Many instructors often start class with quick warm up exercises meant to loosen one up before starting to work with more serious intent and focus on a painting, quite similarly to physically warming up in a gym class before the tempo speeds up.
I find such exercises very helpful. They indeed physically loosen up my wrists, fingers, neck and elbow. Moreover, they mentally loosen me up too. I feel freer to experiment as I am less judgmental, less self-aware and tense; after all, these are only exercises, not the “real stuff”! The exercises are usually fun and playful. They lift my spirit, and I enjoy losing myself in the releasing energy of being able to let go. From these warm up exercises I go back to my easel refreshed and relaxed as if I had just meditated.
Another kind of warm up mode for me, is what I call the ritual of setting-up. I try to do this mindfully with the reverence that is called for in art. I imagine that my easel is an altar that I am about to dress up for a ceremony; my gestures being purposeful and never rushed.
I stand up with good posture and begin. I first chose my colors which I always arrange in the same order on my palette. I carefully handle my brushes as if they were ceremonial candles, I select my palette knives and display them on a small table next to me…etc. I set up with the same concerted effort each time in slow ritualistic motions not thinking about the painting ahead but rather weighing each gesture one at the time. This too is very meditative to me. It clears my mind.
Whether one begins with warm up exercises or some other activity, I believe transition time is of utmost importance. All too often we seem to rush from one activity into another without any time to recalibrate and adjust. When I find myself caught in such a hectic mode, I feel out of sorts and have a harder time focusing as if I were out of sync; my rhythm is off and my creativity blocked.
Finally to come back to warm up exercises, on occasion I have surprised myself, indeed what started as a simple warm up exercise has turned into a sophisticated painting.
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| Boston Angel, 19×20 Acrylic on paper |