Beyond Precious

Whispering Call, 4 x 5' acrylic and collage on canvas, Mary Wilbanks

One of the messages that rings true about Mary Wilbanks' artistic journey, consistent both in her work and her instruction, is that sometimes we need to let go of what is too precious for the sake of the larger composition. Her paintings are rich in texture. The passages pull you in, compelling you to more carefully investigate. In the book Bird by Bird, author Anne Lamott tells us, "Go ahead and make big scrawls and mistakes. Use up lots of paper. Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist's true friend."

Down with Perfectionism. Embrace Clutter!

Parable on Klimpt, Susan Giannantonio
30 x 22" mixed watermedia on paper

In the words of Anne Lamott, when we attempt perfectionism we will block inventiveness and playfullness. In the wonderful book Bird by Bird, Ann says "Perfectionism means that you try desperately not to leave so much mess to clean up. Tidiness suggests that something is as good as it's going to get. But clutter and mess show us that life is being lived. Clutter is wonderfully fertile ground--you can still discover new treasures under all those piles, clean things up, edit things out, fix things, get a grip."