What do you do when you don’t know what to do next? Here are three ideas in the back of my mind when I’m between decisions in my studio:

1. Love of Color

I read artist Ken Kewley’s notes on color at least once every six months. One of the things he stresses is the importance of joy. The love of color comes through in a painting. So when I don’t know what do to next, I think “What gives me the most joy when I look at it?” And the answer pops up! It’s usually not the smartest, most calculated, strategic move, but it’s fun! I think fun comes through in a painting too.

2. Orange Juice

I also think about what artist Stuart Shils says in his interview with Savvy Painter: he talks about his grandfather eating an orange. His grandfather bites the orange and he smiles wide with the juice dripping over his face and his beard and he doesn’t care because it’s so good. Shils says that that’s what good painting should be like. Lucious pure messy joy. I agree.

3. Listen in

Another idea comes from my time studying with Israel Hershberg in Italy. He would talk about not imposing oneself on the motif. It’s better to receive whatever the motif has to offer. Be a vessel and an oracle first, then a composer. He would argue that painting is not about expressing oneself- it’s better if it’s impersonal. Work to remove the ego to make room for the motif to speak through you.

So. When I don’t know what to do next in the studio I think of what I learned from Ken Kewley, Stuart Shils, and Israel Hershberg.

1. Love of color

2. Orange Juice

3. Listen in

Those are my collected thoughts on painting today. Do you have a thought to add to this list? What do you do when you don’t know what do to next? Feel free to share it in a comment below!