The many emotional layers to creating a large soul-led painitng

My own creative practice is ever-changing and beats to its own rhythm. Sometimes my art-making looks like a quick 20 minute painting session in my sketchbook or a 3 hour indulgent pencil sketch. Just me, the pencil and the paper. And at the other extreme, sometimes it looks a large painting sitting on my easel for many months, waiting patiently for the next layers, the next splash of colour, texture and life. 

I’ve been reflecting on the experience of all of those layers in paintings that take a while to come together. Individual experiences and layers sing together in harmony in the finished piece, merged and morphed and hidden or loud… every paint stroke, every touch, every creative action, decision, and risk. 

Today, I want to unpick the elaborate richness of these lengthier creative experiences.

And so we must start at the beginning. It must always start with an idea, a spark of curiosity. The inspiration for paintings comes in all shapes and forms, but often, it is through reflection on previous work that the desire to explore new creative ideas is formed. 

I believe in the power of sitting with your work and letting it speak to you. It will not only give you information about your emotions, feelings and experiences transferred into the artwork via your conscious and subconscious thoughts, beliefs and perceptions. But it will also remind you of how you felt during the creative process, what felt good or uncomfortable, how one idea morphed into a completely new one, And it will feed your curiosity about new creative beginnings or extensions of ideas from previous work. Sometimes you will resist these creative urges and niggles, dismissing them, but in my experience, if these creative desires are important, they will always find a way to return. 

And so the creative journey is continual and ever changing and growing. I do not believe there is such as thing as a creative utopia for an artist where everything is easy and so perfect you’d never want to change anything. Where your art could never be improved or expanded on. The creative quest is not a journey in search of the holy grail. Rather I believe it is a quest to become the most free, authentic version of yourself and to finally be able to express your truth in such as way that your very essence and soul spills out into the world. Bare, raw and real.

I have spent my own time in creative jail so speak as I dismissed the call to paint whimsy and make believe and feminine energy and instead focused my creative attention to more acceptable, commercial and palatable themes. Truth be told, I am still very much in the thick of this phase as I work to amalgamate and merge my work into a more truthful display of the creative energy in my heart. 

Through the painful period of releasing my marriage, the only thing I painted was female portraits. Grand empowered displays of feminine energy and gentle power, strength and resilience. My first large portrait titled Moth Finds the Light… As I attempted to find my inner strength and step into my own light throughout a hugely difficult period.

My favourite piece from this time is titled Gentle Warrior. Featuring a beautiful goddess, complete with a glorious flower crown and floral details. The signifance of these pieces taking their time to surface. What may have been obvious to an outsider was simply to close to my personal experience for me to realise I was literally painting my emotions and desires onto the canvas.

Once we have the idea, next comes first paint strokes, I usually start by laying down an acrylic wash base, i do this for a number of reasons, but mainly because it creates efficiency as paint layers are not absorbed into the surface as quickly and opaque finishes are more easily achieved. I do this for paper, wood and canvas work. This process also means that the surface is no longer bare and that first paint stroke is much less intimidating. I see this step as part of hte intention setting period, gently easing into the painting ritual.  Sometimes I lay down a loose sketch of the painting and sometimes not.

In my process the next paint layers are very much mapping out the painting, for me this involves creating the outline or background for various shapes and forms. People, flowers, large elements. This part requires a blend of intuition and technical skill. What I’ve learnt over the years is that if I am not happy with this layer I will not be happy with the finished piece. So careful consideration and thought is given to proportions, movement and presence. I can liken this part to the messy first draft.. Rough but true. This is a powerful stage as ideas start to become tangible and real, at time I may feel excitement or joy and other times I may feel frustrated and off path, there will always be elements of surprise and unexpected ahas. Persisetnce is key and trust taht all will unfold as it is supposed to.

I like to blend realistic representations together with more loose and intuitive work. As the painting evolves and new layers are added one on top of the other, a contrast starts to appear between delicate, methodical compoentns, that are more like a meditation in action or a means to an end. These are long and sometime painful stretches that can feel calming and relaxing dending on the mood, but ultimately require little thought and simply are job that needs to be done. This shows up in any graphical components like gingham or stripes or repetitive shapes and patterns such as tiny leaves or grass. In contrast these are  happily sit beside other components that require free, intiutive strokes and decisions, that feel empowering and transformative, lose and carefree. This can be seen in birds feathers or loose florals or luscious hinterland hills. I love creativng a balance between these two… in my paintings and in my heart both have a place.

I’ve also learnt never be scared to change direction or paint over something if I “know” its the right thing to do. This knowing experience wtihin my creative work gets stronger and stronger every time I paint…  Tuning into this inner power is liberating and comforting as you truly learn how to feel a sense of knowing and deep trust within your core. This is important even if it deoesn;t make sense and even if it means giving up something else that you like. Thre have been times when I have ignored this knowing and I am never satisfied with my finished painting when this happens. Using my creative practic to strengthen this knowing muscle within myself has been empowering. Through my creative practice I learnt to access it more powerfully in many other aspects of my life as well. 

As final details and paint strokes are added, I gradually start to experience a flood of satisfaction adn reconciliation and release as I slowly work my way towards declaring the paitnign finished.

And so then we return back full circle to sitting with my finished creative work, there is great power in reflection and immersion in the tangible outcome of this creative process. And so the cycle begins again.

Take care, Sam x

 Sam Horton is a professional artist, passionate about the links between art, creativity and well-being.

Learn more about Holistic art practices for well-being

Sam's Art Studio and Studio Shop are based in Australia on the Sunshine Coast.

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