Bill's hands as brushes

I am very grateful that my mixed media art teacher, Bill Buchman 
has always allowed, or rather encouraged me to take photos and even videos during class. The video I linked to has almost 7,000 views! 
It shares Bill’s class demo of painting the enso circle, which is a meditative process that develops your ability to control the brush. The enso circle is done in one movement and it is a direct approach that comes straight from the heart. Watching it again, I see it is also a performance, just like Bill talked about in class today.
 
“Doing a painting is a performance.”
 
“The biggest hindrance is that you want to make something GOOD. The unnecessary pressure you put upon yourself is not helpful. The nerves are going to be there, so the best thing to do is do your homework. Study and be the best prepared you can be. The bottom line is that doing the exercises is a performance. Being focused on the final product is a killer. The techniques in the exercises are designed so you cannot do that. Performance training is where you repeat the process often enough so you can do it.”

This philosophy can apply to many things, not just painting.
Bill talks for much of the 2-1/2 hour class and I always come away with pages of notes I've scribbled in a large notebook. Many of these things stick with me. Bill also demos the exercise he wants us to start in class and finish later and do more of at home. It is a really good system for me. Today I felt I was finally “getting” what he has been teaching us about how to go about doing the exercises. He wants us to react to what we put down on the page, to respond to it. I think I am getting back in the groove again and it feels good!
 
Thanks for all the kind words, stars and hearts for my blue heron visitor. I did take care of myself with rest, water and hot tea - this chased my small cold right off! Thanks for your good wishes, they certainly helped too!!