One idea that rang true to me was the idea that rewards work well for the routine simple tasks, but for creative endeavors rewards can sometimes hinder us. I've been working on some book illustrations for sometime and I've struggled to get excited lately about it, because I know there is a specific way they are to be done and that I'll be paid, pressure!
But I feel extremely motivated to create abstract free flowing pieces lately. I get an intrinsic sweet joy from doing it. I don't feel boxed in or driven by someone telling me to do it, but because I enjoy it. I feel how I did in high school when I could create things purely to create. Most times I don't care if I'm getting paid, I just want to make it! This is hard to explain to some people, but surely there are you peeps out there that can relate!?
And I've also fallen in love with, hoping to have a long term relationship with goache. I've wanted to try it for sooo long. I've attempted pretty much every medium, but goache makes me really really happy. Below is a piece that came from a lovely date with goache and I. I love that it is opaque and has that beautiful fluidness of watercolor.
As a young adolescent, I couldn't understand why anyone would want to make abstract art. I thought it was totally lame. I thought art was just the realistic stuff I came up with. As my students sometimes say about abstract art so thought I: "that's ugly" or "that looks like a 4 year old made it." Both not true of all abstract art. Sure some abstract stuff out that gives makes me vomit a little. But to make a truly magical abstract piece...it requires skill, creativity, thought. Some would argue it doesn't, but after seeing my students stumbling to make anything abstract it's obvious it is harder than it looks!
I really love the way colors, shapes, lines work together. Here are some of my fave artists lately:
Michelle Armas
Britt Bass
Caroline Wright
