The Beginning. The BEGINNING is EVERYTHING

of any work is all-important.  The energy, the strokes and fervor with which pigment is applied sets the pace for the entire work.  Many of the artists that come to my classes state that they want to learn to paint and draw more loosely.  Loose is scary.  It is out of control.  Loose strokes cannot be added to a tight painting for any effect other than that of an afterthought.  The goal is:  loose to control; big brushes to smaller; thin paint to thicker paint.  The beginning is everything.

I have been reading a book entitled Blue Nude by Elizabeth Rosner, recommended by a fellow artist.  Interesting to be sure.  The author is definitely familiar with art processes...and feelings.  I see myself on nearly every page.  At one point, the blocked artist named Danzig states:    Begin again.  How many times had he said it?  The phrase was half encouragement, half admonishment, the constant reminder to his students that the beginning was all that mattered and, at the same time, the very thing that had to be executed with abandon.  Perfect and irrelevant.

I couldn't agree more.