Inspiration Fridays! Beauty is waiting

Beauty is waiting

I put my socks on one sock at a time. Still… I’m wearing two thick pairs of socks and some boots. And some longjohns, snow pants, two shirts, a sweater, a jacket, and a painter’s lab coat.

“I’m trying to paint a picture of what I have seen and what moved me, as well as I can. That’s all.” – Gerhard Richter

This week we had snow on the valley floor. Southern Oregon doesn’t see a lot of snow, and it usually doesn’t stay around for long. My plein air kit was stored away for the cold season. I’m a Fair-weather painter.  I wasn’t entirely ready to get outside. Still, after my thermos was filled with hot coffee, and the back of my car stuffed full of supplies, I drove out to find my wintery muse.

With a whole world of white, everywhere I looked felt brand new. I set my paints up in a friends field and begin blocking in an old fence and dilapidated shed behind their property.

Initially, I thought I was going to paint the magnificence of the distant hills, but I quickly realized that everywhere I turned felt magnificent. The chill on my face was invigorating, my head was clear, and the landscape was covered in a blanket of quiet.

8paint Inspiration Fridays - Beauty is waiting

It was so bright I had to wear my sunglasses!

Whether we choose to paint in the sun, the snow, or both! Immersing ourselves in this world of beauty, breathing it in, and exhaling it onto the canvas is an experience like no other.  Painting a model in the studio, or even a still-life, freshly plucked from the grocery store brings with it the fresh energy of collaboration.

We are surrounded by infinite possibility. Each day offers up rich opportunities to reflect on and enjoy. Painting can feel solitary at times, but it’s almost always collaborative. Whether we paint realistically, or in the abstract, we are drawing from our experience of this amazing life. That’s what feeds our creativity.

So get an early start tomorrow or start today! (it takes a while to pack everything you need for a painting adventure) Go find that thing that inspires you. Getting out of the house might be all it takes.  Don’t forget your paints and something to clean your brushes with. Bring along a cardboard box for the back of your car so your wet paintings won’t slide around. Beauty is waiting… and it’s our job to share it with the world.

What kind of painting gives you the most energy?

Have you ever painted all day and come home more inspired than when you left?

What do you want to share with the world?

/by

Inspiration Fridays! You can name your fear but don’t feed it

You can name your fear but don’t feed it

As an artist, it’s not uncommon for me to experience creative blocks from time to time. Some blocks dig in, and seem to linger, uninvited. These hanger on’s feed on my fears. Left unchecked, those blocks will mute my artistic expression and even stunt my creative growth.

“The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.” – Stephen Pressfield

Mindset is everything in art. Obstacles are there for a reason. Training ourselves to lean in and push through our resistance is the secret to tapping our full creative potential. It can be pretty hard to break through our blocks if we don’t see them for what they are. Blocks are fear. It might be a fear of failure, fear of rejection, or even, just the fear of being stuck. If we can’t even name our fears, how can we expect to be able to move beyond them?

Great art is imperfect because great artists are imperfect.

Perfectionism kills creativity. The fear of not being “ready” or “good enough” can feel paralyzing. If we continue to nurture that kind of thinking, we may never start at all. Instead of waiting until you have an acid-free, archival surface, that’s museum ready, try working on some old cardboard. Embrace your imperfections. View them as an essential part of your creative process. Allow yourself room to make mistakes, experiment… grow. Don’t be afraid to paint beyond what you think you are capable of.

Inspirations Fridays - you can name your fear but don't feed it

Gabriel Mark Lipper – Mixed Media on Panel – 24″x24″

Clinging to the same medium, subject matter, or style can lead to creative stagnation. Again, blocks and fear. Nourish that part of you that dares and risks.

Big words? Ok. Now let’s break it down. Set some specific goals. Fabricate a deadline. This fuels our focus and motivation. Learning to draw or having your first gallery show can feel huge. Start with some quick sketches or thumbnails of your show. Break the process down into smaller, more manageable tasks. Give yourself something doable. Overwhelm can stop us. Little steps steady our progress and make our goals achievable instead of scary.

Finally, surround yourself with supportive people. Community can make all the difference when you’re wrestling with blocks and fears as an artist. They’ve been there too. I guarantee it. We all have.

Have you ever made a list of your fears?

How do you make creativity doable?

How do you change obstacles into opportunity?

/by

Inspiration Fridays! What I Learned from Being Dramatic

What I Learned from Being Dramatic

Everyone is all signed up for the Learning to See Course and it starts this Monday! So… I’m turning over the writing of this week’s Inspiration Friday to my friend and art coach Robyn (Feral Nifty)…

I was invited back for my favourite teacher’s retirement party, 15 years after my graduation. The invitation, (though not from him) confirmed what I already knew, we were close and I was one of his favourite students.

“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery” – Mark Van Doren

We’ve all had a teacher that we valued beyond any other. One of the main reasons for our continued adoration is the way they taught us to appreciate our own value. This was the case with my High school drama teacher. Time had passed, but of course, I would travel the 14 hours to attend.

The revelry took place among the dusty-pink tables of our old school’s cafeteria adjacent to the noble stage.  Here the curtains wide…. was the very place he had taught me commedia dell’arte, Shakespeare, and directed me in a box set of musicals. There was no shortage of attendees… Thespians flamboyantly upstaged each other, all while celebrating  20+ years of song, dance, and high-school drama. There were some familiar faces but many I had never seen. (at least out of stage make-up)

It was only then, looking out over the diverse congregation, from my choice place by the veggie platter….   that I realized I wasn’t the only one here that was special.  Hundreds of students had been guided by Mr. Anderson’s commitment and creativity to the discovery of how special they were. It was Mr. Anderson and his teaching that was truly special.

As the party degenerated into obtuse monologues and lengthy improv, I reflected on his incredible life’s work. He had touched so many. I stood there absolutely loving that I wasn’t special in being special.

Inspiration Fridays! What I Learned from Being Dramatic

“Inspiration lives in all of us, in our ideas, and in our passion.” – Gabriel Lipper

Why do we love what we love? Why do we pursue the paths we do?

It’s often because we find the right teacher. They show us how to love what we learn. A good teacher can tap the wells of passion. A bad one can drown you in discontent.

Knowledge, excitement, and assurance are some of the greatest gifts you can be given or give. Finding that teacher, (or being that someone) is a pursuit that will not just change your work but also change your life.

Did you ever have a teacher that changed your life?

Have you loved something because of the way it was taught?

Who has helped you believe in yourself?

/by