Drawing the line... or painting it anyway.

The number one rule of painting lines is: Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Slow is a challenging tempo to be in for long periods of time. But, taking on this challenge pays off. I have spent over 1,500 hours in the studio trying to accomplish the most effective way to make lines. It was a perspective piece and has ironically changed mine.

In a fast paced culture, it's not easy to accept a slow process. The first week, painting line after line became extremely frustrating. I would put money on this being an artist's least favorite mark to put on a picture. "It takes way too long, and is way too boring" I told someone. The amount of focus was exhausting. As the weeks went on, I found tools and tricks to make the process a little more bearable until it became a normal part of my day. There are no words for how relieved I was moving onto the next phase of the piece. The grueling frustration caused such a contrast that I was able to embrace the fun parts to the fullest. When I say the "fun parts," I mean the colorful, no-line parts. Diving into each color and brush stroke felt beautiful and explorative. I was able to experience in full what the piece had to offer. I could have never done this without the lines.

Maybe it's the suffering that brings sweetness to our lives. To learn new things, we let go of old ideas. The old story lines that run through our minds. The things that no matter how good or bad they are for us have become places of comfort. Comfort is hard to leave. Whether we leave a bad idea for a good one, or even a good one for a great one, the letting go will always be felt. It may even feel slow... just remember: slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Maybe it's this suffering that will help us fully embrace the fun, adventurous future ahead of us. So, where do you draw the line?