The Joy of Painting

I’ve almost finished painting the backgrounds for my angels altered book. There are ten or so left to do – plus the index, which I’ll probably leave until the end because I’m not sure what I want to do with it. Working on this project has revived my desire to paint on canvas again, something I always plan on, but never quite get around to.
Years ago I read Art as Medicine by art therapist Shaun McNiff, and I was fascinated the insights he gained from working with mental patients in an institution. For instance, he discovered that patients often improved simply by painting a picture, even if they weren’t able to communicate with McNiff at all. Perhaps there’s something about the fluidity of paint, it’s texture and color that connects us to the ground of being and brings healing because it allows us to express our real self.It’s always a process of discovery too. I’ve been experimenting with crumpling pages I’ve just painted, smoothing them out and then brushing on dye ink with a damp paper towel. I like the way it looks and feels. I also like pressing wet pages together and then separating them. Often parts of the paper will peel off leaving a textured surface you can highlight with darker paint.