Below is a succulent painted tonight. Its not finished. I got carried away by the colors and started to try out putting colors next to other colors rather than painting the actual colors. I had a grand time.
Some Italian Laundry to Color
Practicing Painting Succulents
Painting Succulents & Cacti in San Clemente,
Jan. 30 & 31 at San Clemente Art Supply
In a few weeks I am going to teach a workshop on how to paint succulents and cacti . There are so many varieties of succulents that I thought it might be a good idea to buy a variety of them. Today I am drawing and painting so I can develop some tips for my students to help them draw and paint them without pain. By pain, I don't mean the physical pain of pricking yourself on a cacti sticker, I mean the emotional pain we all go through when we are striving to learn something new. Of course, I now know for sure, that some of the learning pain can be diminished when we lower our expectations and allow ourselves to make less then perfect paintings, right?
You can register online: http://www.scartsupply.com/how-to-watercolor-succulents-and-cacti
Have Some Tea and Color with Me.
On these winter days, are you drinking tea? What kind? Green? Sleepytime? Herbal? Earl Grey, or ? Here's an opportunity to color your tea and have some cookies calorie free. Or should I dare say with diminished calories? How far can I go with this "diminished thing until you're groaning and no longer laughing? Please let me know...
How Are Your Lowered Expectations Doing Thus Far in 2016?
I am really enjoying under achieving. Since I've diminished my expectations I have gotten a lot more done. Take for instance my blog posts. I usually have quite high standards for what I post. I feel a responsibility to educate, amuse and inspire my readers. Does this responsibility create good blog posts? I think it creates less frequent blog posts because I tend not to write a post unless I feel I have something incredibly useful to tell you.
Now that I have diminished my sense of responsibility I think I can write more posts imperfectly. if you will still read them.
I have wanted to post this photo since I took it in October at the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy. I was embarrassed to admit to you that I was really looking forward to visiting the Pitti Palace,( where the Medicis once lived,) to see among other things, Napoleon's bathroom. Now that I have a new attitude, I am sharing the picture with you. What do you think of his bathroom? It's nice, but not so hot, I guess I should have not had such high expectations for his bathroom. However, I did read that he formulated plans for the battle of Waterloo while soaking in the tub.
I really believe in traveling so that we can learn about people, places and art. Isn't it helpful for you to learn that Napoleon actually soaked in a bathtub? Imagine the possibilities... Please let me know how lowering your achievement standards is working for you, or whatever else you chose to do?
Color My Drawing Now!
Yesterday, we talked about downsizing your goals for the New Year. How's that working for you? My word "diminish" is helping me more then I expected it to. I looked at the piles of papers I need to finish filing in my studio/office and I said to myself, "I can diminish these files." Since my expectations on this filing task were set very low, I did not strive to be a filing over achiever and expect myself to get everything filed in one afternoon. So, some filing actually got done which is a miracle in my book because I would almost rather do anything else but file.
Which leads us to the drawing posted below. Its for you to print out and color. If you are one of those people who cannot find time to do art, then re read the title of this blog post and see if it motivates you to color this or something else. I am experimenting with using an alpha authoritarian voice to see if that makes people (and beagles) follow through on what I ask them. So far, the beagles are ignoring me as well as other family members...
How does diminish relate to the drawing below? Well, I didn't draw it fresh today for this blog post. I pulled it out of a file of coloring book pages I submitted to a publisher awhile ago. So, I think I diminished my drawing for the day one way or another....
Don't Set High Goals for Yourself in 2016
Have you listed your self improvement goals for 2016 yet? My advice is to set very low goals for yourself this year. Have you chosen a word to guide you through the new year yet? Many blogs I read this morning advised choosing one word to inspire you. After much thought I chose the word diminish. I considered slacken, lessen, reduce and imperfect, but diminish won out as my guiding concept.
I found research that backs up my choice of word in a used Oprah magazine. I found it in the free pile at the Encinitas library. Randomly paging through the magazine I discovered an article that quotes psychologist Roy Baumeister, PhD, coauthor of the book Willpower. Baumeister advises setting the lowest goal you can feel good about then try to exceed it at much as possible. Roy feels that succeeding at lower goals instead of failing at higher goals is good for you if I got the main idea correctly.
How does this low goal setting relate to you and your interest in painting and drawing? We have tried to find time for you to fit drawing and painting into your busy lives, right? Some of you tried simplifying your supplies and attending my online class and that worked. However, I still hear from many people that they can't fit art making into their busy lives. So my advice to you, try diminishing your goals and expectations.
Wanderlust, Watercolor Memories, Pre Historic Cave Paintings and Monet's Garden
Did you know that no one is certain of the reasons why the prehistoric artists painted on the cave walls in the Dordogne region of France? Would you like to walk through the caves and view the painted bisons, reindeer, horses and mammoths up close? I promise you will be amazed and inspired by the history and craftsmanship of these Cro Magnon painters.
These are some of the images you will see on the walls of the caves in Southern France
If you would like to visit the Dordogne region and visit some of the caves with me, I would like to have your company.
My Spring April 25-May 9, 2016 Watercolor Journaling workshop will begin with a train ride to Giverny, where we will spend 5 days, visiting and painting in Monet's Garden and touring some of the other lovely small towns in the Normandy region including the towns of Rouen, Vernon and Auvers Sur Oise where Van Gogh spent his last 70 days painting.
Then we will take the train to the town of Sarlat, which is centrally located for visiting the caves, as well as close to the other delights of this region including castles, chateaux, rivers (care to kayak anyone?), markets, and more. We will spend 9 days exploring the Dordogne region and painting daily journal style. The cost for this two week workshop is $4,500. and includes lodging, transportation, breakfasts, daily art instruction and more. It does not include airfare. For more info, please email me at anywhereart4u@gmail.com
Painting Inspirations for 2016 and beyond...
I thought you might want some inspiration to continue painting in 2016. Everyone needs some inspiration now and then, or at least I know I do. I wish you a very happy, healthy new year, and much good health, good painting and good life in 2016. Please stay in touch, Barbara
The website addresses are wrong on the card on the bottom right. My website is now www.barbararothanywhereart.com
Up Cycled CreAtioNs
Good news for women who want to use power tools and have a spot in the garage (could it be called a girl cave or girl nook?). I have claimed a corner in our garage from the boys and am painting, hammering and drilling to my heart's content.
My corner of the garage, my " Girl Nook".
What am I making, you ask? I am remaking a lot of stuff actually. I am making prints of my original watercolor paintings and framing them in old frames with new paint to compliment the painting. Plus I am furiously paintings signs, chalkboards, earrings and suitcases as well. Do not get in my way or I will cover you with a fresh coat of paint.
The reason I am making up cycled creations is to fill my 3rd of a booth my friends Merrian, the furniture painter and Gayle, the jeweler have rented in the Carlsbad Antique Mall in Carlsbad Village on State Street.
We decided it was time to test the retail market with our wares. We are all sensitive and shy artists and hate the thought of marketing our art. However, together we are brave and willing to risk rejection or success or both.
Repainted metal suitcase with chalkboard.
Hand painted cat beware sign on fence wood.
Print in old vintage frame.
Art Therapy
I have no scholastic training in art therapy. I do have a very active imagination. Do not ask me to interpret the meaning behind your painting, of course I could make something up...
I do have a bit of training in a kind of painting that is therapeutic for me. I call painting therapeutic subjects, ___________ painting.
When I am stressed I paint a location that I might want to escape to, like a Tuscan villa or a yurt.
Can you help me come up for a name for this type of painting? Do you ever try this?
Art Class On Sale for Black Friday
Check Out My Coloring Pages!
If you like to color or paint you might want to check out this coloring book filled with sketchbook pages. I have two drawing published in it and it's on the newsstands right now.
And The Winner Is.......
Here is the bigger version of the favorite color scheme.
Which Hammock Would You Like to Relax In?
Here is the actual hammock photo taken at the winery in Umbria
I like the top version, my husband prefers the bottom version.
Tell me which color sample you prefer and I will enlarge and paint the color version that gets the most votes and send you a print of it.
Which Door Would You Choose to Enter and Why?
Sympathy Painting
Paris
A Mat/Map of Italy
I was enchanted with the placemat in front of me at lunch Friday. I couldn't risk putting my plate on top of it and spilling soup on it. I folded it neatly and took it home. Think of the possible things I could do with it. Collage or paint on it, copy it and make more to use on special occasions, project it on a canvas and paint it, or hang it on my refrigerator or use it as a book cover.
How many of the places on the mat have you visited?
Season Marketing Ideas
In the field of art class and workshop teaching the months of November and December are rather quiet. Peoples minds are occupied with thoughts of gift giving, home decorating and holiday entertaining.
My mind is filled with thoughts of how I can be the most prodctive in my art field during this time. I have accepted that there are low and high seasons in the art teaching biz. I have realized I can look at this quiet time as a gift of the time to work on my painting and plan for my European workshops and domestic classes.
Doesn't the previous paragraph sound mature and serene? Written by an artist who meditates, does yoga 5x a day and eats only the purest diet devoid of sugars and alcohol?
Tat calm artist is not really me. I like chocolate, red wine and only think about doing yoga 5 x a day. The part about doing more painting and planning is true, just the serene part isn't. I spend part of my time trying to come up with marketing ideas for my artwork and writing, and part of the time reassuring myself that a career in art teaching was the right choice for me and that it is to late to consider a career in landscape architecture or be a forensic medical examiner ( my new favorite tv series that I am currently bing watching is Body of Proof on Hulu).
Here are some of my marketing ideas that I desparately need your feedback on:
1. I could make paintings out of your travel photos to hang on your walls or grace the pages of your journals.
2. I could make travel journals out of old books with deckle edge watercolor paper inside like I take on my trips.
3. I could start a vineyard in my postage stamp size backyard, produce the wine and bottle it with my own hand painted labels like the fabulous Umbria artist, Annabale Parisi does. However Rick vetoed this idea, but at least I could paint wine bottle labels...
4. I could print up copies of the 3 almost published children's books I wrote and illustrated (3 finished paintings and the rest is illustrated in ink), and try to sell them from my website.
5. I could paint the large horizontal format pictures of my dogs I have always wanted to hang over my couch.
6. I could get a job at a very quiet used bookstore coffee house and paint and sketch because people will rarely come in.
7. I could change into a model home maker and clean and cook at an exceptional daily level. This one I veto.
8. I could write some travel articles, but I have a feeling those are quite difficult to get published, doesn't everyone want to write these?
9. I could rent an an apartment in a little French or Umbria village and bring a student or two with me to paint for a while.
10. Please send me your ideas or tell me what you do during quiet periods in your chosen field?
I could learn to cook chocolate mousse like this version I had for dessert in Hotel Dei Duchi in Spoleto.
Seeing Shapes
Landscape painters that I admirer and study advise you need to see color shapes, not objects or details in the landcape.
I did this sketchbook study yesterday. I think I am beginning to be able to see shapes in a landscape. I know I have a long practice ahead of me, but seeing a bit of skill building in the shape seeing part of my brain makes me happy.
By the way, my husband took this photo on our recent trip to Italy, he has a good eye for composition, don't you think?