After years of not painting having trouble getting started?

Question

I stopped painting after a back injury 5 years ago, it resulted in shoulder, back, neck surgery and I stopped painting due to pain. I went through several more surgeries and 3 years of therapy. I just got out of the habit of painting.

This summer my mother died of cancer, I spent 5 weeks living with her in the hospice. She talked to me about painting again and not waiting any longer to resume it. I knew she was right, I was excited about it at the time. But by the time I came home after assisting my grandmother and uncle with her affairs, etc. I was exhausted basically just came home and collapsed. Then got caught up in day to day family life.

Now with the New Year here I really want to honor my promise to her and begin painting, but I can't seem to get the excitement back. I would welcome any ideas from anyone on how to get excited and get back into the art I love so much.

Answer 1

Hi there,
It seems to me like you need to relax a bit. Try doing something that relaxes you even if its going for a walk or bike riding. When I lose inspiration for art or something has gone wrong in family I try to find things that I love doing to comfort me.
Then my mind starts working n I let my imagination start drifting away.

You can get inspired to paint a picture by doing physical things and also by brainstorming your favorite subjects like ; nature, body figure, portraits, ect.
and then think of technique's such as collage, charcoal, oil pastels, oil paints, watercolour. Even think about the different surfaces you can create your art on. (who is your favorite artist, get some ideas from their work)

sometimes playing with materials (paints, pens, inks, material, canvas, tissue paper, cardboard, watercolour paper) playing triggers images in your head that you never thought of before.

Another good thing to do is, listen to music and paint whatever your hands feel they should paint to the rythm.

Rememeber, painting doesnt have to be of a certain object. I believe the most sucessful art pieces are the ones that show emotion, let it be abstract, realistic or surreal. Just find something that brings your emotion out and set the artist inside you free.

If you dont think any of these things will help , try going to your local library and looking through art books that show you techniques and different methods you will find what your hearts looking for.

I lost inspiration and didnt know how to move on from my last piece. So I went to the library and got a book called ;
AN INTRODUCTION TO MIXED MEDIA
In association with the
Royal Academy Of Arts

Theres a whole collection of these books and they are absolutly great!!! you should try getting your hands on them!!!

okays I hope I helped you
takecare
:) Goodluck and dont give up okay!!!

Answer 2

Sometimes, beginning a painting can be really confusing, even when you have an idea. You plan too much that when you are ready to begin the painting, you always feel something needs to be done before you paint. The best thing is to jump right into it. Buy lots of paint and paper to experiment. Don't worry about actually creating something in the beginning. Don't map out a design with a pencil. Get a brush and paint straight away. Try different strokes to warm up. Try blending colors. Work with different sizes of brushes. WHen you are comfortable with different brushes, do a still life. Again, don't get too worked up about getting the forms right. Do something messy, impressionism can be great to loosen yourself. Paint regularly and in a preferred surrounding. CHoose a room you like and have some music on. You could also have a snack. Paint while standing up to keep you excited. Within a week, you'll be ready to paint with more precision.
Another exercise I find helpful is painting abstract. If too many things are in your head, try painting them. Imagine how the different issue would be swimming in you mind and put them on paper.
I am sure that as soon as you put the first stroke of paint on the paper, you'll feel more comfortable with it. Remember, just experiment and don't worry about wasting paint.

Answer 3

I understand how you feel, although I had no surgeries. What you're experiencing is known as 'blank paper fear'. It happens, and it is normal, so don't judge yourself. Only thing you're ought to do, is to get started. Make yourself just to take a brush in your hands, and start slowly, without pressure of any kind. Five years is a long period so you musn't be hard to your neglected talent. No matter what have you been through, I believe that those spark which used to stimulate you to paint, still exist. It is a matter of time and persistence when will you awake it and feel the same excitement.
Fingers crossed!!! :)))

Answer 4

I've been there several times myself. It can really cause you to feel worthless ( for not using your talent ), but you have the equivilent to writers cramp. My suggestion is: Start looking through and critisizing your lifes work and ask yourself if you could improve some of your stuff, ( you've learned so much more since you did that older stuff ) and redo some of the paintings that you aren't really to happy with in a different medium or style. Challenge yourself, pick a tough one to start with, then move on to "new" techniques, and or subject matter. Find your OWN little hidy hole, plaster stuff all over the wall's , put on some ratty clothes or formal wear or even your birthday suit, turn on some oldies and go for it!!!

Answer 5

I'm in pretty much the same position, taught art for years, had to have surgery on back and lost my confidence in my own work! I've set up a room, got canvasses, paint and time but still struggle to get going. So I'm doing what one of your answerers suggests, taking photos and playing around with them. Nothing too startling yet, but watch this space.And good luck

Answer 6

Paint a nice portrait of your mom and give it to a family member... probably your grandmother, because she must have been terribly hurt to lose a child...

Dedicate your first painting to her mom's life, and her encouragement. If you don't do portraits, paint something that your mother dearly loved.

I hope you succeed. There's no greater gift than having a talent in art. I wish I had some!

Answer 7

I agree, add some soaked beet pulp and rice bran pellets. Also, with Thoroughbreds, environment is important. If they don't feel comfortable, they will wear off anything they eat just by fretting all the time. Remove the stress if you can, make sure she can see out of her stall and turn her out if possible, near the barn unless you can put a companion with her, they don't like to be in isolation. Use a high fat pellet (8%) but moderate protein (12%), feed her in small amounts throughout the day if you can manage it, and keep hay or pasture in front of her. Exercise her as much as you can. Try not to switch her feed around like that.

Answer 8

I too, lost my interest with painting/drawing. It was more like 25 yrs. for me. My desire came back when my 9 yr. old niece asked me for help with a drawing of hers. My sister had told her of my past love of drawing. That little girl incited my interest and love for drawing all over again. Since I was a bit rusty at it, I took some classes in water painting which brought back my excitement for drawing and helped me considerably. I've been drawing and painting ever since. Try it. Good luck with your art.

Answer 9

Get out with your Camera and capture some inspiring Images,Scenes etc!
Photographs are always a Great method to enable motivation!

Then when you develop it onto canvas you'll have a reference point to look back at!

Answer 10

You have to paint something you have a love for. How about doing a portrait of your mother.