Here’s where it started: a layer of paint.

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From there I applied my first layer of papers, which I applied with spray adhesive.

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And then I kept going:  more paint…

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More paper…

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More paint…more paper…

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Paint, paper…wings!

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And then I decided to pull everything back in terms of color and
contrast by adding another layer of  “Titan Buff” paint…here is the
piece with this layer about a third of the way across the painting:

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Here’s what I’ve learned: spray adhesive doesn’t work very well on wood.
So here’s what I’m doing now: after spending many
weeks applying all these layers of paint, molding paste and paper on
top of the intital spray adhesive-applied layers, I now have a thick,
textured piece…with a lot of air bubbles in it.  I suppose I could
simply decide to make those bubbles part of the texture and pretend I
intended to create those, but they are driving me crazy.  Because of
this, I am now slicing across these air bubbles and pulling back the
layers of paper:

…then glueing them back down to the wood with a combination of Elmer’s, more paper and another layer of molding paste:

With this, I feel like I am basically doing repair work, having to
tear everything apart and piece it all back together, then apply more
materials so it doesn’t look like a wounded soul, all stitched up and
scarred.  I will let these latest applications of glue and molding
paste dry over the weekend, then maybe, just maybe, I can finish it
next week.

I will admit that at this point I have very mixed feelings about
this piece, and feel more than a tad tempted to rip everything off and
start over.  This piece has taught me a great deal about what doesn’t
work, and while these are valuable lessons, I also feel frustrated over
how much paint and other materials are being sacrificed in the name of
creative knowledge.

But that is the deal - learning what doesn’t work creatively and
what materials aren’t right are just as important as learning what
works, and frustration is sometimes a necessary piece of the creative
puzzle.  I think I am pretty lucky in that I rarely come up against
ongoing such irritations when I work, and I rarely have such a hard
time finishing pieces.  I have had to walk away from this particular
piece so many times it is beginning to be funny (sort of).

This creative journey is clearly not over, and I still do not know
exactly what this painting will mean to me, say to me, pull out of me.
Will I want to hang it in our foryer, evidence of a hard-won interior
battle or will I set it outside with a sign that says “FREE”, wanting
to be rid of it forever?  Right now I don’t know, and that is OK.  This
story is not yet over.

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Christine Mason Miller is a Los Angeles based artist and creator of the nationally recognized brand Swirly. She has fifteen years experience in art, design, and illustration, and her first book, Ordinary Sparkling Moments, will be released in September 2008. Christine says, “The deepest goal behind my work is to explore all the beauty, wisdom, contradictions, questions and meanings that lie at the core of any human experience.” She is also on a personal mission to inspire others to follow their dreams. And what’s not to love about that?

You can see Christine’s portfolio here. Subscribe to her feed here. She also blogs at Sparkletopia.

Editor’s Pick by Jenny Motley, Crash Test Mommy.