Category: painting and not painting

Resistance Likes Painting, Not Knitting

The thing about resistance is that it has a life of it’s own. Mr. Resistance is not a nice entity and can waylay one’s ambitions just as surely as the sun rising and setting each day. 

In other words, it/he/whatever is powerful. And some days it’s just easier to let resistance have it’s way.

The Big Rib Cowl

However, knitting is happening here. Lots of knitting these quick big knits have been flying off my needles. That Mr. Resistance just likes painting right now, I guess.

Last week I participated in another shopping event. I brought the same wares: paintings, notecards of paintings, jewelry, and hand knitting. Everyone was very positive about all of my work. I met some very interesting people and had some wonderful conversations. One baby bracelet sold the whole night.

Most of us vendors enjoy meeting each other, looking at our wares, and doing some shopping ourselves! It’s a nice evening out. Even nicer if pieces sell. Overall, it’s good exposure, good practice speaking about my work, and the work gets out there in public.

But these cowls I’ve been knitting have become a popular item. I’ve sold quite a few so far.

Right away the colors are strong, just how I like it. The pattern is big. I like that too. There’s a little sparkle. Also nice.

So, okay, maybe the paintings aren’t moving as well as the knitting, and some jewelry designs. But the plus side is that if I sell some knitting I get to buy art supplies.

I should only paint.

When in Doubt, Distraction Works

“When in doubt, don’t.”

Usually I ‘don’t’, but I managed to push myself in another direction.

Without an idea which way to go next on the painting schedule, I turned to jewelry. Designing jewelry is a lot like painting. There are colors, shapes and spacial relationships to overcome.

Agate Necklaces ©Dora Sislian Themelis

It’s the same creative process to work through, but the outcome is a little different. Still, as with paintings, someone has to be drawn to a piece to want to own it.

Raspberry Agate Necklace ©Dora Sislian Themelis

Paintings go up on someone’s wall in a space. Jewelry gets to be worn and taken out into the world on someone’s body. Same idea, but different.

Raspberry Agates ©Dora Sislian Themelis

So yeah, I thought a little jewelry distraction might be in order and put the paints aside for a little while to arrange some gorgeous semi precious stones. That shopping event is in September, but I may as well be prepared with items to sell. Unless I love these pieces too much to part with them.

Blue Agate Necklace ©Dora Sislian Themelis

Blue Agate Necklace ©Dora Sislian Themelis

Looking for Ideas

Until I decide on the next painting I am working on some jewelry pieces. There is an upcoming shopping event I agreed to do. I need to be prepared with work to show and sell. 

Motivation and ideas for the next painting work have to come from somewhere. Hopefully, as I arrange the beads, and my brain drifts away while I work, something will pop up.

Plodding in the Painting Process

Everyone comes to their process differently. How an individual weaves their way through the day to come out at the other end with a finished product is as varied as each person’s character and ability.

Some of us plod. Some procrastinate. Others push. And some fly. I wish I could fly.

Me? I plod.

Twyla Tharp wrote about her process in her book The Creative Way, that she needs some little thing to start the process, an action that signals her brain to begin the chain of events that lead to working.

Many artists are working alone and not punching a clock. There is no boss who eyes us if we don’t show up on time. We are our own boss, and as such, might give ourselves the day off if we should so desire.

It’s no surprise that things can quickly fall by the wayside just because we suddenly have the urge to veer off in a direction that has nothing to do with creating our work.

Um, yeah, painting is work. (But don’t ask The Mr. if painting is my work. He’ll frown and look at me sideways.)

My day always has a plan. The to-do list is ready from the night before, but is tweaked first thing in the morning. Painting is always first on that list.

With morning activities done, the family out, and the house finally in order, it’s office time. Emails, updating, uploading, and all things computer related. Then there might be errands. By now it’s noon.

Have I headed to the studio to paint by now? No. I’m plodding through the day, trying to avoid resistance mode.

It can be mid-afternoon by the time I get to the item #1 on the list. I’m still looking for that little action that signals it’s time to get the ball rolling.

This past week I was determined to push, rather than plod, to paint. I cleared my day as fast as I possibly could. The weather was beautiful, but I knew I had been slacking and decided to bring the painting equipment outside to work in the garden rather than from photos in the studio.

Afternoon Garden ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
18×24 Watercolor, Arches cold press paper

Painting in the garden allowed me to enjoy the summery weather and work at the same time. Working the brush quickly I did my best to lay in all the colors and shapes I wanted before I lost momentum.

Once the work begins it goes well, I’m in the zone, the process of painting is satisfying and the end is agreeable to me.

Still, I’d rather not plod through the process.

Where to Spend the Heat and Humidity

It’s Wednesday and the temperatures are expected to be in the nineties, hot, humid, sunny. Perfect!

There’s a decision to make now. Should I stay home in the garden, go to the town pool, or visit the beach? Today is the last day of school so the wild munchkins will be at the pool, and some will be at the beach. None of them will be at my house. 
I am thinking of painting, somewhere. So there’s the studio, the garden, or the beach. Definitely not going to the town pool for that. 
It’s early. There’s still plenty of time to decide. 

Fluttering in the garden..

Coming Down After Blasting Off

The Blast Off class is finished today, but not the work. The work continues. And if there is any success at all it’s because I worked the work. Yeah, working the work is where it all works.

There’s something to be said for having a coach, discussing the possibilities, and getting guidance. Making my time really count was something I never really thought about. Having a schedule of the day, the week, and the year makes sense.

In the days ahead I want to revisit all the lessons and chose the ones that I need to take more from. I still have work to do.

I was tolerating an uncomfortable studio space and tweaked it until it felt cozier, but I still didn’t enjoy painting there. The dining room table was much nicer, until I realized I liked it because it was at a different height than my art table. Bingo! I changed the height and it’s nicer. Next up is that stupid overhead light that keeps going out. It must get fixed next week. I get glare from the table lamp on my watercolors when I paint.

Affirmations are up on the wall where I can see them. The vision board isn’t ready yet. However, I have a plan. A working plan.

As a result of all this class work, the next painting is taking shape. The daily schedule will work.

It’s a must. “If it is to be, it is up to me.”

Resolve to Reach Goals in the New Year

The new year is well under way now. What do we think of resolutions? Do you make resolutions for the new year? Are they possible to keep anyway?

Some people love making resolutions, mostly in the form of losing weight or exercising more, things which we all should be conscious of anyway. I am not a fan of resolutions. Maybe a better word to use is “goals.” Now I can get behind something that feels like I can reach for and attain it.

But don’t we need to RESOLVE to find a way to reach our GOALS? Maybe that’s a better suggestion. It makes me think of my process, as in HOW will I reach my goal? With what trick will I help myself move forward?

My brain hurts from all the thinking.

Last year I decided to try painting 100 paintings in the year with the goal of developing a painting habit, building a current body of work, and testing my skills in watercolor paints. I am at painting #44 in the challenge, not anywhere near 100 works. Okay, so I started the challenge a couple of months into the year. If I’m going to get there I need to step it up, pronto.

This year’s goals are much the same as last year: Keep working at it. Push the process. Stay in the moment. Plan. Prepare. Paint. Cruise.

Hour by hour, day by day is the best I can hope to do. If I push myself too hard I end up backward into the wall. I want to gently guide my inner-child-artist forward. Paint almost every day, remember to take a short weekly Artist Date, keep calm and stop whining about not having enough time for everything.

There’s plenty of time, and no time like the present. And time will march on without us if we let it.

Now I am Famous, Sort of

A funny thing happened on my way to my painting spot. I got side tracked by iPad. It’s been happening lately. That pesky iPad makes me take detours and it’s not pretty. The convenience of having computer accessibility anywhere in my house could be a good thing, but it’s both good and bad.

I don’t need more distractions than I already can handle.

So I found myself in a trance in front of the iPad screen looking at everything this week! Emails, facebook, twitter, the blogs I write for, just everything. Up pops a new email from someone I do not know. Should I open it? Is it spam?

To make a long story kinda short, it was from someone involved in a website called Become.com and they read my blog and wanted to feature it on their site in a monthly e-magazine section called Pocketchange “Best of the Web” with a few other neat blogs. How cool is that?

When I made sure it was legit, hey you never know, I responded with Yes! I sent them a blurb about my blog and a photo, the one posted here today.

It feels nice to be recognized for my writing and painting skills! Gee, this must be my next fifteen minutes of fame right here. Wow, I don’t want to get a swelled head or anything like that. Ha ha! Right.