Coping with Change

I chose to share a calm painting I did of the coast this year.  It gets me in the best mood to write today.  I have been concentrating on smaller studio works lately.  I could add a number of quotes dealing with the subject of change but for sake of brevity pictures will have to do.  Circumstances have brought on the necessity to sell our home we've loved so dearly which of course includes my wonderful studio space.  I have found it quite a challenge to be in my "zone" when the business of selling a house seems like a full time job in itself and includes scheduled Open Houses and last minute showings.  All necessary of course, but difficult just the same.  I'm missing the quiet concentration time which allows for the process of planning and executing a fine studio painting.  On a positive note it actually has been enlightening for me to evaluate my own process as a painter and I appreciate that new knowledge.

However, little consistency affects my normal routines and exercises which is another reason I have been short on blogging time and have had to forgo future painting events and shows not knowing if I will actually be in the NW to participate. I still enjoy exhibiting my current works at Aurora Gallery in Vancouver.

In the meantime, I would like to share our YouTube video developed by a photographer and our Realty company listed on the video.  It has been a fun professional relationship accomplishing this video.  It  feels like a collaborative work of art in itself.  For those of you familiar with artists and the art process you understand the amount of "stuff" artists accumulate in their surroundings to inspire and encourage creative works.  Knowing this you will appreciate all the work and time it took to clear clutter in order to make the house the main subject of the creative work produced!  Until more quiet painting times I'm enjoying other pieces of my art life that change requires; sorting through art magazines, files, reference photos, etc. For now I leave you with our temporary collaborative video and promises of more updates as my art life evolves...(any artists out there looking for a new home with the perfect studio space?) http://www.youtube.com/embed/IjOAyLW8eA4?rel=0

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

 

I love this message a friend shared with me today and am passing it along to all my blogging friends today.

 

Will leave you with your own thoughts and activities to celebrate the day that makes us aware we are not alone on this planet.

 

I for one have the opportunity to paint today so hope it adds some pizzazz rather than just "EH"

 

 

Also want to add a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who helped, visited, purchased, and/or otherwise enjoyed my Art Studio Sale with me last weekend. I appreciate each and everyone of you!

Congratulations to the winner of the painting "Moored for the Night" which was raffled at the sale.  The winner was notified Mon.
 

Studio Sale Invitation!

New Vision  +  Full Studio =  Buyer's Benefit

Studio Sale Invitation...

I am not a machine!

“Where the Spirit does not work with the hand there is no art”

-Leonardo da Vinci

How true this statement is to me. I had a period of time this past summer when I was not able to work at my art. Instead I dealt with a brush of another kind; Breast Cancer. It just came out of nowhere and hit me like a brick. Initially an entire team of health care professionals swooped in and guided my way through the process. After going through the necessary steps to rid the body, treat the body, and heal the body, the emotional impact of the experience surfaced. My life became a maze of scheduled surgeries, treatments, and procedures. Just as suddenly as the news was given to me, so too was the suddenness of a halt of activity. Next came a time to wait, to heal, to rest, to think. Later the follow up appointments once again. In the meantime; stillness, self talk, sleep, slow down, prayer, inner connections, peace, quiet, reflections, introspection, contemplation, meditation. This is where “Spirit” entered the picture-the bright side of this experience. Much simmered beneath the surface as I let that source guide me. Not a time for action. No outings, no blogging, no painting. But much learning no less. A lot of imagined brush strokes, dreams of colors and shapes different from my usual realism. Mental sketches of images that I was unfamiliar with but somehow felt calming to me and right. I did a lot of reading and guided imagery meditation in order to find meaning in what I was experiencing. Many thanks to my friends and family who supported me through this period of time.

A small gathering around Christmas made me realize how much I had missed my friends near and far which impacted my need to get back in the saddle again. But so like my “old self,” I immediately started explaining and apologizing to others about not painting, blogging, or keeping up with social media. A friend put his arm around my shoulders and said: “Pam, it’s OK, you are an Artist, you are NOT a Machine...it is a process to create.” What a heavy weight off my shoulders once again. All artists are different in their approach to their work. We are all affected by outside forces but each has a unique way of incorporating and utilizing what is happening inside. For me, the connection with my inner source or spirit was so necessary that it was worth the time to process the meaning of what life was throwing my way. I also learned that I don’t have to feel badly about taking time for myself or not having daily paintings to show for it. What I need to remember is that paintings don’t begin with the hand or the brush but rather the inner guidance of Spirit.

So however the Spirit moves me....