#20for20 Artist Spotlight: Debbie Kesteloot

Habits take persistence, planning, and intention to build. Debbie Kesteloot walked into the Challenge with one goal: Show up more than past challenges. She took what she’d learned about where she fizzled out and got smart about her approach. With past experience in hand, she could plan a project that fit her time and learning goals. And in the process, she created a ton of great work and built her skills higher. 

Learn more about Kesteloot on Instagram here.

What were your goals heading into the Challenge?

My overarching goal was to show up for the entire 20 days; in past challenges I had usually fizzled out midway through. I also wanted to explore painting with oils. I usually work in acrylics, and I thought this challenge would serve as a good jump start for working in oils.

How did you decide where in your day to put your 20?

I decided to put my 20 minutes in the evening right after dinner. I did consider doing it first thing in the morning before going into the office, however it would have required getting up earlier in the morning. From previous attempts to paint in the morning I know I tend to be distracted by what I need to work on when I do get to the office. So even though my energy level would be lower in the evening, I knew it would be easier to focus on the painting process.

Why did you decide to approach the Challenge with 20 minute Max?

I decided to work in 20-minute increments as a maximum based on your advice! The aim was to establish a regular art practice and to see what I could accomplish in a small block of time.

How did your project evolve as the Challenge went on?

My plan was to concentrate on the underpainting stage of an oil painting. I wanted to get comfortable with working with oils as well as doing a preliminary drawing in paint. I thought this exercise would fit nicely into a 20-minute session.

While I did stick to my plan for the most part, I did do a couple of value studies as well as doing a more detailed drawing in pencil prior to picking up a paint brush. I chose this option for a couple of the references that required more precise drawing such as the cat and the collection of bottles.

What is the benefit to you to really hold to the 20 minutes even if you didn’t finish something?

I showed myself that in 20 minutes I was able to set up a good foundation in terms of composition, shapes and values. The repetition of this one aspect of painting helped reinforce the importance of this step.

Since I did not intend to produce a finished painting every day, what I was attempting to do usually fit into the time limit very well. When it didn’t I would either do a second 20-minute session that day or carry it over to the next day.

Any days jump out as having aha moments? Could you share what those were?

I had one day that I would normally describe as a bad painting session. It happened to be a day that I strayed from my original plan and tried to work with a more expanded palette. It did not go well; I ended up wiping back all the paint and only shared a photo of my palette. I realized it was okay not to have something to share, and it wasn’t the end of the world not to have anything to show for the session.

How and where did you keep your materials the same?

For most of the challenge, I was painting on canvas from a 9 x 12 pad. I started out by cutting each page in half, so I was working small.

I did a couple of larger pieces, 8 x 8 and 10 x 10. Still relatively small. I was usually working in one colour, thinned with Gamsol or in black and white. I also only used 2 brushes.

Working this way kept decision making to a minimum and the process was pretty much the same every time.

Did you prep materials before?

I didn’t prepare materials before starting the challenge. I didn’t join until right before the challenge started, so I really didn’t have the lead time to do any preparation. I did spend a little time setting up before starting the timer. This included taping my canvas to a board and deciding on a reference image and the paint colour I was going to work with.

What was the most helpful mindset for you to try and keep during the 20for20?

The most helpful mindset for me to try to maintain was focusing on the process and not the result. It was the doing, the repetition, exploring how the medium reacts to what I was trying to accomplish and what adjustments I needed to make that was important. Showing up on a consistent basis was the best way to improve.

You didn’t do all 20 days but you did keep showing up. It’s so easy as an artist to miss a day and then give up. How did you keep yourself coming back?

Right from the start I gave myself permission not to paint every single day. If I painted on most days and participated in the Facebook group over the course of the challenge, I would consider that a win.

On the days I didn’t paint I tried to get some “art” into my day in other ways; such a listening to an episode of the Learn to Paint podcast, watching a YouTube video of other artists sharing their tips and wisdom, or cracking open one of my art books from my bookshelf.

So often the focus is on finished and beautiful work. Did you feel any difference in shifting the focus to the showing up? (The habit.) How did that change your relationship to your practice?

A lot of pressure is taken off by shifting the focus to showing up rather than producing a beautiful and finished work. If a painting didn’t meet my expectations, I would often get frustrated, and self-doubt would creep in. Sometimes I would want to give up altogether. But I know that is not what I really want, and I am happier and more fulfilled when I am practicing my art.

What advice would you give to someone who is doing the Challenge for the first time?

My advice to a first-time participant is to choose an aspect of the painting process that you would like to concentrate on. This could be value studies, thumbnail sketches, colour mixing, drawing etc.

I think focusing on one thing for 20 days helps you really understand and appreciate how it can improve your art practice.

I would also caution care when sharing your work online. It is a double-edged sword. It is great to have a support group with other artists who are also participating in the challenge.

However, it can also be easy to fall victim to the compare and despair mindset, or to worry about the number of likes or comments you are receiving on your posts.

I found myself going down that road a couple of times during the challenge. Overall, it was a positive experience, but you really need to school your thoughts. Everyone is at a different point in their art journey and comparing your work to their work is not helpful. There would be more value comparing your current work to your previous work. That will give you a better idea of how much progress you have made. It may be more than you originally thought!

Learn more about the next #20for20 here.