Usually I go the wrong way: what if because of the leak in the ceiling the roof caves in, what if through the hole in the ceiling a bear gets in, what if we don't hear the bear before it finds us sleeping in our bed - you get the idea. Here is one of the times I have gone the other way.
In January I took part in an online challenge to write a short piece of observational writing everyday - I really enjoyed it and it got me writing again - and it made me wonder.....
WHAT IF I DID THIS WITH PAINTING?
I began making 'wee squares' in February of this year, we were having a hard winter - I wore my furry hunter hat almost constantly.
The rules were: paint a tiny painting, everyday. That was it.
In the beginning I worked on 3" squares, cut from old envelopes (saved for something useful), I used paint I had had for years, brushes crusted with decades old paint. I asked a friend and she also wanted to paint more and we created a way to share these images online.
Six months on: I have made 180+ wee paintings, developed on and made several larger works, participated in a live painting event and silent auction, made a few tiny sales (thank you, you know who you are), made my own website and blog, created a profile on a site that sells prints and a facebook page, and am going to be Artist in Residence at the Oil and Glass Gallery in September 2013.
So - if you don't let the bears get you - the power of WHAT IF can be very strong - maybe you can give it a go too.....
F. E. Clark
This week's image is a rather raggedy collage, in homage to Sister Corita Kent (1918-1986) - a very interesting lady - a nun who also worked in the advertising world, taught creativity and was an artist in her own right. Her work is featured in an exhibition, 'There Will Be New Rules Next Week' at the DCA in Dundee, Scotland (until 23 September, 2013). Sister Corita had her own rules about being creative - I wonder what would have happened if she had met Don Draper (Mad Men)? Something to ponder.......