My First Full Body Painting
When Michael Jordan decided to play baseball in 1993 a lot of people criticized the fact that he was not as good as baseball as he was at basketball. He is a professional basketball player after all and many will argue that he is the best player of all times. That didn’t come easy and he practiced a lot. It is very unfair to think that he would be as good in baseball in a very short period of time. Yesterday I had the opportunity to work on my first full body painting. It was an amazing experience and I had so much fun. It was a lot of work. Five hours painting left me exhausted, but it was worth it. The model was excellent and so patient. I kept repeating to the point of being annoying, “It was not too bad for the first one”.
I am aware that I can’t become an expert or even as good as professional body painters on my first try just because I sculpt and paint. It would be ridiculous to think otherwise. It is like expecting Jordan to be excellent as baseball because he played basketball. However, there is always criticism and I must confess that most of it comes from myself. Interestingly, a lot of people liked the result. I liked it too. I liked it a lot. On the other hand, and if you know me and my brain, you know I was taking every minute of it to learn and figure out the strategies I’m using in the next body paintings. It should be better next time. I can still dedicate more time in details by avoiding mistakes and things that didn’t work as expected this time around.
There will be more. I have a few already scheduled leading to demos in September and October. I need the practice. I believe it is possible to learn each time something new. It is with everything we do and try. There is so much to learn and to try. Experimentation is always fun because it leads to discovery. It is important to learn from others but we need to try to figure things on our own and find the techniques and methods that are better for us. That’s what learning is, making meaning of knowledge between our own cognition and outside information. I am looking forward to the next experience.
I shared some studio time with a little friend, 4 year old Adie. As she began painting and mixing paint she turned to me and said, “Look! Yellow mixed with red makes orange! I didn’t know that!” This happened several times as she discovered green, purple, pink, gray, and the most exciting discovery: brown! She continued painting switching brushes, sometimes her using her fingers, and sometimes a brush in each hand at the same time. The task continued for about 90 minutes until the canvas was covered. Of course her hands, clothes, and areas of the studio got some share of paint, but it was fun to watch.
Do you remember the last time you engaged in an art project just for fun? When was the last time you experimented and discovered something new for your art? Experimentation leads to discovery. Engage in experimentation as kids do. I can’t stop saying this: Renew your love for what you do. Pretend you don’t know. Pretend it is your first time and enjoy it. Forget about production and time for a moment and just go with the flow of your creative process. Try something new. Watch a kid paint or sculpt. A kid follows imagination where it takes them. It is not about technique or perfection. They just flow with it. Expose yourself with the mind of a kid, experiment, and discover.
Missing The Point
I enjoy watching archaeology shows specially those of ancient Egypt. Even more so when Dr. Zahi Hawass is in the show. He is a world-renowned Egyptian archaeologist . In one of the shows he is sitting in front of a recently discover tomb waiting for the workers to open it up. It is a very important moment. Next to him there is a young intern. She spent the time talking about her husband and how he was not happy with her being there. Dr. Hawass was getting very annoyed by her constant nagging. He explained that they were at the verge of a great archaeological moment. They were witnessing the opening of a tomb that was sealed for thousands of years. He advised her to enjoy the experience and ponder in the discovery. She just kept talking about her husband. She was missing the point even when she was right in front of it.
Once the tomb was opened they discovered a mummy inside. That just added more excitement to the discovery and Dr. Hawass was thrilled. As they uncovered the mummy with extreme care, the intern just kept nagging about her husband. By that point Dr. Hawass was so annoyed by the intern that he said, “I would be more than glad to mummify you just as this mummy if you don’t stop talking about your husband”. It was hilarious.