Try new things, but know that some will just not work out, and that is fine.

Part of the enjoyment of art is trying new mediums, techniques, and subject matter; it is also how we improve. Yet the reality is that quite often it just does not work out well. Still, don’t let the fear of failure keep you from trying.

Motivated by a painting I saw at Olive or Twist, a place just a block or so from us, I tried this oil painting. I have done similar things on my iPad with nice results, yet doing this one in oil left a lot to be desired – except the cat did turn out quite well.

So, thanks to oil paint’s slow dry time I decided to change it all up, it turned out a bit better, but still not great.

The reality is that portraits have never been my strength. Putting people in my travelsketches works well to give the scene life, but I struggle with making portraits work well in paint. Yet I try now and then just for the discipline of it all.

A friend of mine is a psychologist. One time I expressed frustration about some trait of mine that frequently tripped me up. He gave me a metaphor that has helped a bit, when I remember it. He said life is like a game of cards. In every hand you have some strong cards and some weak cards. Then he asked what you do when you play? I said that you use the strong cards to try to keep the weak cards from making you lose. He said that is the same in life, we all have strengths and weaknesses. He said you will probably never make your weakness your strength, so quit trying to do that. Instead, focus on finding ways to use your strengths to cover for the weaknesses – strengthen your strengths, neutralize your weaknesses.

In art, and things like sports and music, we have areas that just come more naturally. I do pretty well with a lot of sketching, but I doubt portraits will ever be my strength.

Try new things, but don’t let less than wonderful results become a block to keep trying and doing what comes more easily. I learn from other artists, sometimes I even try to do a painting in their style, which is a classic form of instruction, yet I am just as often reminded that we each have our own style and it is good to perfect that.

So… stretch yourself a bit, enjoy the attempts, and if you learn from it the time was well spent.