I came across something this past week that reminded of an Aha I had while viewing the Matisse exhibit a few years back. I can't compare my rough drafts with someone else's finished masterpiece. Yet I fall victim to this all the time and people in my workshops often do the same thing. We're too… Continue reading Don’t Compare
Our life is frittered away by detail... simplify, simplify. - Henry David Thoreau Simplify. Sounds so easy but here I am, once again, learning the lessons of simplicity. To ask myself if I really need to do ________(fill in the blank) or is it a distraction? Does this painting need this level of detail or… Continue reading Muse Flash: Simplify
The opposite of courage is not cowardice, it is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow. --Jim Hightower Reasons or excuses? Matisse's famous quote “Creativity takes courage” is almost a cliché, we've heard it so often. It's everywhere in memes and posters but maybe that's because as artists, we know it's true.… Continue reading Creative Courage
My comfort zone felt safe but it also kept me from growing. Recently I tried something that wasn’t really new. Just something I left behind years ago - painting with acrylics but it definitely moved me beyond my current comfort zone. Everything old is new again I used to teach decorative painting using acrylics. You've… Continue reading From the Studio: My Comfort Zone Challenge
Organizing anything can be a big job but I believe an artist organizing her studio faces a special kind of distraction. I realized this after I took on the job in my own studio and then read Marion Boddy's Monday post on her studio blog. Seems she and I shared a similar journey. She mentioned… Continue reading Organizing the studio