Kevin Larkin’s Things to Think About
- No thinking! (go to the canvas inspired, but leave “good” ideas home.) They never work.
- Let the “work” itself determine the direction that the painting will take.
- Be brave . . . you may need to paint out the “best” work you’ve done to get the painting where it needs to go.
- Don’t be a “cookie cutter” artist . . . don’t punch out new versions of the same old thing.
- Wreck what feels like “good art” to push yourself into finding something new (about the work, about yourself)
- Be in good health and spirits . . . it takes a healthy body and mind to produce good work.
- Take a lot of time looking at what you’re working on. Turn the painting in all directions. (You’ve most likely been painting your canvas upside down.)
- Have fun . . . (You should be enjoying the act of painting) at least for a while . . . the torture will come.
- Surprise yourself! If you can’t surprise yourself how can you expect to surprise anyone else?
- When the painting is going very badly . . . (as it will at some point) it’s a good time to push the envelope, and reinvent yourself.
- Simplify . . . Sometimes getting rid of the excess will be a great help.
- Work out of your comfort zone (be fearless).
- Create a language that speaks to you.
- Work on multiple canvases at the same time (jump back and forth).
- Never worry about finishing a painting (I’ve reworked paintings years after I believed they were done).
- Find a person (teacher) who will tell you the truth about your work. Someone you trust.
- Always be looking at art . . . get to the galleries, museums, etc. You need to know what’s happening in the art world.
- Show your work, sell your work.