Short takes

Fresh from Heather's Garden

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2010

(Still a work in progress. There

are finishing touches some

colour decisions to finish.)

What? I have artists friends who literally sit or stand
for hours in front of a canvas with no breaks. They
are not me. I have never actually been diagnosed with
ADHD, but if a painting has a problem -- or feels
difficult I certainly manifest most of the signs of
Attention Deficit Disorder. My answer? Small
takes.

We all know we're supposed to stand back. 'Stand back!'
say the experts and our knowledgeable friends. But
I say go away. That's right -- if you are at a loss --
get out of the room. That doesn't mean you pack up,
and decide to quit. It means you go and do something
else. Water the lawn, make a phone call, write an email,
and then come back. Make a comforting tea or coffee,
if you're not on a diet eat something like a cookie,
and look at the painting again. Aha! you say. I could
...(soft little voice in your head telling you maybe if you
just put some paint in this place it would be almost easy)...
and you do! And it works, so you keep going and then
doubt, worry, distraction hits again.

Break time.

Little by little, no matter how *distractable you are, and
believe me it doesn't take much. Something gets done.
In fact a perfectly reasonable facsimile for a work of art
gets done, and done well. And if you continue this practice
a whole lot of it eventually seems to happen. But it didn't
just happen. You did it! Hurray for you, and hurray for
me. Now about that cup of tea, and maybe five minutes
with my novel. It's a scary one so I'll get back to work
quickly. Promise.

Have a getting-right-out-of-the-room day.
*