Advice

Hi!

It feels like summer. I am enjoying it, its nice to sleep with the windows open and wake up to the sounds of the birds chirping.

Last week I spent the good part of the week working on some new paintings. I was working on one abstract painting and noticed a struggle to make it look like something. I felt an urge to pull a face out of the lines and textures, maybe a tree, or leaf. I fought the urge because I didn’t want my painting to “look” like something, I wanted to find my own language through the abstract process. Well, that painting is sitting on my easel starring at me… I am giving it space. The process is like nature in a way. You see things are going to bloom when they are good and ready, that goes for spring flowers as well as what is sitting on our easels. Trusting in the process and being patient is required however hard it is.

During the week I met for lunch with my former high school art teacher and talented artist Carrie Simon. It was great to reunite with her, its literally been years! 🙂

She continues to challenge her artistic process as well and is inspired by nature. Here is an example of one of her acrylic paintings, isn’t it lovely?

She remains an encouraging spirit for me as she did all those years ago. We both acknowledged the same struggles when working on our artwork. Working with nature came up also in our conversations. Carrie has more recently been inspired by floral imagery, she explained when she is in the zone and painting in her studio it’s like she hits a rhythm that feels like a dance. Carrie will be showing her work this fall in a solo show – see more of Carrie’s work here & info: http://carriesimonart.com/

After our lunch I felt reassured and decided to not hold myself back again when I am working on the canvas. I also agreed to feel frustrated if frustration came, I agreed to BE WITH IT.

I went home and started a small 12 x 12 canvas. It started in watercolor then I started adding mixed media collage, I let it just go where it wanted to go. Then trees began to appear. I started to create a landscape. It felt great and I was in a flow state (one of my favorite destination spots ;-)). Here are the results:

My mother says it reminds her of a church. I thought how perfect that is! Nature IS my church… I agreed. Nature may be wanting to be expressed more through me, maybe the language I am seeking to find is all around me… In the inspiration of the natural world. I am excited about what is to come. I’ll update you all on what happens with the one starring at me on my easel too lol!

I found sheet music in my collage collection and one of the songs was titled, “Look to Your Soul” – Connection? Ahhh yes. And it all came together. Music, Nature, Art – a great trio, top that off with self-connection and boom!.. “Look To Your Soul” was born.

The message here is trust and patience… I found this great poem yesterday which I thought I would share:

Every morning
Swimming up out of dreams
I surrender to being here
I let go into gravity
Into the way the sweet earth pulls me to her
Head, hip, arm, leg . . . . with each exhale I drop further
Into cool white sheets, firm mattress, bed frame,
floor, walls, earth, earth, earth. . . .
It takes practice
To give up habitual holding on, holding in, holding back
Every morning I open myself
And invite grace to have its way with me

~ Oriah “Mountain Dreamer” House

Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts with me. I’d love to hear from you whenever you feel the urge. Share with me whats going on for you, your art, what your celebrating…

Invite the Grace…

Hugs,

Rebecca

P.S. Here is a beautiful song to create to: Sacred Sound by Youssoupha Sidibe

While hiking hard last Sunday I was experiencing full-on JOY!

The day before I was painting to this awesome song Ed Sheeran – I see Fire (Kygo Remix) LISTEN HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWYp1xRPH5g

…and I experienced again the same full-on JOY!

I started thinking about the similarities in both activities. Could it be the release of stress? Increase of endorphins? Or just the experience of doing something I love?

I came upon this article http://jamesclear.com/make-more-art by James Clear titled, “Make More Art: The Health Benefits of Creativity”

The part that resonated with me was his explanation of the release from life.

He says, “In our always–on, always–connected world of television, social media, and on–demand everything, it can be stupidly easy to spend your entire day consuming information and simply responding to all of the inputs that bombard your life. Art offers an outlet and a release from all of that. Take a minute to ignore all of the incoming signals and create an outgoing one instead. Produce something. Express yourself in some way. As long as you contribute rather than consume, anything you do can be a work of art.”

I feel the same release when I am in nature, taking a walk, hiking, playing basketball, or creating a painting or collage. Here I am last summer on the summit of Mt. Whitney, in my element.

I just started watching NBA Basketball again too! Those athletes are just incredible. I played basketball in high school and I am proud to say I still have a great three-point shot. *toothsparkle

There is nothing like the feeling of the release of the ball from my hands and seeing it line up perfectly, have a knowing that you are going to make the shot, and then ‘SWISH!’ It’s like magic… and compares to the feeling I have when I am in the creative flow. It’s like you don’t have to think… the magic is coming through you.

Check out this article to find “10 Athletes that Paint” by Raka Sen and Vanessa Castro

http://www.complex.com/style/2013/09/athlete-artists/

I mean, how cool is that?

“Serena Williams took time to learn how to paint in Paris during her visit for the French Open. Jeremy Evans turned his portrait of himself dunking into a “dunkception” performance piece by actually dunking over it. Even athletes that don’t paint still have their ways of embracing art; Tyson Chandler and Usain Bolt have both taken up photography. And Carmelo Anthony and Shaquille O’Neal are known for their art collections. However they choose to do it, it’s great to see America’s sports stars embracing the art world.”

This is a painting by Ernie Barnes artist and professional football player.

The benefits of health/fitness and the benefits of expressing ourselves through the arts are plentiful. Exercise stimulates endorphin production, when your body crosses from an aerobic state to an anaerobic state, it’s suddenly working without enough oxygen to provide the muscles and cells screaming out for it. This is when the “runner’s high” occurs.

For artists, there must be something similar but in relation to being in the ‘FLOW’ maybe we can call it the “Artist’s High” lol!

Here are some things I experience during physical and creative activities I enjoy, i.e. dancing, painting, hiking, collage-making, weightlifting, basketball, etc:

*Release of stress and negative emotions

*Rush of positive energies

*Feelings of courage and pride

*Connection to higher power

*Connection to self

*Imagination expands

*Satisfaction in productivity

*Growth

*Acceptance of being open to new possibilities