“When an artist paints, some of the process is learned, but there has to be a balance between what has been learned and the trust that an artist has in serendipity.
“You cannot plan or orchestrate that mysterious, nameless quality that we strive for when we are making art. It comes from a willingness to let the expected slide, to welcome mistakes, and to give in to the joy of simply creating.
“…allow ourselves to be swept up in the wonder and mystery of a moment, when we can happen upon a way to convey not just what we are seeing, but what we are feeling and experiencing.”
Lyn Asselta, Saturdays at the Cove 19 Feb 2022
While you can’t plan serendipity, but you can plan how you set up your orchestra ready to play, to create the opportunity for it. Sharpening your pencils, having tubes of paint to hand, brushes within reach, that’s tuning the instruments in your orchestra. The initial idea you have, that’s the music score. Step up to the podium and begin, but be open to improvisation (impulse, “what if I…?”), to turning two sheets of the score and skipping sections, to playing parts on a different instrument (changing the medium you’re using), to change tune completely (make drastic changes to composition, colour).
A great quote, thank you. I’ve decided to build a collection of quotes to help me verbalize that which is not verbal. (When I’m painting I cant write poetry. It’s either or…)