Craft Paint by Andrea Zimon

I think I really re-found my artistic joie de vivre as a result of an emotional response.

My grandmother had passed and I was allowed to take from her house whatever was important to me. Among many things I took was a collection of craft paint.

Prior to my grandmother’s passing, I was not using craft paint or much else as I had been stagnating artistically. But in going through my grandmother’s art supplies I realized she had been stuck, too – fearful of not making something beautiful or correct. She had bought a bunch of things in preparation to create that perfect piece of art which sadly didn’t happen.

I realized that to best honor her and myself was to start creating and stop worrying about the final product. In doing so, I was also able to process her loss. 

The craft paint stumped me at first as with what to do with it as a paper artist. At that time I probably would have been inept with finger paint, too. Then upon advice given to me by a book by L.K. Ludwig, I started painting with it using a credit card to spread it on a paper surface.

Using a so-so watercolor as a base and I started dragging the color around with the card. Most of the craft paint on this work was not applied using a paint brush.  At the time, I still didn’t like it even with the craft paint but now I find the piece interesting. It serves a reminder to just to produce and follows the theme of Karin’s recent post.

My grandmother’s passing was sad but it had a silver lining because it made me realize that I needed to create art and to not be stuck to in my own rigid rules and play

 or per Sol Lewitt :

“Do!”