Daily Practice - Artist Spotlight: Sophie Foultz
HABIT/TIMING
How did you decide where in your day to put your 20?
Showing up to paint can be so psychological for me. Because of that, I didn’t choose a fixed daily time. I wanted to avoid the disappointment of not meeting my commitment if something happened to pop up that needed to take priority in my day.
So instead, I didn’t plan to paint at any particular time, only when it made sense in my day. It was a day to day decision. I generally like to paint before noon, but there were some days when I didn’t paint until late afternoon.
You expanded beyond the 20. How did having it be “just 20 minutes” help you get into your space and start creating?
Working with time constraints I jump in instead of labor over every decision and I’ve realized I have more fun doing it this way. Once I stopped overthinking and got out of my head, the creative energy started to flow. Also, the ‘20 minutes’ helped a lot because I knew I didn’t need to paint longer than 20 minutes - I was completely focused for 20 minutes which proved to be the ‘ice breaker’ for me because when the alarm went off at 20, I was in a groove by then and wanted to keep painting!
How and where did you keep your materials the same?
I had ordered pre gessoed 6x6 inch wood panels which I used on most days. I did a few 10x10 panels and a few on 5x7 linen.
I mostly stayed with the same split primary palette - so 6 colors plus black and white. Occasionally, I included an extra color.
The brushes varied depending on the subject I was painting… but in all the paintings I used mostly filberts and flats. Sometimes if I was painting grass or fur, I’d use a fan brush and/or comber brush.
Everything was prepped and ready to go before the Challenge began. I didn’t really need to prep anything. I used a hand held wood palette - something I hadn’t done before.. I loved it! It improved my work flow.
I made sure I had enough paint on my palette prior to starting and I did give some thought beforehand as to how to start each painting…i.e if I would do an underpainting or not and value structure.
You decide to use the references from the Starter Pack. What did having someone else choose photos and you just followed give you as artist?
Having the photo references to paint from was a game changer for me! So often - pre-20, I wouldn’t know what to paint and would become sort of paralyzed by having to make that decision- I liked having the decision made for me because the image acted as a launch pad and I was able to spend my energy solely on the actual act of painting. Each day I chose to paint the photo of the day.. I did not miss a day - I do like challenges so this did not feel like a chore, it was fun! As a result my confidence and paint/brush handling skills improved a lot over those 20 days.
PROJECT
Did the parameters you used help you explore more deeply? Why?
Working with a limited palette made me realize that this is what I would like to carry forward in my painting process - IMO it helps maintain color harmony in the painting and I discovered new color mixes because I was exploring color more in depth with fewer colors on my palette. I really had the opportunity to get to know the colors I was working with and did not feel overwhelmed by my palette.
What benefits did you find working daily even if not necessarily for a long time? (learning benefits, anxiety benefits, just actually doing it benefits?)
The main benefit was showing me that I was capable of painting daily in the first place… I had found momentum during those 20 days and that felt great! So I have this recent memory and know that I can get there again.. The more I paint, the easier to get back to my easel. Also, the day to day use of tools, brushes and paint keeps my materials familiar which helps with decision making and work flow.
I felt a great deal of satisfaction and accomplishment by completing a painting a day (that’s why I kept it small) - using the photo references- for 20 days! It was a manageable challenge for me to commit to. I felt that I got out of it more than expected- more confidence with workflow, brushwork, color choices and most importantly, I was bolder and more confident in my decision making- I didn’t overthink it.. I felt fearless which was empowering. I know it’s a different experience for everyone but I would recommend trying to do it every day- it worked for me and I saw a big improvement in my work.
What was the most helpful mindset for you to try and keep during the 20for20?
The mindset of putting the emphasis on simply showing up rather than on the completed painting removed the burden of self doubt considerably because what I painted was not the point. The point was just to paint everyday for 20 days - that’s it. This approach was liberating because it allowed me to relax, settle in, lose the expectations and just paint without concerning myself with the result. What happened surprised me… my work ended up being a lot looser than my previous work and I had much more fun painting. Most importantly, I learned to trust myself which was a huge breakthrough and at the end of the challenge, I felt that my art reached a new high because of it.
Also, if my day was getting away from me and I hadn’t painted yet, I just thought, “it’s only for 20 minutes!” knowing my commitment only needed to be for this amount of time eased any pressure I was feeling.
Learn more about Sophie Foultz here.
Learn more about the #20for20 here.