With ever-improving compositional skills each person took an unresolved painting begun by another and used whatever color, form, contrast, rhythm, texture and line that was in front of them as vocabulary with which to make their own visual statement.

This  challenge was very freeing to most people.  Because the work began with “a response” they felt less pressure to “create”. But can’t all painting begin with a response?

Philip Guston:  “I don’t know what a painting is; who knows what sets off even the desire to paint? It might be things, thoughts, a memory, sensations, which have nothing to do directly with painting itself. They can come from anything and anywhere. ”   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Guston Just add: awareness, sensitivity presence and whatever skills have accumulated thus-far.

Actors often speak of voiceover work as being more fun because it is less intimidating. They feel a bit more anonymous. Perhaps beginning with marks already made, color already referenced and shapes already suggesting is also less intimidating in a similar way.

Remember this ease in the future.

These works are still in progress.  The group voted to continue, so we will……

(The underpainting is on the left, the next work in line is the new work in progress. Move the cursor over the image to see a caption-excuse typos & blurry pics.)