Don't Give Up on Messy Art - Keep Going!

Do you ever get stuck when your art hits an ugly or messy phase of the creative process? Is it difficult for you to push past these (perceived) set backs to end up with a successful painting/collage at the end of the day? Me too. In this video, I demonstrate how to keep going through the mess to end up with something that feels good. Don't let the time lapse fool you - this took a few hours and there was a 3-4 week gap in the middle!
I kept going for 2 main reasons: (1) to get practice turning the project around and (2) to prove a point: the more practice we have turning things around, the less scary it becomes when we find ourselves in a rough spot. Once we get used to these rough spots being a normal part of our creative process, they become a problem to solve which is often a fun, satisfying part of the process.
Materials used:
Canson mixed media sketchbook - (amzn.to/3PH0Dzc)
Collage paper (including paper made with stencils from pmartiststudio...)
Acrylic paint
Pencils
China marker - (amzn.to/3PEYdki)
Color shapers - (amzn.to/3NEflnE)
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Comments, questions, and shares are always welcome and appreciated - Thank you for watching!
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Website: www.jackiescho...
Share this video: • Don't Give Up on Messy...

[@Marla-wu2dp]

Loved watching this and how you always end up with something beautifully crafted. Thank you for being such a great example of patience as you do art.

[@donnaer]

I am trying to get beyond the preciousness of first layers. Watching you push through is very helpful in demonstrating that complexity is a result of some hidden layers peaking through.

[@jackieschomburgart]

I'm so glad you found it helpful! ❤️❤️❤️

[@cristinediaz5635]

I’m so amazed how your work transitions. Just when I think it’s perfect you change it and I wonder, why?? But…I’m beginning to appreciate the process and realize that it’s all up to the artist and to finally end (at least for the moment) on a final product that achieves your sense of ‘finished’. Thank you for the freedom to keep experimenting.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thanks Cristine! Yes, it’s all in the eye/heart of the artist. Whenever you say your art is done, it’s done! 🤗 I find it’s usually helpful for me to not show anyone my art until I’ve decided it’s done, so that I’m not swayed by other people’s opinions ☺️

[@patsevigny-higgins3778]

Live right one felt like more trial and tribulation went not , to arrive bat that. The left I felt little you Almst had it but extreme right here g circle needed color balance!! I love the fearless ok this large print black and white is going down!!! You are real!

[@jackieschomburgart]

❤️❤️❤️

[@claregadsby8512]

thank you so much for this jackie! it is soooo encouraging to see an artist with your talents having moments of doubt, needing to push on through, dealing with moves that we decide we don't like ... in such a light and human way. i am loving all your videos!

[@jackieschomburgart]

That's so nice to hear - Thank you Clare! ❤️❤️❤️

[@n.c.467]

I love watching this process, Jackie! It proves to me that the most exciting thing about collage is that it's never over until it's over. And then it's still not over LOL! I love how fluid and flexible this process can be. Thanks for sharing!

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thanks so much! ❤️❤️❤️

[@jenniferglover6417]

OMG....I need to stop with the comments! Just hearing your reaction LOL, to the fact that you keep going! It truly just made me think someone needs to make a horror movie around and artist that just WON'T stop when they are ahead. All of us who understand this pain would be cringing and critiquing the whole way!! It should be called Sketchbook...with the tag line, "will the artist walk away before destroying her piece....will she escape with her piece intact, watch to find out! LOL

[@jackieschomburgart]

😂😂😂 I’d be on the edge of my seat for sure! 😂😂😂

[@shaunnalyons4436]

They turned out great. Especially love the one with round shapes but I would. Turquoise can be a difficult color to work with when their isn’t a red along for the ride. 😊

[@jackieschomburgart]

❤️

[@frankohlmeier8927]

I just love your commentary! So inspiring! This one is helping me work thru the “ugly” in my unfinished collage….!

[@jackieschomburgart]

❤️❤️❤️

[@patriciaclaxton8480]

I absolutely love this! Watching you create always gets me excited to "play"! Makes my heart happy!

[@jackieschomburgart]

Yay! I'm so glad! ❤️❤️❤️

[@cynthiathomas262]

i'm usually happier with 3 colors; only 2 colors is not enough for me.

[@jackieschomburgart]

It’s great that you’re noticing your preferences with color! ❤️❤️❤️

[@pamelajohansen882]

I subscribed to your channel because of your struggle with these two pieces. It was so real and what i went through myself today. The one on the left is brilliant and it was my least favorite. The one you worked on the right just never made it i felt. It always kept a frantic feel to it. Thank you so much for your realism and fortitude

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Pamela! I’m so glad this video resonated with you ❤️ Happy to have you as part of this community!

[@corinnef.9324]

Je suis tellement d’accord avec vous! C’est quand on n’a rien à perdre que l’on est peut être le plus créatif et que l’on ose davantage. 😊mes plus belles pièces sont la suite de démarrage « gachis » je confirme …. J’aime vos 1000 idées pour rebondir et avancer dans votre travail. Merci à vous

[@jackieschomburgart]

Yes yes yes! ❤️❤️❤️

[@CJoyArt]

Beautiful Jackie. As a teacher I love that you speak your thoughts to us. (Did you know that's called metacognition?) It's so helpful to hear your process and not just to watch it. Thanks for always sharing your generous content!

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you so much!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@treezydcm]

You always amaze me and inspire me. Loved the start and the end result, and how you got entangled and then untangled everything.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you, Treezy! ❤️❤️❤️

[@jlm517rocks]

Dittos to all commentors...love yr bold moves, colors, & marks contrasting yr smooth voiceover...another winner. Ty. p.s. ii no longer permit nefarious thoughts abt feeling like a fraud when imitating artistic processes ii love, to dissuade me from inspired efforts. seems 'Jackie made it' is worth everyone's attention...insert '________[name] made it' confirms how influential you are.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you! ❤️ Can you tell me more about your comments in the “p.s” - I’m not sure I understand what you mean, but I’d like to. I don’t remember saying that someone should feel like a fraud if they imitate another artist’s process. I often say that it feels best when one makes the kind of art that only they can make - when your own unique art comes out onto the paper/canvas. If that’s what I said here, I meant no judgement against those who imitate others - it’s all part of the process of finding your own style (providing you’re not trying to pass copied art off as your own without crediting the original artist, of course). ❤️

[@patriciadistefano7467]

That's what I love so much about collage. You keep working until you love your pages; no matter the time or layers. Beautiful pages!

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️

[@liannejohnson5491]

I'm just at the beginning but I laughed when you said you thought the colour might be a little 'baby boy'. I did a grid journal page the other day and was trying to use some non-habitual colours. I had a lot of fun with it over a few days and when I took the tape off I looked and the first thing that popped into my head was OMG it looks like a bizarre gender reveal painting for fraternal twins! 🤣 How did I not see that??? LOL, I obviously need more experience adding white to my purples and blues...

[@jackieschomburgart]

Haha! Love it! ❤️

[@xVentax]

Amazing! What a rollercoaster ride - it’s great, leave it alo. . . Oh, ok, more paint, that might work. Ermmm . . . And then - magically a great piece. If I was doing it, there were a number of occasions it would have been in the bin. ☺️

[@jackieschomburgart]

😆😆😆 Thanks for coming along the ride with me ❤️❤️❤️

[@ruthbarker6723]

Love both of those pieces Jackie ❤️

[@CathSheard]

The final pieces look like your work. I think the very limited colours at the start didn’t feel like you, and I could see you struggling. Watching you work around those new collage papers was hilarious! Thanks for sharing, as always.

[@jackieschomburgart]

😆😆😆 Thanks for watching!

[@grm65]

Those pieces are mesmerizing!

[@jackieschomburgart]

Totally agree! Mesmerizing indeed! 😍✨

[@evalindstein3837]

Beautiful👌👏❤️. As always it ends up successfully even when it looks messy and like - hmmm 🤔 - in the beginning 😊. Love your process 🙂

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you so much! ❤️

[@lisamolcher1534]

I thought there was no saving them hahaha But you successfully succeeded with the gold toward the end, they are lovely 😍

[@jackieschomburgart]

Haha! Thank you! ❤️

[@susanbilyeu22]

LOVE and, yes....

[@jackieschomburgart]

❤️❤️❤️

[@megperry5586]

I appreciate you sharing your thought process. This was very helpful. I actually thought that artists had a plan and sat down and did it knowing exactly what they were going to do next per the plan. I love your definition of what an artist is. I am learning to just jump in and keep going and enjoy the process. I sometimes like the result but I do love being in that moment.

[@jackieschomburgart]

I’m so glad it was helpful - when I realized that other artists figured it out as they went along it was a HUGE perspective shift for me that helped me have more confidence in my own experimentation and trusting my own process - I hope it does exactly that for you too! ❤️❤️❤️

[@klondike32258]

Love these pieces. I'm new to your channel as of tonight but your process is so interesting and creative and I loved watching the metamorphosis. I'm subscribed and will be tuning in often.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you, Anne! ❤️ That’s so nice to hear and I’m glad to have you watching! ☺️

[@allthumbs3792]

This was a GREAT video and YES more please! Any thing you do is so really helpful to a beginner like me, a 'non-artist' trying to relax and enjoy a new hobby. I liked both paintings and especially your post production comments about your process. I noticed what seems to be a 'wet palatte' for your paint. Self made? LOVE your channel! MORE always appreciated.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Hi! Thanks so much! Yes, the wet palette is homemade and fashioned after the same one Louise Fletcher and Nicholas Wilton use. It helps me save a ton of paint that otherwise would have dried up!

[@allthumbs3792]

@@jackieschomburgart Thanks for the palette info! I decided to order the small Masterson type.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Great! Let me know how you like it!

[@harmonyscreations3289]

That's beautiful - love the shapes and the colors

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you so much! ❤️

[@franziskawollke6528]

it's a great process and it shows one's art in a brilliant way..i love it By Franziska aus Duisburg/Germany

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️

[@tiamat3121]

Wonderful way to explain layers!❤️🙏❤️

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you so much! ❤️❤️❤️

[@deborahneumann9162]

REMARKABLE!!!

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you, Deborah! ❤️

[@cynthiathomas262]

i learned a;ot from this video. the pieces are different from your usual but still very effective.

[@jackieschomburgart]

So glad you found it helpful! ❤️❤️❤️

[@gailaroonie]

❤

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thanks so much for watching! ❤️

[@judithchiasson8554]

these turned out very attractively and i think look like your work. regarding your starting palette being too limited... i think turquoise and white are a pretty final practically unmodifiable frosty combo!! : D as in really chilly!! : D but hey, its July! maybe that was needed! : D

[@jackieschomburgart]

Haha! I definitely needed the frosty colors - it’s hot over here! 🥵😆

[@cynthiathomas262]

yes, they look like you made them. i really like them!

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you so much, Cynthia! ❤️

[@bohahnfeld9212]

Love all your videos! Thank you!🌸🌸🌸

[@jackieschomburgart]

❤️❤️❤️

[@jenniferglover6417]

Hello! Always exciting to see a new post to watch! I am just thinking out loud about some of your comments. I love the choice of colors! But I wonder if you had started with black then were adding to blue and orange if it would have felt less mostly blue?? (BTW I am not critiquing at all...but I like to think along in these things...helps me get ideas too!) I SOOOOO get what you are saying about being precious with one, spot! Ugh. That is a touch one to get around for me! Also my recent biggest issues is that I just keep going with the brush!! UGH! In my head I am thinking ok just one more swipe, stroke etc...then it's another...on and on. I ALWAYS regret it. Why can I NOT put down the brush?!?! I am thinking of trying timed events so there it an end time that I have to stop at. Even for just a bit of time. This is my current hardest issue.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thanks so much for watching! ❤️ Interesting thought about the black background - it would have felt different for sure.

[@annrubino6252]

Love your humorous attitude while exploring possibilities. Can't believe these two gems emerged from such chaos - such energy!

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thanks so much! ❤️❤️❤️

[@SandraPype-nb3ns]

I love that you can laugh at yourself! I think that it is important that we never take ourselves too seriously! You go!!!

[@jackieschomburgart]

❤️❤️❤️

[@aliceplouchardstelzer9881]

I like that you never stop you keep going until it’s what you want it to be!

[@jackieschomburgart]

Well, sometimes I take week/month/year-long breaks first, but yes, I go back and turn them into something I like eventually ☺️

[@PaulWalesArt]

❤❤. There are so many instances where I could see “you” emerge once you got past the challenges with the baby blue background. This is a perfect example of what I most enjoy about your videos. The voice over critiques, what you were thinking at the time, and the humour in attempting to determine what was happening when the journal was vertical and seemingly out of view are part of the charm of your incredible finished pieces. I can only speak for myself here, yet I believe at least part of your intent is to bring your perspective to emerging and practicing artists - you do it so well 😊 it almost seems effortless, and we the viewers get inspired to keep moving until there’s at least a sense of satisfaction if not joy in our results. Seeing pieces come together over a period of time is the best. Knowing someone else can set things aside and then come back to them is so satisfying.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you, Paul - I so appreciate your kind, thoughtful words! ❤️ And yes, I do want to share my perspective with others with similar challenges. I only know how to do it as I am, so this is what you get 😂 So glad that what I’m doing and how I’m doing it is resonating with you and others ❤️

[@kayleyland5277]

Beautiful

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you! ❤️

[@kaywomacks8632]

P.S. I love your work !!

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you so much! ❤️

[@ellenwilliams6406]

Thanks, Jackie! I like how you always just keep going and going! Sometimes I feel frustrated with myself cuz I use so many layers to get where I want to be and then watch someone else doing the same thing to get where they want to be. Then I remind myself that it is really the process I love and that the finished product does not matter as much as that. And these two definitely look like your work at the end.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Hi Ellen, yes - it’s all part of the process! Not always the most fun part, but when you come out the other side of the challenge with something you’re proud of, that’s the sweet spot ☺️

[@RealLifeMassMultiplayerRPG]

good stuff, i love abstrat art got a couple dozen on art station and youtube slide

[@RealLifeMassMultiplayerRPG]

part i like the least is the copy past circle hyppie piece template you copie several image, but it create a serie its eye catching but then repetition brek a bit the abstracness amazingness, the left side driping is great

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thanks!

[@kaywomacks8632]

Just fabulous!! What a great demonstration on working thru the "ugly" phase. That seems to happen to me often but I am determined and will work them until they either die or become amazing. LOL

[@jackieschomburgart]

Yes!!! 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼❤️

[@n.c.467]

Also...a question...do you ever use deli paper in your collages, and if you do, what is the biggest difference between tissue paper and deli paper results?

[@jackieschomburgart]

I do use deli paper sometimes, but I like tissue paper better. I really think it’s personal preference - no major pros or cons for one over the other that I have found ❤️

[@dailydoseofpaper]

It's so good (and educational) to see that even you struggle sometimes!😀 I really love your style, it is always absolutely recognizable as Yours. I am still very much looking for mine but trust that it will come as i go. It is very eclectic at the moment let's say. Anyway, love your videos! Machteld 💖🍀

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you so much! ❤️ Oh yes, the struggle is real 😂 AND, I welcome it (even if it feels better when the work comes easily). If everything came easily, it wouldn’t be satisfying. The win *after* the struggle gives me so much satisfaction 🤗

[@dailydoseofpaper]

@@jackieschomburgart Very true and it is a wonderful process. Thanks for all your videos💝🍀

[@harpervalleytv]

Hi Jackie! New sub here and loving your channel. What tissue paper do you use with your stencils? I’d like to find some with that thickness vs the typical kind that disintegrates.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Thank you - welcome! ❤️ I use “art tissue” from Blick ☺️

[@blueislandgirl_]

What do you do with the leftover colors? Do you use them to start new paintings?

[@jackieschomburgart]

The leftover colors on my palette? Yes, I’ll use them for another painting or project ☺️

[@aakritikashyap6222]

uh-oh!!

[@jackieschomburgart]

?

[@claudinediamond2555]

No. I don’t like them.

[@jackieschomburgart]

Lol Okay, noted. 😆