Making your own path

The book, "Art and Fear" by Bayles and Orland, was introduced to our pastel workshop by our teacher. The back summarizes what this trip is about for me:

"This book ("Art and Fear")... is about committing your future to your own hands, placing Free Will above predestination, choice above chance. It is about finding your own work."

...and it's about finding your own way, making your own path...not just waiting for the apple to fall.

Making Art

"To make art is to sing with the human voice. To do this you must first learn that the only voice you need is the voice you already have." --from "Art & Fear" by Bayles and Orland

So, you and I already have everything we need. We are complete. We don't need more art supplies to make that next painting, or to do the laundry first so we can concentrate on that painting! Nor do we need more time to progress or more time to devote to our talents. Nor do we need more talent or more skill before we can paint.

We can paint, sing, dance, laugh, play, create...NOW. We have all we need, right now. We are complete and include all the ideas we need to create, right now.

Oh heavenly day!

I awoke today and found this inspiring quote. It was my mantra for the day.

"The perfection of Being is the recognition that man has no option but to experience health, joy, abundance and divine completeness, all unopposed, without an interruption of any sort."



"In this perfection of Being any sense of limitation or restriction is unknown."

"The perfection of Being is the divine Mind expressing in all its majesty, beauty, security and glory, and this expression is you. You cannot escape the sheer bliss of divine Life's living!"

--Henty

Willamette Park: who let the dogs out??!

We painted from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and then watched our instructor demo until 4 p.m..

Then Patty (above) and I, and a few others, stayed and painted until about 7 p.m. as the light was spectacular!


Some of the four legged hazards of plein air painting. One of them decided to pee on somebody's art supplies-yikes!

Giving yourself permission to paint badly...

...and just play!

Perfection leads to
Procrastination,
which leads to Paralysis.

Painting is scary and intimidating so we all do the three P's. But if you are willing to paint badly and play, you'll paint better and better, until you arrive at that place of magic where art is just breathed into the poetry of form.

Looking over my easel, I paint this scene...quite badly!

Intending to paint some of these when I get home...

Intentions

Set an intention for yourself--
as a painter, as in life.
What is your intention for yourself at this moment? What are your intentions in one hour, or in one year from now?

I unintentionally stumbled upon George Rogers State Park after class. Hot and tired and happy, I enjoyed a quick view of shade trees and and made a mental note of intention to come back and enjoy a future cool dip in its waters.

Finding wonder in the ordinary

The practice of being enchanted by nature is often translated into art--the art of seeing. Yet when we forget this, art becomes an arduous effort of technique rather than the simplicity of being captivated by the charms of Mother Nature. I hope you'll find Her as captivating as I did today at the community garden of Luscher Farm Park. Each plot is lovingly cared for and contributed by various families. Each area proudly boasts a different scare-crow, as diverse as the flowers!

Direction

I came to Oregon to find a bit of myself I left here last year and hopefully get some clarity on what direction my life needs to take. And, to take a pastel class from Marla Baggetta. Check out her work at studiobaggetta.com, you'll love her paintings.

This is going to be a fabulous class...I'm so GLAD I came! The teacher, Marla, is amazing--just the inspiration I need. Her pastels and oils are phenomenal; look for her on the cover of "The Pastel Journal" next month. We students met up at her studio last night for a meet 'n greet. Marla and her husband, Mike, have a beautiful home and stunning large studio workspace, complete with a traveling RV camper for all those art fairs! Wow! She has the life I've only been dreaming of! Time to turn those dreams into a reality!!!

Stay tuned for some paintings from her class today...and at least some really fine notes on painting!
.........................

Aside: While I was waiting to check into my hotel yesterday afternoon, I went to an art fair a stone's through away. There I met Kellee Beaudry, a local self-taught artist who has been painting only 3 years. A rebuke to my work ethic, she shared that she has sold 300 paintings in about a two and a half years! Wow, I need to get busy! And Kellee's paintings are charming, whimsical, colorful dog portraits that make everyone stop by and smile and laugh. We all love our dogs and Kellee reminds us why. Working from photos, much of her works are commissions done in stylized acrylics, from a fun up close and personal angle. I bought several of her cards and would love to commission her to paint my doggies; her prices are very affordable. You can visit her web sight at 4muddypawsart.com.

Sacred Space: A soul's quest to Oregon

"This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you might find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen. Your sacred space is where you find yourself again and again."
--Joseph Campbell

Where is your sacred space?
Your studio? Your home? Your heart?

My sacred space in in self-discovery... and wherever that may take me. Today, it took me to West Linn, Oregon.