Almost every summer the aquarellistas at least once do the 'Swapping Exercise'. It goes like this: everyone starts a painting. The background of a painting.
Be free, try stuff out, make it wet-in-wet, and keep
some white... If you are happy, put it on the table to let it dry - and
pick someone else's background to go on with.
If you are done, and not
yet happy, put it on the table again - for someone else...
The
good thing about this exercise is that it makes you free: it doesn't
matter if things go wrong, someone else will probably see something in
it, and the result-pressure is not so heavy anyway, as you share
responsibility with the others.
Also, looking at someone's background
painting and see what it means to you and how it will inspire you,
requires imagination.
As you can see, the final works are pretty
interesting! All more or less abstract - but with recognizable shapes...Look at the variation!
...a truly fabulous painting...
...a furry one...
...a fantastic landscape...
...an interesting architectural composition...
...a completely 'normal' bouquet (based on a background with geometrical shapes)...
...a true abstract, with interesting details...
...and last but not least this hilariously funny picture...
