Navigating the Creative Process: An Introduction

I recognize I go through three distinct phases in my mind while I’m creating art. Looking back, these three stages have always been a part of my art-making process. I believe that everyone goes through the same or similar process, but with their own explorations, emotions and outcomes.

As I work through this new series, “Nature of Man” I am keenly aware of the processes my mind is going through, what the results are and the why’s behind it all.

Phase 1: Exploration and Imagination Phase

The first phase is the exploration and imagination phase.

The Question That Sparked It All

I first conceived this series because of one single question I was asked, “What is the purpose of your art?”

Most of the time I will get asked…“Why do you make art?” This question is centered around me. It is an easy one to answer…I NEED to make art. It stimulates my brain, it keeps my hands busy, it comfortable, comforting, it completes me. It gives me purpose.

What is the Purpose of My Art?

But “What is the purpose of your art?” is a totally different question. It directs my art toward the realization that it affects the viewer. Of course, I knew that art has an audience, but I hadn’t really considered my specific purpose before this question was posed to me not long ago.

Discovering My Subject Matter

My interests lie in nature and animals (both domestic and wild), nostalgia, farm life, and old buildings. So, that is what my artwork depicts. But what is its purpose? I suppose these subjects can be recognizable to others with similar experiences and attitudes. Maybe they are comforting or aesthetically pleasing. Suddenly, my “WHY” seemed to lack purpose. It didn’t seem to mean anything.

So, my brain started into phase one—the exploration and imagination phase. What is important to me? What do I care about?

The answer was right where I spend most of my time thinking, reading, and paying attention: the effect of human actions on animals. The neglect and torture of pets, the overcrowding of rescues, the deterioration of natural habitats, the poisoning of our wild birds and pollinators—and the poisoning of ourselves in the process.

Inspiration from Nature Walks

I started to think about what all that would look like on canvas. The best way to funnel my mind into clear images is to take a walk, so I grabbed a leash and my dog Kazimir and set out to develop images in my head of what these compositions would be.

Walking in nature gets me close to the subject. The trees, vistas, and natural wildlife sounds around me are meditative. It’s the perfect environment for this phase.

From Mind to Canvas

My brain was a whirlwind of ideas. The more I thought, the clearer these ideas became. I took the time to develop them into compositions in my head. Then, when I got home, I put pen to paper—or, in my case, pen to digital tablet.

Once I’m in the process of drawing what is in my head, more images appear, and my ideas can easily change. There is something about physically drawing that develops and cements the ideas into better-formed images.

At the end of this phase, I have determined the final composition. However, art is fluid and can change as I work on the piece because new ideas are always stimulated as I create.

Here’s an example of “Pollinators” in phase one.

Phase 2: Developing the Idea

The second phase is the developing idea phase.

Turning Concepts into Reality

I start to work using the composition I determined in phase one. I decide on the colors, textures, and mood of the painting. I photograph what I need and place the subject and other images into the composition and refine what has been in my mind the whole time.

Bringing It All Together

The composition starts out flat. The colors may not work together. The images may not work as a cohesive whole, but as I develop my idea, all that gradually changes until I have a painting that is basically what I’m feeling in my soul.

The Process of Evolution

This painting, named “March of the Earthkeepers,” is in the early stages of phase two. The colors don’t work well together yet, but the composition is working… to a point. More detail in the foreground is needed, the artwork needs more depth and the light and shadows need to be developed.

“Pollinators” is now in the process of phase two…

I haven’t decided what I want to do with the background yet and the critters may change position by the time I call it finished.

Scientific Insight: The Artist and Viewer Connection

In an article called “Your Brain on Art” in Psychology Today, it states that there is a unique connection between the artist’s brain process and the art viewer’s brain process. If you have never heard of Pablo Tinio’s Mirror Model of Art, it is totally fascinating and is a must-read. I have an excerpt below, but the entire article is here: Your Brain on Art | Psychology Today

The article states that:

“According to this model, the processes of art-making and art-viewing are inherently connected and correspond to each other in a mirror-reversed fashion. Processes of art creation and art appreciation operate along three stages. The first stage of art-making—initialization—involves ideation processes for generating and exploring ideas and concepts that motivate the work, typically ending with a basic geometric skeleton that can be developed further. The second stage—expansion and adaptation—involves the development and refinement of the early structure through addition, modification, and deletion of specific elements of the artwork. In the third stage—finalizing—the process involves enhancements and modifications such as fine-tuned refinements of color, texture, and other subtle features that signal the completion of the artwork. These late enhancements are typically applied to the surface layer of the artwork, rather than the structural and geometric underpinning of the work.

In turn, the process of art appreciation involves movement along these three stages in reverse order. Viewers first perceive and interact with the surface features of the artwork, such as its color, texture, and luminance. Next, in the second stage, memories related to the artwork are activated rather automatically, including assessments of its familiarity. This is followed by more deliberate, explicit processing of the artwork in relation to its content, structure, and style. Finally, in the last stage, people interpret the artwork and come to understand it in relation to their current knowledge, past experiences, and the context within which the artwork is experienced. Indeed, if this last stage of processing is successful, then the viewer can be said to have made some contact with the original idea or concept that motivated the work in the creator’s mind, understood via their personal lens”.

Phase 3: Fine-Tuning the Work

The third and final phase is the fine-tuning phase.

Taking a Step Back

I’ll then put the composition away and start another. I’ll periodically look at it for a week or two, maybe more, before I come back to it. This gives me time to come up with other ideas and view it with fresh eyes.

Final Touches and Adjustments

Does it look like what was in my mind’s eye? Does it tell the story effectively? Does it need more detail? How about more contrast, shadows, or color?

Questions and answers will play around in my head until I am moved to fine-tune the piece to completion.

The Fluidity of Completion

Once it is signed, it is finished…until it’s not. Sometimes, I will create versions of the same picture. Rarely are the different versions available at the same time. One version will be retired in favor of the newer version. Inadvertently, the first version becomes a limited edition without it ever meaning to be limited.

An existing painting, “Migration,” fits very well into the new series “Nature of Man” and is one of my best sellers.

For more examples of my finished artwork, go to my gallery page.