What's Pulling your Focus?

Okay, I won't be in the studio/gallery tomorrow so I wanted to write this today while it was fresh on my mind. " What's pulling your focus?" is a question I ask my students as they are completing a painting. It is a question that is meant to ensure that the focal point of a painting is in fact where the eye is being drawn. If anything else is competing with the focal point it is "pulling focus".

Lately, as I have been broadening the whole "less is more" idea to include my professional life, I have realized that there are those things in my work life that are pulling my focus away from what I feel I should be doing. Recently I have come to the end of the season of grace for a commitment I made and have followed through with for 4 years. It is time to release it. A good sign that it is time is I lack the passion and motivation I once had. I also find myself putting off what I should do for my career in order to fulfill the commitment.

It is good to evaluate our time commitments every so often. Sometimes we wake up to see that we're not looking at the focal point of our life; we are in fact focusing on and spending valuable time and energy on a distraction. Less is more. What are you focused on? I hope it is the true focal point of your life.

Free to Play

Since I have a difficult time writing once I get to the gallery, here I am on my porch. The problem with that is that I have not taken the photo of the piece I want to speak of. I will try to do that when I get to work this morning. It is not so much the end result that matters as the journey to get there.

Freedom to experiment is what has been on my mind lately. Several weeks ago, when the transition to less is more began, I took about a dozen canvases and primed over them. Since much of my work is very textural, I needed to add modeling paste to the canvas to even out the surface of the design, but still left a highly textured support to work on. So last Saturday I took one of the canvases and began to paint. The point was simply to use up leftover paint from a creative expression workshop and play a little. What ensued was a process I am working to duplicate because I liked the effect so much. First applying texture to the canvas, then a thick layer of paint mixed with gel medium, then brushing it with a wet brush, then sponging off, and finally smoothing out areas with a palette knife. And that was just the background.

Here's my point. Give yourself freedom and time to simply play at your easel. The artist in all of us is a child and given too many adult responsibilities that child can become stifled. Explore, have fun, enjoy the reason you became an artist in the first place. You know what they say, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." It holds true even when you love doing what you do for a living. So have some fun today!

Part 2: Which voices to you listen to?

The more I thought about my last post, the more I realized that it was only a part of the equation. Another part (not sure the equation is complete even with this part) asks the question, "Which voices do you listen to?" Now I'm not saying to exclusively surround yourself with those people who love and adore you, but I am saying know who is in your corner, hearing your true voice, and encouraging you on your path. In other words learn to recognize The Voice of Truth from wherever it comes. While at an art show (that ended with no sales by the way) a while back I was feeling a bit discouraged. Then a boy of about 10 walked up to my paintings and couldn't stop staring. He said to me as his mother called him away, "You are really good!" At that moment for me that was the voice of truth (as they say, out of the mouth of babes). You see for me it wasn't the source of the voice that mattered, but the message. My Creator knew that I needed encouragement for my own creating; so He sent a boy to pass on the message. Do I really believe that? Yes, I do!

We had the opportunity to experience something truly unique last night. The band Gungor played at Grace Chapel last night. Now there is a worship experience truly out of the box. Amazing! Check out their website, buy their cd Beautiful Things and see them live if you can. Breaking out of the box, following their true voice, no doubt about it. www.gungormusic.com

Finding Your Voice

One of the main thing I tell emerging artists is that they must find their own style and create their own story. Some are even tired of hearing me talk about "a cohesive body of work". At the center of this advice is something that each artist must find: their own unique voice. Some will find they harmonize with the mainstream audience. Their art is "accessible" and easily fits in with today's decorating trends. Others will find their voice away from the crowd. Like the high pitch sound of a piccolo that rises above the sound of the symphony, or the deep base tones of the timpani/bass drum that undergirds the harmonies of other instruments, each style of art has its place.

This piece is called The Music of Embrace. Today it will remind me to embrace my place in the grand scheme of visual art. Whether you fly higher to explore the heavens, dig deep to discover the mysteries of the earth, or sing in harmony with your audience, may you too embrace the voice you've been given and sing it loud and clear.

Art and Flowers

This is "Cotton Candy Memory". It is a painting inspired by my memories of sitting on a beach on Florida's west coast as a teen (yes, I had the privilege of living just an hour away from the beach through high school) watching the sunset with the boy who would become the man I married. A return to Florida's west coast for an art show precipitated the memory and painting earlier this year. This Friday it will serve (I hope!) as inspiration for a florist to create an arrangement which will then be offered as a silent auction item at the Art and Flowers event in Nashville. You can go to the event section of the website to get the details. Needless to say I think it will be a great night as 25 artists and florists are paired, food and wine flow, all serenaded by ALIAS Chamber Musicians. Maybe I'll see you there!

How Can You Let it Go?

I am often asked how I can let paintings leave my studio. It is an interesting question. As an artist each piece is in fact an extension of my heart and my spirit. That is true. As a professional artist, each piece I create for my inventory is painted to bless someone else's heart and spirit. I am humbled and honored when a customer is willing to part with their hard earned money to purchase something I have created.

I am a mother of two adult boys. I delight when I see them doing what I know they were created to do. It is the same with my paintings. When the person for whom I created a painting takes it home, I know it is doing what it was created to do. In fact it fascinates me to see just who it was that I painted a given painting for. "Oh you're the one!" Is it difficult? No, it is a joy and a privilege. Thank you to all of you who have given me such delight as you have carried a painting out of the studio/gallery/tent. May it bless your heart and spirit!

Transitions

This morning I have been thinking about my hair of all things. I am going through what they call "transition" as I let my natural (silver) color grow out without coloring it. Right now I am beginning to look a little "skunky" as that silver line along the part becomes more apparent. Like my hair, so my artistic expression and my life in general. I realized that although I am excited and anticipate my new look, I also am impatient to get to the end of the process. Yet, every now and then I catch a glimpse of what is to come.
My paintings are in the same mode as I transition from "creating inventory" to being more deliberate about my inspiration for each piece and carefully develop every inch of every canvas. I have glimpses of what the whole collection will be like as I can point to several pieces and know they fit the bill. But I also need to wait until the inventory turns over to see an entire collection of newly inspired paintings.
Interesting that what we in the general public call "roots" as our hair grows, stylists and professionals call "new growth or regrowth". I like that. Look to your new growth to see where you are heading and you might just catch a snapshot of your future. Happy transitioning!