Yesterday a very motivational friend helped me jump a hurdle I've faced for a very long time.

A blank canvas.

I long ago learned how to get past a blank page and blinking cursor*, but the paralysing fear of a pure white canvas was much harder to overcome.

I've bought paints, brushes, canvases, an easel.

Then lost the paints and brushes, and went out and bought more. Then found the first lot again.

But my inner critic told me I'd better not dare sully the pristine perfection of a canvas with my bungling amateur paint blobs.

So when Alison organised an "express yourself with paint" group, I jumped at the opportunity to be in an environment that forced me to make that first splash of paint, and run with it.

***

We met at the crack of dawn on Saturday (ok, it was 9am) down at Albert Park Lake. I love the backdrop of the city skyline behind the iconic palm trees. And the ducks that waddled up to watch us paint!

Allison, who feels no fear of canvases or colour or creativity, gave us some extremely useful advice.

"Rather than picking something to paint, see if you can tune into a feeling, or shapes or colours, or ideas… and try to use that to guide what comes off your brush onto the canvas. If you try to reproduce something literal, then every brush mark will be "wrong" because you feel like you can't represent what you see well enough."

I think it was fantastic advice for beginners.

So we pulled out our paints and let our brushes do their thing.

I found a beret in a bag of clothes in my car that I was going to give to my nieces. So of course I had to wear it!

Plus it kept my head warm. Damn it was cold!

You know what Chelsea's vibrant painting reminds me of? The tail lights of cars around you at night when you're driving in the rain.

Shaylee took the tactile approach and finger painted her vivid masterpiece.

Depending on the way you turn it, I think it looks like falling flames or falling water.

Allison paints at high speed and I reckon you can see this movement in her painting, like a sunset rushing by on a moving train.

I really love her use of colour. I would hang this in my bedroom. I think it's a bedroom painting.

Painting with a canvas down flat is kind of hard!

So is using paintbrushes from The Reject Shop!

I know a poor tradesman blames his tools, but look! Ugh. Old toothbrushes would have been more useful.

All my paints and stuff are somewhere in storage, and I refused to buy a third lot, so went el cheapo cheapo route.

But I did manage to produce something I'm actually not too displeased with for my first ever attempt. I wouldn't hang it on my wall, but I wouldn't burn it either.

I can only imagine the joy of painting with proper brushes that glide along a canvas rather than scratch across it. My fear of painting is totally gone and now I would love to take some art classes.

I want to learn more and more. Different techniques, styles, influences, creating light and shade… more, more, more!

The painting bug is well and truly caught.

Have you ever taken art classes in Melbourne? Any recommendations would be gratefully received

***

It was so much fun painting with a small group of women, all tapping into their creative selves, getting lost in the zone, chatting and offering up some womanly wisdom.

Finding a new outlet for creativity is a wonderful thing. Thank you, Alison

xx Kiki

*(Just start typing. Whatever pops into your head, whatever nonsensical rubbish, ignore the voice telling you it's carp and keep typing. It will start to flow. Remember, you can always go back and edit. Type first, edit last.)

You may also like: