How people view our artwork
Labels: art appreciation, art opinion, human nature, pastel art, Pastel artist, pastels, perceptions on art, public opinion, viewing art
An artist's perspective through Pastels and Oils
Labels: art appreciation, art opinion, human nature, pastel art, Pastel artist, pastels, perceptions on art, public opinion, viewing art
A different point of view...
creates new ideas.
When I was a young child I would spend hours burning energy riding my bouncy horse. After a couple of hundred races, I wondered if there were other ways to ride the horse. Why not? So I tried riding on it facing backward. And then I tried riding side-saddle and eventually, I discovered hanging upside down was the best...until the blood rushed to my head.
I suppose the horse taught me that changing my perspective might open up new possibilities...and that curiosity could offer up some life lessons. Flexing my point of view has helped me manage a few challenging circumstances. In these uncertain times, I believe that flexibility is more important than ever before.
Sometimes we can just get in our own way....and sometimes we can get in others' way too.
A stifled point of view could deem us self-absorbed, judgemental, and even shall I say...narcissistic. But when we get out of our own way and begin to understand another's viewpoint or life experiences, our compassion and forgiveness grow. Listen carefully and ask questions to better understand their "why" or "view" to see what makes them "tick". We don't have to agree, yet understanding another's point of view or experience connects us and certainly opens up doors to better relationships in our community. We humans have the unique ability to have and share compassion for others.
What if?
Why not?
How fun!
Moving along...
Keeping it simple...in a complicated world
No doubt we are living in very challenging times. Global warming, cultural division, instant communication, space flights, war, and Covid...and that's just the tip of the iceberg! Iceberg? Ack!
Coming from the 60's generation, it would seem we had it tough. It was rare to have a private phone line, a color television, and fast-food meals. It was not convenient, yes, but it was simple. While I was raised in poverty for a short time with my unstable Mother, I saw and experienced a LOT of things that have informed my perceptions of the world around me. We got along with very little and struggled. Yet the distractions were few. Looking back, it really wasn't bad, but that's hindsight. Having had success and failure in many forms changes our perceptions of life. The struggle is good, but not fun. We learn from it all and hope for better each time around.
Recently, I recorded a few instructional videos and an online appearance on repurposing pastels The experiences were very challenging and tested my will. My personal expectations were high and I felt confident. I am still wondering what the final result will be from it all. Will it have been worth my time? Will it inform and inspire others? Most likely. But who knows. I allow my hopes to not be crushed if all fails, and I understand that I have no control over much if anything in this world. What works best is living simply and being responsible with choices. It's like that even more so in the year 2022.
If you could change one thing in our world today, what would that be?
Labels: Brenda Boylan, broken pastels, changing, crushed pastels, experimenting with pastels, hand rolled pastels, making pastels, pastel, pastels, pigments, thoughts on change, what would you change?
Spinning Into a World . . .
Labels: art classes, challenges with change, change, online art instruction, online classes, online teaching, teaching
A Show-Stopping . . .
Labels: 2020, art blog, Artist, artists update, Brenda Boylan, enduring, focus, goal list, motivation, one word, procrastination, review, slowing down, soap opera, suspend, time, year-end, yearly lists, yearly review
This post is from my monthly Studio Updates, dating November 2020. Take note that the timing of this post my not be relevant.
~
At this very moment of writing, America has resolved the election and potentially developed a strong Covid cure. It sure has been a tough road. Together we all have been on them at different times of our lives, with steep hills to conquer and bruising bumps to get over. Our 2020 stories will take the route into the history books and cement them into our current generation. I wonder how stories we all have in common from 2020? Sad, yet somehow I am feeling a little glimmer of hope.
On a brighter note, so much is bubbling up in my studio! There are several half-finished paintings that I'm re-addressing, online courses are starting to take shape, a BIG, long-term project is being imagined, and just some good vibes all over. I"m happy to say that my slump is nearly over and I'm starting to find my groove! It all came to a head while I was working on a painting last week, when one little, and very joyful brushstroke "giggled" at me! Yes, I wrote giggled. You see, the act of painting is a dialogue...and sometimes it speaks to the artist in most mysterious ways, but this time it giggled! And the best part? I was ready to receive it! What a joyful and intimate moment. I sure hope that joyful mark comes back to greet me again and again. As for the photo above? Yup, that's me...high up on the top of the beautiful St. John's Bridge in Portland, OR., during a graffiti abatement closure. A while back when life was "easy", a few of us artists, Don Bishop, Quin Sweetman, and Za Vue had the idea to paint a nocturne of the Willamette River upon the closed bridge. And what should one do when in a most opportunistic place? Well... Cartwheels! ... and take a rest in the middle of the high road!
So how do you find your grOOOOve? Do Share!
Labels: Brenda, bridge, cartwheels, conquering procrastination, Covid fears, cure, fear, giggling, holding patterns, joyful, making a mark, mark making, OR., painting, Portland, procrastination, slump, St. John's Bridge
Labels: art imitates life, art issues, challenge, hesitation, holding patterns, life imitates art, personal challenges, procrastination, struggle, struggling to move forward, whoop my butt