Sit-down or stand-up to paint?

[Marta Prime]

Couldn't resist this subject!

I paint sitting down. I do get up and walk around and view my work from a distance at intervals. I don't seem to have as much control over the paint brush standing up. I'm un-coordianted to say the least. For some reason, if I stand in one place too long, I get light headed. I can walk, or sit, but standing really gets to me. Since my eyesight is so bad, I wear a contact lens, but have to wear reading glasses to see up close.

This brings me to another concern I've been thinking about. Whenever I consider taking a workshop, my greatest fear is trying to paint standing up with the other students. Not, how my work will be viewed by others, or if I will fit in, but how will I look if I sit when everyone else is standing? Or what if I get one of those teachers that insist I must stand if I am to paint properly and I can't do it? Can't you just see it? I pass out and all the artists and their easels go down like dominos! Eeeeek!

[Carl Toboika]

Since I HAD to spend 30 years painting standing up (actually wings would have been more useful), I now paint sitting down whenever it's practical.

There are some times when standing is more helpful, so I do both (not on the same painting), depending.

Administrator's Note: Carl was a billboard painter.

[SB Wang]

When standing, you will use the strength of whole body.

Chinese painters, are sometimes in a crawling pose, paper is on the floor. Still more comfortable than Michaelangelo. Or you can stand on the shoulder of me, no, no, not me but a giant.

Standing, use the full strength,
Standing too long will hurt,
Sitting and standing, yin and yang,
Balance well, you will be standout and stay young!

[Tom Edgerton]

I try not to sit.

I heard Nelson Shanks say one time to "paint from the balls of your feet." Made sense to me.

Also let's not forget the terrific advice from the inimitable Muhammed Ali: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

Sounds like painting.

[Jean Kelly]

Hi all,

I have to use them all. Sit, stand, lean, tall stool, short chair, lay down, sit on exercise ball for awhile, walk around the table add some paint, do it again. Back pain is a bummer. Makes workshops or school almost impossible. But, I'm doing it, not complaining, and thank God everyday for the opportunity to do it again.

Jean

[Karin Wells]

Jean: I like your attitude - it isn't so much how you paint, you simply paint any way you can. And that is really the heart of the matter. Thanks.

[Kent Curole]

I actually stand and sit equally. I do all my rough stuff standing and a little detail. Most of my detail is done sitting unless it is very high on the canvas and my painting is as low as it will go.

Kent