Artists Painting – Primary Control in the Alexander Technique (Pain)(Strain)(Injuries)(Posture)(Psychology)(Albuquerque)

This ebook, An Alexander Technique Approach to Artists’ Painting Technique, is published on this website in a PDF format. It is very detailed and practical. It will give you the physical tools you need to take the limits off of your ability to create an extraordinary work of art.
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)

Primary Control is the basis of organized coordinated painting in the Alexander Technique. When an artist is painting with the most organized movements possible, then the head is leading the artist’s spine into lengthening, as the torso expands from a decompressed, vertically balanced, and aligned spine.

This means that all of the nerves that radiate from the spinal cord have no pressure on them. So, the nerves can send the signals from the brain for movement and/or muscular support, as you paint, without being slowed down by the vertebrae and muscles pinching the nerves.

The brain and spinal cord always organize the movement that the body produces, but when the Primary Control is interfered with by muscular tension and compression and poor posture, then that organization is poor organization. THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE IS ALL ABOUT THE QUALITY OF AN ARTIST’S POSTURE AND TECHNIQUE.

The Alexander Technique recognizes that a huge amount of wear and tear and physical pain to the artist is caused by how you paint, not by what you paint or how long you paint.

The assumption in the Alexander Technique is that we are born with an innate ability to move with beautiful Primary Control, and that babies crawl with the head leading a lengthening spine naturally, given that the baby is healthy in a healthy environment.

If you were to observe a 1,000 artists painting, you’d be hard put to see one artist painting with beautiful Primary Control (given that none of them had done any Alexander Technique work). What does painting without a compromised Primary Control look like?

The artist stands or sits fully upright with a completely mobile body (not trying to stand or sit straight). The artist’s neck is free and the artist is aware that the head is leading a lengthening spine upward, which means that the artist is able to see the canvas, as the head continues to lead a lengthening spine upward.

This means that the artist is completely engaged in painting without being pulled downward trying to paint with control. This fully upward mobile posture balancing on free legs on grounded feet or the sit bones, gives the shoulders and arms of the artist a balanced torso to float on, so that the painter can effortlessly create works of subtlety.

When the artist’s shoulders are floating on a fully upright torso, then the shoulder girdle is free to float on the supported torso as the artist paints, and the shoulder girdle doesn’t have to tense up to support itself.

When the artist’s body is organized by the Primary Control, then the painter is free to place all of his or her awareness on a painting technique that isn’t being compromised by a compromised Primary Control. In other words, if the artist’s body is collapsed or over-tense with poor head/neck/spine organization, then the pure specific painting technique of the artist can never be what it would be, since it is not backed up by a balanced body.

WHEN THE FOUNDATION OF COORDINATED ELEGANT HUMAN MOVEMENT IS COMPROMISED, THEN THE SECONDARY TECHNIQUE OF A SPECIALIZED ACTIVITY, LIKE PAINTING, WILL NEVER BE AS EFFORTLESS OR AS CONSISTENT AS IT COULD BE.

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An Alexander Technique Approach to Artists' Painting Technique

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Ethan Kind

AUTHOR, TRAINER "When you change old habitual movement patterns with the Alexander Technique, whether in playing a musical instrument, running, weightlifting, walking, or typing at a computer, you create an ease of body use that moves you consistently into the zone." - Ethan Kind Ethan Kind writes and is published extensively on all of the above activities. He teaches musicians, athletes, and computer operators how to stop hurting themselves, by showing them how to use their bodies with ease and coordination. He brings a unique perspective to his work, having been a musician and athlete all of his life. After training for three years at the American Center for the Alexander Technique (New York, NY), Ethan received Professional Certification credentials.