Painting on Autopilot

I can't think of a single parent who lolls in the passenger seat of the car, detached while observing their teenaged driver's inaugural foray into the city streets.

t's an understatement to say that, when I'm sitting on the right of an inexperienced driver, I'm alert, engaged, observant, and aware of my surroundings. (I'm also gripping the door handle and shoving my foot on an imaginary break, but that's extra.)

While oil painting in your studio doesn't reach the stress level of driving with a novice, the alert, engaged, observant, and aware of your surroundings part is something to keep in mind.

Experienced drivers, though they may look relaxed behind the wheel, aren't operating on autopilot. They're constantly scanning, checking their mirrors, observing traffic, anticipating both their next move and that of the drivers around them. If they don't, and they zone out, they're not driving well.

In the same way, when you're standing behind your easel, dab dabbing paint here while you go over in your mind the various witty remarks you could have launched at the loud, obnoxious woman ahead of you in the coffee shop, you're probably not working at your best.

"You don't have to stand ramrod straight in front of the easel and focus 100 percent on the tip of your paintbrush," my Norwegian Artist, Steve Henderson, tells his students. "But you do need to be engaged. For this reason, after an hour of two of this type of concentration, you'll find that you're tired.

"Not only is this normal, it shows that you've been using mental energy in a meaningful way. Take a break. Rest. Come back to it when you can concentrate and you'll find that, consistently, you are more in control of your work."

Good driving and good painting have a lot in common after all. Have you found this to be true, too? Leave a comment and let me know.