Stepping out of Your Comfort Zone

"Hey, Coconut Mon!" mixed media on canvas

When we’re young, we test the rules and skirt the ragged edge of danger. We experiment. We try on different styles and personalities. Some of us flaunt the rules and go into the unknown only to reap the consequences of our experimentation. But for most of us, somewhere along the way, we settle into what seems right and comfortable.

Don’t you wish that for a brief moment you could step out of the present paradigm and slip into another? Do you wish you were more daring and less predictable? A few days ago I decided to give it a go. I had a vague notion of what I wanted on canvas. I made no sketches. I didn’t even test the waters of my idea.

Work-in-Progress "Sea Breazes" acrylic on 30 x 24 wrapped canvas

I started to brush. It felt good! I slathered on paint and let my muse lead me. Swept along by intuition, I dabbed on color and highlights. Now I’m letting it rest while I contemplate my next move. Will the canvas require more changes? Probably. What will I do if it’s an utter failure? I’ll likely paint over it and start again. We all need to have that feeling of freedom. You know, when you just allow what you have learned and what you yearn for to take over?

If your idea doesn’t bloom and grow, it doesn't matter. You are experimenting with feelings, shapes, color and texture. The context is the story you are trying to tell. My current work-in-progress was inspired by my love for palm trees and my fondness for living near the ocean and the Gulf Coastal regions.

I added more color, but did it work? More contemplation!

The colors are those that I live with every day. I hope I can find the right combination of dazzle and sizzle to make my creation work. I’m calling this piece: “Sea Breezes” because that’s exactly what’s happening as the soft warm air flows across the Gulf through the palm fronds and into my world.

Take time once in awhile to leave your comfortable habits behind and open yourself to discovery. Switch things up. Change your usual canvas size. Go bigger (or smaller). Use a larger brush. Try a new color combination on canvas. Add a collage or two and a smattering of design in the background. The point is to do something different from the norm.

I recommend these books. They will not only inspire you, but dare you to experiment and then show you how: “Experimental Painting” by Lisa L. Cyr; “Art Revolution” by the same author (see Youtube fideo below), and “Journeys to Abstraction” by Sue St. John. 

If you discover something new about yourself in the process, please share it with me. I’d love to hear what happened when you crossed over into that ethereal place where things of wonder are created and magic happens!

"Window" oil on oval canvas

That’s Quite a Mouthful for a Boa

"Release, Panel 1"

A wood stork went fishing in the pond behind my villa. She waded out only a few inches, her gangly legs stilt-like above the surface of the water.

Thinking her fishing expedition would require time and patience, I turned away; but a flash of white from the corner of my eye brought me back to the window. Sure enough, the wood stork flew in my direction across the water, over the golf course and into my backyard.

The fish in her bill was a large sunfish; a prize catch. She held onto the squirming fish, struggling to get it down. With each swallow, her throat expanded. I worried that she'd bitten off more than she could chew. Like a mother hen, I fretted that she would choke or worse yet, die from over consumption.

"Wood Stork Reverie"

I must admit, I can relate. My own eyes are sometimes bigger than my stomach, and I often dish up more than I can eat. Humans are not alone in this. Seagulls have been known to stuff themselves so full they must regurgitate. But when they’re done, they go back for seconds and thirds.

A Burmese python running loose in the Everglades tried to swallow an alligator. The python’s eyes were bigger than her stomach; and to make matters worse, the alligator was prickly going down. The bite, the python’s last, proved fatal. The snake's lusty appetite was too much of a good thing. She literally exploded before her feast was over. Forgive me if I'm glad.

Once an endangered species, alligators are battling for their lives again. The indirect cause is man. Burmese python's brought to Florida from Southeast Asia as pets are the alligator’s number one problem. What would you do with a pet that has grown from one foot to almost 20 in a just few short years? Not wanting to euthanize a favorite pet, owners are releasing them into the wild. Not a good idea!

"Release, Panel II"

What happens when a 15 to 20 foot snake is set free in a lush tropical climate? They find others of their kind and multiply. Hungry Burmese pythons are devouring the food that indigenous reptiles and animals need for survival. They are eating already endangered species like mangrove fox squirrels and the endearing wood storks. They are competing for food with other threatened species like the eastern indigo snake and, of course, the alligators. But isn't there enough food to share? Not by a long shot.

The pythons are foreigners to Florida; they have no natural predators. They literally breed and feed unhampered by any natural enemies. That is until the Florida Fish and Wildlife department stepped in and declared open season on their removal. Each year, a special hunt is held to rid the everglades of these unwanted snakes. Anaconda, another encroaching pest, is included in this special shoot out.

Hunters from all over the world, eager to use their snake hunting skills participate. Once the snakes are caught, they will be killed either by machete or shot gun. If this makes you squeamish, consider this: the U.S. population imported approximately 144,000 Burmese pythons over the last five years. The hunts kill represents only a drop in the bucket.

I'm cheering for the hunters on this one, and hoping that the Burmese python has taken its last bite out of Florida's fragile ecosystem.

"Hey, Coconut Mon" mixed media on canvas

Make Time your Friend not your Enemy

"Release" 24 x 30 mixed media
(Currently I'm adding two panels on each side and turning this into a triptych.)

Get a group of people together and their number one concern is time or the lack thereof. Their problem isn’t a lack of ideas. It isn’t money, although, this is a restricting factor. What worries small business owners the most is time. Every decision that is made is concerned with time: what it’s worth, how to set priorities, where to focus it for optimal growth. Marketing alone requires enormous amounts of time, and making product requires time. Without a product, there is nothing to sell.

(Sketch on panel)

A novice once asked me for detailed information on what it cost me to do a painting. He divided it into parts: supplies, paints, canvas, tools, and time spent in the actual painting. This picayunish breakdown was designed to belittle me and other artist’s work with little regard to the years it takes to perfect a skill or the knowledge required to assimilate what one sees and interpret it on canvas.

I gave him a simple mathematical tool he could use to consider basic costs: Multiply the size of the painting (i.e. 24 x 30), add any overhead costs the artist may have incurred (leased space / gallery, a model, etc.), and add the cost of a frame. This exercise at least gives you a basis from which to judge. Add into the equation, the artist’s background and notoriety and the worth of a painting is much easier to appreciate.

To reduce a painting to a dime-store print or a knock off which has been photographed on canvas and then given a few swipes of paint is an insult. This is not a serious buyer, but a person who hopes to get something for nothing. Walk away!

"1st panel on left" Will require many layers of paint to complete.

Some people get overwhelmed when they see the big picture and understand all the work that is required to become successful. If this is you, try to slow down and take one piece at a time. A child doesn’t learn how to walk all at once. Neither does success come without a series of mini-steps and hurdles to overcome.

Focus on one thing at a time:

• Prioritize your work list in order of importance
• Do as much as is humanly possible in your 24 hour day
• Don’t neglect your health or there will be no business
• Small increments of time are better than nothing
• Use down time for planning, organizing your thoughts, and creatively solving problems.

When your body is at rest, your mind can take over. I mentally paint even when I’m not at the canvas. Sometimes I solve problems in this way. At other times, an idea completely changes and moves in another direction. By the time I’m able to actually work at the canvas, I can move ahead quickly with confidence. Use your time wisely and it can be an asset not a liability.

"Bella Bellissiomo" 16 x 20 Acrylic on canvas
Currently on display at the SWF Coop Gallery at Coconut Point

Two other paintings are on display at this Gallery: "Hey, Coconut Man" and "With These Hands -- Hope"

What I Learned Climbing Trees and Playing Jump Rope

"Hey, Coconut Mon" acrylic on canvas

When I was a child, I loved to climb trees. I could look down on passersby, but they couldn’t see me. It gave me a great sense of power. I felt larger than life. Today, this concept is given a grown-up term called the “big picture.” This overview or perception is essential in planning and setting goals.

Many of the things I needed to know in life, I learned as a child; take jump rope. I gained more than building coordination. I learned how to merge. Do you notice how many people simply don’t know how to do this with discretion?

There are the bullies who drive into traffic like a bat out of you-know- what, always expecting that an opening will be waiting automatically. Sometimes they make it, causing people like you and me to stomp on our brakes or swerve into dangerous congestion. Or they slam on their own brakes and wait. By the time an opening appears, their car is at a standstill.

Then there are the turtles, the terrified ones who creep up onto the ramp, afraid of whizzing cars and trucks. They don’t have enough speed to merge in, and so they wait with a trail of cars behind them. These are the people who, when they were kids, either never played jump rope, or were never good at it.

They were the ones who stood and watched the rope go around and around, and when the time was right, they stood there as immobile as slugs. If they finally found courage to jump in, they were so out of sync that they tripped on the rope – game over.

"Cattle grazing with egrets" 11 x 14 oil on archival canvas

It’s all about rhythm. There are signs that alert a jumper when the time is right: the tapping of the rope on pavement, the height of the rope when it’s time to jump in. It’s all about gut feel and the rhythms of life; moving when the time is right and taking turns.

I call it tact. Some people naturally have it. They must have been jump rope pros! They seem to know when to talk and when to keep their mouths shut.  They sense when another person is tense or angry. They are in tune with other people’s feelings and the rhythms and patterns of human speech and emotion. Unlike their opposing counterparts who blurt out insulting remarks without thinking. Tacky!

"Window on Pine Island" 16 x 20 oil on wrapped canvas

These tactless souls are the ones who swerve in and out of traffic without regard for anyone else’s safety. They are the shoppers who push past others waiting in line, crashing into them like bumper cars. They are impatient. They think having to wait is for wimps. Anger propels them. They don’t have time for games unless they can win. “What’s in it for me?” is the question that prefaces every action. They are bulldozers in human form.

You find out a lot about people by waiting in lines and driving down the highway. You find out who knows when to merge and who doesn’t. And you discover discourteous people who refuse to move left, even when they can, to allow someone else to enter the highway. I swear these people never jumped rope.

"Fish Market" acrylic on 18 x 24 canvas

If I had my way, jump rope would be a part of every Drivers Ed. Class; maybe even part of college preparatory education or on-the-job training.  Who knows, there might be fewer accidents on the road and more teamwork on the job. But that’s just my opinion. What’s yours?

Good T.V. Commercials may Motivate and Teach Us

"Hibiscus Glory" commissioned 16 x 20 OIL on canvas SOLD

Today many T.V. commercials are far from boring. Spontaneous belly laughs result from watching people like us make complete fools out of themselves in order to sell product. Watching these commercials unfold is not necessarily a waste of time. There are lessons to be learned.

Good commercials have several traits in common. These same principles make any product or presentation better. Even artwork gains an interactive response through these techniques.

"Blending In" 16 x 20 Acrylic in Barn-wood Frame $300

·        Perfect execution: This goes without saying. But how many times do we hastily spew something out or slap on the paint without giving it our best? From the first brush stroke to the last, your purpose your vision must be perfectly clear, perfectly executed, perfectly understood.

(Photo from a contact in Uganda)

·        Timing and Flow: If a commercial is too long or it’s difficult to follow, we change the channel or turn away. If the music or dialogue catches us from the start and carries us easily to the end, they have us! Now apply that to your product or painting. Does your composition pull people in? Does it take the viewer on a journey through color, line and form? Do viewers want to stay and experience? Did you grab them from the start?

"Work in Progress"

·        Succinct: Gets right to the point. There’s no convolution or meandering; no vague or misrepresented “bunny trails” or side tracks. Of course, I have seen successful commercials that come in from the back door and then give you a surprise ending; but often they lose viewers before the final climax. Likewise, a product or painting should have a clear center of interest.  It should get right to the point and express its function and intention.

"Hey, Coconut Mon!" 14 x 18 mixed-media on canvas $500 (acrylic underpainting)

·        Clear Message: Commercials want to “wow” you into buying. They must motivate you quickly, clearly, and successfully. If the message is too subtle or hidden between the lines, it may be funny, but does it sell? If you’re left wondering who the sponsor was or what they were advertising, the commercial has failed. With a painting, the message or story must at least suggest that something has happened or is going to take place. Subject matter must at the very least stir emotion or provoke feelings of energy and excitement.

·        Purpose: Commercials want you to buy. Sometimes they only want you to remember their product name so you’ll at least give their brand a try. Repetition, songs, and humor do this in a powerful way. Does your product or artwork have a purpose other than to please yourself? Are viewers able to connect with your vision? Is your purpose simply self-expression or is it entertainment? Do you want your artistic expression to appeal to others on a higher level or are you satisfied with simply making a statement? Know thyself and your paintings will have a purpose.

·        Motivation: On what level does your product or painting relate to others? If you can answer that question, your painting will likely motivate someone to buy. The purpose of the preceding steps was geared toward motivation:  motivation to watch, motivation to enjoy, motivation to buy.

Looking at your artistic creations as products gives you a clear path to follow for success. After all, we can’t create in a vacuum, and unless we’re able to share our artistic vision with others, we are unfulfilled.

"Kelly's Rose" 12 x 16 OIL on Board $250 with white frame

Lesson Video – “How to Draw a Water Droplet
Sponsored by FineArtEbooks on YouTube.

To All the Friends I’ve Known and Loved

Finished painting: "Hey, Coconut Mon!" -- 18x24 mixed media on canvas

Do you believe that there is only one right relationship, one perfect painting, one right way to live your life, one opportunity that when lost is gone forever? If you do, you’d better change your perspective. If there’s one thing I've learned it is this:  life is a struggle, and it can be downright grungy and gritty in the trenches. But if you hold on to your faith and your identity, it will get better.

 Once there were people in my life who scolded and criticized every word, every action until I didn’t know what to do to please them or to make them happy. These were the spear throwers, the dagger stabbers, the poison arrows of envy, and hatred. It’s impossible to feel loved when you’re constantly under attack, when the eyes that look at you are filled with disgust, loathing, or anger and soon you begin to hate yourself.

I've also learned that love doesn’t always last even though you want it to. Why? Because there are no perfect people. But just as you can love another child, even though your “quiver” or your house may be full; you can always find room in your heart for another child or for someone else.

"Broken" -- 11x14 mixed media on panel SOLD

I’m grateful for the people who have come in and out of my life. Even though the relationships were not perfect or even healthy, I learned something treasured from each of them. I not only learned things I didn’t know about myself, I learned fresh ideas and discovered new things that made me who I am today. I’m thankful for each friend and for each person who has ever touched my life, even in a small way.

Barbara Streisand sang: “People, people who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” For the first time in my life, I know exactly what she means. We not only need each other and depend on each other, we add something unique and special to everyone we meet and they to us.

 I treasure the friend who taught me about fire stations, and fire engines, and instilled in me a love for antique cars. I will never see another auto show or ride in a classic car without thinking of him. I treasure the friends who loved me for who I am. With them, I didn’t have to be self conscious. I didn’t have to walk on eggs, or be afraid of offending them anymore than they could offend me. Acceptance not approval is what makes us truly happy.

"A Joyful Heart" -- 9x12 Pastel

To hear someone laugh at my fractured jokes, or tolerate my irritating habits and still love me is a blessing. Feeling that you’re attractive and beautiful even without makeup – now that’s something! It's not what’s said, it’s the smile on the face and the glow of love in the eyes. When you are loved you know it deep down inside. You can tell when someone is genuinely pleased with you or not.

The friends and lovers who take us back when we’re quick tempered or sad reminds us of our frail humanity. Friends keep us humble, and bring us joy. Today, I’m thankful for all the friends I have known, and for those who will yet come into my life.

"Tansy's Pride" -- 9x12 Pastel