I’ve found that I tend to paint in increments of 4 to 6 hours at a time. With my newest body of work, however, I decided to do something different: I started to limit myself to 2 to 3 hours per day. I discovered that this focused me, and allowed me to push my work in some exciting new directions.
Do you like to work in short or long bursts? Or do you find it changes? I’d love to know.
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Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
Join me and artists from all over the world in our Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group or learn more here about Art2Life.
Short motivated times where things just happens. Often inspired by something that grabs my mind and my hand. Living in the inspired moments of living…… no quotas or time lines or have to’s. And, no over analyzing…..”gut” art or emotional or intuitive or simple doodling. Doodles make me happy…… justforthefunofit……
I never know how long I will work unless I have to be somewhere at a certain time .
Most of the time I paint for at least 4 hours . Sometimes more and sometimes less.
It depends how involved the painting is .
I found that I have been painting for about 2 hours max at a time myself. Interesting thing about where we live now, Camano Island, WA, is paint doesn’t dry real fast, humid. We lived in the mountains of Colorado before and everything dried immediately. Now I have to let some parts dry before I can move on so I walk away a lot more and give it time. So where you live can effect how you paint.
Thank you so much for this. I am going to try it out. I think you might have hit upon something new! Crossfit Art!
During the later part of this course…probably the last several weeks… I decided only way to do my art was to reward myself for getting my dreaded chores done, like paperwork and housework. That pushes my art time into the afternoon. I am thus limited by the daylight hours left, because I prefer to paint during the daylight. My painting area faces the northeast. So I’ll probably end up painting for 2 to 3 hours. But I will go longer if I’m “on a roll”. During the week days I’m more limited because I have to be done/cleaned up before 3:30 pm in order to get my grandsons from the bus and then help them with homework until their dad comes and gets them or I take them to their place. It has made me more efficient in my life – thus it is definitely Art2Life.
I really like this idea because I was having trouble getting into the studio daily. I have a clinic practice where I start seeing clients at noon and end around 7pm…with breaks in between. I’ve tried to limit my studio time to 2 – 3 hours but seem to get over focused on one painting. When I do move faster as you suggested, I AM more productive. More action; less thinking. I do find however I need about 30 minutes to ‘warm up’ in various ways…sitting and looking while I have coffee, get quiet inside…then resetting my work spaces, deciding what I’m going to focus on…then dive in. I find if I do that, I arrive at a natural stopping point at around (yes!) about 2-3 hours. If I have a whole day, I’ll stop and go to lunch, come back and do maybe another hour or two, then head out.
I do ‘dreaded’ chores once a week,sometimes twice. I plan to do some of those in the early a.m. and some in the late p.m. rewarding myself with a relaxing evening. Glad you addressed this Nick as I, along with others I think, struggle with this.
I am going to get myself a timer, put it on the wall and try this! I often find myself pacing the floor, spending too much time in the studio making small changes on the paintings and not going for it, so I think this will force me to be more bold and productive. Thanks Nick!
This idea of working regularly and shorter bursts and working on multiple pieces at a time (that i’ve recently learned from you, Nick) has made a huge difference for me in terms of not feeling so daunted by the finished product and not feeling a stress that i have to have big chunks of time to do my painting. We don’t tend to think we have to have the best workout every time we do it. And i have more of that feeling when i’m painting. Just show up and know you’ll be back the next day (without sore muscles 🙂 Thanks for sharing this. In fact, i first discovered you as a painter / teacher by a short video that a friend shared on FB where you mentioned that it was more powerful for you to work short and regularly and that really stuck with me then.
Short! I work in exactly this way, but with even shorter blocks of time. I work a full-time job, and I’m amazed at how quickly a painting comes together with just five minutes in the morning and 45 in the evening. You’re exactly right; I feel much more fresh working this way, with the added bonus of thinking about a piece throughout the day and, if I’m stuck, I’ll often get a flash of inspiration at work, and then go home and implement it. I’ve definitely seen an improvement in my painting by working this way, and I’m entering my first solo exhibit with much more confidence! And I completely agree with you about other aspects of life that need to be tended to, and working this way allows me to do those things. It always used to feel too much like work when I’d feel I had to squeeze in five or six hours a day on the weekends, but now I’m enjoying painting so much more. Love your quick videos, and congratulations on your successes as an artist!
I use a timer for other things like clearing my desk, filing, various household chores but never had thought of setting the timer for painting. I find that I naturally work steadily for around two hours and then slow down but I now I realize there’s good value in setting the timer and going all out for a couple of hours, giving it my best shot, and then returning to repeat the same process another time. Ready: plan a bit. Set: the timer. Go: paint.
My schedule gives me about 2 1/2 hours to paint on weekdays and I find myself wanting more. But on the weekends, when I have more time, my mind starts wandering off after about 4 hours. I think my magic time is 3-4 hours for good, productive work.
I’m discovering that shorter painting sessions is producing much better results in many ways. Previously I always thought I needed the 4-6 hours of free time to work on painting. When I couldn’t make that kind of in my day to day life, I wouldn’t paint at all; then I would get frustrated that I didn’t ‘have enough time’ in my life to focus on painting. Now I’m learning that I can still make a lot of progress in only a 1-2 hour painting session. This can fit in my day to day schedule easily. I don’t have to wait for the weekend to paint. Even on the weekends other commitments usually creep in hampering my painting time. Painting 1-2 hours a day during most of the week is actually yielding more time to paint then waiting for a hunk of free time during the weekend. Besides, I now notice that by the 1.5- 2 hour mark, my focus starts to wane, I start to over think things, the painting process isn’t so fresh, I start to get frustrated. Previously I thought I just need to push through this ‘painting fatigue’; but as I would do this, I typically would just get more frustrated, more fatigued and then just get put off by this whole painting endeavor. I have contemplated many many times to give up painting all together since it always seemed to create frustration in the end. Having shorter studio time relieves the stress of trying to fit bigger chunks of time for painting in my busy life and shorter studio time keeps my mind fresh and excited with each painting session. I can avoid the ‘painting fatigue’ simply by stop painting before it gets to that point, and then come back when I can refreshed. What I’ve learned through Nick in the Art2Life program has been a life changer for me!
I am there and it is not a good place. That frustrated over thinking just trying so hard to push through the fatigue and trusting that I will have a break through and getting frustrated that it hasn’t happened and thinking I should just give up but no I’m not quitting I certainly won’t get better if I don’t paint any more so I keep making myself toil for hours and hours…..this all sounds so ludicrous to me now. What a relief to be given permission, encouragement really, to paint for only 2 hours. Or less!
While I don’t work on multiple paintings at once, I usually never work more than two hours at a time.
Wonderful post! I, too, find that switching between paintings in a concentrated session is a great way to stay in flow. I don’t get stuck so much, because when I turn back to something I had worked on for a while after switching, I get fresh inspiration.
I’m retired and you’d think I’d have vast amounts of time. Yet I still find it hard to set aside half a day for art, given all the other things I do. This idea of deliberately keeping sessions short will definitely help art fit in better. That alone will reduce the anxiety in the studio that now, having carved out the time, I’d better produce a masterpiece worthy of the time. I’m also looking forward to trying working on multiple pieces at a time, hoping it will make each piece less ‘precious’ and allow me to take risks.
By the way, LOVE this new piece you’ve got. It’s unified in a way I hadn’t seen in your recent work. And clearly demonstrates your loud/soft conversation advice.
I definitely prefer to work in short periods of time. Some days, it is only 30 minutes, and other days up to 2 hours, but rarely more than 2 hours in a row. Most of the time, I do 2 or 3 short painting sessions throughout the day depending of the project and time available. That way, I keep fresh eyes and don’t get too obsess by the current work. Having my art studio at home helps me to make it easy to adopt that creative rhythm.
I also like to work alternatively with different mediums and projects.
I feel the same, I can get so much done on my canvases because I only have 1 – 1.5 hours available a day. Yay!
After about 3 hours, I am toast, but I want to continue painting. I do think that I make some of my best mistakes after 3 hours:-)
Thanks for this today. I spent 7 hours painting the other day and was too wiped out after. Instead of working to depletion I’m going to try 2-1/2 hours as my time and set a timer.
good advice, once again! Im going to give this a try….set a clock seems like a good idea. If I paint too long I overpaint and get too fatigued, which shows in the work.
btw: I saw your show at Caldwell Snyder before your opening….it looks great! Sorry to miss the opening…but I guess I was to fried from painting too long!! Ha! Rock on!
I get totally lost in a time bubble and sometimes the painting gets lost too – I think shorter bursts would make more sense – I might try a timer tomorrow. Tonight during my second studio visit I painted until the paint I had put on the palette was finished without adding more – that was about 2 hours only and i still managed to over -think and over-paint
I find it best to paint for about half an hour. Then leave it where I can see it. Sometimes it evolves into something totally different to what I first emagined. No rules. Very relaxing for me
I find I get exhausted if I work for more than 2 hrs. Having 2 paintings seems to help that but I really need to step away or thing fall apart.
With my age ( 72 ) and parkinsonis I’m limited to an hour or two.
My experience is that painting a couple of hours every day (at least 5 days a week) gets a flow going and also gives me fresh eyes, keeps me connected to my work, and allows greater possibilities and less mind chatter in. There are those days when I am so jazzed and excited and inspired or really feeling like a painting is “calling me” and then I will work as much as is needed.
Absolutely makes sense to me. I used to think I had to set 3-5 hours to paint or not at all but my life is hectic (as so many other peoples lives) and I found myself getting frustrated when I couldn’t make that time for the studio. Now I go in there for whatever length of time I have. Sometimes it’s just 20 minutes. Ideally 1-2 hours to really get somewhere. I have also started setting time every morning for some writing about my work, ideas, text to incorporate into my work or reading essays of other artists I enjoy. This helps me set the tone for the rest of the day. I really believe that it is not the amount of time spent in the studio but the consistency that matters the most. Every day even if all I have time for is to just sit in my chair and look at what is on the wall. Feeling that connection to my work and my studio that is what counts. That’s my perspective anyhow.
My work is collage so I find that I spend more time at the very beginning on a couple of pieces, layout and choice etc, plus taking photos of each piece once happy with composition. Then glue on another day for a couple of hours at a time. I like to have a balance of life and art, this keeps me happy and sane…
I find shorter painting sessions are perfect -1-3 hours. And I use my timer on my iphone set to 30mins. It surprises me how much I can get done in 30mins. I teach kids grades 5-7 and they have 5 – one hour sessions. I set the timer for them for 15 mins and I call it out as 15 mins has passed – that they have 45 more minutes then 30 etc. They always finish their acrylic 12×16 in. paintings – in 5 one hour sessions. It’s amazing. Since it works for me, I thought I would try it on them, it relieves the pressure and when you hear you have 45 more minutes you say Wow! I’ve done a lot. I also set a timer when I don’t want to do something, like taxes, when I have to do paperwork, clear/clean up – I just set the timer for 10,15 or 30 mins and choose whether to do another set after the timer goes off.
Brilliant idea , esp about chores one dreads and avoids and dawdles over
Love it. Going to try it. Thanks!
Hi Nicholas,
Thank you for this very liberating concept of the shorter work time. After your previous blog about focus, where you mentioned the 1-2 hour window, I started to incorporate that practice. It did two things: 1. It made it possible to work more often (rather than waiting for a larger time block to open up; and 2. I found that I lost focus and grew tired at that 2 hour mark.
One thought for an upcoming blog. I’d like to see your whole studio. The pan you did to the clock in this video teased us into wanting to see the whole studio. I would also like to know how you you put your paintings on the wall to work on them.
Ditto for me — I am always curious about how other artists organize their work spaces.
Hi Nick, I just want to offer your followers a tip if they are looking for a timer that will give you an alert at set intervals. Its called “Insight” and is a meditation app. You can set the whole time, 2 hrs, and then set it to ring a bell every 30 minutes, for instance.
I don’t watch the clock but I do know that the less I stress over my painting I’m more satisfied with my work . I like how you mentioned that when you paint less time it makes you be more bold and stronger strokes. You don’t mess around. I’m a fast painter (mostly) and The less time I spend the more bold I am.
I’m thankful for your video clips. Thanks
It’s good to hear this, Nick: I paint 3 hours (5 to 6 days a week), sometimes a little more, or a little less. I hear about artists who paint 6 to 8 hours a day, perhaps in 2 sessions, not for me. I’m also need time to do enjoyable things out of the studio, so I like the daily sessions I’ve created and for now intend to keep it that way. I don’t want to burn out either.
I definitely paint in shorter sessions more now than ever as I get older. I have a short attention span too. I like to mutli-task and keep what I’m working on in view. The conversation is more obvious if I’m not giving the painting my undivided attention.
I like that phrase ‘don’t waste time doing timid things’- that one goes up on the wall!
It was the sharing of this blog that finally got me to ask Ferris how to join the blog discussions. I was overjoyed to see this. I seem never to have more than two hours clear in any one day. My studio is in the house which is a boon and a distraction. We live in a very open way having run an art centre from my house- for the last 15 years and upwards of two hundred people per week would come through. Old habits die hard and some people just cant quite leave, post my retirement last year, so i share the studio on at least two mornings a week.I love this of course but find I need aloneness to really get into painting . So I use those group mornings to prepare boards , and I can play ok then,share direction etc , but risk taking is a bit inhibited in public !!.So to answer the question , I like short bursts, alone …that is all i can find in my continuing very busy days. I need to try and make my short bursts a bit longer .Two hours could be achievable with a bit more discipline.I really feel encouraged that this is enough to be a serious painter!
I so relate to what you’re saying Nicholas. I feel that I need to spend 6 hours a day painting or I’m not painting enough to get good. But I feel like you’ve given me permission to let 2 hours be just fine, in fact it may even be better. Rather than spending so much time going back and forth and over and over and losing objectivity and doing timid things I am going to limit my time and get at it! I think many of us work better with a deadline. I know I work better under pressure. Or is that faster? Is faster better? Maybe sometimes in art making! Two hour chunks might be just the ticket to more fun and satisfaction in my work. I think this is really going to be good for me. Thanks Nicholas!
I’m going to give tis a try…..sounds good to me!!!