Painting and working on bigger formats
Scribbling away in my A5 sketchbooks I loved making crude marks and “ugly or childlike” drawings. I suddenly remembered I loved painting with big brushes when I was little. I distinctly remember a little Anne standing in front of a big easel having the time of her life mixing colours and just throwing them onto the canvas.
So I went out, bought big pots of paint, some canvases and started painting with big, ugly brushes that left no room for detailed or controlled images. I loved and I hated it at the same time. For the first time ever I tried to create a stream of consciousness whilst creating. All the images I made were about myself: my memories, my imagination and my nightmares. Interestingly enough, this exercise sparked a renewed interest in my earlier nightmare project (see post 13).
By doing this I learned a lot about pushing through. If I really messed up, I would paint over it and try again. If I wasn't sure what to do next, I would walk away and come back later. If the brush didn’t work, I’d use my hands. If I found the work appalling or embarrassing, I just carried on. Standing up while painting also helped me to be more loose.
