Why I need to do some risk taking

Take a risk; you might enjoy it!

26/5/2017

Acrobaleno Pigmenti in Venice

Every single business book I have read has talked about risk-taking. Encouraging future entrepreneurs to take the leap, to take a risk, to commit yourself to the glory that lies ahead!

Anthony Robbins suggests "If you want to take the island; you've got to burn the boats"

The thing is, contrary to popular belief about artists, I'm square. I'm really square. I pay my taxes on time, I've never been able to cope with a red bill or a sizeable overdraft! I don't take risks, I'm completely risk averse, always have been. Even as a child I never managed to climb to the tallest part of the tree - too much of a risk!
I would not burn the boats, I would carefully moor up the boats and maintain them just in case the island thing didn't work out.

This is not considered an entrepreneurial spirit at all! It's not really an artistic one either. Because most artistic books along with business books also encourage risk-taking. I think I'm a little bit better as an artistic risk taker. I paint on linen with my own secret recipe of clear gesso which many folks have attempted to copy (unsuccessfully)! I use colour in surprising ways, painting beautiful magentas and blues where only browns and greys exist. But this week I've had an opportunity to do even greater risk taking with colour then ever before.

My brother has just returned from a racing drivers' meeting in Venice! No boat burning there!
And he investigated the various art shops around San Marco and Dorsodoro in search of a suitable gift for his sister. He returned with 10 beautiful bright and breezy raw pigments. These raw pigments can be mixed with linseed oil to create fresh oil paints.

I happened to have just completed the underpainting on a couple of cows that I'm currently working on and so yesterday in the bright sunshine I managed to take my work outside and played around with these new colours.
I have already mixed some of the pigments with pure linseed oil to create an oil painting paste and have used them in the usual way. In addition I have applied a layer of glaze medium mixed with linseed oil to the underpainting and sprinkled some of the raw pigment directly on to the glaze. The pigment is now dispersing into the glaze and creating a wonderful effects.
What will happen?
I'm unsure but there you go I'm finally taking a risk.
This is not only an artistic risk but it's a business risk too, as it's very important for any entrepreneur to keep reinventing themselves, to keep creating something entirely unique that will appeal to customers.
How do I feel?
Utterly inspired!
This risk taking thing could really catch on ....