Abstract Color, Musings and Paintings

A quote that has stuck with me recently.... “If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.” C.S. Lewis I've thought about how to apply this to the challenge of being creative while the situation around you seems to be falling apart. "Just keep painting" seems to simple and "Just ignore the circumstance" is downright unrealistic. So what's the key? Lewis gives us a part of the key in his statement. "those who want knowledge so badly".....how badly do you want to become a better painter? How badly do you want to achieve your dreams? How badly do you want to step out of the box? I know everyone reading is thinking...yes! I want it! Ah.....but then comes the second part of the key..."they seek it w...

In the past couple of months, I've had two long distance drives. To Mississippi to deliver paintings for a show at the Corinth Art Gallery - thirty two paintings to be exact! I wasn't sure my Nissan Rogue would hold them all! And the return trip to bring unsold paintings home. While driving all those miles I had plenty of time to think about life, art, family, the world today and as I covered each topic in my mind - and often aloud - I found myself considering all that I had to be grateful for. I've been accused of being somewhat of a "pollyanna" because I choose to look on the bright side of things instead of gloom and doom! But I personally feel that mindset comes from being grateful for the things in my life. I choose gratitude when others choose worry. And with art as a career there is always something to "worry" about! When "worry" rears it's ugly head, I begin to list all the things I'm grateful for instead of all the things t...

In the past few weeks I've realized that as artists we face so many obstacles, not only in creating our works, but also with presenting those works to buyers or galleries or shows....the list goes on and on. So what is this new obstacle that I seem to have just come across? Doubt! Not that I haven't experienced it before but this time it seems to have become one of the biggest roadblocks ever encountered. For example in my mind I hear... Is this work really worth your time and energy? Do you really think someone will be interested enough to purchase? Do you really believe a gallery will want to represent these? And what show will these even be accepted into? Oh, that's just the cusp of the questions that filter thru my brain as I sit typing and watching the paintings across the room glaring at me. They too have questions! What were you even thinking when you began this series? Here we are....now what? Hope that you don't have those kinds of questions coming ...