Painting Your Way Out Of A Corner - by Barbara Diane Barry

I have to admit, when I saw this title in the new books section of my library, I did a double take.

I reread the title and finally decided to take it home for a more thorough review.  The paint brushes on the cover got to me.  I am always looking for new art books at my library.  This book looked like it had fun little exercises to do.  (I like assignments that are never due.) Who knows I could learn something.

This book is by Barbara Diane Barry.  She does workshops for people who are creatively stuck. 

The exercises start out simple and easy and fun. These are not at all what I usually paint. I used pan gouache paints in a Canson XL series Mixmedia sketchbook (9x12inches, 98lb.) 

        

Then the assignments got personal.  Paint your inner critic.  Paint your physical hurts.  Paint someone or something bothering you. They can be monsters or shapes. Real or symbolic.

I was going to quit doing the exercises here, but a friend goaded me into continuing on.

            

Then we drew an oval and made a face, sort of. You could turn it into something else. Then make stick figures.  (The Olympics were on TV, can you tell?)

 
  

Now paint something from the inside looking out, or reversed.  Next paint a container and fill it with your perceived problems.  Make someone hold it and dispose of them (say dropping them in a hole).

     

I did not show you all the paintings I did. The last picture is of a perfect world, my vision. 

Okay and I forgot to flip it in the scanner.

I can say this book was fun and got me to paint a lot of things I never would have thought of.  At certain parts I was aggravated and wanted to stop.  She went into a bit more detail than I like about how our brains function.  Her main focus is getting you unstuck.  I am rarely blocked. My problem is usually editing the multitude of projects I am working on. 

Thanks Ms. Barry! It was fun.