More small paintings from the Fall 2007
This is my concluding retrospective grouping. Summing up - I see progress in several major areas. I've already spoken about some of my inner growth, but artistically - I see myself having grown in these ways: First, by having a commitment and a measure of accountability, I am working daily. It is no longer an idea bubbling on the back burner, but the ideas are getting worked through on my easel day by day! I think I've been more intentional about composition and I've become more fluent in color mixing and color expression. Also, I've become more adventurous. That sounds ridiculous, perhaps - but I mean by that, I am more willing to take some risks, knowing I don't know whether I'll like the outcome or not. Experimentation, I guess.
Once my daughter and I were at a river walk art show near by, and one of the artists gave her such a simple but outstanding piece of advice - I'm paraphrasing here - "Create a mess on the picture plane and then learn to work it out!" That really is valuable advice. Fear is quite limiting ... and being "afraid" to try new ideas and methods and media keeps us boxed in pretty tightly. How often I've created a pleasing picture, which could have been really amazing had I been willing to take a risk in some aspect... being willing to settle for "good" when "best" was still within my reach. I think the piece of advice given my daughter is so great because, if we learn to work through a problem or a mess on the canvas - we learn not to be afraid of that outcome. We learn we can deal with the unexpected. Sometimes what we get in the unexpected is beyond what we originally envisioned!
So - 2007 has been a year of leaping forward for me - in the doing of art, in learning more about my craft, in experimenting, in finishing what I start - the result has been a deep level of personal satisfaction, much better use of my time on a daily basis, nearly 40 paintings in the last 5 months, some art sales, learning new ways to develop art as a business, finding a great group of international artist friends through blogging, and a sense that I am taking big, new steps toward developing the kind of life I was created for and want to live - full of creativity, expression, and meaning. Its been a good year!
Once my daughter and I were at a river walk art show near by, and one of the artists gave her such a simple but outstanding piece of advice - I'm paraphrasing here - "Create a mess on the picture plane and then learn to work it out!" That really is valuable advice. Fear is quite limiting ... and being "afraid" to try new ideas and methods and media keeps us boxed in pretty tightly. How often I've created a pleasing picture, which could have been really amazing had I been willing to take a risk in some aspect... being willing to settle for "good" when "best" was still within my reach. I think the piece of advice given my daughter is so great because, if we learn to work through a problem or a mess on the canvas - we learn not to be afraid of that outcome. We learn we can deal with the unexpected. Sometimes what we get in the unexpected is beyond what we originally envisioned!
So - 2007 has been a year of leaping forward for me - in the doing of art, in learning more about my craft, in experimenting, in finishing what I start - the result has been a deep level of personal satisfaction, much better use of my time on a daily basis, nearly 40 paintings in the last 5 months, some art sales, learning new ways to develop art as a business, finding a great group of international artist friends through blogging, and a sense that I am taking big, new steps toward developing the kind of life I was created for and want to live - full of creativity, expression, and meaning. Its been a good year!
1 comment:
I like what you wrote very much. It is very helpful to me as well. I feel I learned a lot from reading it.
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