Putting it on Paper

Author Mike Stackpole, once said something to the effect of the hardest part of writing is putting your butt in the chair.  For painting, it is putting it on paper. There are a thousand things you can do once you are in your work space, prep work, cleaning, preliminary sketches, choosing what to paint.  But it is at the point where you touch brush to paper that the process really begins. I have been working on the list of prompts for #WorldWaterColorMonth and have been busily putting them on Paper. While some of them I love and I am thrilled with how well they came out. Other painting I like only a portion of, or dislike. I am still happy that I did them.

This post is part of #Microblogmondays, an event hosted by Melissa at http://www.stirrup-queens.com/ the point of which is to create a post that is between 1 word to 8 sentences long at home, on your blog, rather than on other social media. Welcome to those visiting from there.

Magical and Mystical

I have been playing around with taking some of faery images I have been making adding a motivational comments. Our thoughts work a powerful magic on us. When we focus on the negative and the unpleasant, they are what take on the most importance. The opposite is true. When you focus on the positive, it becomes the most important.  This is matter of finding what you look for. It is why I have created my magical and mystical line. They are meant to be little bits of magic to make you smile in a world filled with conformity and mundane worries.

 

Sea Serpent for #MicroblogMondays

This little fellow is what the work in progress from Wednesday turned out to be. This particular clay was softer and stickier than usual so this little guy is a bit rougher around the edges than I had hoped for,  I learned a lot making him and hope to create more in the near future.

Trying something new #MicroblogMonday

These are the prototypes for Garden Fairies.  I hope to be adding them to my magical and mystical line.  Photo originally shared on Instragram.   I like the idea of bringing the content I share elsewhere back here to my home.

Choosing to be Unique

In today society there is an emphasis on Conformity and sameness. Fashion magazines tell us how we need to dress and advertisements tell us what product we need.  One thing I often struggle with is the polar opposites of being an artist. When I was learning to draw and paint, the emphasis was on getting the painting to look as realistic as possible. Now, what I am told is that people want to see my unique style.  Art should be unique and be about your vision as an artist. This blog is about my journey to find just that, My own inner vision and voice. Once, when telling someone about something I had created, I said something about wanting to bring a bit of magic,  mystery and beauty to people’s lives. To help them learn to choose being unique.

 

Being Stuck

Being stuck as an artist can seem like overwhelming. It may be a blockage of creativity, drained of inspiration or it could be the other kind, lack of time due to poor management of time and resources.  I have been artistically stuck for a while, with several painting sitting waiting to be finished.  In the meanwhile, I have been working within a three dimensional system to create  fairy portraits.

I am hoping the time away has given me a fresh perspective and will add a greater level of depth to my work. I have decided to work through Alyson B. Stanfield book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio! She is also the author of artbizcoach.  The book starts with the phrase:

Congratulations …

on deciding to take responsibility for your art career.

The first time I start to read this book, I did not take note of this, but this time it resonated with me, three words really stood out to me.

• Career. I often talk about my art. There is something more concrete and subtle about it calling it what it is, my art career.
• Responsibility. I have also started working with a bullet journal with the express intention of focusing on being responsible with my time.
• Your. This is my goal and my dream, no own is going to come along and do it for me, so I need take ownership and get going. It is time to continue on my way, I hope you enjoy the journey as I move forward with my art career.