Liberated Inspiration – Painting Freely
This week, I talk about liberated inspiration and share what I discovered about 8 years ago.
>> See more pics at the Taiko art store!
Liberated Inspiration from 2015-2016
Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the years 2015 and 2016. Then I combined watercolors, acrylic paints, and colored pencils for intuitive still lives. At the same time, I thought about how complex the forms of nature are and how I could create a more finished impression with nuances.
I have those pieces saved in an album. Watch a short video of me browsing the folder! Here you can see only a small part of the pieces – the album is thick!
Liberated Inspiration
These last couple of pieces shown in the video have stuck in my mind. This one:
See the blog post about making this!
And this one:
See the blog post about making this!
Both of these have a dark and romantic atmosphere that can be seen often in historical paintings, but there’s also liberated inspiration – meaning that no one dictates what that kind of painting should or shouldn’t have.
You can be inspired by what you have seen, but only pick the atmosphere from it.
I like this kind of inspiration the most. That you are inspired by something, but don’t take it too literally. Liberated inspiration boosts your enthusiasm but doesn’t tell what the final image should be.
I wanted a similar romantic yet liberated feel for this watercolor painting.
Imagine someone saying: “dinner is served” and bringing you to a table where good company and classical music would make the world look like it’s full of possibilities.
Painting Freely in Watercolor
It has always been important for me to paint freely without models and let randomness meet my imagination. In 2015, I developed a course called Liberated Artist. It was about creating a mess first and then solving it. It was a fun course.
I started this watercolor with a similar mess.
Then I switched to thinner brushes to finish the image.
I like the way the imaginative scenery, flowers, ornaments, and the table came all together into one image.
Coming Up: Liberated Artist Revisited
The Liberated Artist course is no longer available, but I got the idea to redo a small part of the course. In that, Päivi from 2015 will teach Päivi from 2024! I will follow the old instructions again, but like an experienced student, I also offer a bit of my current knowledge.
Here’s a sneak peek at the new mini-course called Liberated Artist Revisited.
Liberated Artist Revisited will be published within a few weeks, but it’s likely to be a limited edition – only available for a limited time – so stay tuned!
Life After Death – Commissioned Art
This week, I have a commissioned art piece to show you. I have fewer words than I normally do – not only because the project is confidential, but also because this project went beyond words in many ways.
Last fall, I got a commission for this oil painting. It was ordered by a man in memory of his recently deceased spouse. We brought elements of the wife’s life and references to what she liked into the painting. The painting is, therefore, a secret portrait, from which loved ones recognize familiar things, but which do not need to be explained to strangers, unless they want to.
Commissioned Art – Sketch First
I started with a digital sketch. Here you can see the sketch and the final painting side by side.
I painted the sketch freely in the ProCreate app. The sketch is more abstract than the finished work and is more about the impression than the details.
Painting Process
After the sketch was approved, I ordered the canvas. The size of this piece is 50 x 40 cm (about 19.5 x 15.5 inches). Here are the first blurry layers.
I worked several sessions and let the painting dry for 1-2 weeks between the sessions.
The sketch helped with the painting process so that I could save my energy on the details.
Final Treatments
When the painting was finished, I photographed it outdoors. The natural light is wonderful now when Finland has a lot of snow, but the shoot had to be done quickly.
I varnished the painting with Gamvar after the photoshoot.
I like to think that varnishing was like giving a special blessing to the painting.
Spiritual Meaning
This project made my work as an artist feel even more meaningful than before. I learned more about what kind of artist I am.
I thought: “What could be a better assignment than building a bridge between life and death?”
What do you think?
Watercolor Greeting Card – Watch the Video!
The year is coming to an end, and it’s time to celebrate. Thank you for this year, my readers and students!
My gift to you comes in the form of a video. Let’s paint flower cards for everyone celebrating in the coming year! The following watercolor greeting card video is especially a bonus for all who have taken the latest course Freely Grown where I give more detailed advice.
Watercolor Greeting Card – Watch the Video!
In this video, I not only paint the greeting card but talk about art-making in general. I hope that the video inspires you to keep creating, and if you are not currently creating anything, there’s a short speech for you too!
The paper used for the card: Arches Hot Press watercolor paper, thickness 300 g/m2, 140 lb.
I mostly use three brushes: one flat, and two thin brushes for details. I also use a small and sturdy round brush for removing the paint. When you have a good-quality watercolor paper, you can rub it quite heavily. Use a cotton cloth to remove water after rubbing and then, let dry well before painting over.
In the video, I mention the botanical artist Marianne North. See her paintings here!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
This is the last blog post of 2023. After a short break, we will meet again next year.
I hope you will have a wonderful time with your close ones, and of course, I hope you will spend some time with art-making as well!
Writing About Art
This week is dedicated to writing about art. I tell how I write these blog posts, and why it’s beneficial to write about art.
See more pics of this piece in the Taiko online art store!
How I Write a Blog Post
I have been writing these blog posts for years directly in English, so, in a language foreign to me. I wanted to develop my language skills and it seemed like the best method, even if the expression was sometimes limited. This year, I started to write these stories in Finnish first. Once the Finnish text is done, I translate it into English. I edit the translation 2-4 times before the story is finished.
You might imagine that this is a slow road, but I have developed as a writer in such a way that it feels natural to push the story out first and then edit it. When editing, the subject becomes more clear and the images and texts work better together.
I love the interaction between two languages.
When I write in Finnish, I’m already thinking about English. In Finnish, passive constructions and long expressions are used a lot. I’ll try to be more concise right at the beginning. Words and expressions also differ. In Finnish, I can easily get a relaxed and even humorous tone, but I can’t translate it into English, and neither can machine translators. However, I don’t mourn the matter, I think that the union of two languages is like a marriage: both have to give way.
Joyce Carol Oates talks about having a journal separate from the stories and novels. The journal could be more honest and raw, and use a little different style than what ends in the publication. For me, the Finnish script is a bit like that – a stream of thoughts that gets refined with edits.
The Relationship Between Images and Text
I used to enter the images into the post first and then write the texts directly between them. But these days I work in a word processor so that I only focus on the text. I can write more freely and the texts become more authentic and have more content. I can then fit the images between the text and add captions if needed.
Although I decide the topic of a blog post when I start writing it, most of the pictures exist before the text. I strive to always have new photos and I often plan the collection of images weeks in advance. Since this blog is about art and is aimed at visual people, I need lots of pictures. I want to inspire the reader to make art, so the pictures need also express the process, and not just finished works.
Writing Moves Art Forward
Nowadays, many have left blogging and moved to posting on Facebook or Instagram or uploading videos to YouTube. I too write regularly on my Facebook page and Instagram account. Every now and then I also make a video on YouTube.
But writing is magical. When you write a longer story, you don’t just write to others but to yourself too.
And I am not the only one who thinks that way. Last spring, I participated in an artist coaching program by the Finnish Art Agency, where the coach wanted us to write regularly about our art. She emphasized that working with words is important because visual artists often need to tell about their art.
Writing About Art is Almost Similar to Talking About Art
I believe that all who create art also want to talk about it. It’s just very difficult sometimes. Pictures go to the other side of the words and the ideas get mixed up.
Talking about your art can also feel like pompous boasting, even if the recipient would be interested. Long art stories can also bore the listener if she is not as deep in creating. The same applies to writing, you can feel pretentious or be afraid to bore someone, but when you write it’s easier to notice when you’re stuck and repeating yourself.
My art has not only developed by drawing and painting diligently. It evolves every time I write about it. It has developed by blog posts, manuscripts for classes, short video posts, and even description texts, where I have to briefly tell who I am or what inspired me to create a certain piece.
Writing brings out problems. You have to focus on what you really want to say and tell who you really are. There will be a temptation to find words that sound great but not say the truth. But if you can overcome the lure of meaningless words, creativity in you wakes up.
I have noticed that when I can put my wishes and ideas into words, they begin to appear in my paintings. Our creativity strives to fulfill our wishes if it can read them. So, that’s why I am writing about art weekly. Thank you for making me do that!
Do you write – or plan to write – about your art? Tell us more!