The artist is something like an orchestra conductor, who plays one element against another, lets this aspect become dominant, and muffles another. To make the complex overlayering of tasks that must be held in your head at the same time, easier to handle, there are multiple ways to break down the creation of a painting into segments that can be dealt with separately. I will talk about that later. Right now, I want to talk about accidents and intent.
Accidents are the ways that paint can do the unexpected, that your hand follows a path seemingly all on its own, and you wind up with a squiggle or a color or a bloop that you had not planned for.
In some works, that means trouble. You have to dig out the eraser, or sop up the paint, or whatever is needed to eradicate this shift in direction. Some pieces of art are tightly planned and every move is designed in advance, with no room for experimentation mid-course.
Then, there are works where a certain playfullness is present, where you are willing to let the result be a bit of a surprise. Frequently, the accidental change in what you have, from what you thought you wanted, is a plus. Sometimes this one spontaneous "mark" can change the entire direction of the picture.
How do you tell the difference between a booboo and a delightful present from the Muse? It is hard. The best advice I can give is to train yourself to pause. There is a huge impulse to rush instantly to obliterate the offensive deviation from what you thought you wanted. Don't. Give yourself time to look again at what you are making. Then,drop your insight into the core of your spirit down a notch, going below the desire to make things "right" and find something that tells you what it is you really want to paint.
Then, if anyone happens to ask you how you got that wonderful effect you can answer,"oh, it was a happy accident," or you can smugly say nothing and let them appreciate your skill. Leaving, identifying, an accident takes considerable skill.
I don't have an image to post along with this blog. It is rare that I can take a photo of the exact moment when magic happens. It always happens in an instant. Have fun.
