#20for20 Artist Spotlight: Filipina Pate
Filipina Pate is a #20for20ArtChallenge pro. The artist went into the Challenge with the goal to try a new medium. But when it didn’t turn out to be a good fit, she used that as a jumping off point for some amazing creativity and problem solving.
You chose the 20-minutes max approach. How long did it take you to adjust to that way of working? What were the challenges and what were the benefits of working for just 20 minutes?
It took me about a week to adjust to this way of working.
One of my challenges with making art is showing up and starting. I also tend to set really ambitious goals for myself, then I usually get frustrated and quit a challenge.
Telling myself that I only needed to work for 20 minutes gave me the permission to spend my time on art and the freedom to explore because I felt that I couldn’t finish work in 20 minutes.
As the month continued, I started to feel more bold and daring about trying out new ideas since I didn’t have to be perfect.
How did you decide where in your day to put your 20? Why there?
I have always been a morning person so I scheduled my 20 minutes around when I have the most energy. I have a family with two teens who don’t drive yet so my husband and I split up driving duties in the afternoons.
How did you approach the materials side of things? How did you decide what to use each day? Were there places you kept it the same and places you didn’t? Why?
I started off the challenge using a medium I had never used before: Holbein Acryla gouache. I wanted to see how it compared to regular gouache and I thought I might use it for sketching and painting outdoors this summer.
After I tried it for a week, I realized that the acrylic gouache dried too fast for me and I couldn’t go back and fix things after it dried. I realized that I need a way of working that allows me to adjust my image over time.
Since I love regular gouache, I tried combining it with other water-soluble mediums because I wanted to find more ways to add more contrast using texture and different kinds of marks. Sometimes I felt like I was throwing too much into a simple sketch, but it was so much fun to discover how the different mediums could work together.
I made a lot of swatches in my sketchbook to see how the same color could look darker or lighter depending on how opaque or transparent the medium. And it was interesting to see how adding water could cause different mediums to blend.
Towards the end of the challenge, I became more interested in working outdoors so I started looking at how I could limit my materials into a more portable kit that I could bring in a backpack and use on long road trips.
My gouache palette is really big and the paint in the wells leak when the paint is wet, so now I’m thinking about using a limited palette or using watercolor markers to use for my initial background layer.
Did you prep materials before? If yes, how much of a help was that and why?
I didn’t prepare any materials. I’ve collected so many art supplies over the years so part of doing all the experimentation for this challenge was to use what I have instead of buying something new.
How did you decide what to paint each day? What about that way of working worked well and why?
At the beginning, I started using the Reference Starter Pack from the Challenge.
Over time, I noticed that I don’t enjoy working from photo references. Cropping and blurring the image helps me focus on the overall value relationships and design the big shapes into an exciting composition. The edited photo became a jumping off point to play with color and experiment with layering the different mediums.
After I tried sketching outdoors during the Challenge, I’m less interested in using photo references from the Internet. I want to get better at taking my own photos and making my own sketches so I have references that are more personal and more relevant to me.
What were you hoping to explore? Why those goals and how did they change over the course of the 20 days?
My initial goal was to experiment with different color palettes using acrylic gouache using the provided reference photo each day. I wanted to explore using value and color contrast using the fast drying gouache and I wanted a way to warm up before starting to work on my bigger oil paintings.
Working everyday made me realize that I was getting really frustrated using the acrylic gouache. At first I thought I would keep working with it, but then I thought, “Why do I have to make it difficult?” I’m more interested in value and color contrast, not in acrylic gouache itself. I switched back to regular gouache and I had more fun for the rest of the Challenge.
Any days jump out as having aha moments? Could you share what those were?
On Day 2 I listened to the podcast interview with John MacDonald talking about different ways to create contrast in a painting and he inspired me to think about how to compose a painting instead of copying the photo reference.
His explanation of the hierarchy of art elements that have the greatest impact on a painting is very useful for analyzing and improving my own work.
On Day 7 I noticed how much I was struggling with the Acryla Gouache and I decided that I need to change my approach.
On Day 14 I practiced sketching and painting outdoors at a nearby pond and I got really excited about painting from life. I have a couple of trips planned for this summer so I started thinking about what is the most portable sketch kit I could make and take with me on these trips.
What was the most helpful mindset for you to try and keep during the 20for20?
The most helpful mindset for me was to focus on learning and making time and space for me to play and enjoy making art. When I showed up each day, I checked my Instagram feed to respond to any comments and I looked at what I made from the day before. Going back through my feed helped me remember what I learned and inspired new approaches to making the sketch of the day.
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?
I usually like setting up ambitious goals for myself and feeling a strong sense of accomplishment when I meet them. Now I’m realizing that setting aside time to play in my sketchbook every day is much more meaningful. Playing helps me move beyond my initial idea and entertain a broader and more diverse range of ideas, which are usually more exciting to me. I’m much more willing to try things that are new to me because I’m always searching for better ways to express myself. Sketching everyday gives me a way to record the search.
What has been the biggest insight to you as an artist (or your practice) because of participating in the Challenge?
The biggest thing I learned from working through this challenge is that making art doesn’t always need to come from a heavy and anxious place. Making art everyday makes it easier to connect with what makes me happy, what excites me. And keeping this mindset while I work is what allows me to create work that is more bold, more meaningful. It feels deeply rewarding because I’m moving beyond what I’ve learned, what I’ve been taught and making things based on what I love and what I want to say.
You can learn more about artist Filipina Pate on Instagram.
Learn about the next #20for20ArtChallenge by adding your name to the waitlist below!