One begins by plaguing oneself to no purpose in order to be true to nature, and one concludes by working quietly from one's own palette alone, and then nature is the result.
Vincent Van Gogh
I often see my favorite color palette in nature. After that I try to tweak the colors to replicate them. It rarely works but I keep trying.
If I could add one thing to my knowledge base it would be skill at mixing colors. I am impatient with the process and feel resentful that I have to waste so much paint mixing in more light or dark. When my palette is full of swatches I almost lose enthusiasm to paint. Why can't I just squeeze it out of a tube?
Listen to this sad complaining. Can you tell my conflicted motivation? I want to be better but I don't want to work at it. Too much information?
When I finally get a finished painting which feels good, all the doubt and complaints dissolve away.
Show up everyday and do the work.
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R&F sticks are oil paint in stick form, made from natural wax, linseed oil and pigment. I use these sparingly on my oil paintings to add dark or light color as a second layer or to add a dab of a surprise color in an unexpected place.
I made an investment by buying Rosemary brushes from England to get more control of the paint. It did indeed make a difference from what I was using before. Those brushes also provided an opportunity to be more disciplined about cleaning my brushes.
I laugh at my husband when he claims he can't do a maintenance job in our home because he doesn't have the right tools, but in actuality he is right. Good painting tools add to development of better skill.
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Books about artists, about techniques in watercolor and oil, books documenting a body of work, I collect them and use them to help me over a art hump both physically and mentally.
The best one for inspiration is Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. I reread that one often. Right now the book Color by Betty Edwards is an important reference book. No Way Forward by Angela Johnson is the story of a self-taught sculptor who felt the call to do larger than life statues of the life of Jesus Christ. When I walked through her amazing out-door installation at Thanksgiving Point, Utah, my interest in her story was peaked.
I purchase books often after seeing the art in a show. That was my experience after seeing the huge canvases of Victoria Adams. Where Sky Meets Earth is a book showing her large paintings which are very impactful in real life. She is local to my area so every once in a while her work will be at our arts center. There are other books, not pictured here, such as books about watercolor techniques and mixed media art. I do keep in mind that the library is and should be my first resource for books but I love my own little collection of inspiration.
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Inspiration: A feeling of enthusiasm you get from someone or something that gives you new and creative ideas.
There are artists who inspire me with their work and also inspire me to do my work.I am drawn to them as people because they exhibit the ability to translate ideas, especially spiritual ideas, onto a canvas. When I see their art I am drawn into the image. I breathe the air of the painting and feel transfixed and renewed; transfixed because I can't look away lest I lose the feeling and renewed because the image gives me strength and focus.
Let me introduce you to two artists who inspire me this way.
Jenedy Paige uses as her mission statement the words 'inspire and empower'.
That is exactly what she can do. I purchased her print entitled "Coming Full Circle" and lived with it on my living room wall. Each day I came to a better understanding where that circle starts, in our heart, how it expands, outward toward God and others, and where it ends, linking at the heart again. I didn't notice the beauty of the model's face, the shadows in her dress, or the gold leaf circle at first because the message of the painting was paramount.
Jenedy never disappoints me with her mission, to inspire and empower. I have watched her paint in videos and marvel at her tenacity. I have started over a few times on my own work because I know she would not settle for less than her best.
The second artist who inspires me is Eva Timothy.
Here she appears in one of her own pictures. Her art is combining photography and computer generated images. To make her rich expansive statements she tells the most compelling stories.
What does this image evoke in your mind? It is entitled "Gifts From Above".
I just find my mind floating in so many directions when I see this painting. I see the glowing heavenly gifts floating down, I see one woman entirely enveloped by her gifts, another hungrily reaching for more.
This painting never gets old. There is always something more to see.
I hope you have been inspired a little bit with my sharing these two artists. I purchase their prints enthusiastically whenever I can and display them on a rotating basis in different places in my home.
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My current work is a second rendering of "The Poppies". I was pleased with the field of flowers in the first painting but very displeased with the trees and foliage in the back. It just turned out thick and undefined, not trees at all but clumps of bushes. The more I worked on it, the more paint I layered and the oil took forever to dry.
This time I want less paint and more definition. I am a bit scared to do it again because I will be disappointed if it comes out the same.
I have the grid on the canvas and a simple pencil sketch.
I think I will mix a little more yellow into the poppy color and create a different value. I will also do more dark green for the distant trees to capture the the contrast with the rising sun.
So, on with it......
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This lesson came slowly as I first starting creating art pieces. My monetary investment demanded that I produce something of value, at least for myself. After making myself conscious of all my mistakes I heard a fellow artist say,"Nothing needs to be precious."
Paper can be recycled, a canvas can be painted over, paint can dry and be scraped into the trash. That knowledge made huge difference.
These three pieces were all trial and error, made in a sketch book. I used paper, paint, stencils, and ink. Each rendition makes me smile and remember that particular tea shop. The final product was gifted to a friend on a canvas because she loved meeting there impulsively. She passed away from brain cancer in April 2022 and I love remembering the pieces of art I made for her.
Go ahead and make something!
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Last year my favorite painting was a very large acrylic hanging in my living room. I still love the autumn colors in that painting very much. But, this year it is the pumpkin, much smaller, but my eye loves to roam over the canvas. There are endearing squiggles of running paint which were serendipitous surprises. These "happy little accidents" are almost like journal entries as they bring up the past moments of painting with clarity. I remember the room, the smell, the moment of doubt as to how to fix the mistake. I chose to just let it dry and it was the best choice.
The orange and blue are complementary colors. I learned just recently that this means they "make complete or perfect the central, fundamental role of the primary colors as the theoretical parents and progenitors of all colors. Any two complements contain the complete trio of primaries."
Color by Betty Edwards
This idea makes me want to apply it to music. Do the primary chords of a key contain all the sounds possible within that key. Are they the parents and progenitors of all sound?
Do we as God's children make complete or perfect the central, fundamental role of the Godhead?
I'm just exploring. I don't have the answers but guess what? This makes me love my painting more.
