But I should talk-eh? "Where are your postings?" you ask! Thanks to those of you who have written asking-when are you coming back? I wrote last post that I would only write if I had something to say. Could it be I have nothing to say? Highly unlikely! But do I have anything worthwhile to say?
The truth is, I've led a very boring life lately. And I welcomed boring! The post wedding months have been all about rest! I have been working in other area's and have a few new inspirational ideas that may develop. And there are important things that have required and continue to require my time and attention. While I have less time in general, I'm seeing a shift in my thinking concerning time and how I use it. When your time is at a premium, priorities absolutely become clear! So besides being all newsy and catching you up on what I'm doing, I want to share with you what I've learned lately. Lately I've learned how important my family is. I've learned how to honor my father by letting go of me and stepping up to help him. I've learned through the wedding how wonderful our family is and how those special celebrations cement our bonds. I've learned that in crisis, we turn to our family. I've learned that there is little else I truly care more about! Next time I want to share a little bit more about time, our priorities and our art. Being true to ourselves and our art requires time and a commitment.
But to confess, I haven't kept up my sketch book or painted a single thing! Until just a few weeks ago...I have a painting in the works, which I will be sharing here in the coming weeks. It's for the negative painting class I will be teaching in a few weeks. (If you have an interest, you can sign up by hitting this link: McConnell Arts Center) This is a new class and a new venue for me. Negative painting is a way to learn how to see all your spaces, not just the subject!
I've noticed students don't usually think about the negative space in their paintings until it's too late. Negative space is usually an after thought. Yet much of the time a paintings negative space is larger than the subject matter! To really have good composition you must think about all the space on the picture plane not just the subject matter. Doesn't it make sense to plan and use the largest area on your paper to best advantage?
So that's what I'm up to right now. The above painting "Daisy Do" is an example of a negative painting. Look carefully and you will see how I carved each daisy from the negative spaces. Last fall I did a negative painting of fall leaves, which is what started this class idea. I hope you like these and the coming paintings. Now that I'm back, I hope you join me again and be inspired and encouraged to use your creative spirit!