How do I start a painting?I get asked the question a lot!

Answer: Throw it down, get something to work with. Let it be arbitrary, messy, random, accidental.

What?

Start a painting like you don’t care? Yep, don’t give it a second thought. Make a mark. 

So often people embarking on exploring paint in a new and intentional way, feel anxious about the first stages.

They are worried about ‘messing it up’ when that is exactly what they should do; mess it up.

Intuitive painting, abstract painting, discovery painting - whatever you want to call it, is not about creating any kind of predetermined vision (that’s a different type of painting that does require a different approach). 

Intuitive abstract painting is less about what you paint and more about your response to what is there on the canvas.  It is allowing your innate sense making, synthesising, meaning making, machine aka your consciousness to do what it does best- problem solve. 

It’s a subtle realm of relationships and possibility. When you have random colour and gesture on your canvas, your consciousness is noticing the connection between them. It creates meaning, you'll notice that your mind will start to make a story, even if it's nonsensical and child-like: It could be “ooh this area is not too keen on this area… or hmmm this part feels a bit isolated, or I think this red would like some pink…” 

If it was possible to transcribe a painter's brain, in the majority of cases-  it would sound like a child having fun, imagining and pondering all the possibilities without fear of consequence. 

I’m a big fan of random and accidental starting points, it reminds me that ‘I’ don’t do as much of the painting as I think I do. 

Perhaps it's too far to say the paintings paint themselves, it's more of a collaboration, there is an attunement between the painter and the painting. 

I think of each painting I’ve ever created like ‘stumbling into an experiment’ . I don't know anything about what the experiment is, or what the aims are, I just get onboard with one part of me testing things out and the other part of me that is free associating through imagination.

Sometimes that means painting over and over- why not? More to learn and nothing to lose. 

When I paint I’ve temporarily forgotten that such a thing as ‘mistakes’ exist. 

‘Mistake’ is a word that has no equivalent in the language of paint. 

I might be relaxed when I'm painting but I'm never passive. Painting is a work out, for my whole being my spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, being, they all need to rise to the challenge of the experiment.

 Think of the child playing in sand or with containers of water that will gellfully tell you they are ‘making an experiment’ and you’ve come close to the world of the abstract painter- serious play- intention and discovery.

I’m often talking about experiencing our own consciousness, perhaps what I really mean is experiencing our child like essence; temporarily free from all the programs of judgement. Painting invites you to analyse in a different kind of way, a fun way. Experiencing all information as useful and experiencing your innate capacity to ‘work’ with whatever comes up. That's a good feeling that carries over into everyday life. Take it from someone who has struggled with the shame of being nero divergent and a failure to think and ‘be practical'. Painting is deeply healing because it offers this simple experience of ‘I CAN’ (do it) and it’s on my terms and in my own way.

All we have to do is start