The Personal Side of My Art

Warning: Long, rambling, reflective post ahead. Read at your own risk!

In conversations I’ve had about my artwork, both in person and online, the question of the purpose/intent of my artwork has come up. One of the conversations included a lengthy analysis of one of my flowers by a dear old friend. My (very inelegant) response was, “Wow, you got all that from my painting? I thought I was just painting a flower!”

And that’s really all I thought my painting was. I’ve said before that I “follow my muse” and create based on whatever inspires me. It sounds selfish, but…I create because it makes me happy. I paint a lot of colorful stuff (LOTS of flowers), and I’ve never thought more about it than it staves off the winter blues. Don’t get me wrong, I am literally THRILLED when someone else likes what I paint or a photograph I’ve taken; it’s a wonderful compliment and it makes me feel like I’ve connected with that person somehow. It’s TRULY a warm fuzzy feeling...I actually get butterflies in my stomach from it! But I’m pretty sure I would still create even if nobody else liked my work.

More recently, I had a conversation about art with someone much more schooled in art than I am. I mused that my paintings aren’t complicated and they don’t make any huge statement; there is no great political message or activism that goes into my art. I think most of my art and photography is consistently lighthearted in feeling. He replied that there is a reason that I choose to paint the things I do. There is something I see in my subject matter, a personal vision.

Well, I’ve been pondering all of this for a few weeks, reflecting on my artwork, my process of creation, and trying to uncover exactly what my subconscious vision is. Why do I paint the things I paint? Why do I choose MY specific subjects for my photographs?

My subject matter is usually quite simple: A flower, a leaf, my son, a reflection in the water. The subject, however, is not my only inspiration. I may be inspired by the color, the play of light, or a dewdrop. Also simple. But, in my mind, in my “vision,” there is incredible BEAUTY in that kind of simplicity.

You see, life is often chaotic, cluttered and messy. Specifically, MY life is chaotic, cluttered and messy! It would be all too easy to get buried under that chaos. And in that situation, it’s easy to miss the beauty in life.

I try to look for the good in most situations and in most people. Even on a gloomy day, there is beauty to be found if you take the time to look. And it’s often found in the little things. The essential beauty of a maple tree in the autumn, for example, may simply be the glow of the sunlight filtering through its brilliantly colored leaves. The beauty of a garden can often be narrowed down to a single flower.

The act of painting, for me, is an act of meditation. As I mediate on the simple beauty of a single flower, I am reminded that little things like that flower are all over the place, if I only stop to look. If I look and there isn’t a flower, there is sure to be a beautiful play of light on some object, somewhere. And, if neither of these are to be seen, there is probably a coating of ice on something...at least where I live!

So, the reason I “put my work out there,” I suppose, is so that I can share that vision with others, help them see the simple beauty of everyday things, and connect with them in that sharing. I guess if there is a message to my creative work that is it: There is always something good, there is always something beautiful, if you only take the time to seek it out.



Or, maybe it's just a flower! (Grin!)

Spring Blossoms

"Spring Blossoms"

18" x 11"

Pastel

Yes, I am CRAVING the warmth and sunshine of spring! I normally like winter, but we've had so much ICE this year, that it's difficult to even get outside for a walk. I'm ready for the fresh spring air...I LOVE that smell! I'd pass on the allergy part of it, but I'll take the allergies just to be able to get outside! For now, this is how I satisfy my craving...if I can't actually HAVE spring right now, I'll PAINT it instead!

Gold Leaf

"Gold Leaf"

9" x 12"

Pastel

This is a leaf which I spotted floating peacefully in a puddle this fall. I loved how the sky and the clouds were reflected in what would otherwise have been a very ugly mud puddle! Maybe I should call it "Serenity" instead. What do you think?

Flowering Quince

Flowering Quince

9" x 12"

Pastel

My mother-in-law has a beautiful flowering quince bush in her yard. Even though it blooms every year, I always surprised by its vibrant beauty when it does. Completing this painting restored my sanity on a cloudy, overcast day when the temperature was -4 degrees farenheit!

Cosmos

Cosmos

17" x 11"

Pastel

A bit of a departure for me...this is a bit looser than I normally get with my pastels, but I think I'm liking it! I worked, very loosely, from a photograph I took in Monet's garden in Giverny, France.

DRIP! - Part 2

DRIP!

9" x 12"

Pastel

I've been wanting to paint this Mexican Sunflower for quite some time. I think it may be done, but I'll turn it to the wall for a week or so and look at it again before I decide for sure. I never know what I'll see when I look at a painting with a "fresh" set of eyes.

Looking Through Time

My "Looking Through Time" photo greeting card was added to a New Year's Treasury on Etsy!

This is one of my personal favorite photos from our trip to Paris last year. I took it looking through the clock at the Musee d'Orsay. It was so cool, looking out at Paris through this incredible clock face! I'm only wishing I had taken a greater variety of angles; they could have been really interesting. Alas, I was in a rush to see more fabulous art!

If you wish to see the treasury, you can click here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=30219

It expires on January 1 at 11:53 p.m.

ACEOs

I've decided to do my first attempt at an ACEO. ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. They can be done in any medium, they can be originals, they can be open edition prints or limited edition prints...the only rule is that they have to measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

Some people collect these, and now I know why! They are ADORABLE! (No kidding, I giggled with delight when I saw them!) And because they are miniature, they are also inexpensive.

So, I am doing my first few, and we'll see what the response is like. The first one is now available in my Etsy store. I had them professionally giclee printed on Somerset Velvet archival paper, which is a nice, thick, textured paper. I, of course, could not resist adding a miniature Certificate of Authenticity to ship with my tiny little works of art!

Moody Flower

I'm really drawn to this faded black-eyed Susan. I can't say why, for sure, but I think it has to do with the fact that I see an unusual beauty in this faded bloom that I don't see in the fresh ones. Maybe it's that the colors are more complex in the faded blooms, before they turn totally brown.



I completed this pastel last night. I've cropped it to 10 x 8, which is not only better for framing, but I think makes it a more interesting composition than what I had originally planned out.

After the Ice Storm