Let’s continue the analogy of planting a garden and growing a watercolor practice. In the last post we ended with you imagining yourself painting, even just for five minutes a day. Now, back to our garden …

If you planted the seeds too close together, you will have to pluck some of them out of the ground to give the others room to grow. If you don’t, all of your plants will be weak and their lives short and stunted.

Sometimes the habits we learn when we first begin to paint seem like the easiest way to keep painting. That doesn’t mean they are good habits to keep.

For example, it might be easier to blot excess water from a painting in the beginning; but it’s not nearly as helpful as learning how much water to use, and how to control it will be later in your painting life.

Practice more painting without blotting.

Even after the seedlings are up and ready to bear fruit, your work continues. There’s the watering, and weeding, and even talking to your garden.

At first you might be fearful about your painting practice. Yet unless you continue to “feed, weed, water, prune, and nurture” your new painting, it will die before it’s had time to grow.

When growing tomatoes, you must pinch off some of the additional leaves to encourage the plant to bear fruit. If you don’t pinch, the plant becomes “leggy” and produces fewer tomatoes.

This same “leggy” or “adolescent stage” happens with paintings too. Don’t worry! We ALL go through this and you can too! Keep painting!
 
Take five minutes each day to look at your paintings in progress. 
Allow for down time between your painting times. During the down times, don’t pick up the brush, just think about your painting.

Allow your mind to get used to the idea of you painting. Allow your hand to hunger for the touch of the brush. You will know when it’s time to paint again.

When that time comes, only paint what you “know” to paint. Let your painting, and your hand guide you to paint. Keep your mind and your inner critic at bay.

Trust only in the process. Trust that as surely as you knew it was time to paint, you will know what to paint next.

Paint quickly and boldly. 
Stop often.
Stand back.
Give your painting space and time so you can see and hear it more clearly.

In this way your confidence in your painting skills will grow.

If your abilities and skills catch up with your ideas, your confidence might slip or your desire to paint could ebb.

If that happens, you have reached your first plateau; you have leveled off. 

It’s time to shake things up. Try a new technique. Take a new class. Learn a new skill. Take your painting to the next level. Paint new and more challenging subjects.

If you don’t challenge yourself, your interest and your confidence will begin to erode.

Cultivate your confidence to keep it, and your paintings, STRONG!

Cultivating your confidence is like cultivating a garden. 

First prepare the soil. Dig it up and turn it over to get it ready for the seeds. The soil needs air to make room for growth.

Do you want to learn to paint? Are you open to the idea of learning something new, something that’s outside your comfort zone? 

Confidence starts as a germ of an idea, a “seed thought.” Our mind has to be ready to accept it or it won’t take hold. Can you believe in your abilities? Can you try to believe in them? 

If so, go on to step two, answer some questions: What is your weather like? How much sun and rain do you get? Can you water your garden easily or will it be a hassle? 

What subjects interest you; what do you want to paint? Do you have reference materials, photos, or objects nearby? Is it easy to get a reference image or can you take a photo?

There are no right or wrong answers, just information from which to make decisions.

Variety provides excitement in a garden and in life. Plant a variety of flowers and vegetables. Start and keep several paintings in progress at all times. 

Next plant your seeds and water gently. Be patient. Watch for signs of growth. It takes time. Check back often. 

If you watch closely you might see signs of the dirt moving out of the way as the seedling pushes its way toward the sky.

The sky begins where our feet touch the earth!

Take classes, practice often, and sketch regularly. Sketches are rough. They are a quick way to get ideas out of your head and onto paper. Be easy about this. Sketching trains your eye to really see the world.

Adults are used to knowing what to do, and are often impatient when learning something new. Get over it! You are worth the time it takes to learn to paint!

Within days all of your seedlings will have two “practice leaves.” These first leaves are not their “real” leaves, that’s why so many different seedlings look alike. The next set of leaves will reveal the true nature of the plant.

Consider your initial paintings your “practice paintings.” You are learning how to handle the brush, water, and paint. Future paintings will give you more information about your true nature.

Set up a painting practice. You develop as you paint. First set aside time each day to just think about painting. Even five minutes will help.

My next post will offer more information on how to continue to Cultivate Your Confidence as you learn to paint with watercolor.