Mary Bradley | On July 16, 2015
Slight taps of a fanned paintbrush add dark green to the canvas.Progressively growing in taps, the fan brush moves downward, forming a blurred triangle shape. The brush swirls in the water and is patted on a paper towel speckled in an assortment of blues and greens.
Returning to the canvas, the brush hovers around the newly formed evergreen tree.In the aisles of Michael’s and Wal-Mart, paints of all types sit waiting for painters new and old. Whether for sale or simple enjoyment, painting brings comfort and relaxation to many.
Bob Ross, one of the most widely known names in the painting industry, recorded a show called The Joy of Painting, teaching painters across the nation how to become comfortable with a brush in their hand and an idea in mind. According to mindfloss.com, Ross loved painting so much he didn’t profit much from it and recorded The Joy of Painting for free.
Ross’ patient teaching brought many into the painting world before his death in 1995, calling any small mistake a “happy accident.” This touches on an all-too-common hesitation about painting or another new skill-based hobby: not being good. While the average person certainly might not create more than 30,000 paintings like Ross, it is a matter of making the first stroke.
In an article for O, The Oprah Magazine, painting newbie Katherine Weissman described her experience taking on watercolor for the first time. Initially apprehensive, Weissman wrote that simply starting out gave her the opportunity to keep moving.
She found herself nervously staring at a pear, and it staring right back, waiting for her to try to imitate it through paint. However, painting’s overall effects began to win her over.“The more I drew and painted, the more I felt this stillness, this out-of-timeness,” Weissman wrote. “Other people faded and so did noises—it was just me, the paper, the moving pencil, the ever mutating colors. It’s odd that such a mental state is described as a ‘trance’ or ‘reverie.’ It was more like the awakening of a part of me that had been dozing for years.”
The beauty of painting is that there is not a guidebook about how to do things the right way. Yes, there are instruction manuals and classes to take to get painters started on the right track, but when has a $16.99 purchase from Barnes & Noble been credited for crafting the country’s most forefront painter?
And even then, it doesn’t matter how well things turn out or how horrible they are. It’s a matter of releasing inhibitions, relaxing and enjoying the exploration of creativity.
Feature Photo via We Heart It