Food for Thought: Alice Neel
Food for thought is where I share a quote I’ve come across for your reflection and discussion 
among the other artists in the mindful artist community.
If you’ve been following me for a while you may have gathered that I’m a keen student of the creative process. I’m always interested in other artists’ experience of their art practice and how it can help us better understand and navigate our own.
My loving husband gave me this book on Alice Neel for Christmas that I’ve just begun reading so I thought a quote from Alice Neel might be in order.
You should keep on painting no matter how difficult it is, because this is all part of experience, and the more experience you have, the better it is… unless it kills you, and then you know you have gone too far.
– Alice Neel
What about you? Do you feel you ought to keep making your work even though it is difficult?
Can you give an example of a “difficult” time in your work?
What does it mean to you to have gone too far?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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Food for Thought: David Hockney
“Any artist will tell you he’s really only interested in the stuff he’s doing now. He will, always. It’s true, and it should be like that”
– David Hockney
What about you? Are you only interested in the work you are currently involved with? Or do you tend to look back on older work? Do you ever feel the work you created in the past is stronger or better work than the work you are presently engaged in?
Do you cherish your older work in such a way that you have a hard time selling it because of your attachment to it?
How does this impact your getting your work out into the world? Do you ever delay sending out work because the next body of work will be even better?
Let’s get the conversation started! Please leave your comments below.
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What Inspires You?
In this feature, each month artists share one thing that excites them creatively.
One key piece to support healthy, productive creativity is stimulating inputs. What kinds of things stimulate the creative centers of the brain? What kind of inputs stimulate us visually? Emotionally? Spiritually? Mentally? Physically?
I’d really like to know, what’s one thing that fills your creative cup? Share with us in the comment section below.
What Inspires You?
Dave Reid
I’m inspired by science (nanotechnology, for example), colour, other cultures, history (West coast native art is great), form and sky. Often one thing will lead to another; I’m working on some pictures for an upcoming show – one picture took an abrupt turn, which I followed and am now learning new aspects from this.
Dave Reid
What Inspires You?
Sean Glenn
Life is what inspires me: the authenticity of each emotional experience lends validity to each brush stroke. What inspires is sometimes the pain that comes with living, it’s joys, it’s sorrows, it’s triumphs and it’s losses. What inspires me is love.
Sean Glenn
http://www.wix.com/
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What Inspires You?
In this feature, each month artists share one thing that excites them creatively.
One key piece to support healthy, productive creativity is stimulating inputs. What kinds of things stimulate the creative centers of the brain? What kind of inputs stimulate us visually? Emotionally? Spiritually? Mentally? Physically?
I’d really like to know, what’s one thing that fills your creative cup? Share with us in the comment section below.
What Inspires You?
Linda Ursin
What inspires me?
Anything and everything. It’s hard for me to pick one. I can’t really say I know where it comes from. I’m multi-creative, which means I create in many different ways.
Linda Ursin
Website: heksebua.com/linda
What Inspires You?
Leo Anderson
What inspires me?
Ideas come from everywhere. God gave us a lot to work with and putting it together in a unique way intrigues us all. Make notes. Your mind is full and universal mind has all – so take notes on what comes to you. It doesn’t matter if you’re working on a thing or not. Put a date on it. Do everything you do perfect because it’s all only single steps. Nature is full, observe!Leo
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Adding Texture to Your Paintings Using Ceramic Stucco & Flexible Modeling Paste
When I first switched over from oils to acrylics years ago – I was always trying to get away from the “plastic-y” look they had.
Then I discovered the array of gels and pastes that could take the standard paint texture from creamy to stiff to sandy to matte.
The two I show you in this video are still in my all-time favorites list.
Hope you enjoy it and let me know your thoughts! Have you used these before? What are your favorite acrylic gels? Any techniques you’d like to share?
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You can do this!
Wherever you are right now as an artist, I am here to remind you that you can do this.
It may not always be easy and it may not always be smooth but if you keep at it you will experience joys and rewards you could not have dreamed of from where you stand right now.
It may not always look exactly like you dreamed it would, but the life you aspire to is waiting for you.
I just wanted to make sure you remembered this.
Your work means something. There is a place for your work in this world. No matter what kind of work you make, there are people out there just WAITING for you work.
Really.
There hearts are longing for what you and ONLY you can give. Just as there is no one in the entire world who looks quite like you, there is no one in the whole entire world who can create what you do.
Your work is important.
Please remember that.
Now, go get in the studio!
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