Studio Diary - June 2022

Charlotte Wensley
Jun 15, 2022
5 min read

Updated: May 27

This month I've been reflecting on what 'failure' means to my arts practice and how embracing the things that go wrong can lead to new and unexpected discoveries.

Yes, my paintings fail! But it's happened so often over the years that I've developed ways to move them past that stage.

Every painting I make is filled with tipping points that could see the work descend into outright failure (the throw it in the bin sort) or move into a new, exciting and previously undiscovered place.

But what makes the difference between a painting that fails and one that ends up being successful?

For me it's about having taken that painting on a journey of risk, experimentation, and discovery which naturally encompasses failures at various times.

I think as artists we sometimes feel that every time we show up in the studio we should be able to make measurable and obvious progress towards a fantastic and finished artwork, without a backward step.

The reality is that so much studio time is spent in that experimental phase, which is by it's very nature is full of opportunities to fail. If we weren't prepared to accept that risk of failure we wouldn't try anything new, we'd just exist in a safe zone where we know we can create a finished painting if we just follow a formula.

But the wonderful thing about failure is that it opens the door to new learning opportunities and it helps build creative resilience if we can take a moment to reflect and ask, why?

Why does that seem to me like a failure?

Why does my colour choice not work?

Why did my planned process not work out the way I thought it would?

Why does that line look awkward?

Why does the balance look off?

Why is my eye drawn to this area when I don't want it to be?

Why is this not working for me?

And then, perhaps more importantly it's essential to ask:

What do I want to do about it and how can I make a change to fix it?

I'll let you in on a secret. Last week I spent all day - yes 8 hours, moving bits of collage paper around on one of my current paintings. And by the end of the day I still hadn't stuck a single piece down! To a non-artist this might seem like a dreadful waste of time. But do you know what? By the end of the day new lines of inquiry had surfaced and I felt like I had taken this painting on an important and necessary journey. If I can progress and refine my ideas by testing processes or concepts that fail here and there, then that's what success looks like for me.

No experience is ever wasted and by looking at failure not as an end point but as an open door to a new learning opportunity, we can move past the point of frustration when things don't go according to plan and choose any number of available pathways to move forward and our work will be all the richer for it.

If you're with me on Instagram you'll know that I've recently been following some prompts to let loose and try new things from Louise Fletcher's 'Find Your Joy' taster course.

It included lots of thought provoking exercises, including ways to play with paint and create opportunities for random discoveries. So I have literally thrown paint at the wall, delved into the murky world of browns, orchestrated a failed painting session and made work within such strict limitations that creating anything seemed impossible!

The main purpose of these exercises was to tune into the feelings that arose during the making process, rather than focus the physical outcomes in terms of the artwork that emerged (though this was interesting!). Lots of revelations surfaced for me about what I enjoy most about making my work and what I am pursuing in my paintings.

I documented my process and artworks in a series of short videos which you can watch below. Or if you'd like to know more, you can dip into my blog to read more about each of the exercises, the learnings I took away from them and follow the links to these videos and Louise Fletcher's art from there.

I'm thrilled to have made it into the Lethbridge 20000 Art Award online 'Salon De Refuses' exhibition this year with my painting 'Dream Machine'. You can call in to see the gallery exhibition (June 10-18) at 136 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington in Brisbane.

I've entered three original postcard pieces into the not-for-profit Incognito Art Show, which will be held on Saturday 18th June at 2 Lacey St, Surry Hills in Sydney. This wonderful initiative managed to donate $70,000 last year to Studio A, an arts company that provides professional development for artists with intellectual disabilities, through the sale of these donated works. More than 1300 creatives from around Australia are taking part, including many well known artists. Artworks are sold on a first come first served basis on the day, at the show, for just $100 each. The twist being that the artist remains anonymous until the piece is sold!

abstract paper collage banner in multicolours

And finally, I'm looking forward to hanging my Curiosity Series at Yandina Art & Framing on June 14th for 6 weeks. Such a beautiful space in a lovely old heritage building in the heart of Yandina on the Sunshine Coast. It's lovely to have the support of Creative Director Alice Graham in showing these pieces, who is herself an artist with a passion for beautifully loose and energetic colourful paintings!

So, until next time, if the door of failure opens for you, be bold and step through, success could be just on the other side!