The Random Artist

Trying to Make Order Out of Nothing

One of the things I love to do most is create props and paint sets because there’s so much room for “mistakes” and redoes. The idea in theatre, of course, is to create illusion. I do better creatively with that type of right brain thinking. Turning corduroy into velvet-looking drapes, molding sugar glass into breakaway bottles or making dust masks in to clam shells is right up my alley.

I do have a very talented artist friend who often helps me at the theatre even though her first love is watercoloring. Every once in awhile she’ll invite a few of us up to her art studio to help us create a watercolor — something that takes a lot more discipline than I have. We giggle and gossip while she tries to teach us how to highlight and shade. She must be a pretty good teacher because, surprisingly, some of my attempts are actually recognizable. Ha! Ha!

The problem is I struggle without her. I’m like a “fish out of water” so my paints, brushes and paper sit on a shelf gathering dust — until she invites us for another lesson.

Until then, I often do acrylic pours and ink tiles. Their randomness seems to suits me.

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." ~ Scott Adams