How I got back into painting
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
I started creating art from textiles; wall hangings, cushions, sculptures etc. and showing as a textile artist in group exhibitions, art shows and open houses while my children were quite young. After a few years of making and showing my textile-based art however, I realised I was becoming quite envious of all the artists I knew who had drawing and painting as their primary artistic discipline.
I became aware of a question continually presenting itself in my mind “How can you call yourself an artist?” Maybe I wasn’t an artist after all, because I wasn’t producing art in one of the conventionally recognised fine art disciplines. I actually started to believe that I was not creative or talented at all; that I was just a hobbyist – a crafter.
I know now that if I have a strong feeling and/or desire about something, the universe will present me with what I need if and when I am open to it. I’m not quite sure how I found my saving grace; I may have been driving on my way to somewhere or taken a wrong turn, but I saw a sign on a country road that said Art Show. It seemed a little strange as it was in the middle of nowhere. I parked the car and entered a small village hall in Rackham. From that moment on my life changed. I walked around the little village hall art exhibition in awe and wonder at the magnificent professional work on display. It was the kind of art I had been searching for since moving to the UK from the US when I got married. I had to be part of this group, nothing else mattered. I put my name on a waiting list to start classes and I think I waited a year before I was contacted.
I was able to slot in a Wednesday afternoon class in Rackham Village Hall every week. I loved every minute of the odd introductory drawing lessons and threw myself into learning how to draw again. I didn’t mind at the end of the afternoon having to properly clean all surfaces, removing shavings and powdered charcoal from the floor, folding up all the easels and turning the creative hub back into a proper clean village hall again.
I had finally found my art tribe
Being around other creatives, learning, sharing ideas, seeing how other artists work was all so inspiring and uplifting. I gradually started to paint again in my then favoured medium of acrylics. There were no set rules of what we had to paint. I used the room and chairs and surfaces to inspire me. We only needed to be free with paint and constantly explore what paint could do. It was so different from how I originally learned to paint. My past painting experiences were a bit more structured, learning about colour and perspective and endless rules. Here in these classes, within this space, the only rules were to be free, connect with the surface, the paint, feeling the brush drag through paint onto canvas; to be present and put all your senses and feelings into what was in front of you.
I became aware during this time that we artists have our own language – that is unique to creatives. I was surrounded by people who spoke my language. I began to regain confidence in my creative ability. There were mainly two tutors at that time who took turns each week to encourage and inspire us. It was fantastic fun and I kept improving, playing with paint and trusting that it was okay to enjoy myself.
Emily Ball who started the art classes at Rackham was eventually offered a permanent space at Seawhite in Partridge Green.
So, our easels were moved into this new, larger space and the Emily Ball at Seawhite Studio was born - and has been growing and thriving ever since.
My tribe also grew, and through much encouragement, I started experimenting with oil paints, from which I have never looked back. I now embrace painting on canvas and boards with both acrylic and oils, although painting with oil is definitely now my preferred medium; I love the mushiness that oil paint can offer, but I still use acrylic paint in my textile sculptures and preparation work.
