There should be more days when we allow ourselves just one goal: create something. I’ve recently had the opportunity to spend time in the Front Street studios, working and painting alongside renowned artist, Mike Elsass. Mike’s Dayton gallery, “The Color of Energy,” and countless others from Sedona to Chicago showcase his vibrant body of art –a unique combination of acrylic on rusted steel– that is rich in color, depth, motion, and texture.
Painting with Mike was an escape from the ordinary, from routine. Painting allowed me to simply create.
After rolling up the sleeves of my white tuxedo shirt provided by Mike (a quirky alternative to the traditional smock), I experienced the creative process in various stages. From the very beginning when the sheets of steel were treated with vinegar and sand, covered in plastic and left to corrode, to the process of applying color and texture, layer after layer. “There are no mistakes,” being the only rule. Experimenting with different colors, sand, powders, brushes, and rollers, I became more comfortable and I settled into the work, which became meditative and therapeutic.
As I worked, I realized that, like life, creating art is a process. I couldn’t expect perfection from the get-go and I didn’t necessarily know where I was headed. There were times when I felt like I’d made mistakes, but the beauty of the process allowed me to keep going, over and over, until it felt right. Sometimes I asked for guidance, and other times I dug through the bucket of acrylics, picked one, and went back to it.
A little paint here, a little copper dust there, a few more brushstrokes here…now, how about some chalk? I followed my whims, I watched and learned, I eventually found comfort in the reassurance of knowing “there are no mistakes.” And when all was said and done, the result was a beautiful collaborative effort– perfect in its imperfection.