6 Useful Art Tips – Part 2.

Last time I listed six 'tips' that have helped me in my painting. But it doesn’t end there! Each of these art tips has taught me a valuable lesson that I can apply to other areas of my life. So what are these 'lessons' that Art has taught me?

1.  Make a thumbnail sketch. When embarking on an important project, or planning any event, a ‘thumbnail sketch’ of your plan is often vital, whether it’s in the form of a list of all the factors you need to consider or a full-blown business plan.

2. Respect other people’s work. Respect other people, full stop! Everyone is as different as their artwork and we are all entitled to our own opinions and ways of doing things as long as they do no harm to others. Be ready to give advice when it is asked for but don’t cross the line into ‘interfering’ or imposing your views on others. Sometimes we think we are being helpful but one of my favourite quotes is, ‘Beware of ghosties and ghoulies and people who are only trying to help!’

3. Work all over the painting. It is all too easy to get caught up in one area of our lives to the detriment of other areas. Sometimes we have to make a conscious decision to make one area our priority but we need to be aware that this will have consequences and take that into account.

4. Stand back frequently and evaluate your painting. As with No. 3, it is easy to get carried along with the flow and not realise that we are veering off course. This is when it’s a good idea to take a brief pit-stop and check if you’re still heading in the right direction. It may be that you decide that you prefer this new direction but sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of our original purpose and the sooner we discover this and decide whether to go with it, or to make changes, the better.

5. Trust your intuition. By all means ask advice and listen to others but in the end it’s your life and there is a still, small voice deep inside you that knows what is right for you. Get into the habit of listening for it and trusting it.

6. Allow yourself to get into a muddle and work your way out of it. It is a very rare person indeed who never feels confused, overloaded, at their wits end. If you can recognise that this is part of life and an important ‘learning experience’ and trust that you can ‘work your way out of it’, using a mixture of common sense and intuition, and maybe help and support  from others, it will take the panic out of the situation.

These are just ‘lessons from my Art’ that I find useful and I hope you may find something that helps you on your way too. I realise that what works for me, may not work for you and we each have to find our own path, in Life as in Art. I am by no means an authority on Art, even less so on Life! 

So if you have any tips you can add to my half dozen, whether practical, technique tips or more general advice about how to approach Art – or Life! - please do share them by adding your comments.