Tuesday, May 15, 2012

sad girl and Rainer Maria Rilke

hi there.

Feeling a little off today,
so no words of wisdom.

Here's what i painted this morning.
(acrylic and charcoal on watercolor paper)


There's a quote by Picasso that i love:

Every child is an artist.
The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. 


So this morning,
i felt like connecting to the artist i may have been
as a child.


It's a real challenge for me to let go of control
and paint from a place of innocence
rather than judgement.


I do like her...


...and her red shoes. :-)

I may have shared this with you already,
but i'm doing it again.

I read these words often,
by Rainer Maria Rilke
the genius poet.

His words comfort me
in times of doubt,
more than any other words ever do.

*****

Your work needs to be independent of others' work.

You must not compare yourself to others.

No one can help you. You have to help yourself.

Criticism leads to misunderstandings and defeatism.

Work from necessity and your compulsion to do it.

Work on what you know and what you are sure you love.

Don't observe yourself too closely, just let it happen.

Don't let yourself be controlled by too much irony.

Live in and love the activity of your work.

Be free of thoughts of sin, guilt and misgiving.

Be touched by the beautiful anxiety of life.

Be patient with the unresolved in your heart.

Try to be in love with the questions themselves.

Love your solitude and try to sing with its pain.

Be gentle to all of those who stay behind.

Your inner self is worth your entire concentration.

Allow your art to make extraordinary demands on you.

Bear your sadness with greater trust than your joy.

Do not persecute yourself with how things are going.

It's good to be solitary, because solitude is difficult.

It's good to love, because love is difficult.

You are not a prisoner of anything or anyone.

- Rainer Maria Rilke

*****





Saturday, May 12, 2012

abstract, the great North, pheasant in the yard

Ahhhh... Saturdays. 

Don't you love them?
Especially rainy Saturdays.


I try my hand at abstract now and then
but it almost always ends up looking like something.
Usually flowers...
sigh.

Always so meditative though. 

I saw this quote the other day
and loved it:

Modern art = I could do that + Yeah, but you didn't
(Craig Damrauer)


Then it was time for a National Geographic portrait,
and this guy begged my attention,
for whatever reason.

the tattoo?

the lovely hair?

the gun?

Nah...

 it's the feeling of FREEDOM. 

Sitting in a canoe in a wide open space.

My kinda guy.
;-) 


Acrylic paint on sheet music...
although there's very little music on this one.


a bit more detail...


And voilĂ .

I was obviously tired by the end of this one.
Check out the claw hands... ;-)

oh well.
It is what it is.


a little visitor in our yard this morning...
always so beautiful.


Life is all about balance, isn't it?

We find time for work,

for family,

for chores,

for friends,

for Facebook


for entertainment,

for appointments,

for making meals,

and preparing lunch boxes...

and yet,
 why is it still so difficult for so many of us
who are artists at heart
to make time to practice our art?
Do we consider it frivolous?

Do we consider it less important
than real work
like doing the dishes
or cutting the lawn
or putting in a wash load?

Really?

I'm quite comfortable
with dirty dishes in the sink.
They'll get done eventually.

But i am not comfortable
with going days without making art.

I believe it is so important as artists
to give ourselves at least a bit of time each day
to practice our art.

Putting paint to canvas.

Creating a melody.

Writing a poem.

Developing a dance.

Making a sculpture...

The world needs more right brained people.
Really - it does.

What if your painting
is the one who inspires someone else
to become a full fledged artist?

What if the song you write
touches someone and
makes them want to pursue the passionate life
of a musician or a songwriter?

So in reality, you're not only creating your art,
but you're creating opportunities
for other little art hearts out there.

Leave it to me to give your art purpose,
dammit. ;-)

How we spend our days is, of course,
how we spend our lives.
(Annie Dillard)