color for relaxation.
For the more serious artists however…those who have a deep urge to create but are troubled about fear of failure, there are some things I have learned over the years. This fear or we may call it simply ‘servere self-consciousness’ sets in early. Pre-adolescence, peer pressure and the great need to fit in, often is the time when we become self-conscious of what we create. It can even set in much earlier – age eight or ten, which is a shame because art can be a wonderful way to express our feelings. Children should be encouraged to create and express themselves through the arts. Fear and art, should not go together. They should be separated. Art should be a time when fear melts away, both for children and adults.
Fast forward to when we grow up and we are young adults. We have a little better handle now on our place in society and our confidence (hopefully) has grown. We are not as concerned about what others might think. Sometimes it takes an active ‘pushing out mental process’- that is, pushing out negative thoughts or any thoughts at all. Just getting in touch with our feelings or appreciating simple, natural things can often be enough to get us started painting or drawing. It can start small with a private drawing pad. You don’t need to share it. Simple drawings, almost like a diary can also be colored. This basic form of expression can then lead to an art class or buying some supplies and starting to experiment with color mixing and discovering the world of painting. I suggest starting with acrylics. You can buy simple canvas boards cheaply. Have a glass of wine while you are painting – ha. Just enjoy yourself. When I was a kid we would tune in to the painting shows on T.V. but now we can find just about anything on YOuTube. The important thing is to start, just start drawing and this will probably lead quite naturally to painting.