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- Animals and Artists (1)
- Art and Spirituality (11)
- confidence (1)
- Contest for Portrait (1)
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- Creativity (12)
- Creativity Blocks (1)
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- Frustration (3)
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- Powerful Design (1)
- SELLING ART ON LINE (1)
- Taos (6)
- Taos Workshops (3)
- Time…need or crutch (1)
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TAOS ABSTRACT WORKSHOP
Posted on | July 24, 2010 | 4 Comments
Here are pictures from the workshop in Taos last week. Fabulous people who joined creative thoughts and produced many wonderful paintings. It always amazes me when a class comes together as this one did. They were supportive of each other, painted with all their heart, each suffering silently in frustration with the newness of some of the painting ideas yet growing in leaps and bounds. I have other pictures but am having trouble getting them accepted so will share them later when the problem has been solved.
Taos was unusually hot so we took off early one day and went to Arroyo Seco to see this lovely town and indulge some Taos Cow ice cream. Sitting outside on the porch of the Taos Cow eatery we laughed and shared stories that normally would have been been left untold.
While in Arroya Seco the gals shopped and enjoyed the diverse opportunities that awaited them. A trip like this awakens the visual spirit.
Workshops are gifts we give ourselves
Tags: Creativity > Taos > workshops
4 Comments
CREATIVE ENERGY
Posted on | July 5, 2010 | 1 Comment
A visit from my children and grandchildren makes one realize how much energy it takes to raise a family…… a lot !!! I see and feel the energy here in New Mexico with such strength it is interesting to find my children and grandchildren feel it as well. When my five year old granddaughter, Sophie, said…..I love it here Memaw….everything feels different. Yes, Sophie, it is different.
Not everyone is privy to this energy as they are not yet awake. It is like when you purchase a new car, all of a sudden you see the model you just purchased everywhere. You have awaken something within you that was asleep.
Opening our brain to new things is one of the most important aspects of the creative life. Learning new techniques, a new way to hold the brush, how to blend colors, finding a new surface to paint on when you get bored with canvas or paper. When I am writing there are times when only a pencil will do. Interesting how our bodies tell us exactly what we need and if we are connected to our feelings when we are painting we are told many things to improve the painting. Of course, the problem is we over ride this information and we struggle with getting the painting “right”.
Go to the studio today and as you paint relax into the creative flow. As you are painting remember when that feeling comes that shouts “use red”, but you know red does not work at this place in the painting…..use red! Trust your gut and give it a try. We grow when we are willing to take chances. We grow when we are not afraid. We grow when we no longer care what others think.
Today…..grow.
Tags: art > belief in self > creative energy > Creativity > inspiration > Taos
1 Comment
THE BIRTH OF AN EVENING
Posted on | June 17, 2010 | 6 Comments
It is a magical evening in Taos, New Mexico as I am sitting watching the sun set with such a golden glow that I am mesmerized with the beauty. How many times can we say this? The apricot sienna transparency caresses the adobe walls in such a way it takes my breath away. As I watch this spectacle I realize this goes on throughout the world….in our community….in our back yard. To witness this part of life it requires us to take the time to be silent. This is the only way we can see …actually see.
Time to witness the birth of an evening. Time to become one with the universe.
When we take this time to become part of the universe we become more real as an artist. We actually see…we look….we are aware. This is when we are whole.
Take time this week to look….beyond what is normal…..be silent…be still….absorb and breathe.
Enjoy the journey to the inner part of YOU.
Much love
gwen
TAOS, NEW MEXICO
Posted on | June 9, 2010 | 2 Comments
It has been a long time since I have blogged. Several thing have happened that I would like to share with you.
First, during a regular walk with my dog Emma I tripped over a small tree trunk. Tripping while going down hill isn’t recommended. Not able to recover my balance I slid down hill on my face and body…..also not recommended. When the slide ended I knew I was not a pretty site…blood, skin hanging and eye glasses destroyed. Left ankle swollen, right knee too big to be within the normal range. Emma, was attentive and worried. Arriving home was a huge relief since it was a two mile walk. I kept wondering ….where was my Berqa (face veil) when I needed one? Not being one to horde pain pills I reached for the bottle of wine while cleaning the destruction.
Second, the final move into the new studio space is now over, packing for the trip to Taos took time and effort plus the healing process for the huge knee (required being drained three times) took its toll. It actually sounds worse than it is but the good news is …… I HAVE GREAT BONES !!!! No breaks …wow!
I am now in Taos where time moves slower and life is more centered. This is exactly what I need. Slow, focused, clarity, peace …all mine to soak into my soul.
What did I learn from my experience….slow down ! Be aware. Be present.
Another thing the fall did was remove confidence in myself. I never gave walking a thought….I just walked. I now feel I need to think and be aware of what is around me when I walk. We walk automatically but sometimes our radar is off and we fall. When we fall we lose confidence.
In relation to being an artist how many times have we lost our confidence when we have been rejected from a show, when a friend, neighbor or colleague makes a statement about your art that makes you feel less than you are.
Loss of confidence takes us down a peg but if we are able to look at the situation we can learn a valuable lesson about our self.
Being an artist is a gift we give ourselves. We are all creative but few people actually say…”I am an artist”. Being an artist requires a lot of things…..courage to try, courage to put your creations before the public, courage to listen to the comments about your art, courage to believe in yourself. Maintaining this courage requires we stay focused and centered within ourselves. This is why a lot of people just won’t take the effort to be their best as it take tremendous effort.
I am now back on track. The sun is shining, birds are singing, my dogs are happy, my children and their children are safe and healthy……life is good. I look forward to hearing from each of you and sharing our journey of self discovery plus finding that place deep within us that screams “YES”.
Tags: belief in self > confidence > Creativity > Taos
2 Comments
THE STUDIO
Posted on | April 29, 2010 | 3 Comments
Today I moved my furniture into my new studio. The garage doors have not been installed but plastic works just fine. Furniture in place, shelves awaiting organization…items holding their breath wondering where they will be placed. My first job was setting up the music. It now floats through the air dispensing peace to my heart.
This is my studio. This is my last studio. It may be for a day or twenty years…..but it is mine. It is filled with soul. It is filled with an infusion of creativity that screams “Welcome”. It has come to me with open arms.
Last night I painted the cold gray concrete floors with a warm transparent Terracotta stain then a layer of vibrant Tuscon Gold. They merged into joy.
I have waited a lifetime for this passage…. childhood, marriage, birth, children, divorce, sorrow, death, disappointments ( in self as well as others), caretaker, widowhood, success, sickness, transformation…..only to arrive at the gate of “myself”. How lucky can a person be?
I drink a glass of wine to the birth of who I am….I drink a glass of wine to life….I drink a glass of wine to YOU.
Tags: art > artists > belief in self > Creativity > devotion > Giving > inspiration > spirituality
3 Comments
The Birth of a Studio
Posted on | April 21, 2010 | 5 Comments
I have known for years that my lack of patience was a major downfall in my personality. This lack of patience deals with getting things done not impatience with people. I am a doer. Decide to paint the bedroom one morning……done that evening. After moving into a new/old home with a one car garage with zero insulation I knew I had to do something. The Colorado winters are a bit too cold to not have any insulation in the area where I work all day. I decided to add another garage to make it a two car garage ( of which the car will NEVER see) and that would be my studio. Insulated and all ! Sounds great….right?
With my mindset in tow I figured out how long it should take and prepared my psyche. Oh, how wrong I was! I forgot about inspections, electricians, drywall, wet concrete, painters, the sealing of the concrete floor that has to sit for 3-4 days before I can stain the floor, rain, drying time, etc. Having the best crew in the world didn’t help with my impatience.
I guess what I am saying here is….. I need a little help.
How do you handle your impatience? Does it effect your your ability to write, paint, create?
I need some “feel good” advice.
(PS….I would have added photos of the studio in progress but the files were too big ….another thing to learn)
Tags: birth > Frustration > mindset > Strength > studio
5 Comments
CREATIVITY BLOCKS…5 SIMPLE WAYS TO REMOVE THEM
Posted on | April 13, 2010 | 10 Comments
Creativity blocks….those dreaded words. These blocks holds us back, keep us in a box and fill us with fear. We can sense it in our bones when they enter our psyche.
The big question is why do we get creative blocks?
I remember when I received a big award at a major show. I was thrilled and excited as I felt I had finally arrived. I was being recognized as a competent painter. After a full year of rejections the glow of this award had special meaning. My excitement and celebration lasted until I went back to the studio. As I entered I felt my whole body change. My thought process was different. I expected more of myself. I felt anxiety and fear enter the room and absorb all the oxygen and all the energy. Questions started coming like flies to honey….where did the award winning painting come from? Were there more paintings of this caliber in me? How did I paint that painting that the judges thought was so wonderful? What if I would never be able to do it again. The room was overflowing with fear and anxiety ! I froze and then I sat down and cried.
It was an all-consuming creativity block. Fear had stopped me in my tracks. I gave it energy and it crushed me.
When this happens fear will keep you where it wants you…..paralyzed. Fear wants control and our lizard mind is more comfortable when we are not challenged therefore we allow fear to take up residency in our brain.
Here are the five simple ways I use to alleviate creativity blocks:
1. Accept the fact you are standing mud deep in a creativity block. It is not an illusion it is a fact.
2. Leave your studio and go on a long walk. Being alone in nature removes the cobwebs in the brain.
3. On your walk do something different than just walk…… skip, sing, talk out loud to your fear, confront it …..then let it go. Give it to the wind.
4. Back in the studio take out a piece of watercolor paper or canvas and start applying paint with abandon. Put the music on loud….very loud. There is no judgment on how you are applying the paint or what you are painting….You are free.
5. Sit quietly and give thanks for being You. Being grateful for who you are opens the heart and a heart that is open grants access to creativity.
Try this the next time a creativity block enters your studio and claims you as its own…… see if it helps. Let me know.
How do you handle creativity blocks?
Tags: art > Creativity > Creativity Blocks > responsibility > stronger
10 Comments
MAKE IT PERSONAL…THE BEST WAY TO SELL MORE ART ONLINE
Posted on | April 4, 2010 | 5 Comments
(This is a guest article from Richard Wilde, the founder of the online art and artists community www.artybuzz.com, a website that provides the opportunity for anyone to sell and buy artwork of all kinds as giclee art prints, canvas art prints and more…as well as providing number of other useful features to artists and art lovers)
Selling art online is not to be ignored in the age of the internet. It provides huge opportunities to sell to a worldwide audience, and to sell to people who you would not normally find.
One of the biggest problems that people face when selling art online though, is the loss of a connection between the artist and the buyer. People like to know the story behind the work, how it was made and what inspired its creation. So if you can get this across on your website, or the website you are selling on then you are much more likely to make a sale, and also make future sales.
Selling the story of yourself is all part of the marketing and branding of yourself. Marketing and branding don’t have to be dirty words anymore, and aren’t related to big business anymore. With the onset of the internet, there are fantastic artists who do extremely well both online and offline because they market themselves well and sell their story, making their art personal to the person who buys it, and making the connection that will make the buyer tell all their friends about you, which can lead to more sales.
On my website, Artybuzz, I allow people to write a description about themselves and each piece of work they upload. I sell a lot of work and the people who do best tend to be the ones who write a really good description and sell the story of their work. There is evidence that on my website, and others, that this definitely has an effect. So give it a go yourself, and feel free to do so on my website for free.
Tags: art > Art of Marketing > Creativity > Relationship > selling art > selling art online
5 Comments
HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME….TV…NEED OR CRUTCH?
Posted on | March 28, 2010 | 3 Comments
I just moved into a new neighborhood filled with great neighbors. One of the neighbors, who had family visiting, decided to have some of us over for drinks. It was an evening no one wanted to ventured on the roads as the air was filled with swirling snow, ice and biting cold. Once inside their home I viewed the enticing fire in their fireplace that spewed an invitation of warmth. A gentle evening with new friends.
Then came the surprise….Danny, who lived there and Danny who was a guest, appeared with guitars in hand. After a brief warm-up they serenaded us with music from the past. Their voices filled the room with harmony and passion. They were good! It was a perfect evening…..friends, warm fire,snow falling, wine and music.
As I listened to their music, I found myself thinking about “time” and how we chose to spend it. These men obviously didn’t spend most of their time in front of the TV each night being spun into a stupor of fantasy. They got together and worked on their music. Why? Because it’s their passion…it feeds their soul.
I asked myself….. how do I spend my evenings….. how much time do I waste? A scary question to look in the eye!
Is “zoning out” in front of the TV… a need or a crutch?
Maybe our need to “zone out” is because we want/need the stimulation of nothingness. We then go to bed with out minds filled with fool’s paradise instead of reading, writing or dreaming of a better way to achieve our goals.
How do you spend your evenings?
Is TV really important to you? Is it a ritual? Is it difficult to turn the TV off after watching the show you really love?
I don’t suggest any of us give up TV all together but how about cutting back?
Let’s have a test for the brave:
Here are the suggested rules….
1. Select the programs you love to watch…write them down.
2. Tally up the number of TV hours for the week.
3. Look over the list and drop one.
4. If you have only one on your list for the week…Congratulations…..keep it!
5. Commit to viewing only these programs for one month.
This experiment will provide all of us with much needed information about ourselves. Will we miss TV after the month?
Also…what did you learn about yourself?
What do you think….are you in?…..LET’S DO THIS TOGETHER !!!!!
Tags: contest > spend your time > suggested rules > time > TV..need or crutch
3 Comments
WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Posted on | March 24, 2010 | 24 Comments
OK, I’m mad. I realize this is an art blog and should be inspirational but today is different. I am mad at what is going on in America. The health care bill was passed but some are reacting like spoiled children. Didn’t their Mothers explain to them there is a “give and take” in our lives and what we view as right and wrong? The violence that is being promoted by those who stand by and are unwilling to accept responsibility for their actions are pathetic. They are saying from the sidelines “go for it” but in public they deny any participation. Does that constitute cowardice to you?
The health care bill passed. Was it perfect….NO. Did it do everything I wanted it to do…NO. Is it a start for a better tomorrow….YES! Maybe you agree but maybe you don’t …. that is what America is about. But violence to prove our point….I don’t think so. I thought we were smarter than that.
How quickly we forget when the fight for “Womens Right to vote” exploded in the political arena. I wasn’t part of it and neither were you but we have a lot to thank for our sisters who gave so much so we can vote…imagine not being able to vote because you are a woman!!!!!
Then came the” Civil Rights Movement“, Black and whites gave their lives to insist that blacks should have the same privileges as those of us who were born white. The outrage was fierce. I know, I lived in the South at that time. Those who chose to change a wrong to a right had intense, powerful courage .
No Sarah, we shouldn’t “Reload”, we should sit back, realize the power of words to those who are prone to violence. Take time to do things in a positive way, a way that will benefit our country….perhaps a thoughtful walk for peace and compassion for others. Reload…..no, I don’t think so Sarah. It is time to step back and remember that change is difficult….and change is the one thing that is always constant. Is change good?….your choice… but violence camouflaged as right is never the correct choice.
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