Tag Archives: artwork

My Artist’s Bucket List – Exploring New Territory

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As an artist I am always looking for ways to grow. I have several forms of art and artistic expression that I am eager to try.

Oil Painting – my go-to paint choice has always been acrylic, in the last year I’ve expanded into water colors but I still have yet to give oils a try so that’s most definitely on my list!

Macrame – The beautiful wall hangings and jewelry that I’ve seen come from this wonderful craft are beautiful. I think this is a skill that will take more patience but I think it will be relaxing and rewarding.

Pottery – Think “Ghost”. How could you not want to try this? I’m a Virgo, meaning I’m an Earth sign and it absolutely intrigues me to be able to create something from such an earthy substance. I cannot imagine not liking the feel of building and creating something within my hands.

Figure Drawing – I’ve started dabbling in this as I explore with oil pastels but this is something I would like to really take the time and dig into. The art of the shape of the human body is beautiful and I truly want to be able to depict it on paper.

Weaving – The intricate designs and colors that can be captured within a woven piece is amazing. How each piece can tell a story of its handcrafted journey.

Calligraphy – I am a quote and inspirational words fanatic. I think this would be a wonderful skill to master to share that love.

 Screen Printing – Old school style. I tried this out when I was in school and it is so cool putting your artwork onto the fabric. I would like to revisit this skill.

 Dance – I have had dance on my bucket list for a while. The expression that can be shared through the art of dance can be quite powerful. There are many forms of dance that can be explored.

 There are so many forms of art out there. What kinds of art do you do and what’s on your bucket list to try?

FLOW

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A friend of mine that I chat art with quite often recently pointed out to me the other day that I seem to not like to illustrate faces. My initial response was yeah, I’m not very good at faces so I avoid them…but after pondering like I do (being a Virgo naturally makes me overthink everything! Sometimes this can have it’s advantages though leading to deeper meanings) I realized it goes much deeper than just not being good at drawing faces. That was a superficial response. I could take the time and the practice to develop my talent in illustrating faces but I don’t. As I continued to think about it, the truth became evident to me, that really I am holding back in my artwork. This was an emotional obstruction for me. The process of making art for me is personal, it is emotional, it is expression, reflections of how I see myself and how I see the world…and how much of that perception I want to share with the world. “Artists are people driven by the tension between the desire to communicate and the desire to hide.” ~ D.W. Winnicott 

I find it hard to share my emotions with people unless I am able to present it in a logical format, or in that of teaching a lesson. I push myself daily to be open with the ever-flowing emotions that travel through my mind and though I appear as open as a book, really I hold much back. I don’t like to share my deepest feelings (not that any of us really do), I don’t like to show the deep-down ugly or sorrow. The face can be a wide-open book spilling the words of our heart, our mind, our soul unto the world at any given moment. So my questions of thought became “Do I avoid illustrating faces to preserve myself, to hold back just enough to hide?” and “Does my artwork suffer because of this? Could my art be so much greater if I let all of it flow out of me onto the canvas?”

My friend says to me, “Your artwork feels very open to interpretation”. My response being, “My artwork is an expression of my inner-workings without being outright”. This conversation struck a chord with me. As much as of an upfront type of person I am, yet in my most beloved activity I hold back. I paint and draw to feel free but I have set limits for myself within that sense of freedom, where is the truth in that? 

As we enter the end of the year, we reflect on how we will live differently in 2017. In 2017, I am going to learn to let go more. I am going to let my heart pour into my artwork, both literally and figuratively. I want to show the rawness that we each hold in being human, the ups and the downs that we see in life, both the beauty and pain that is in the eye of the beholder, because without each, life isn’t true. 

 

Awaken To Your Calling

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It was a calm night but my mind was nowhere near at peace.

The dreams that leave you sitting up at night are the ones determined to not let you go. 

If your heart desires to obtain a goal so much that you cannot fall asleep then it is a sign.

It is calling out to you to set your intentions to make it happen.

I laid in bed thinking of painting and painting and painting.

I dreamed up my boutique and art gallery as if it was coming to life right in my mind.

It was in that moment that I knew that I needed to create a plan.

I needed to start taking steps to make that dream a reality in whatever form I could.

There are a lot of business goals that I have grown off of that calling that was made to me that night.

Each day with focus and intent I am making progress.

Don’t settle for a life you don’t love.

If you are dreaming of a life you don’t have yet, get to creating that life.

Whether it’s through art, business, or owning a little cottage in the country you can make it happen.

Set goals and set a plan to reach those goals.

I sat up and wrote out all of my desires into my journal.

I then wrote out what I needed to do to get to those goals and started planning out the steps.

My calling, my dreams are now turning into a reality as I build a life I love. 

“Awaken”, paintings by LAR