Why A Blank Canvas Is a Lot Like An Empty Plate

Think of a blank canvas as an empty plate. Now imagine yourself arriving at a great, big buffet full of delicious options. The options before you are things like: different colors, mediums, textures and perhaps even different techniques. What will you choose to put on your plate? There are many considerations, but your choices will depend largely on 3 things:

1. What are you hungry for?

Knowing what foods you love and what food combinations go well together is a result of indirect and direct experience. How do you gain experience? By learning from others, and/or by spending time experimenting in the kitchen/studio.

2. How hungry are you? 

Will you have a small helping or a big helping? Will you go back for seconds? Desert? Only you can decide because only you know how hungry you are.

It's important to note that no two plates will look the same. How could they?! We all have different appetites and we all love different foods.

3. How do you know you're full? 

Another way of saying this is: How do you know your painting is finished? Knowing  you're satiated is something that you learn the more experience you gain. How hungry were you in the first place? Were you able to satisfy your hunger with the choices you made for your plate? In the end, only you can decide. 

I've met many artists who have a tendency to overpaint. Perhaps it might be insightful to think of this as overeating? It might taste great in the moment, but it won't make you feel well if you don't know when to draw the line and leave the table.

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