Blog
Crystal
Painting crystal is something that tends to impress a viewer – and intimidate a new painter. So here’s a secret – it’s not as hard as you think. When you have transparent glass in front of you, there are really just one of two main things that you are seeing – either the light making a sparkle or shine on the glass, or whatever is behind the glass that you see through it. Once you think of glass that way, it’s much simpler. So if you are interested in the upcoming Fruit Flower and Crystal class but feeling shy to join, I would like to encourage you to give it a try. It’s actually a lot of fun! Each class will feature several different collaborative set ups which means lots of variety and still lifes that will please any level of painter, those with experience as well as those newer into art. And flower lovers – this is the class for you too! Check out the details and register here: Local Art Classes with Cheryl O (scroll down when on the page.)
Chaos and Organization
I live this odd imbalance between creative chaos and organization. Granted, these characteristics don’t usually reside together on the same day. I may have several creative chaos days in a row, but then the need to organize kicks in, and the paints get put back into their proper place – sometimes very briefly. It’s a little like waves on the beach – you know they are going to surge forward again. I would say that creative chaos is my most common painting mode these days. Letting go of expectations, even of subjects, I get the canvas covered with colour and see what might arrive. One time sunflowers came to be on the canvas, another time it was horses, ancient ruins a few times, and most recently a rabbit appeared. I am welcoming to most subjects that want to visit my canvas, with the notable exception of spiders. What about you – does your creative mode have a chaotic or organizational emphasis?
![paul-strand-quotes[5]](https://cherylo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/paul-strand-quotes[5].png)
Art is Everywhere
Once you are into visual art, the world will never look the same. It’s never boring! Sitting waiting for an appointment, you notice the negative space shapes between the leaves of that large plant. At the lake, you find yourself studying the patterns of sparkles on waves, or dappled sunlight on a path. You pick up a colourful stone, and want to use those colours in your next painting. Everywhere there are colours and shapes to inspire and make you want to get out that paint brush. Happy painting this weekend! (And thanks for the quote, ArtProMotivate.com)
Tall Painting – Holton Rower
Because colour is fun… And a lot of people love coffee 🙂
The Greatest
“Some of the greatest works of art and the most important works of peace were created by people who had no need for the limelight. They knew that what they were doing was their call, and they did it with great patience, perseverance, and love.” Henri Nouwen
Make Everything OK
Because it made me laugh… here’s the link:
The “Make Everything OK” Button and once you are on that page, click the button to see what happens.
Quantity vs Quality
Starting the week off with a link to a great article by Skinny Artist. I love what he has to say about quantity versus quality. Take a moment to read, you just may be in for a surprise! Here’s the link: “Creating the Artist, Not the Art“.
101 Most Important Painters
It’s Friday, and maybe this weekend you have time for some art reading. I found the brief paragraphs about each of the featured artists interesting and informative. Here’s the link to the article – by G. Fernandez in “theartwolf.com”
Art Made Thoughtfully
Yesterday’s blog post talked about life being lived thoughtfully. Today I will take those same points, and apply them to making art. /
1. Think about your strengths. What aspects of art do you do particularly well? Set aside time to practice and concentrate on your strengths so that they really shine. /
2. Think about your weaknesses. Trying to improve in these areas is a good plan, but also be aware that you can likely create art that minimizes the impact of your weaknesses. For example: if line work is not your strength, concentrate on making paintings that are filled with dynamic shapes and colours. /
3. Think about art that you really admire. Identify as precisely as you can what aspects of that art you love, and then apply this learning to your own work. We all stand on the shoulders of the great creative minds that have gone before us. /
4. Expose yourself to a variety of art. This can happen at galleries, art clubs, in books, online, or in art class. Learn to appreciate diverse approaches to art that are different than your own. /
5. Put in your alone time. Nothing can replace the time you put in practicing your art. In the case of painters, that would mean time alone painting. It makes no difference if you are working in a fancy studio or on a card table in the corner of your bedroom – practice lots. You need to create a lot of art to have a hope of creating some truly great art eventually. Even the greats were beginners once. /
I hope that this list will encourage you on your artistic journey. Your comments are welcome. What would you add to this list that I have missed?