Category: Outside the Box

I’m pretty sure that every artist struggles with this – clutter. As you really get involved with a painting, the paint bottles have a way of migrating outward in an expanding chaos. Add some collage into the mix, and there’s no taming that space. Mostly, I go with the flow. When I start having difficulty navigating across the floor of my studio space, I kick back into organizational mode, with each tube and bottle finding it’s own proper spot even if ever so briefly. One important question that I ask myself is, does having a tidy study make me more likely to paint? I think it may help. But for painting motivation, I find there’s nothing like having 3 paintings on the go at once and a bunch of great photo references asking for more. Which motivates you – a tidy space, or creative chaos? This is such an interesting article. I thought the 4 ways to master clutter listed at the bottom of the article were good ideas. Here’s the link: How Clutter Affects Your Brain by Lifehacker 

Did you know art can make your brain heathier and help you live longer? Studies show that looking at art that you really enjoy increases the blood flow to the brain by 10% – the same as looking at a loved one! I always knew art was good for us – it’s even more so than I thought. Here’s the complete article on: OC Designer Source Blog. 

 

Here I am working hard at a Brentwood Lakeside Painting Retreat. No wait! This was between painting sessions – honest. 

This is one hot topic among artists and collectors. Some people just love to collect originals. I think that’s great! They love the fact that the artists hands worked over that canvas or paper. They sense the struggle and the joy that went into creating. They enjoy the fact that they have the one and only original work on their wall. How wonderful. On the other hand… The quality of prints has in the last few years become amazingly good. I think that’s great too! Not everyone can afford an original. Prints mean that if you love an image, you can have it on your wall to enjoy for your lifetime. The quality really is that good. And if you could see one of my originals beside one of my prints, you would have a very difficult time knowing which is which. Does making prints of a painting in any way devalue the original? Absolutely not. Think about any famous painting and the innumerable times that it has been printed. Whether it’s a Group of Seven painting, or one of van Gogh’s much loved work, the fact that many people want to buy a print only enhances the value of the one original. More and more of today’s artists are making their art available as prints – it’s a huge trend. Here is a link to my paintings that are available as prints. For some images, the original is also available. Let me know if there are any that you are wondering about. 

It was a lovely day! The weather was perfect – those rain clouds did not do anything. And it was busy! I met a lot of new people who are interested in art classes and look forward to seeing them again there. Congratulations to Betty D and Mary Lou R, my students who also had art at the event. We each had painting sales as well – a good day all round. 

Sometimes the simplest thoughts are the best ones. Thanks to Skinny Pins for this one!