Inspired!

(Dont I have such old looking hands? They've always looked like this, worn and wrinkled.  

They used to embarrass me, but now they make me feel strong and experienced.)

I did it!  I let go of all the artsy buisness tasks that needed to be done, left all the boxes and bins stacked up in the living room, ignored the GINORMOUS mess that was once my lovely art room, and just created.  Such Magic!!  It has actually been so long since I just let myself take a few hours and play with paint, that I was a bit nervous.  I felt like I was new at this again, fearing I would screw up and make something ugly, awful, and it would turn out to be a waste of time.  That was before I remembered to tell those negative head voices to SHUT UP and go away.  It doesnt matter if what I make turns out bad, it just has to be fun to create or be meaningful to me.  Every exercise in art making that I take on is a growing moment, and I need to stop expecting myself to constantly fly high and straight.  There must be some practicing and bumping along for me to find a soaring moment. 

So I took a deep breath and bumped along all afternoon.  It was freeing.  It was fun.  It was exactly what I needed at the end of this very tiring week. (We are going through quite a stubborn toddler phase right now, and he has worn me out.  I have no more stamina left.  He could pretty much get away with anything today.  I'll take him back on tomorrow :) 

I have been secretly dying to try some of the techniques and palettes that a very talented and lovely artsy friend has been doing lately.  I LOVE when the people in my life (esp those of you that I connect with only via internet) help motivate and inspire me to expand my artistic comfort zone.  This friend does incredible work with using restricted and unusual color pallets and a spontaneous and gorgeously loose painting style.  I was super excited to try it and see what happened.  Well, let me tell you, its WAY harder than it looks to work like this.  I did 5 different paintings in this style, only really completed one that I was super happy with (on the right) and almost completed a second that I think will come around to something lovely with a bit more work (on the left).

 

I need to play around like this more.  Let myself expand a bit, try new things and stop being so scared of what will happen.  Here is the little angel girl that I did finish and am really proud of.  Its definitely a new style for me, but I really enjoyed the process of making her, trusting my instincts instead of always having a plan when I paint.

"Baby Angel...First Flight"...Original Acrylic Painting done by Harmony 2010...on wood box 5"X5"

Prints Available HERE

Try something new today.  Something that you've secretly wanted to try but were too scared that you might be bad at it.  You just might surprise yourself.