Making Art: Phase One, Preparing Fertile Ground

For an Introduction and Table Of Contents to this series, go to

Making Art: A Course In Allowing Your Creativity To Flourish; Introduction

For a list and description of materials, go to 

Making Art: Phase One; With Watercolors, Dyes And Pastels (Materials)

To skip to painting exercises, go to

Making Art: Phase One; With Watercolors, Dyes And Pastels (Exercises)

This chapter examines one option for the first stage of at least three stages in my instructional painting series, "Making Art: A Course In Allowing Your Creativity To Flourish". Your pieces should remain fluid, non-representational and open-ended in this stage, to prime the scene for the creative explosion to come in later phases.

Although there is merit in simply getting your hands dirty (with non-toxic materials!), and having fun with paint, as a goal in itself or a form of art therapy, that is not the intended purpose of this course. This course will push you to explore more deeply, increasing your skills as a painter and your knowledge of paint as an artistic medium. Try not to limit your ideas of where your work might go, conceptually, or how it could progress, technically, to completion...not just yet! You don't have to control this.

Sarah Wathen, Again: Icons,
Oil and acrylic on canvas,14 in. X 14 in.

Preparing Fertile Ground


The materials-before-materials for this phase are both simple and complex, and unique to each individual. First and foremost, you will need whatever helps your mind to take a break and let art happen. That could be meditation paraphernalia, inspiring music, a glass of wine, or a comfort movie. My friend Diane Ross, an excellent hypnotherapist and spiritual guide, would call what you are trying to quiet the "monkey mind," which is that frantic, unfocused, hypercritical voice that puts a fat cork in your creative fount. Monkey mind keeps you from actually seeing what is happening in your hands, or watching the behavior of your materials closely, and letting them work for you.

Sarah Wathen, Monitored: Icons,Oil, acrylic, charcoal,
and marker on canvas,18 in. X 24 in.

In the following exercises, I actually do meditate to calm the monkey first, before I begin painting. This is not something that I feel capable of teaching, however, and the experience is personal to every artist; for more information on meditative techniques, consult the masters. Most yoga practitioners will offer help with mediation, and you can read up on the subject in any Barnes & Noble. If you happen to be in Orlando, Florida with me, The Spiral Circle bookstore has all you need to get started, including classes, CD's, incense and Tibetan chimes. The link to Diane above is a good resource, if you're interested in a deeper examination of consciousness, as well as Dr. Brian Weiss, for information on eliminating stress and finding inner peace through mediation and/or hypnosis.

Whatever you do, just don't think about art!