I have started creating some mixed media paintings/drawings on smaller paper while I am not in the studio. This allows me to further my thought process on how I address my larger paintings. Overall I have really come to enjoy these little creations because they give me a place to explore without the pressure of working on canvas. When I am making these things I have all of my tools right in front of me.. paint, markers, oil pastels, highlighters, pens, stickers. I am learning from the way I handle the materials in these and trying to figure out ways to apply my process to my larger paintings. The application of lines and shapes is what I want to carry over to my works on canvas. It’s not that I am not thinking in these terms; I just limit myself with my tools at times. For example I’ll restrict myself to one size brush or not mix up enough colors, or only mix up the colors as I go. This doesn’t allow my larger paintings to be as complex as these smaller works on paper where I am making better line and shape variations. Hopefully I can keep going back and forth between the two and begin making the same decisions on both paper and canvas.
