inspiration

Do you let yourself play each day?

It was Carl Jung who said, “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.”

As artists we are always creating. I think incorporating some play into our practice feeds new life into our art.

Today I was prompted to play, based on a Pinterest image, by Michele Cooper.

She shares a video on how to make 6 stroke figures.

I use Pinterest to share my gelatin plate monotype prints and to save inspiration and ideas.

Click on the image and hop over to my collection of boards, gelatin prints and printmaking tools. Be careful! It is easy to lose track of time when you start browsing.

I challenge you to find one bit of inspiration and then take immediate action. PLAY!

If you would like to play with gelatin printmaking in the new year then join us in Make Monotypes, the online gelatin printmaking class.

This is a 4 week printmaking class the explores all the major skills to make beautiful gelatin plate monotype prints.

Read all the details on the workshop page and join us. Class starts Jan 7th, 2019.

I think as artists we can forget how brave we are!

More quotes from Matisse can be found here.

So I encourage you to recognize how brave you are today! Take stock and make a list of your brave actions:

I am a brave artist when I:

1. suspend self judgement
2. put my work out there
3. ask for a sale
4. am willing to make ugly prints
5. set it aside and come back with fresh eyes
6. tear it up and repurpose a piece
7. take a class in a new media
8. combine techniques in my own way

Come on make your list!

 

 

Sometimes ideas and inspiration just come you. Use your phone to capture those thoughts.

The easiest way to capture ideas is to take a picture. Even if it is not a beautiful photo is can capture the essence as a reference for a stencil or a painting or art process.

Another way I use my phone is to write a note to myself. Then I can come back to the notes later.

A third way that I save inspiration is to record sounds. Sometimes I just want remember that feeling that is created by the crashing waves or babbling brook.

Then turn that inspiration into art making action.

 

Even a little bit of letting go makes space for something new.

It is challenging for a mixed media artist to let go of things. Because we think, “Oh I could use this for something.”

Yes but, how long have we been saving it?

• Months?
• Years?
• Decades?

I challenge you to experience the opening created by letting go. 

Try one of these approaches:

• Sort through one box and trash 1/2 of it
• Tackle one small table and let go of anything you don’t use right now
• Get rid of old work – (it might be weighing you down)

It is hard to let go.

But I always feel lighter and ready for something new when I create an opening by throwing out something that no longer feeds me.

 

I think our job as artists is to help others to see differently.

So often I something catches my eye and when I try to photograph it, the essence is not captured.

For example this solo beech tree looked striking and beautiful to me, but that is not so in this photo.

But what I could do is make a painting or print or drawing that captures and conveys what my eye selectively sees.

I encourage you to look and see differently today!