Happy Accidents
From my experience, I believe painting is about set and setting. “Set” being the mental state a person brings to the experience, like thoughts, moods, and expectations, while “setting” is the physical and social environment. I was not overly convinced by my first few paintings in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They are timid; you can sense the hesitation and deliberation in the choice of palette and gestural strokes. Through reflection, I believe that there was a lack of association with the city of Portsmouth itself. It is difficult to capture the essence of the city when the fundamental features that make the city so interesting have not yet been discovered. As I inquired and explored Portsmouth, and the surounding towns, I began to acquire a greater awareness and appreciation for my surroundings.
This was the defining turning point that I needed during the trip where my “set” had changed. I was more comfortable and that in turn was reflected in my work. I gained a level of confidence in my own potential that was heightened by the positive feedback I got from my classmates and friends. I was not a shy painter. I no longer hesitated or deliberated about aspect of the drawing that would cause uncertainty. At the start of every drawing, I put myself in a positive set and just went for it. Because we travelled in a large group, we designated a certain time frame no longer than an hour for every piece. I believe this helped develop a style and process that is consistent in many of my pieces. They are often abstracted, highlighting key visual elements in large bold colors and gestures. I would often mix the colors directly on the page as I developed the drawing. It allowed me to work quickly and explore the medium in confident manner. Some treatments were more successful than others, but I didn’t seem to care. I was conscious of potential mistakes and in fact used them to my advantage. This painting method can be difficult to control as pigments have the tendency to diffuse and expand into the pure water surrounding it. I did not fear accidents, as I believe that those moments are most interesting characteristics of my paintings. Colors would run and collide with one another in surprising ways, and I was happy to be gaining experience through this exploration.
For this reflection, I decided to zoom in and reveal several of these happy accidents that occurred while painting. I find these moments to be endearing as they give a humanist quality to the pieces. No one is perfect and neither is our work. However, they show exploration and a sustained effort to gain a better understanding of a demanding medium. I believe all these philosophies are culminated in my favourite piece from Portsmouth which can be seen on the top of the page. I consider this piece to be the turning point in my set and really gave me the confidence to continue. We were sitting on our dock on Mendum’s Pond located in Barrington, thirty minutes’ drive outside of Portsmouth. The water was still, quiet and serene. I noticed a humble cottage hidden within the dense forest that surrounded the pond that would make for an interesting study. Etienne suggested that I immerse my entire page into the pond water before starting this piece. I had never attempted this before and considered it a challenging exploration. This technique encourages one to work quickly as the pre-wetted paper diffuses and expands color in unexpected ways. There is no time to second guess your decisions as you are working against the clock. I constantly rotated the page in attempt to guide where the color would run. I completed the painting in under 5 minutes. This piece is mind-manifesting, as it revealed the potential of watercolors, and created a sense of occasion with my surroundings. I understand this piece as one continuous happy accident that I was able to control, and that’s why I’m so proud of it.
