Tips to Optimize Your Creative Time

TIP # 1

Acknowledge that you and your art are important

Journaling . . . .

Does the written word give life to the Truth?

If I write it down - does that make it the truth - even if it is only my opinion or my thoughts or  my feelings. 

If I am Authentic - does that make me Authenticated.

August 26, 2010

The "Norma Desmond" Syndrome

August 23, 2010

Inspirational Reminder

"The first step to leading an artful life is to accept your creativity as a gift you intend to develop and explore. Your art is you, and no one else."

I don't know who wrote this quote - but it is one of my favorites, and I need to be reminded of it every once in a while.

August 15, 2010

Farm Scenes - Acrylic Mixed Media

The final two recyled canvases. I stayed with the farm scene, but this time I changed the season - not that I'm ready for winter!! Again I used the colored pencil acrylic transfer. This one was harder to see, probably because there was so much white. Also I'm finding that some of the purple colored pencils tend to bleed from the acrylic matte medium. I had to enhance the dark areas after the transfer dried on the canvas. The bottom was texured with acrylic paste and painted with metallic highlights.

The finishing touch - the snowflakes - were added with the ever-ready true and trusty - hi-tech - toothbrush!

August 12, 2010

Farm scenes - Mini paintings

The recycled canvases - there were 4 of them - have been gessoed - and dried - and ready for a new life. The first two, shown here, became farm scenes.  Once again I tried the acrylic transfer with my colored pencil drawings. These are small paintings, 6 x 6" on gallery wrapped canvas. I like the contradiction of the realistic farm scene and the textured abstract lower half.

First it looks like the farm is sitting on a cliff, then maybe it's just the middle earth beneath the farm
August 9, 2010

Recycled Canvases

Going green or Going thrifty? Either way, I'm re-using canvases. Everytime I put the gesso on the painting - I wonder if I'm making a mistake. These canvases are only a year old, they weren't that bad - but they are taking up valuable space! I have a Harry Potter closet full of paintings, paintings that hung in a few shows, or in the gallery, or on eBay, etc - but did not sell. Some are very large and I have not yet found the courage to paint over them - but the small one are fair game - so here goes!
 August 5, 2010

Art Journal - Happily Ever Afters

Happiness sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open