Find your voice! What are you trying to say?

One of my favorite trees is in bloom again. I don't know what it is (water oak?) Sure wish I knew!

There are scenes that almost jump out and grab you, and you know you have to paint them or write about them. At other times there may be only a vague inclination that you’d like to try something new and so you go with it. Either way you must ask yourself: “What am I trying to say? What am I trying to illustrate or express?

Every painting tells a story or expresses a feeling or impression. You are taking your viewer on the journey with you. Where will you take them and how? What is the most important thing you want to show them? How will you help them navigate through the barrage of color and detail?

These are the seed flowerettes that remain after the red seeds fall out.
They become woody and hard.

Is your message soft or loud? Do you want to jar them from complacency or coddle them into submission? What is your desired end result? Will you think big and dream large or will you softly suppress your message to a whisper? All of these questions should preferably be answered before you begin. Then again, the painting itself may be a question that only the viewer can answer.

Painting, writing, or any art form is anything but dull. The innuendo is everywhere. The subtleties should sparkle with ingenuity and the canvas or stage should reflect your skill and spontaneity. When your story becomes contrived or too controlled people will be aware of it even though they may not know what it is that bothers them.

The Poinciana trees are again in bloom. The hot weather brought their bright red blooms in earlier than usual.

Instead of holding your imagination at bay or choking it with too much control, unleash it. Your knowledge and skill will roam freely and thoughtfully allowing you to tell your story. Where will your journey end? When will your tale be finished?

Someone once said your work is finished when you can no longer find any place to improve it. I think it ends even before that. There’s a fine line between spontaneous freshness and belabored brushwork. Hard straight lines draw far more attention than a small swipe of color that goes a tad too far or is allowed to blend into the background.

Their leaves are fern-like and feathery. The flowers grow in huge clusters like grapes.

Paint is forgivable. Wipe it out if it displeases you or paint over it and smooth out the flaws. If the first layer of paint captures your vision, avoid a second. Let that part stand and embellish around it bringing depth and richness to your scene.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. If you want to try something new, do it. You can always wipe it out and paint over it. This practice will keep your nerves under control. I know when I do commissioned work I’m always more tense worrying about what the buyer will think and if they'll be pleased. When I paint for myself, the brush strokes are more fluid and unhindered. Above all, enjoy yourself. If you are not, you’re in the wrong business.

This is half of the Poinciana seed pod. The indentations are where the seeds sit and another pod just like this one
covers them until they ripen and open. They are hard, woody, and beautiful!

The Waiting Game – don’t Discount Its Importance!

Waiting is frustrating. It’s boring. When nothing seems to be happening, our nerves frazzle with despair, doubt, and fear that our dreams will never be fulfilled.

Patience is a virtue. We’ve heard that most of our lives. Americans are not patient people. We want satisfaction now! If we don’t get what we want right away, we often turn to something else. We become distracted and we lose our focus.

Many of us throw in the towel too soon, long before our goals can be fulfilled. There’s something to be said for not only hanging on, but for being willing to do whatever it takes, including waiting for that brass ring to appear. When it does, will we be ready to grab hold of it and soar or will we be off somewhere sulking in forgetfulness?

Opportunity disguises itself in many forms. Sometimes she comes in a whisper. At other times she is coy and secretive. She flirts with our senses and flutters on the peripheral edges of awareness. If we’re not careful, we may miss her altogether. Opportunity rarely hits us over the head. We must seize her before she gets away.

That’s where patience comes in. If success depends on “being in the right place at the right time” then we need to wait for her there and continue to prime our pump so-to-speak. We need to keep our skills sharpened and our drive intact. We need to be ready to pounce when a winning break presents itself.

Entrepreneurs will tell you of the heartache and time invested in getting a business off the ground. If you watch Shark Tank at 8 p.m. EST on CNBC you’ll get to witness some people’s hopes come crashing down and others go on to gain partners and investments.

"Does this Hat make me Look Fat?"  11 x 14 pencil drawing

The major factor in failure is sometimes presenting an idea or a business model too soon. Impatient to show their babies and proud of their early achievements, they inflate the potential of the business without any proven success. Even before a patent has been issued they’re parading their wares as if they’ve already succeeded. 

Patience, scouting the territory, knowing the competition and proving that your business model works signals that you are ready for success. There’s no other way. If you try to shortchange this process and think that there’s some magic shortcut to fame and fortune, you may end up missing the golden opportunity that awaits those who are prepared.

"Dregs of Winter" charcoal drawing available in print

Beauty Is in the Eye; Impressions from the Heart

"Victims of War" mixed media on canvas; in juried show re political angst

We've heard it all of our lives--"beauty is in the eye of the beholder." This was never more true than when I discovered a petrified cactus on the desert floor in Phoenix, Arizona where I lived for several years.

In the winter I liked to take long walks in the desert. If you've never done it in January and February, you're missing an incredible sight. During the milder temperatures of winter, the desert cacti and plants come to life. The sandy terrain sprouts into a thick carpet of grassy clover and turns the normally drab browns into radiant greens. The cacti begin blooming, dotting the burgeoning scene with splashes of pinks, yellows, reds, and blues. An incredible sight!

"Whimsical Drawing of a new Series
called: "The Neptunes"

In the midst of this color, a dead cactus, brown and forlorn, caught my eye. It's arms were arranged in graceful twists and turns as beautiful as any marble sculpture I could imagine. "God's handiwork," I quipped. and decided to bring the orphaned cactus home to grace my flower garden.

I mentioned my unusual sculpture to friends, family, and neighbors. I must have described my find in such detail and with such embellishment that soon I had visitors to see my heavenly sculpture. I chuckle now, as I remember their disappointment in this dried up piece of wood that once was an elegant cactus. To me it was still beautiful, but to those who saw it through a prism of their own experience, it was a disappointment.

I get that same reaction with some of my favorite paintings, especially the ones that I cherish because of the blood, sweat, and tears, that went into them. Those are the paintings that sometimes draw this reaction: "Eh!," a shrug, and they walk away. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.

"Drawing is painted in with Burnt Sienna; This panel is called: "The Trumpeteers"

My grandfather cut his thumb off long before I was born. He tangled with a paper cutter during his years as a school teacher. Although he showed his granddaughters the scar where his thumb once was, and warned us about the dangers of paper cutters and knives, we never looked on it as a disability. It was simply Grandpa. The lack of a thumb made him unique and adoring. Whether he had a thumb or not didn't make one whit of difference. To us he was perfect as he was. 

Artists frequently fret about whether their work is acceptable; compliant with the constraints of acceptable color and composition. And yet, those artists who achieve recognition and acclaim are the ones who dare to cross the line; the ones who boldly walk into the cutting edge limelight through experimentation and creativity.

"Work in Progress:  "The Neptunes -- Trumpeteers" 11 x 14 acrylic on panel

I've had the same paintings rejected by a jury at one show and then go on to win first or second prize in another. How we look at something is personal, subjective, and fleeting. The mood of the judges and the way they view your art on any given day may change. Don't take it to heart. Listen to their comments and weigh it against what you know and were trying to achieve. Don't be deterred by others. An artist must express his own inner vision, even if that means standing apart and standing alone. 

Take a deep breath and dare to be different. Some people will love your work, others will criticize it. Beautify is indeed subjective; enjoy the moment, create while you can!

"Kindred Spirits" was rejected at one juried show and won 2nd prize at another! 24 x 30 acrylic on canvas

“Shit Happens” and Somebody Somewhere Experiences their Last Straw!

Third Place Win in Juried Competition for "Swamp Angel" oil on canvas

There are shows, and then there are shows. On the plus side, I had an opportunity to display my Popeye collection which is rare. The bazaar was seeking artwork, antiques, collectibles, and high-end used clothing and household items. The rules stated, “definitely not garage sale items.”

Second Place win in Acrylics for "Kindred Spirits"

Of course, whenever you make a rule, there are at least five people who will bend it or break it. It’s hard to place artwork next to a table that has used items for sale under $5. 

By the end of the show, a few vendors decided they’d rather give their stuff away than take it home. That made the situation even worse!

The artists who did participate will likely not come back. One jewelry maker remarked that she usually sells $600 to $1000 at one of these shows. She sold only $100.

There were more than 45 tables. Our hopes were high. But competition always makes or breaks a show. There were three other shows going on simultaneously in the area. These were also rummage sales that attracted a different clientele where people expect to pay a little and get a lot.

My own story was even sadder. I had a mixture of Popeye memorabilia and low-cost art. I thought, at the very least, I’d be advertising my portrait skills. I sold a few Popeye pieces and drew an interested fun loving crowd to my artwork.

 A gentleman took my card and said he’d be interested in talking to me about buying the whole Popeye collection. From experience, I know that usually means a bargain for him and a loss for me.

Could our show have been more successful in November by tapping into Christmas and holiday buying? Perhaps. Did the word bazaar throw people off? Were they expecting more bargains similar to a rummage or garage sale?

With many people out of work and low on cash, the timing may have been off. In a good year things could have been different. It’s hard to believe that in America, one of the most prosperous countries in the world, we are in decline; not only financially, but morally and spiritually.

To make matters worse, my husband ran errands while I was preoccupied and someone backed into his car. It was more than a ding. The at-fault-driver was in a truck which suffered little or no damage. Our car was dented in the fender and the door. My husband was 2/3 out of his parking spot, and she backed right into him. Did she have blinders on her eyes?

She claimed she was worried about the other driver she saw who was waiting for her spot. Impatience, stress and carelessness cause most of the accidents in our society. She was guilty of all three. At any rate, the support of friends and the camaraderie of fellow artists saved a weekend that could have been a total loss.

When we got home, I had a nice nap to sleep off my anxiety, and my husband warmed up some killer enchiladas that he’d made a few days before. It’s always the simple things in life that get us through the bad times. A smile, a hug, a thoughtful gesture can make up for so much when things go wrong.

My favorite Fall tree: the "Golden Rain Tree." Following spikes of yellow flowers seed lanterns form.

I wish some of my FB friends and social connections would remember that the next time they reply to a message or a comment. I’ve experienced some mean-spirited and ugly remarks recently because of political anger or someone who doesn’t agree with my faith or with something I’ve said. Civil disagreement is expected and deserved. But name-calling or saying that someone would be better off dead or buried is quite another.

If the world were only a nicer place, there wouldn’t be so many lonely and unhappy people out there who later become a forgotten statistic because someone somewhere vented their anger or became an ugly bully without regard for someone else’s feelings.

Hanging up a Show -- Team Work gets the Job done

The Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers is sponsoring two shows: one for recent recipients of Grants, and the other in the membership hallway, featuring Pan American Alliance members.

The experience requires a good morning and afternoon measuring, grouping similar colors and types of paintings, labeling, and then the actual hanging on the wall. I see the incremental hours slip through my grasp. I have done no painting this week and another blog is due. Is it just me, or does everyone feel the days are moving faster and faster?

I must admit the camaraderie of fellow artists is fun and stimulating. There’s a certain excitement involved in having a show and seeing how spectacular everyone’s work looks on the once bare walls. Sometimes we rub each other the wrong way; there are egos involved. And stress enters in when a painting or a frame is rejected.

But when all is said and done, we rally around the wounded person and try to make amends. After all, it could be anyone of us if the circumstances were turned. Support is vital in the transitional stage between achieving public recognition and putting your toe in the waters of exposure for the first time.

I remember my first show. I didn’t know whether to hang my head in shame because I had the audacity to hang my artwork in a show or go back home without even trying.

 

Somehow we all get past those beginning hurdles. 

That first compliment or sale changes you forever. For the first time you see the possibilities; the fact that people out there like what you do is secondary to the pride that fills your heart and hooks you for life.

What I thrive on is challenge. It’s not enough for me to “paint pretty pictures.” I have to try something harder and more difficult each time I begin a new painting. If I’m not growing or learning, I’m disinterested. To keep my creative juices flowing and my imagination in over drive, I have to see improvement in my work and master complex subject matter. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail.

We each have our own unique way of motivating ourselves. What works for me may not work for you. The important thing is to keep going. Remember, only those who give up fail. 

Painting is about Communicating -- What are you trying to say?

"Kindred Spirits" 24 x 30 mixed-media on canvas

I viewed an abstract painting yesterday in the Red and Blue Group at Fine Art America where the above painting was featured. I was so drawn to the bright colors and shapes, I had to analyze my feelings to see why I was so compelled to linger?

The composition was stunning. A red, red-orange background with subtle splashes of light was broken up by blue shadow in varying shades of intensity. Each shape was interesting in and of itself. The stunning mixture of contrasts and highlights was complex and varied. The illusion of depth and texture was created. First my mind wanted to analyze it, and then simply admire the feeling I got while floating through the brightly lit space from form to form. Whatever the artist was trying to say may be an enigma, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

"Day Dreams" 9 x 12 oil on canvas (SOLD) Prints available.

Sometimes a beautiful paintings just is; an enjoyment of color, form and shape with no other ulterior motive. At other times the artist has a specific reason for wanting to share a story, an attitude, a cause, or simply a feeling.

"African Fish Market" 18 x 24 acrylic on canvas

Most of my paintings communicate the goodness and worth of the human soul, and the beauty in our natural world. To communicate this, I sometimes exaggerate color or light until I feel the painting expresses my message. It would be unnatural for me to attempt to communicate a negative or mean-spirited theme or image; weakness and vulnerability, yes; but not hatred, arrogance, or evil.

"Moody Blues" 14 x 18 mixed media on canvas

"Broken Hearted" 9 x 12 pastel on Bristol

We all have our own vision of what we want to communicate. We may not always recognize what it is we're trying to say until the painting is almost finished. When we slap on that final dab of paint, we should know intuitively how we will connect with the viewer.

Since reaction is subjective, our message may be received differently from what was intended. Not to worry. If the viewer is pleased, then we have reached them none-the-less.

"With These Hands Hope" 16 x 20 mixed media on canvas