The Gears of Art - Thinking About Performance and Purpose In Process

Play, study, Prepare, Perform.

There’s a concept I’ve been playing around with in my head, or I guess more of a way of thinking about art-making that I believe could be helpful to artists. I’ve approached my work this way for quite a long time, perhaps subconsciously, sometimes deliberately, and I think that there is a chance that many other artists reading this may also think similarly, but not yet identified their thought process in their approach. I like to think of what I’m doing when making art in “Gears” sort of like I’m driving a car and shifting from first gear to second, then to third and so on. Each gear is higher performing than the previous, or perhaps has a different focus in context with what my goal is. Let me try to explain what I mean and why I think this could be a helpful way of thinking for you to adopt as an artist, or for anyone trying to learn something new.

Why is it important to think about performance and purpose in the process? Well, it frames the goals of why we do what we do, what we expect of ourselves, and tempers our expectations of a result based on the frame and context that we construct around the goal. How much time do we have? What do I want to specifically improve upon? What went wrong on my last painting? What went well in my last painting? Questions like these help frame the purpose, it makes the time we have to make art focused. Asking these questions of ourselves answers the question of “what do I need to do next?” The frame also helps us to recognize what results are reasonable to expect in a give timeframe: if we only have enough time to make a gesture sketch and are trying to look at the movement and flow of the subject, then the color and painting take a back seat: we have said to ourselves “Yes! This is the goal, and it is okay to not be perfect in the other aspects, but lets be as perfect as we can be in this singular area.” So let’s not be so hard on ourselves for inaccurate colors in this instance: its not the purpose of the practice in this moment, but we aim to achieve gesture and flow.

Try to think of each session as having an objective. Sometimes we just want to play, then don’t expect yourself to make a masterpiece. Sometimes we need to improve on a specific aspect of our work, then it’s time to study and be very deliberate with what we do and how we are doing it. Other times we need to be at peak performance to produce our best work, like athletes trained for a fight, so to say, at the peak of our artistic ability in this moment. Know when time is for play and when it’s time to sharpen the sword for the battle.

Now that we understand the purpose of why I like to think this way, let’s kick it into first gear!

First gear - Play

I like to think of first gear as being a state of play. It is the lowest entry point into the art-making state. I’m enjoying the act, living in this singular moment of creation where I’m enthralled by the pigment, the sounds, the feel of pencil on paper. It is simply to have fun and enjoy the thing I love to do most: make art. In this state of mind, I have no expectation of the work I’m making. I experiment with new materials or if I’m tired that day, I simply just complete the act of putting something down on paper. First gear has no stakes, it is without any judgement, no risk, it is simply because I need to make art, because I love it. Be willing to accept some efforts will be simply just to enjoy a moment, the outcome is irrelevant.

Second Gear - Study

I believe a majority of our time as an artist will be spent in a state of study; that is the deliberate effort to improve our skills. This could be through studying from images, other painters we admire, or from life, but with the purpose of gaining something from the effort. Identifying something in the process that we want to improve on, or perhaps reaching for the advice given to us by our art heroes through their example and execution: How can I gain the painterly mark making of John Singer Sargent or the colors of Edgar Payne? By deliberately reaching for those aspects of their work, by doing master studies with intention.

We are the products of how and what we study, taking bits of information from our experiences and tastes. Be deliberate in your study, ask what it is you want to achieve and gain, but most importantly be fully present for the time you spend studying, actively soaking up information like a sponge! This is a rather involved process, so try to not get too comfortable or relaxed here. Always reach for things that you could possibly fail. Failure is good, we want to fail often as artists, or so I think… perhaps I’m alone in being a proud failure at times?

Third Gear - Prepare

Now it is time to plan, to put into motion the ideas that swirl around our heads. This is an interesting gear because it is almost like play to an extend; We are spewing out work that is more of a stepping stone than something to exist on its own: color studies, thumbnails, and even study in preparation for our performance later on. The quality of preparatory work is not the goal, but the strategic aspects of the plan that is the goal here. When we prepare, we are doing work that will support a future endeavor. It’s okay for things to not be perfect in this stage, we are simply iterating off an idea, getting a feel for the colors of a piece, or messing with composition and framing. Preparatory work is in support of something, not work that must stand strong on its own.

When I’m preparing for a project, or large paining, I’m setting aside time to hone a concept, to prove that the idea is good and that I should spend time moving forward with the image in my head. Its best to decide a composition is bad in a thumbnail sketch that took five minutes than half way through a 30x40 inch oil painting that will take a month or more to complete. Food for thought! Take time to prepare.

Fourth Gear - Perform

The moment where all the work comes to a peak. This is where we must be at our absolute best, and intention matters. We must find in ourselves the discipline to be exquisite (to our best of ability) and honest with ourselves: Am I doing my best work in this moment?

The finished art piece, the performance of a visual artist, is the peak of one’s ability. This is what people will see and so we must do our best work in these moments. This is where we are calling upon all we have learned, consciously and subconsciously, to channel the highest level work we can produce at this point in time. At this point in time: this is important to remember, the frame here is our current ability. Are we using the boundaries of our ability? We should aim to push but not exceed beyond reason what is possible in ourselves. Always aim high, but not beyond possibility.

In this gear intention is everything. We have studied to strengthen our weaknesses, prepared for what we must execute, and now we take all of that training and preparation to use in a grand finale, a paining that will hopefully sell, end up in our portfolio, have something we are proud of making, or simply a test of what we can currently achieve.

As much as this shows our abilities to those looking in, the performance is also to show ourselves that yes, we can achieve what we set out to, or perhaps a moment of humility to show that the road is still long and we will always have more to learn.

And So Here We Are…

And now we sit before the blank page, once again. Perhaps that page is less daunting now, we know that we decide how we feel about whatever marks are made on that page because we are the one to frame its purpose, our intentions, and what we derive from the time we spend making art. Have definitive intent in your work, know when you are simply enjoying the act of mark making, and know when you need to be at peak performance making a portfolio piece.

Happy painting everyone, remember that it is the love we have of the craft that will determine our success. I believe that it is the passion and heart we put into our work that makes it successful, inwardly successful, intrinsic in its value to us, and nobody can take that away. Simply have fun and pursue the joy of making art.

So what do you think? How do you temper expectation, set goals, and overall structure the time you spend making art? Let me know in the comments below.

Cheers and thank you.

-Kris