You can make a Difference if you don't Give Up

"Tansy's Pride"

In addition to loving books written about the Depression Era and World War II, I enjoy novels about slavery, especially from the perspective of a slave. Once immersed in the heartaches and hardships that come out of these historical time periods, you can better relate to the families that came after and those in the present day.

Everyone has a different memory of the same event. There were courageous and honest people who helped others and made their own lives count, and there were shallow people whose actions were hateful and spiteful. There were those who committed monstrous acts of violence and treachery that can only be called evil.

In the book "On to Richmond 1861-1862" The second book in the Civil War series written by Ginny Dye, the slave Rose asks her mama "How do you endure? How do I endure, Mama?" Her mother answered: "by going around every obstacle and embracing every hard time as if it were a friend carrying you to your final goal." Talk about positive attitude.

Reading opens up your world. You can gain understanding of other peoples and races. You can learn new skills. Education may expand your thinking and change the way you see your life. With knowledge comes responsibility. Your capacity to change your circumstances and conversely change the world becomes tangible. You can make a difference!

I taught myself to do many things while I raised six children. Each week we selected 10 books from the library that they could share. I also chose a few for myself. I studied writing, I read plays, I created scripts. I went on to study art in all of its forms. I experimented. I grew. I hungered to learn. I think my children caught my enthusiasm because they were full of never-ending questions.

If you're feeling trapped and think that you don't have the time or money for classes or that you'll be stuck in the same rut for the rest of your life, think again. You have it in your hands to create the life you want.

Think creatively. Reach out for help. Don't give up just because your life doesn't fit in with the pattern of others. Like the slave Rose learned from her mama, "embrace every obstacle, every hard time as if it were a friend carrying you to your final goal."

Nothing worthwhile is easy. You've probably heard that many times. It's easy to give up. You give into your fears, your imperfections, your lack of self-confidence. But you don't have to! Your state of mind determines where you go in life and how you end up. Take the reins of your thoughts and accomplish what God intended for you.

Norman Vincent Peale a famous Pastor and the author of many motivational books wrote this challenge in "Positive Thinking for Every Day of the Year:"

"Are you going to live all your life and never feel the presence of God?"

I issue a similar challenge. Are you going to live the rest of your life never feeling the exhilaration of overcoming weakness or the power that comes from self-control? Be in charge of your life. Don't succumb to indifference, laziness or fear.

The painting below is the first coat of paint on a gesso board. You can still see the white gesso show through in come places. I will show this work-in-progress over the next few weeks.

(Work in Progress)

Tools and Technology are an Artist’s Best Friends

FINAL "Stir Fry" 16 x 20 Oil on Canvas -- framed.

I am a risk taker. I like to experiment. Sometimes I get lucky, and sometimes I’m disappointed. I stretch my skills and challenge myself to try different techniques and colors that enliven my palette. There is a certain light or glow I seek that emanates from my paintings. Until I have achieved that look and feel, I am not satisfied.

Using tools to build-up texture that ends up showing through may give you an unusual under painting over which you can layer, wipe off, or touch up with soft color, highlights or added lines.

(Underpainting; notice plastic rake tracks, swirls of color, mounds, etc.)

An artist from Australia, Robert Bosler, suggests that “how you apply paint (your technique) becomes a tool. There are refining techniques and empowering techniques.” Samples of both are at a link below for YouTube.

Tools of the trade for an artist can be digital or as simple as a plastic rake or a handful of tissue paper. 

I enlarge my drawings or photos on my PC to the size of my canvas. This allows me to block in the large items and saves me from always having to draw or transpose detail. Using my paint brush as a drawing tool, I can easily change or add to my composition. The details can be added later.

(This is the final result over that last underpainting--flipped
to portrait position.)

A novice once asked me for 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 to interpret it on canvas.

I gave him a simple mathematical tool to determine costs: Multiply the width of the painting by the length, add any overhead costs the artist may have (leased space / gallery, etc.), add in the cost of a frame or other embellishments. Include in this equation, the artist’s background and notoriety and the worth of a painting is much easier to understand and appreciate. This exercise at least gave him a basis from which to judge.

Reducing a painting to a dime-store print or 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 wants something for nothing. Walk away!

Common artist tools.

Beginning artists get overwhelmed when they see the big picture and know all the work that must be done to be 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.

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. 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.

(The palette knife -- a favorite tool!)

Use your time wisely and it can be an asset not a liability. Experiment or you will never get your career off the ground. Don’t hesitate to try new tools or new mediums. You’ll never find your own niche until you do!

(Scrapers, spatulas, sponges, odd-ball tools in a handy bucket)

In addition to your home and kitchen, here is a fun place to look for unusual tools.

American Science & Surplus Catalog   http://www.sciplus.com/

Here is Robert Bosler’s demonstration

https://youtu.be/dvJKYzb4Nt8

A Second video demonstrates how to add texture to giclees

https://youtu.be/O6R4HdDGYLw

Build a Shine from Within, or Slather Gloss on Top? Your Choice.

When I first started painting, the glow I wanted to shine from my artwork escaped me. Why didn’t my paintings sparkle? Why didn’t they seem “alive?” I painted a shiny coat of gel or “Liquin” over the top to revive the paint. It still didn’t work.

What I later discovered is that the “glow” comes from within; caused by the differing values and contrasting colors. Coats of sheen on top can never make up for what is missing beneath the surface.

A perfect example of this is my latest painting: “Sunset on the Nile.” A friend had told me she loved painting on grey because the top coat seems to “pop.” I had always used light colors such as yellow ochre or alizarin crimson for the under painting. Experience had taught me that inner light is created from within. But what did I do? I went against my personal inclination and slathered on grey gesso. After all, my painting was an evening scene, and there were clouds in the sky. Perhaps a grey under painting would work.

What happened later reinforced my first theory. The grey under painting worked like a sponge absorbing all the light. No matter how many coats of eye-popping color I placed on the canvas, eventually it got lost in the grey and became dull and dark. I put on several coats of color and glazes to make up for the light being swallowed up by the darkness.

Moral of this story? Once you learn or discover a truth, don’t let fads or someone else deter you from what works, at least for you. Now when I see a lacquered or varnished painting, I’m always suspecting: was it purposefully done, or is it there to make up for lost luster?

I admit I’m not a fan of shiny art. The one exception is when working with metallics. The natural glow of metallic pigment may add a unique and sophisticated touch to an otherwise ordinary painting. Even better is the placing of paint directly on a metallic surface so that the frame and background become part of the painted surface.

Putting a gloss gel or gloss varnish on a painting is almost like placing a glass over the canvas. The reflections are almost as bad, and you must stand in a certain place to avoid the glare that distorts the painting. I personally love the matte finish of natural pigments and bold brush strokes. But it’s a matter of personal preference.

Personal taste is what art boils down to. We all see things from our own prism of preconceived notions and experiences. What attracts one person deters another. Thank goodness there is room for all types of art in the cultural spectrum.