Brush Work by Susan L.

  A good whack of the creative process is experimentation. Tools, techniques, ideas, attempts and yes, failures are all part of learning. The monks who used to write out the Bible by hand and beautifully illustrate the scriptures intentionally made one mistake on each page. Perfection, they believed, was the domain of God, the greatest Creator.
  It's a good lesson for me. I am my own worst critic.
  I also tend to be impatient. Waiting for paint to dry is excruciatingly painful and more often than not, I end up rushing and having to re-do or touch up what I messed up.
  Working on large pieces is fairly new to me. The piano was done on a two by three foot piece of pressboard (way cheaper than canvas). In painting it, an appreciation for the sea sponge as a painting tool was discovered. It can quickly cover a large area in a very short time. Also, within each sponge is a variety of textures and therefore they generate many different effects in the paint. Its organic nature creates an organic feel. The same result would take hours if a brush was used.
  They are messy, though. I like messy. I like having paint on my hands almost as much as having dirt from the garden under my nails! (Remember to take gloves today to the Battle of the Brushes.) And I should probably get a clear plastic mat for under my drafting table.
  Lord, I lift up the competition to You. May what I paint glorify Your name.
  "To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me, Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed." Ps 25:1-2