Category: Art

Back in the Garden

After returning home yesterday from the farmer’s market, and other related errands, the rest of my day was free.  I had a leisurely lunch in the patio room, read the mail, made a couple of phone calls while looking at the colorful blooms in the garden.  Since I was free of chores I took the watercolors into the garden to paint and it felt really good.  Different flowers and bushes are in bloom, the afternoon sun was touching petals and leaves just right, it was very inviting.

A few years ago, while talking with my next door neighbor, I noticed this amazing blooming bush and asked her what it was.  She was an avid gardener and had many different flowers and such in her garden.  The bush we were looking at was close to three feet tall and covered in periwinkle blue dainty blooms and dazzled in the early morning June sunlight.  My neighbor said it was a lace-cap hydrangea and I’d never seen anything so breathtaking.  I had to have one!

I visited a large garden store near me and there they were!  Happy day!  I bought one and planted it in a dappled sun spot where I could see it every day.  It blooms in June for a few weeks so I have to enjoy it while I can right now.  At night the blue flowers sparkle and when we eat dinner in the patio room I always say “Isn’t that bush amazing?”

So how can I replicate that color in paint?  If I’m going to paint this I have to brush up on my color mixing.  Or fake it.

Life, Art and Drama

The bloom of the azaleas in the background is over now
“Artists are dramatic.  Art is dramatic.  If we artists are not making artistic drama we make personal drama. We tilt at imaginary windmills and demand center stage.”   This is how Week 9 in Walking in This World begins.  Discovering a Sense of Camaraderie says, “Keep the drama on the stage.”  The author suggests that we need to focus our attention on our relationships and the difficulty that normal people present to us wacky artists.  (Wacky is my word.)  Normal in the sense that they have a regular job and we’re doodling and playing with paint all day. (Not me at all.) Wink-Wink.
I guess some artists can get all antsy and up in their own head that we’re not normal people because we don’t have a 9 to 5 desk job making regular money, we’re special after all, we create a drama.  Artists can get more nervous and turn on relationships and it’s not reality based drama.  If we don’t get to make our art regularly we make trouble.  At least we’re still creative, but it’s not helpful creativity!  It’s an interesting concept!
While reading I take notes like this: “Is this chapter talking to me?” I’ve been painting fairly regularly with the help of The Artist’s Way courses, but haven’t in a couple of weeks.  Life happens, things get thrown out of order and art doesn’t happen.  Yes, I’ve tried to stay with it in a way, but not painting.  It’s strange that coincidentally there’ve been weeks of drama floating around.  Nothing important, just stupid things.  So I’m reading this chapter, but I don’t think it’s really about me.  I’m not all that interested in causing drama or trouble.  I’m a nice, quiet girl.  I read this on page 201:

  “As a rule of thumb, artists should repeat this mantra: Sudden problems in my life usually indicate a need to work on my art.”

I’m not a person who likes to be teased and joked about with sideways glances, however good-spirited.  Being a straight, honest, level person, I like a good joke like anyone, but not if it’s a back handed compliment with a smirk on the side, however playfully done.  The Mr. loves doing this and not just to me.  He’s done it to his mother, brothers, etc. and he thinks he’s funny.  They laugh.  I get confused.  I want an apology.  He says it’s a joke, I don’t think he’s funny.  Now he’s mad and I’m center stage!  Ugh!

Finding myself alone during the weekend, The Mr. went fishing, Son #2 feeling sick and in bed, I went to my studio and started playing with my beads.  No, I didn’t paint.  Hours flew by as I moved the beads together making patterns, admiring the different colors, manipulated colored wire by wrapping large stones.  How can I explain how much better I felt after spending that time with myself? 

“Artists become snappish when they need to make art.  Instead of making art, we make trouble-and we make it because we are bingeing emotionally on NOT making art…We need to go full steam ahead and when we don’t we tend to blow off steam by venting inappropriateluy about any number of imaginary ills…our aches and pains becoming the world’s pain in the neck.”

I don’t think I’m snappish and I’m no trouble maker, but I don’t want to be messed with either.  I’m just reacting to a stimulus that my personality doesn’t agree with.  By reading this chapter I figured that maybe I just have to keep making art so I can more easily deflect the dopey stuff that comes at me.  Process, baby!

Will this be my painting spot for today? 

I Hate Computers, Sometimes

Yeah, yeah, I know, I should be finished with this Artist’s Way stuff already.  Slowly, slowly, I continue on.  Well, it’s interesting stuff and helping me to be creative more ofter and feel good about it, but it’s  s  l  o  w. And it’s slow, because I’m so slow on the uptake here.  Ok, give me a break.  I’m getting there. 

My computer is not co-operating today.  I’m sitting at my desk waiting for it to move along, like me I guess.  I was trying to comment on another blog and the computer wouldn’t let me.  How many times did I have to enter the stupid password so the comment would post?  Ack!  So while I was waiting I was tweeting how annoyed I was.  Yes, I’m Miss Social Media now.  And since I couldn’t post my comment fast enough I went over to facebook to look at that.  Finally I decided I’ve had enough, closed down the computer and turned it on again, only to find out that I needed some new add-on or I won’t be able to comment on anything!  Fun!  Turn it on, turn it off, re-start, slap the monitor, let’s go already!  Do I need this?  All I want to do is make my little connections, laugh a little bit, update some stuff, write my post and be outta here!!!  Is that possible?  Huh?

No, the computer says.  You must close down and restart to resume.  Oh lucky me.  I’m thrilled to pieces.  I do it and here I am, late to my own party.  I like getting things done early.  I like waking up early and getting on with my thing.  But today it’s not happening.  Nope!  My morning is wasting away.

I wanted to write about what I read in Walking in This World.  If I could only finish this and be doing what the book says, but I’m not finished and I’m still not doing everything.  I guess it’s no big deal, who’s going to give me an “F”?  Maybe me.  I can’t get out and walk no matter what the book says.  And the Artist’s date thing?  Can you call a trip to the nearest Marshall’s discount store an Artist’s Date?  How about food shopping?  I don’t think that’s what they meant.

The section I wanted to discuss was about insecurity.  The author writes that sometimes we don’t think we’re as good as we are, or as the next guy, and it could make us hostile.  We can become overwhelmed with our state of creativity, but the Universe is not.  There is always endless supplies Plan B. As an artist, we’re encouraged to like ourselves just the way we are.  I guess there’s hope for me after all.  When we’re insecure we end up with self-pity, and that’s not great to wallow in.  Feeling pity, or sorry for one’s self is a little like a self-inflicted drama, poor me thing.  It’s frustrating.  As I read I agreed that “self-pity is born of fatigue and a rest or a nap is beneficial daydreaming.” 

After this long, slow morning with the idiot box I’m playing with I could use a bit of creative daydreaming.  I’ll see you all later, I’ve got things to do!

Back in the Saddle Again

©2010 Dora Sislian Themelis
Last week I mentioned that I missed the deadline for the Virtual pARTy painting entry.  Not a problem, no biggie, no hassle, no judgement, no criticism.  I was cool with that.  I just decided to paint the photo that was offered anyway, remembering the process was important, not the deadline or the result.  Cool as a cucumber.  I went ahead except for a little thinking first. 
I’m itching to try out the new watercolor paper I bought after you wonderful, helpful readers made suggestions, but I didn’t.  Being a practical person, I bought a good size block of Arches paper rather than a tiny one to try.  I’d rather spend money on a good sized 12×16 block rather than a smaller size paper and feel frustrated by the constraints of the size.  
I tend to paint big no matter what size surface I’m using.  I still have more of the other paper and it seems to me to be a waste if I start using the new paper, fall in love maybe, and then I’m stuck with paper I might not want to use again.  The paper I have is a weird size too and didn’t pay attention to that until I wanted to matte a few things. 
Before I sketched this horse photo onto the old paper I took some time to figure out what size I might want to end up with.  When matting and framing it’s much easier to work with stock sizes.  So when I decided to think about my frame edge and paint within that area, with the idea that a matte, or frame, could butt into my composition.  Ahh!  The brain is working!
With the frame edge penciled off, I went ahead to composition, eliminated too many subjects from the original photo.  I like to leave some areas flat as a part of the composition.  Then there are colors in this photo I wouldn’t normally use, so I enjoyed playing with them.  Orange is not my favorite, but I think I was able to use it my way by mixing in other colors my brain tends to go for anyway.  It’s good to distract that pesky brain because when it’s working it shuts up.
Am I finished?  Not sure.  I’ll look at it later and see if I want to play with it more or move on.  So for now I’m back in the “saddle.”  I crack myself up!

Just Going with the Flow

The painting dry spell seems to be lifting.  I think we need to just do nothing for a time while the brain resets and inspiration can return.  You know that thing called Life gets in the way and what can you do but sit it out for a bit. 

Some things must be done and other things can be left alone.  Go with the flow and forget it.  I wasn’t painting and I wasn’t in my usual fist fight with resistance either.  Just chilling, looking at my studio space, organizing stuff, checking out yarn and knitting, drooling over beads and just daydreaming in general.  No commitment to anything.  Maybe that’s the trick?

Here’s the new studio set up.  I never went to IKEA, although I will eventually get there, but I confiscated a bookshelf from my son’s music room for my use in the studio.  I won’t tell him if you won’t, okay?

 At least I can store some things out in the open now. I’m not done.  That door on the left is a closet I keep older work and other stuff.  I’m planning to paint it inside and add flat files or shelving on one side with horizontal slots for canvases on the other.  It’s a thought.  By the way, the light still doesn’t work.  I guess it’s time to call in the pros.

I started a sketch from this month’s photo suggestion at the Virtual pARTy blog.  It’s not a great photo composition, but a good starting point for painting ideas.  I missed the deadline to enter on the blog, but I don’t care because this has my “thing” working again, and I don’t even like horses.  My focus is going to be on the nearest figure and I’m blocking out the rest as shapes and grounding lines. 

Another artist already finished her work with the same  idea, which isn’t all that unusual.  Each artist has their own vision and techniques making each work different anyway.  I’m interested in the process right now, not the outcome.  Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I’m not using the new watercolor paper yet.  I want to, but I’m frugal that way.  I’ll finish the old paper before I use the Arches that cost big dollar bills.

 And these are the beads I bought.  Aren’t they just amazing?  Well, I fell for the colors and then the shapes, and all kinds of ideas came to my brain.  I’m compelled to arrange them with silver beads, maybe wire wrapping them, I don’t know what to do first.  I set up my jewelry stuff on the opposite side of my studio desk on an old kitchen table we had when I was a kid.  Yes, it’s still alive and works! 

Keeping my stuff out seems to inspire me.  I could be in that room for a pencil and end up seeing an idea glinting out of the corner of my eye.  Before I know it I’m working on the sketch or the beads. 

The week is new yet, and I have errands to run.  After that my time is my own and  I’ll be in my little foggy dreamland.

The Art of Self Promotion, with Help

Night Self Portrait, Oil on canvas ©1977 Dora Sislian Themelis
The process of self promotion for artist’s these days is involved.  I guess any kind of promotion takes time and effort if you really want to get somewhere.  Whether someone wants to find job, get elected to office, meet new friends or find a mate, all the information I have come across says to get yourself out there.  And where is “there”?
For some of us the hardest thing to do is go to the studio to get some creative work done, let alone promote it.  Once we’ve developed a body of work I think it’s easier to feel some detachment from it to sell it.  I know that the portrait of my son and his Greek bagpipe will never be sold because it’s too personal to let it go to a stranger. 

In a way I wish I had painted someone else so that I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable selling it.  That doesn’t mean I’m attached to some other recent work. They can go!  

Besides networking online through all the social media and this blog, I’m thinking about having a small gallery show eventually.  A local church has gallery space that many artists use and the fee for its use is a small percentage of sales.  They offer postcards as advertising and invitations, and I have a nice long list of people I know through my travels that I can invite.  It’s totally doable, but I need to have work I’m willing to sell.  That means doing.  It’s not going to happen all by itself, right? 
A helpful book I’ve been reading is I’d Rather be in the Studio, by Alyson B. Stanfield.  She is an art career coach I bumped into on facebook and she has great information on promoting one’s art career.  From reading her book I was inspired to throw myself into all the social media stuff and work it.  Little did I know I would really enjoy doing it!  She wrote in her book: don’t ask why, just do it, and I did. 

Stanfield hosts various classes online through her website ArtBizCoach.com and in person workshops.  She’s holding a workshop in Pennsylvania May 11-12 and if I lived closer I’d check it out.  On her website Alyson is hosting an online Blog Triage class, but I think the class is already full.  I believe it’s great to be able to have coaching like this because most of us artists are not business minded.  We may not know how to go about getting our product “out there” other than hooking up with a gallery and have them take all the profits, if there are any when they’re done with you. 

On Stanfield’s suggestions I had business cards made.  I carry them around in case I find an opportunity to hand them out.  During Christmas shopping I struck up a conversation with another shopper about the items for sale and how expensive they were.  This shopper remarked on my scarf and said how much she liked it. 

When I told her I’m an artist and I knit it myself she flipped!  She said, “You probably don’t have any cards with you.”  Ah, but I did.  I whipped out my business cards and handed two to her.  She was thrilled to meet an artist on the check-out line in Macy’s! 

Self-promotion for artists is possible and doable if you are willing to suck it up and forge ahead.  I know some of us are intimidated by the business end of art, but it’s not all that bad.  We just have to be ready with work, keep our eyes open for opportunities to show it, be open to talking to people, and have our information at hand if asked for it, like me.