Inspirational Messes

How is it even possible that every inch of working spaces I have are loaded?  Doesn't seem to take long or maybe it's because progress has been slow that things are in such a mess.

We all have our ways of working, and one of mine I'm discovering is that I have to let a piece hang for a time before I know I'm done.  Putting it up on a wall gives me a whole new perspective and I begin to catch the little details that need fixing, additions or some alteration.

Recently Maxine Masterfield, one of my favourite experimental artists posted some pictures of her latest work, Daisy, 2 years in the making!  I found that encouraging to know that my few weeks to a few months fall in that 2 year range :-)  Mind you Maxine was working on a whole new concept and I'm sure that accounted for the long period of time before she felt it was complete.

I have Maxine's books and DVD, the woman is a pioneer in experimental abstract art, and just recently she has posted pictures of new works on her facebook,  they have the most amazing effects, like nothing I have ever seen before.

I'm no Masterfield, but I find great inspiration from artist like her, they encourage me to be bold and experiment within my own capacity and style.    

Your Artist Voice

I've been looking at a book online called 'Finding Your Visual Voice.'  But before I ordered it I decided to do a little journaling about knowing my visual voice.  As I reflected using backgrounds that were test runs on some new colour combinations I wanted to try using, I made a few discoveries about myself.

It seems I love the Old Masters deep rich colours and tones, at least on canvas.  I've tried very hard to move to the more modern, vibrant, bright colours and I could just never seem to leave them there, they always wound up going deeper, and ultimately changing the look of what I thought I wanted the piece to look like.

Just this week I tried to do a modern, sophisticated look using greys, black, silvers with a touch of deep purple for contrast.  I could see it in my minds eye but when I got it onto my textured canvas, I just didn't like it.  Now I know another artist could take these and make it all work, I've seen and admired their work but I just can't seem get past the disquiet I feel using these kinds of colour palettes.  This all lead to the realization that I may well have already found my artist voice, from the moment I began to create textured abstracts on canvas.  There's a shock!  Instead of realizing it, I've been fighting with myself and therefore getting hung up over colour more than anything else creatively.

After writing a draft of this post I got out Nita Leland's book, The New Creative Artist. As always this wonderful lady's writing helped me out.  

"Pay attention to the inner voice that tells you when something feels right. Much of your creative problem-solving occurs at an unconscious level.  If you persist in ignoring your intuition you may find yourself stuck in a permanent holding pattern..."   

Thank you Nita! All I have to do is look at how my creativity returns when I stop fighting what I guess is my unique visual voice.  By the way, I have every book Nita Leland has written all of them are excellent and ones I continually go back to for help and guidance.  I hear she is updating and republishing her book, Creative Collage Techniques, you can bet I'll be buying it just for the added insights she will bring.

Able='having the power to do'

Good thing I didn't promise myself I'd create a page a day, this spread has been a three day process, mostly because of issues with being 'able.'  That's a big word for me and has a huge impact on what happens in my daily life.  Traci had put out as a prompt, 'today I feel...'  When I began the page I was having a very good day, the fibromyalgia was under control and life was good.  Before I knew it the word, 'able' took over the page.

We all have issues with 'being able.' A fuller definition of this little word is, "Having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something."  A lot of the time my issues with able have to do with my health, but I can also struggle with my perceptions of being able, my limitations and the like.

Jim Robbins, author & creative artist wrote,

"an artist is someone who refuses the tired and mundane scripts being offered, in exchange for the chance to actually change people's lives.  Really change people's lives.

The artist intends to reveal something through his art.  There is a declaration behind it. (Otherwise, the art becomes merely self-indulgent).  The art is the access point to a deeper, somewhat veiled reality.  It provokes us, stirs us, and tells us rumors of another world."  Jim Robbins

And we wonder why we struggle with feeling ABLE some days!

Dreams Goals Under Wraps

I have to chuckle, after posting about Traci's journal prompts I decided it was time I took the time to just set down in ink some of my dreams, hopes and goals for the year.  I did as Traci suggested and got out my dip pen because I love fountain pens of any sort and just scrawled across the pages.  Then came paint, stamping, images and a film of vintage dress patterns over all.  My pages look nothing, and I mean nothing like the work Traci does, I just don't seem to have that wonderful graffiti style in me.  My blogging friend Mary does though, have a look what she got up to following Traci's suggestions!

Still I loved the process and that is what it's all about, self expression and taking the time to value your own dreams enough to write them down.  For me these pages aren't about pretty, good thing, they were about the words, the promise, the imagery that took over as I worked.  It does feel strange though not to be able to go and read a nice little list of goals they are all covered up in a thin film of tissue.  I expect that the list will get done in my catch all notebook, better known as being over 50, you need lists or you won't know what the heck your doing day by day!   

Deep Impact

Since my last post and all your wonderful encouragement and wisdom and insights I've actually had a decent day and night!  It feels wonderful to actually be able to do a few things and not suffer serious setbacks because of it.  I take your words to heart and consider them and quite frankly am astonished at the knowledge and perspective they offer.  I do believe I'll be creating some journal pages around those insights.

The Caspian quote has made such an impact on me and has struck a note with a lot of you as well.  I wound up creating another journal page using the quote.  Then I just puddled in Dr. Martin's ink & radiant watercolour and created a brilliantly coloured journal background.

Creative Juice

Well my current canvas is hung up for the time being, I'm wanting to add some detailing to certain aspects of the piece but don't have the materials on hand to complete the job.  So it's quietly waiting for me to get what I need and finish the job :-)

So I've just been playing in my Visual Journal, creating a few backgrounds, adding some elements watching as things slowly begin to bubble up and form on the pages.  Again not great pictures but it's better than having none :-)

I'm down to the last chapter and a half of Point Zero.  The author continues to challenge me and give the most amazing insights, wonderful snippets that strike a nerve.

"Why did you keep painting if you felt bored?  Boredom has its own wisdom.  Listen to it.  Resistance is a bell ringing for change.  Remember that you are always interested in something, but it may not be what you expect and is often unknown.  Search for it. Questions will help you find what really interests you. No need to push and force what resists."


I don't know about you but this really struck me as significant.  How many of us have set out to paint something, set some goal to complete and then after a time or maybe even right away felt totally bored with it?  Abandon it!  What a thought. Find what really stirs your creative juice?  There's a notion!

"If a place does not evoke any response, it means it is not ripe yet or that it does not need anything.  Go where your energy call, not your thoughts."
"It's your privilege as a painter to go with your intuition no matter how inconsistent it seems."


Do you know what I'm realizing?  All too often we drag the 'rules' of our everyday life with it's clear agendas and expectations into our art.  It doesn't belong there and will wind up hanging you up creatively.

"Don't label every experience a creative block.  Creation moves through all kinds of terrain.  If you are neither bored nor tired, keep painting."

Well my gosh could it be any simpler or more clear?

Art Journal Play

Been playing in my journal this week, creating some backgrounds and finishing a page or two.  One page I journaled about were the Dragon's that the book Point Zero spoke of and I blogged about here.  This is just a portion of the page, the whole thing has so much sheen it created too much glare to photograph well. I did a full body gel transfer of a dragon on one edge of the page with flame and darkness and lots of metallic gleam and journaled my thoughts about this battle with the various dragons that try so hard to stop us in our creative tracks.

Then I created some fun abstract backgrounds for my journal and love the overall look of them.  Lots of fun. The cool part is they were created with nothing but left over paint effects done on other pieces.  Scrapes, splats of left over paint. Stencil spray left overs from other projects all landed on this one page and made something that really appeals to me.

There's something so satisfying knowing nothing is going to waste :-)

If it ever stops raining here, I have a new experimental texture technique I can't wait to try out.  I need to do it outside to avoid fuming myself into a migraine!  Will let you know how it goes, it involves insulation foam :-)

Fought Any Dragons Lately?

Ordered a couple of second hand books by Michele Cassou, Life, Paint and Passion and Point Zero-Creativity Without Limits.  Just got Point Zero and started reading it today.  She makes some great observations that cause you to think.  Things like:

"A creative block happens when you think you should do something while you are truly interested in doing something else.  The block is caused by looking in the wrong direction because of fear or prejudice, and by striving to reach an unwanted place."

She then explains that you need to ask yourself the right questions in order to break out of the creative rut you're in but that finding that question is not so easy.

"A good question must pull you out of the fascination of thinking that you know what needs to happen or what will make you happy..."

The right question is there within the block itself, it comes out of the judgement, the fear the whatever is preventing you from creating.  Although I've never put it in those terms I can certainly see that is was the essence of most stalled moments I've had creatively.  Some of them it took some time to finally come up with the right question that contained my answer at the same time.  Interesting reading so far, up next her discussion about 'dragons.'


"The Dragon of Product: he fights your spontaneity because it loves aesthetics. It wants you to plan exactly how your finished painting will look." Oh he has given me a tussle, I ran into him while working on Worlds Crumble and here!

"The Dragon of Control:  he guards the doors of the unknown by using fear to stop true exploration.  It feeds on your lack of trust in your spontaneity and fear of changes and try to convince you that you must be in control of your creation at all times."


The Dragon of Meaning: fights your intuition by demanding interpretation and resolution at every move. It wants you to analyze your creation and assign meaning/value to everything you paint."


A nasty bunch don't you think?

NOTE: This was a play session done on 18X24" water-colour paper and will be used as backgrounds in my art journal.

Starts & Finishing Well

Our family lost a beautiful soul this week to the vicious, devouring disease of Cancer.  It took her from us so swiftly and unexpectedly it's left us reeling.  Judy, my cousin, loved to laugh, and make others laugh with her, she will be sorely missed.

Been working in my art journal, doing some painting on water-colour paper, seeing what I can do with some of the 'starts' I created from left over paint and ink from previous works.  I hesitate to even post pictures of them as my camera does such a poor job photographing them.  A better camera just doesn't make it onto the budget right now, so poor quality or not, it's better than having no pictures to post :-)

Not sure that this one is 'done' yet.

Next up, another 'start' it reminds me of the ocean with a rock cliff jutting out.  Not sure where I can take this but we will see.

This is a portion taken from my art journal, seems I have water on the brain.  Probably because I feel a little like I'm caught up in a turbulent sea this week.