The Painting Spectrum - What If?

   You're a painter. You've been painting for approximately 90% of your lifetime, ever since you were a kid. You attended classes and workshops. You've taught classes and workshops. You've displayed your works in fairs, businesses, and galleries. You've sold work on-line as well as at art markets and said art galleries. But what if, out of nowhere, you were a painter (or an artist of any genre) who suddenly couldn't see? Or a painter who entered a funky depression? The previous eight sentences have just described me.

   A little over a month ago, I noticed vision problems in my left eye. I was unsure if I needed new glasses or had a foreign object in my eye. I knew something was really wrong and needed this situation checked out, was when I was reading a book while drinking a cup of tea. When I lifted my cup with my right hand and pretty much blocked my right eye, all the letters on the books page moved and suddenly slanted downward much to my surprise. I went to see my optometrist and after a lengthy appointment, I found that I have a macular hole in my left eye. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary to my eye, no unusual strain, or injure it in any way. These things just happen sometimes, mostly due to age.

   In the depths of winter, I often get depressed. While I love where I live along the coast of Maine, the winters can seem to drag, even if they're not that brutal. March can be a difficult month for me, but I take the necessary steps to wade through it. However, it's now late April - the weather has been wetter and colder than normal for the most part and with this news about my eye, (and the upcoming surgery), I can openly admit, I'm tanking.

   I haven't had the energy or the where-with-all to pick up a brush. I'm finding I don't have any fresh ideas. In a way, I'm grateful I finished my oil slick series, but on the flip side of the coin, I'm saddened that it is finished. I'm ready to take all my painting supplies and hurl them out my studio windows. I did have an after-thought; what kind of abstract would that create?

   Over the past six weeks I've amerced myself with writing a book with my husband and I've embraced a great deal of reading despite my vision challenge. One book I'm currently reading states to get rid of clutter, whether personal or professional. I guess I can call this my Spring cleaning.

   Unfortunately, my mind is mostly focused on the upcoming surgery. The doctors are confident that I will regain sight in my left eye. I wish I had their confidence. Being an artist and a tad on the sensitive side, I can easily go and orbit this little planet called "worst case scenario". I want to see again. I want to paint again. I want to do more than just paint my finger and toe nails. However, as my husband puts it, if I have the right attitude and mindset, there is hope!

   Until next time, in at least a month,
   The "Left Eye Blind" Painter
   Jill

The Painting Spectrum - Sick And Tired Of Being Sick And Tired

   Mark this week as a rarity; for the second time in six weeks, I've come down with this flu thing that's been making the rounds. The first time wasn't so bad - I pretty much got over it in about 5-6 days. I think the fact that I passed it lovingly on to my husband helped.

   But this go-round has me beaten pretty bad. I can put up with the stuffy nose, the somewhat sore throat, and the fact that my head feels like a brick has been implanted into it. But it's the exhaustion. I've been too tired to paint, polish, or more or less be creative. Even the writing of my latest book has almost ground to a halt. I've only written about eight pages this week and I've done some very basic sketching - about two papers worth. Oh, and I finished a short book I was reading. The item that has been on my agenda mostly is sleep.

   I'll put creative thoughts and waves out into the artistic universe. Perhaps you can pick up on some extra creativity, since I'm sure as heck not using mine at the moment

   Until next time,
   The Under-the-Weather Painter,
   Jill

.

The Painting Spectrum - Is Art For Everyone?

   I have a theory - many people suffer from a silent feeling of inadequacy when they view a painting or a piece of art they do not "understand". Do they feel confused? Do they feel dumb? Or is it a case that no one has clued them in on what they are looking at? And the title of "Untitled" is not helping. The viewer remains baffled.

   I had a neighbor come into my studio the other day where she liked and commented on the floral paintings I had hanging on a wall. "When are you having your shows?", she inquired. "At this point, late July through October. I'll be showing my abstracts with my husbands photographic work.", was my response.
"What's an abstract?", she asked.
I pointed to an 11x14 I had done a few months back that was also hanging on a wall. "This one, for example."
"That mess? Now why would you want to paint that?" she asked.
Responding as graciously as possible, I said, "For starters, I had fun creating the work. Secondly, it looks like a flower garden if you look at these points. It depends on your perspective."
"Oh now I see! Wow! You're right!", she cooed. "And this one looks like city streets. And that one looks kinds like a salad."
"It could be...", I answered. She continued moving around my studio and noticed several sunflower paintings and art works.
"You like sunflowers. I can tell.", she stated.
"Yes - they are my favorite flower.", I commented.
"Did you paint this one?", she questioned.
Pointing to the work, I replied, "No, my youngest daughter orchestrated this work. Here's her foot, the hands and feet of my four grandchildren, and the foot of my oldest daughter."
"That's awesome." One could tell she relished the painting / work.
"It's definitely a family treasure that I'm keeping." After that, she mentioned she had to get going and I thanked her for the frame she brought by which was the original intent for the brief visit.

   Now, from the artist's point of view - take my youngest daughters painting / work, for example - using the tools of hands and feet along with paint to create a work of art. There was a group of people involved, mainly children aged from 7 years down to 5 months old. There was also an idea - to create two images of sunflowers. There is the creative process as well as an element of fun involved. Lastly, the giving and receiving of the gift into its new home.

   Emotions, energy, and excitement are some of the primary reasons why we create art. Sometimes we may have to explain the process or symbolism within the work for it to be understood and appreciated. On numerous occasions, especially with my abstracts, have told viewers that are having a difficult time "understanding" my paintings, to stop trying to "figure out what the subject is". Instead, I ask them what they see, what drew them to the painting, what do they like about it? I tell them there is no right or wrong, especially with abstracts. Enjoy the work, don't try to solve a mystery that's in some other person's head.

   Art IS for everyone. With love, appreciation, and honest questions, we can all engage, live, learn and grow. We, and the art world, will benefit greatly.

   Until next time,
   The Happy Painter,
   Jill

The Painting Spectrum - Love And Peace

   Artists express a wide array of emotions while creating a piece of art. Sometimes abstract ideas can manifest in our minds. As much as "love" and "peace" are common words that just about anybody can identify with and put forth a definition, how can I express concepts such as these on a canvas?

   Symbolism has been used for centuries in an attempt to bring the abstract thought or idea into a concrete concept and to be accepted by the masses. The simplest of symbols are words. If one were to write the letters - I  L-O-V-E  Y-O-U - you would most likely understand the thought the other person wishes to share with you. As far back as the 1600's, the Spring season has been celebrated as the season for courting, arousal, lovemaking, and in some cases, just pure sex. There are various ways that courting rituals have evolved.

   In it's most basic form, plants of all varieties experience a reawakening from their winter hibernation. Animals begin their annual mating rituals in order for their particular species to survive. There have been (and still are) festivals that revolve around May 1st and the May pole (I don't have to explain that one - you can figure it out). Even our unspoken annual ritual of "Spring cleaning" has it's psychological roots in "cleaning out the nest of all the winter clutter". There's even modern studies that are supposedly proving that our libido is higher in the Spring.

   What does all this have to do with art, or more to the point, this weeks blog? For me, beauty is a form of love. Look around - there's natural beauty all around us. I believe all this beauty, color, shape, and variety was put here by something greater than ourselves for all to enjoy. On the particular work I'm highlighting today, another aspect of beauty is shine. When coupled with the word "L-O-V-E", it reminds me of smiling eyes, a bright expression.

   I found these two small paintings while doing some Spring cleaning around the house as well as in the studio. I decided to add some nail polish to them, especially the letters, so they stood out more. I have no intention of displaying them in a gallery or a show. I plan to hang these in my living room as bookends above two windows where the photographs of my four grandchildren are.

May peace and love abound in your heart as well.
Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Painting Spectrum - The Bucket List

   Spring is in the air! By looking out my studio windows, it certainly doesn't look like it. There's still almost a foot of snow on the ground from last week's snow storm. I could cheat and just look at the calendar, but I need more clues than that. My husband and I went for a walk this morning and saw a male pigeon strutting his stuff to a female along the boardwalk. She fluttered off... he just sat there either dazed or wondering.

   This week has been highlighted by one of the worst head colds I've had in years. It wasn't a bad week overall, but the other drag was the fact that my husband caught the same type of cold this week! We were two pathetic peas in a pod! Studio time consisted of only one day this week, and I somehow managed to complete two paintings. While painting doesn't exert a great deal of physical energy, it can tax me mentally at times, especially when I'm exhausted and feel like shit! Like I wrote in last week's post - it's not about me; when the creative muse and spirit take over, I step out of the way.

    One night over the past week when my husband and I were home sneezing and sniffling, we watched a movie we hadn't seen in a while. It was "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. I'm not going to spoil the film for you in case you've never had the chance to see it, but it does pose numerous questions that we could in fact take seriously. Throughout the movie, with it's humor and drama, the two main characters of Carter (Freeman) and Edward (Nicholson) are changed forever and not just by the bucket list.

   Life presents us with the greatest challenges - to live or not to live. To engage or just to pass by. Can most of us say that we just don't exist from day to day? Or what we do is "...for the sake of my family."?  Are we taking time to do things for ourselves and to live a balanced life? My husband Dave and I have added skydiving onto our bucket list, but we've got a ways to go before we accomplish that, mostly health reasons. But - we can do this.

   You can do this too - engage and live. I know you can.
   Until next time, The Living Painter,
   Jill

The Painting Spectrum - What Is Ugly?

"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi

If, we as artists, have ever taken the time to contemplate this following thought, there is so much beauty in painting a shape for the first time. Truly think about it. I am still amazed when I witness that special moment where the body, mind, and spirit join together in one action. The creative force molds its work as simply and boldly as it must. How alive is this totally original and perfectly authentic creation. I'm not attempting to push you off the deep end here, but when one thinks about the creative process, it is truly incredible.

In my opinion, every painting has its cycle of birth, growth, and death. It has a beating pulse. There are many levels of completion. Often a time, when I'm creating an original piece of art, at one point during the actual physical painting of the work, I think I am finished. Then, an inspiration suggests something more. Sometimes it's hard to explain, but suddenly with this particular work, I must plod onward... challenge myself further. I've been amazed at how easy and joy filled I've been as I am carried by a new wind of change. I've reached beyond my self-imposed limitations and have become more passionate in my work. I believe all artists, at some point, face a void. Then relinquish control and turn in to the deeper energies within us. When this occurs, we become receivers - not doers.

Creative painting is an exploration into my inner landscapes. The painting requires the fragrance of my life force - no thinking is required. Life is born of itself. When I've done everything I can without forcing anything, the process of creation is fulfilled. There have been times I've questioned what it means to trust oneself... to trust the wisdom of my own soul. I know why I question myself; it is usually based in some type of fear. However, if I can disconnect from that thought, I have found it is best to let the soul do its work without any interference.

To create is to unite with my spirit. I abandon myself to call on my intuition. Even though I have a cold and have felt miserable all weekend, the soul within me came back to what I truly am - dazzling - a sparkling soul. Creating is a meditative activity. It happens when everything inside and out joins in one action. I was lifted out of my dismal abyss effortlessly as the brush caressed the canvas.

According to the calendar, Spring is just 11 days away. However, it has been colder than normal and the only time it warms up, is when it's raining. Also, for the second weekend in row, it has been brutally cold and windy. Temperatures have been running as much as 20 to 30 degrees below normal... and there's a decent size snowstorm due to arrive in approximately 48 hours. Yippee.
I sometimes struggle this time of year as winter moves into it's fourth and final month here in New England. I really haven't felt motivated to go into the studio. Today was the first day in over a week that I actually painted. However, I don't look at the situation, I look at myself. I'm still an artist, I still love what I do, I still have passion for art - I'm all good.

The painting below is the last in my oil spill series (at least to my knowledge as of this moment). The series has taken me from a drop to the ocean. The first painting, which represented a drop of oil on the ground, to the painting below which represents a large sea turtle in the ocean, the series is complete. All  my frames for these works have arrived and will be framed next month, ready for the shows I have upcoming this summer and fall. This series has once again proved that it is the journey that is important - not the destination.

Until next time,
The Happy (and Stuffy Nose) Painter,
Jill

The Painting Spectrum - The Myth Of Inspiration

"Wherever you are is the entry point" - Kabir

The date as of this writing is Saturday March 4th, although the actual publishing date will most likely be the next day Sunday the 5th. Depending on which day you follow, it is either 24 or 48 hours before my next birthday. Sorry, you never ask a woman her age. Regardless of my age, this birthday will be a benchmark. I feel that I'm finally painting what I want, the way I want. The colors communicate on the soul level with the viewers. There is nothing else to relate to. Even though I've been painting for over 30 years, have covered an extremely wide gamut of subjects and mediums, have sold numerous paintings, and even have won awards for some of my previous works, I've never given up the idea of what a painting "should" be.

My painting career has been a journey - never in a straight line. Numerous twists, turns, victories, and defeats. To this day, I am still astonished every time I face a blank canvas. I am in awe as the brush moves the paint over the surface and at the finished product. The painting creates itself with a certain speed, certainty, and meaning. I still have a passion for my work, even though my works have changed over the years. Life is not outside itself. I get drunk with the freedom, possibilities, space and wonder. If I'm not careful however, I can hold on too tightly to tradition, security, and comfort. What is the meaning of life if it's not to go to the source of it all through the natural language of total expression?

On Thursday afternoon, I obtained more polish in different colors that I wanted to experiment with. By early Friday afternoon, I was in my studio and I applied the polish over the designs and works that I had previously painted. I completed two creations and only have one left for this series that will go on display starting in August. More frames have been ordered and the framing portion will be tackled next month. It has been a process - this is my first large show (approximately 20 works, all 16x20 or larger). I am excited, yet nervous. However, I know this is just another part of the journey. That is what matters - not the destination.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill