With the kinks worked out about reducing the dpi, making sure it was a jpg and  finally uploading the photos, I can now show you how much fun the  Glorious Abstract class had.  The photo above shows the class with our class mascot, Emma.  They are standing outside the Stables Gallery and workshop space.  What a group of great people!

The space at the Stables is roomy and perfect for creating.  The gals brought their I Pods so music saturated the air.  There wasn’t any way for people to not be creative……being in Taos, absorbing the light, smells and textures of the surrounding area.  When you have a room filled with those who are wanting to learn and are willing to put their egos aside, try new things, be open to failure so they can succeed…..you have the makings of magic.

Of course the shopping in Arroya Seco was a fabulous way to relax after a long day of painting.  Ice Cream at The Taos Cow made the afternoon perfect.  A soft rain fell as we sat outside on the porch of  The Taos Cow and shared our thoughts.

Here is the class picture 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

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.

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”.

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.

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)

(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.

The Tao Te Ching teaches personal empowerment. Tao means the journey of our lives, Te means our essential nature and Ching means a sacred book,  It is made up of three characters “to go” ” straight” and “the heart.”   The Tao is a journey of discovery and fulfillment that comes straight from the heart.

To create we allow our heart to be open …wide open. Having our hearts open also requires us to be centered.  Being centered means that we stay in touch with who we are at a deeper level.  It means becoming more aware of our own energies, values, and priorities. We as artists are the luckiest people in the world.  We have the privilege of going within and finding out just who we are.  Our creations reflect no only who we are but how we think and  feel.

So, when you go into your studio how important is the act of creating to you?  Is it just a job or do you feel you must create or die.

I have two critique groups that meet once a month and  they bring their work for me to critique.  The group last week brought to mind that we as artists easily segue our thoughts without a blip in the radar.   One member of the group got up and showed her paintings.  We discussed them in great detail and as she was taking the last one off the easel she casually stated….now all I have to do is decide whether to get plan D or J of my medicare.  The group burst into laughter.  It all fit.  We all understood.   The segue from art to medicare didn’t seem unusual…..we were all in the flow.

Being in the “flow” while painting is essential.  When we are one with our painting the painting speaks to us.  One of the most important jobs we have as an artist is to listen.    When I am painting, the painting speaks to me through my gut and my heart.  I get that special feeling in my body.  Have you ever started a painting and it seemed to paint itself?  Why is that?  Why do some paint themselves and some never get off the ground?

What does it take to get into the “flow”.  I will share with you what it takes for me.  When I enter the studio I am filled with a calm excitement.  What do I mean by calm excitement?  I am in control of the butterflies in my stomach.  Why calm?  Well,  I am the type of person who gets excited about an idea and I want to get it done asap.  Decide to paint the bedroom…..no problem, I paint it that afternoon.    That ” get it done now “mentality has been taken down a notch since I have been remodeling my new, old home.  Nothing is done immediately!  I must have chosen this house to re-evaluate my patience.  Oh, it has been hard!!!………back to art.

I have done my thumbnail sketch, mentally selected my color scheme (warm or cool), decided on the size of canvas, sketched the design on the canvas, selected the brushes I am going to use.  I am all set up.

What I do now is sit back and relax.  I calm my mind, my body and allow the future painting to become one with me.  Little too woo woo for you?  Why not just get on with it and paint the painting?  I could do that and the painting would probably turn out just fine.  However, I don’t want a ” just fine” painting.  I want a painting with soul.  In order to get soul into a painting we need to go beyond the normal way of painting……we need to go within ourselves.

How do you think the Olympic hopefuls become winners?  They develop ways to go deep within themselves.  This place is their strength.  This is also the place where you find your real strength.

Today is a snow day.  It is beautiful outside as the flakes fall in their personal graceful pattern.  I have declared  that today is a  “be kind to yourself” day.  So what do I mean by this?  Today is a day to take a look at who you are and how you perceive yourself.

Yesterday I went to my book club group. Ten women of different areas of interest and intense intelligence.  Our book club is different than most as we don’t have a designated book to read.  We come together to share the books that have touched our hearts and minds.  Our illustrious leader, Ann, made a suggestion that changed the whole afternoon.  Instead of telling about the books we read we would pick out the central idea of the book then  tell one or all of the following……did it inspire you, make you think differently, make you think at all, or we could have a discussion about what everyone thought about the central idea.   Wow!  What an afternoon!!!  The conversation was not only stimulating and educational but revealed layers within each person there.  We became more transparent, more vulnerable,  more accessible.  I felt we opened up the gates to a deeper relationship…..all with the purpose of growing ourselves.  It is wonderful when you leave a group filled with inspiration, excitement and acceptance.

In order to grow ourselves as individuals we need to love.  I know you love others…..your children, your friends but what about yourself?  How about yourself as an artist?  Do you love being an artist?  Do you love to paint and create?  Do you believe in your ability to do meaningful work?   I ask these questions of you because they are questions I have had to ask myself.  The answers are not always pretty but must be addressed.  In order to create from within our soul and heart we must love ourselves for who and what we are.  We have worked hard to get to where we are.  This doesn’t mean we are always pleased and sometimes we wish we had taken a different turn along the way.  What it does mean is we took the turn that brought us more information about ourselves and our art.

Take time today to look in the mirror and say  out loud….I love myself.  In doing this you open yourself up to the juicy part of living and creating.

Enjoy your day.