Category: Creativity
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Painting in a Pandemic
Now that the weather has turned colder and the work outdoors has come to an end, I am reflecting on the past “summer like no other”. First of all, let me say that I am privileged. I’m not an essential worker, I no longer have a day job and daily commute to the big city,…
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Sunlight on Stone
John Singer Sargent painted sunlight on stone beautifully. I recently drove myself crazy for over a week trying to emulate what he seemed to achieve so effortlessly. The result is the painting shown here. After an initial quick sketch and colour test, I spent a day of hard slogging to complete the larger drawing for…
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Explorations
“Between each fruitful phase are long periods of exploration, faltering, learning, and working things out.” — Kenneth Noland The weather is finally warm enough to paint outdoors, and I have been eager to go out at least once a week. I’ve been experimenting with a variety of styles and approaches, as well as new surfaces.…
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A Different Light
Seeing things in a different light can make all the difference. I had passed by this spot many times and wanted to paint it, but couldn’t quite figure out how. One day late last fall, after spending several hours sketching in another part of the conservation area, I was on my way home when…
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Landscape Lessons
“Every artwork you create has a story to tell you, a lesson to impart.” – Leonie Dawson Painting landscapes in watercolour is challenging. It requires the combination of a lot of different skills, which is why I don’t think I will ever feel I’ve mastered it. And the challenge is why I will continue to…
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Gathering Seeds
Winter landed on us this week with a thump of snow and cold. Only last week, the squirrels were frantically running around the yard, looking for any nuts they missed. Like them, I have been trying to put away seeds for the winter. The past couple of months have required a focus on domestic, rather…
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Starting Over
A few weeks ago I took part in a group show with seven other artists. After months of work culminating in a major show, I’ve learned to expect a creative slump. So I took various steps to avoid a dry spell, including booking myself on an upcoming intensive workshop. I realise that in every creative…
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Scent of Summer
It was the fragrance that got to me. The scent of summer in February! I had to buy them, the scent promised so much and was so rare among the usual good-looking but under ripe fruit in the grocery store. Other years I have searched for something lush and full of life in February to…
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Sharpening the Edge
Experts from Aristotle to Twyla Tharp agree on the importance of regular habits to the creative life. On my last plein air outing, after an absence of about six weeks, I realized that I had lost my edge. In conversations with several other plein air painters, I discovered that they had also had this experience.…
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Charging the Battery
This is the last painting from last year’s sketches for a while, as it’s time to change gears and paint the current season here. But I thought readers from the other side of the world might enjoy it! I found myself really stuck when I was halfway through the painting. Over the years I developed…