Posts Tagged ‘oil painting’
Why bother to paint?
February 3rd, 2010 | 
Author:
She wrote: “I have a common problem. Even though I paint wonderful paintings (if I do say so myself) I don’t seem to be able to see a good reason or better yet, a purpose for doing them. How do I find my true passion in painting? That’s my question. Thanks, Peni.”
I was away painting for a week and mulled this over while I was out there. Here are a few thoughts that bubbled up to the surface…
Little Moments
Our life is a collection of little moments which slip by so quickly when we don’t notice them. The act of painting allows you to be very present in the moment, whether it’s struggling or soaring, you’re right there – present. When you aren’t in the present is when the painting goes bad. Enjoy the moment.
What is the purpose in painting?
What is the purpose in anything? It’s THE question. What reason? Ask me on different days and one day there will be no purpose, no reason, and the next day there will be the pure joyful purpose of living and experiencing. I use goals to get me from the hard days through to the easy days. Goals propel me forwards even when there is no reason for them to do so. Sometimes I think having no purpose at all is the purest form of being. Does a tree worry for tomorrow? Does the finger painting child worry for the purpose of their painting?
FINDING your Passion
What FILLS you with passion? Write a list of 5 or more things. Is it visiting a new place at sunset? Meditating? Running down sand dunes? Romantic times? Flying? Diving into turquoise waters? Praying? Running through the shallows? Dancing? Find those things and build more of them into your life – make lists, have goals, dream dreams, have a calendar on your wall with big green ticks in it for the days you’ve done something that moves you, leave stickers around the house which remind you to get your passion shot for the day, get friends on the same mission helping you helping them, read inspiring books and movies, listen to live music, follow that tingly feeling where EVER it may lead you. “Painting is like the cornerstone in a great arch. It takes the pressure of the day and holds all things together.”
- Deborah Strandberg
Lost and Found
We are ALL on the hormone rollercoaster, and those of us who do fly a little higher invariably sink lower too, despite outward appearances. The entire Universe is designed on the basis of ebb and flow, so it’s little wonder that our days and weeks and years follow the same pattern. We can’t expect to live passionately all the time, but our consolation in the quiet hollows can be that we know we won’t remain their long – we’re just gaining momentum for the upward swing.
PAINTING with Passion
Aristotle said, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” What is significant to you about your subject or concept? Find the thing you love most about the subject or concept, and focus on that feeling – let everything in the painting and in your experience of creating the painting be an expression of that feeling. One of my favorite moments is sitting back with a coffee and absorbing a freshly finished painting – seeing how my passion translated itself into paint. If the translation is garbled their is inevitably disappointment, but if the translation is true the coffee seems to taste extra good.
Ooh, I’m all inspired! Better stop before I write a book.
Hope that helps in some way – it helped me.
Posted in Learning to Paint | 
Tags: Dharma, learn to paint, meditation, oil painting, painting | 
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Finally! An Affordable Painting Program!
For one year I have been on the internet ISO painting instruction. There is lots and lots of stuff available, lots of great free stuff, and lots more expensive (not to say not worth the money, just out of my budget). I have picked up great tips on artists blogs, wished I had the time and money to go take some of the workshops offered, and even looked into local college courses — again, time and money. During the summer I was saving to purchase The Carder Method, based on some recommendations on some forums and one artist I respect talked about how it showed her how off her color mixing was. My wonderful step-mom gifted me with The Carder Method and I must say, it blew my mind. As I watched him mix the colors and match them using his special tool, I actually had something SHIFT in my mind and I could see the colors differently than before. I definitely think that is worth the $120 plus $15 for the color tool. I was really helped by his method. However, it is based on setting up an elaborate still life, with special lighting, black everywhere else, and using oil paints with a medium that I would not be able to tolerate. The advantage is one pass painting, and a very smooth Old Masters look. So I am using much of what he taught but was still thinking, why isn’t there a course for the complete buffoon? The complete newbie where they assume you know absolutely nothing and walk you through how to paint in oils?
VOILA! You guessed it! In my stumbling and fumbling I found the Legacy Learning System and as it had JUST come out (late August) it was on sale and had a three payment plan, and I went for it.
The package arrived and whoever designed their packaging deserves a medal. The immediate impression was: Wow, class act! I hope the meal is as great as the presentation. I am on lesson 5 (of 26!) and I am now so impressed I could not wait to blog about it. Gayle Levee is a marvelous teacher, takes her time, tells you every little step without making you feel stupid (now, wipe your brush, then pick up more paint). I would have been insulted at that level of detail of instruction had I not had my disastrous first experience with oils en plein air at Walney Pond! I did NOT wipe my brush before each stroke and guess what?! MUD.
Anyway, this post is for you out there who has said a gazillion times, “Oh I wish I could paint but I can’t”. You can. You just need training, and in the comfort of your own home, with no one WATCHING, it’s the BEST. The other really great thing they have thought of is to put together a kit of paints and tools so you don’t even have to enter into an art supply store and freak out when you see all the millions of things you know nothing about!
And the biggest, greatest secret I learned about (being super sensitive to solvents of any kind) is good old fashioned Baby Oil! It’s a secret. You’ll have to get the course to find out about it.
Posted in Learning to Paint |
Tags: how to paint, learn to paint, learning, legacy, oil painting, painting course |
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Pet Portraits: Open for Business!
I am now taking commissions for pet portraits and have updated the page dedicated to this endeavor. I so love painting them and hope to do some cats and birds as well as dogs. I have five in the works right now and should be uploading them this weekend. My sister is a vet in Sierra Vista, AZ and will be giving out my postcards. It’s exciting! I have kept my prices low to begin and so I hope you’ll take advantage of me – the prices won’t change for the rest of 2009. In my internet marketing course I have also finally learned how to activate certain “plug-ins” on this blog so that the search engines find me AND you get the opportunity to Twitter this, Digg this, whatever means you use to share. Isn’t the internet amazing? Back to the easel now….
Posted in Animal Rescue, Learning to Paint |
Tags: animal rescue. dog rescue, cat painting, dog painting, oil painting, pet portraits |
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