Simple things. Sometimes we forget we don’t have to be busy all the time. To go go go. It’s ok to slow things down. To just go for a walk. To enjoy the sound of leaves crushing underneath your feet… this is a piece that started out gloriously with watercolor inks. Soon it became a disaster because I just couldn’t get the face right. That’s when I throw caution to the wind and just have fun with collage, modeling paste, gesso, doodling…. always thankful for mixed media to rescue my watercolor disasters😂
Thank you everyone for your kind words of support and comfort on my post about my almost accident. I cannot adequately express just how much it helped me. Your kind words felt like a warm blanket. Gave me a lot of comfort, also a lot to think about. I am filled with gratitude for a second chance in life 🙏 I wish I can say that magically I am alright now. I definitely feel better. Was able to drive. But not ready to get on that highway to Charlottesville yet. I will. One day. Right now, I am just going to paint. I still have no words to put with my painting. It just is. How I feel.
Have you ever had an experience that shook you so badly that you are left feeling unsettled and discombobulated? Reliving that moment in your head…
I had a gorgeous day yesterday. A day of sunshine, mural hunting and spending time with my son. What more could one ask for?
Well, on my drive home, I fell asleep at the wheel. It’s a problem I have. Made worse when I am exhausted. Today, I opened my eyes to find my car swerving like mad in the grassy ditch/median. I struggled to take control of the wheel, turning it back onto the highway so I don’t crash into the trees. Little did I know that getting it on the highway could have been fatal as it spun around on the highway. Miraculously I did not hit any car.
I narrowly escaped death. Could easily have crashed, died, be paralyzed or badly injured. But I did not. The car had to be repaired but I am fine.
I finally got home fine. And felt unsettled the rest of the day. Could not do any art or anything really. I can’t even put into words how I felt.
I did manage to splash some ink on paper.
This morning, I was able to paint something on it. I guess this is how I feel, but still without words. I don’t have a title for this. But it is just how I feel now.
Have you ever felt this way? You are feeling and thinking lots but can’t describe it?
I am thankful. For art. For my guardian angels who looked over me. For a second chance in life. To never take things for granted again. I will stop and take a nap the next time I feel sleepy while driving. I will not risk my own life and others. I promise🙏
I rarely paint male faces. But he is too beautiful not to paint 😂 #aquaman #jasonmamoa the thing about painting is you get to stare at the subject for a long time, what a treat😊 and it is interesting the details you pick out. His eyebrow and hair are so fun to paint! The beard was tricky… it was a fun exercise. Who should I paint next….
Making art is a process. A journey I usually begin with an inspiration but most often not knowing how the end will turn out.
It’s an interesting journey…. I find there are 4 or 5 stages in this journey. I have seen a funny quote about this but can’t find it anymore. Fellow artists out there, I am sure you can relate.
Want to use this piece to illustrate the 5 stages. Here goes.
Stage 1. Inspired by a reference photo on Pinterest. The crazy spiky hair. So I draw it out and think, oh this looks good! Let’s paint!
This is the stage where I think…. hmmm, the hair is trickier than I thought. She looks kinda crazy.. I wonder…
Now comes the OMG stage where I think..,. this is terrible. She looks hideous. 😱 I am a terrible artist. I am way in over my head…🥺
Now I tell myself, ….. it’s ok. You know this is the ugly phase. Paint in her eyes. Will give her some life. It’s what you enjoy the most anyway… don’t give up. You can do it.
Now you say, hmmmm, the eyes really made a difference, maybe I can do it after all…. and after noodling and fiddling with it for a while…
You look up, after being in the zone for a while. You like what you see. You think to yourself, I am not so bad after all!!
Lol, yes, this is a familiar process I go through. And even though I do get more confident with each piece, I still hit the stage where I am certain I am way in over my head… and I remind myself, what is the worst thing that can happen if it is truly ugly? I just throw it away!!!! It’s just paper and paint. Or apply gesso to it, turn it into a mixed media piece! Nothing goes to waste!
So there you go. Hope you enjoyed this peek into my mind as I paint. Let me know if this resonates with you! I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way.
Trying my hand with pen and ink. Wasn’t easy. See below for my first attempt, epic fail😂 second attempt was better as I made it softer so she doesn’t look like a hairy gorilla 🤣🤣🤣
Resilience. These are stressful times. We are all affected in similar and different ways. Also shows the resilience in mankind. We keep going. Life throws us punches, we pick ourselves up and keep going. That is life.
