Muscle Memory

Man... this muscle memory thing really is true. I was reminded again today that when I'm not painting in my usual set-up - standing, all my paints and supplies where I need them, etc - my hands just totally forget how to DO IT. I went to the park this evening with just a couple of brushes and a split cake or two. Sat on the ground and painted a few kids. Supplies all scattered, not my usual brushes... I managed to make a half-decent show of it, but it was still pretty pathetic considering what I could have done in if I'd been in my "comfort zone" with my "comfort tools".

Had a similar situation trying to paint family this last holiday. Brush cleaner upturned, jewels run-off, paints poked, the flimsy table almost knocked down, etc. I like having them in a nice high chair where they can't touch anything!

D.

OMG. I'm feeling you. I could've written this post. My weekly thursday gig involves trapsing over snow and ice from the carpark to paint a poduction line of super basic designs so i thought I'd leave a heap of stuff in the car cause other weeks i haven't used it. I was off my game all day! I mean I totally sucked! Usually I use a sponge then toss it into the bucket. I swear I missed every other toss. And so many brushes fell on the ground that by the end there were only 2 that were clean to paint with. It's comforting to know that this happens to others

LOL I feel your pain Angie. I did a big 4th of July event for the town here as a PPF to raise funds for the ministry and I had the benefit of setting up just the way it needs to be...accept for the young lady who was painting with me kept putting things back in the wrong place while my back was turned...LOL It was more funny than frustrating, since she was trying. She hasn't "gotten into her groove" pattern yet so she just didn't understand until late in the day. I found myself putting my brush in yellow on auto-pilot only to find that it was brown in the yellow spot We are bad creatures of habit.

Ooooooooooohhhhhh so THAT"S what it is! lmao

And here I thought I just had my unco days!
It's Muscle memory - doh! I change up how I paint all the time... one side to the other - stand, sit, chairs ground, picnic or childrens table... I have even used crates at one time.
I think I"m going to get more picky about where and how I set up.

I also discovered over the weekend - 6 hours of painting with no break and no change of water means I end up in a huge unworkable mess!!!!
I really need to take a seminar in how to get tough, so I can get to the toilet! It's just so hard to deal with all the waiting faces.

Xyppee1 wrote: I found myself putting my brush in yellow on auto-pilot only to find that it was brown in the yellow spot We are bad creatures of habit.

Oh yeah, I could definitely see myself doing that! I have all of my colors permanently fixed in place in my palette... no switching out for me! I've been trying to "grow" myself, trying to be more relaxed and stretch my abilities by only bringing a couple of items with me when I visit this neighborhood. Yesterday I had three split cakes, three flat brushes, a dotter and a line brush. It was dismal... LOL. It was awkward even loading brushes from my spot on the ground, and of course the kids wanted to hold and touch everything. (Part of my "relax Angie!" therapy since this wasn't for an actual job, but outreach with the kids.)

Here was the REAL test of my endurance! I think for an obsessive-compulsive artist, this was a huge milestone, lol!

Haha! My oldest has a picture of her legs all painted by the kids in Costa Rica when she went a few yes ago. She's looking forward to painting there again in a few more weeks when she goes back!

I also get off my groove when I work w/ my daughter because she sets things in different places than I do & always takes my favorite brush... but I'm also an artycake hog & mirror hog, so we laugh & live w/ it

I had to paint from the opposite side of my kit once & I was a wreck!

Whole body muscle memory issue resolved:
I am left handed and I have a learning disability so it took me FOREVER to figure out how to place my subject so that I could reach my paints so that I would not wrench my back turning.

Essentially, if you are standing in the center of a clock:
I face 12 towards the seated subject (legs left in front of me) who is facing 9 next to the table.
My table is to my left at 9.

Took me FOREVER to figure this out consistently. I was very spastic figuring this out. Made a world of difference to my strokes and control.

I am painting more comfortably, and more happily!

Angie you are too cute. That is a super cool thing to do, I may try it, but it will be a push to let the kids touch my paint haha...good for you