Thursday, December 6, 2012

The Birth of an Idea

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I spend too much time on the internet. But of course I do. There is an endless supply of colours, images, tutorials, opportunities, conversations, videos and ideas

Inspiration usually comes from the outside. You know that saying: "Nothing can be created in a vacuum," or some variation of the same. A clever photo on Pinterest pulls at my heartstrings, while drama is unfolding on an Etsy forum thread.

Just as I am about to put the laptop aside and tidy up, an image pops into my mind. The nearest item is a cheap notebook that was left behind in a school locker. I scribble the image (called a "thumbnail") with messy, black lines under some old driving directions. It's usually the scribbled thumbnails I appreciate the most.

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There is usually some procrastination between the two-second sketch and the actual painting. There is just so much potential in the scribbles that I am too afraid to start painting. Sometimes it turns into a good idea, and sometimes it doesn't. 

I paint in flat blocks of colour, obscurring details to create an ugly, blurry image at first. And then... who knows what will happen?

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