Little adventures (plus, a new painting begins!)
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places” Roald Dahl
Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you.
I love this line.
I also love that seeing the world through the lens of a new experience is pretty accessible, even if you can’t travel to another country or make a major life change.
I’ve been stretched outside of my daily routine a few times recently (and it feels good!).
First, I took a trip to New York this past weekend to see some of my oldest friends (we met in elementary school). Right now we live in 3 different states, so having even a few hours together is a great reminder that the people we walk through life with are to be cherished always. Thanks for the renewed perspective, friends!
Animal art in progress (plus, the power of not rushing)
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” – Paulo Coelho
I’ve realized something useful as I work on my growing animal art series.
What I’m painting right now feels totally in alignment with the direction I want to go. Better yet, I feel like I’m on the right track in developing an artistic style that I LOVE but never could have predicted when I began.
This is of course how any journey begins – the earnest beginnings, the stretch in multiple directions to see what works and what doesn’t. How we hold our favorite parts of each new experience close to our hearts and stitch them together to form a path like a patchwork quilt.
And yet stitching together that path takes time.
Sketches. Brief conversations. Inspirations that only spark when the mind is quiet. Realizing what I love about the work of other artists but also how my work is different.
I needed that time. I still do, in waves. When I rush I miss so much.
I remember so clearly beginning my journey as an artist and feeling an enormous impatience to have everything figured out right away. Sometimes the feeling was so overwhelming I had trouble painting at all, knowing how long it might take to grow fully into this identity.
On criticism (plus, new painting progress and a clearance SALE!)
“You can’t have courage and comfort at the same time” Brene Brown
In the midst of life over the past few weeks, I had an important moment in my creative journey that I want to share.
Recently I received negative feedback about my art from an unhappy customer, and it’s the first time since I opened my business that I’ve felt the weight of someone’s disappointment.
Of course I’m beyond thankful to have had so many happy customers first (thank you!), but there’s simply no way to avoid criticism completely. I knew the first time would sting just the same.
And I did feel the sting. Then, a fleeting urge to retreat and stop sharing my art with the world.
You can’t have courage and comfort at the same time.
My instinct to hide was rooted in a desire for comfort. Rooted in a desire to feel safe and to fully protect my heart from the unknown.
Then I regrouped with a shower and some slow breathing. The sting softened, lingering quietly as a reminder that a courageous life will always require bravery, resilience, and deep compassion for myself and others.
New painting progress (plus, how we spend our days)
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day” A. A. Milne
It’s been an interesting few days.
Last week I had jury duty and was selected to be a juror on a civil case that started yesterday. My first instinct after being selected was to feel stressed at suddenly having much less time this week than anticipated. How would I get my work done? Would I finish the new painting I wanted to share with you?
My second (slower) reaction was to stop, get a cup of tea, and close my eyes.
In moments like these I always come back to one of my favorite Annie Dillard quotes which reads how we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives, and I love how simple a concept this is (and how steeped in truth).
Find your peace. Print available here.
I don’t want to be so annoyed about what I can’t change that I lose days of my life to a grumpy fog. There’s still peace (sacredness, every day magic) to be found inside each day if we’re willing to look for it.
My pledge to you is that I’m choosing to refocus this week as much as I can. Maybe my contribution as a juror has helped someone to move beyond a difficult period. The time away from my business (and computer!) has given me some unexpected fresh air and friendly conversations with people I’d have never met otherwise.
How do you need to refocus this week?
Shifting perspective is not always easy, but goodness does it make a difference.
I'd like to read more, please»A return to painting
“Creativity takes courage” Henri Matisse
The past few months have been so busy with festivals and setting myself up to partner with stores that I haven’t painted at all. I’ve sketched, I’ve written, I’ve worked on my business, but I’ve done no painting.
I began feeling a more urgent call recently that it’s time to return to painting regardless of what else needs to get done, so this past week I cleaned off my studio table, cleared my schedule for two mornings back to back, and worked on a new piece.
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Get outside, breathe in the air (plus, new art and larger print sizes)
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one” John Lennon
Friends, I was on vacation all of last week. I haven’t had any extended time off since September 2014, so this vacation was needed and appreciated.
We spent time with Eric’s family in rural Maine. We had no internet / phone service, stayed in a cabin on a lake, and filled the days with reading, relaxing, hiking, eating. It became super clear to me after a few days how much I needed the time to unplug, and I spent a lot of time simply using my senses: feeling the sun, listening to the water, gazing out over the mountains. Here are some highlight pictures from the week (all photos by Eric Cross):
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New artwork, sketches, and following the fun
“Art too is just a way of living” Ranier Maria Rilke
It’s been a full few weeks, friends. Here’s a little snapshot of what I’ve been working on.
Sketching
I’m on a mission to get better at drawing animals, so I’ve continued doing some little sketches when I need a few minutes away from the computer. I think drawing is SO FUN, and I’ve found that taking a break to do a quick sketch in the middle of the day brightens my mood considerably. See below for a progression of bird drawings I did this week.
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Finding stillness (plus, new art and sketches!)
“I don’t know exactly what a prayer is. / I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down / into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, / how to be idle and blessed” Mary Oliver
How to be idle and blessed.
This phrase is from one of my absolute favorite poems by Mary Oliver (we actually used another line of this poem for our wedding invitations).
When I hear idle and blessed I think of deep rest and day dreaming, of doing an activity that lights you up and clears away the chaos in your mind.
I also think about how I’m most in tune with what I want when I can be inside that stillness for a little while. Are you the same way?
I’ve been craving quiet lately, but there are so many ways to immerse ourselves in quiet beyond taking a nap or sitting in silence.
Stillness emerges when we turn away from the screens and to-do lists to focus on one simple activity that just feels good. Lately my activity has been sketching.
Last week I visited a local arboretum with a friend / artist to draw (hi, Lisa!). Simply being outside with pen and paper felt like a salve for my heart and we saw the funkiest sculptures. Here’s me taking them in.
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Why I love transitions (plus, new art in the shop!)
“I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being” Hafiz
Eric and I got married on June 15, 2013, which makes this week super special.
We were married at my elementary school, under a graduation tent. During the reception the kids played in the creek and on the swings. We had our ceremony on what’s called the ‘play barn,’ or a wooden stage where I also performed so many plays and sang so many songs as a kid. In short, our wedding was relaxed, informal, and exactly what we wanted.
I’m really proud that we’ve kept up a good relationship while he’s in school and working and I’m building my business. It’s been quite the ride!
2 years into our marriage and I love the life that we’re building together. I truly do.
♥ ♥ ♥
I'd like to read more, please»Let’s dream together (plus, new art in the shop!)
“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced” – Vincent Van Gogh
This week’s painting, Let’s Dream Together, was a reminder that the creative process is not always easy, especially when art making is done on a schedule and can’t wait for inspiration to hit.
When the process gets tough, it’s much easier for doubt to creep in. I’ve been tempted many times lately to look at other artists and think they must never run out of ideas, or time, or energy. How do they do it? They must always easily create beautiful new work!
I SO wish this was true, but I know that it’s not (for me, or any other artist).
While I do love creating new art most of the time, there are times when working on a new painting can leave me feeling stuck for hours or even days over how to move forward.
As you’ll see in the different iterations of this week’s painting below, I tried a few different ideas. I switched back and forth between painting a landscape and an abstract, layering on the paint in different combinations.
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