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Self Improvement

Dianne Massey Dunbar Interview

Mr. John Pototschnik · Feb 4, 2013 · 3 Comments

Diane Massey Dunbar Headshot

“I paint ordinary objects and scenes from everyday life. While I have the highest respect for artists who paint vistas and exquisite nudes and the like, I believe that there is a great deal of beauty in the world that often goes unnoticed. The amazing color in raindrops, the variety in fallen autumn leaves, the interesting greens one finds in a stack of French fries, there are endless opportunity for paintings. My hope is that people view the world just a little bit differently after seeing my paintings.”

"Red" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 4x4 -Oil
“Red” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 4×4 Oil
I’m a huge fan of Dianne Massey Dunbar. Her work is exciting and joyful. It reminds me somewhat of Wayne Thiebaud’s work, but I find Dunbar’s work every bit as exhilarating. Thiebaud speaks of painting as celebrating the joy of living, the thrill of experimentation and expectation, I think Dianne would fully agree with that. Her works ooze with enthusiasm and controlled recklessness.
What is so amazing to me is her fabulous ability to take the most mundane of objects and transform them into delectable treats. How can someone take a simple tube of lipstick, or plain glass bottles, or even raindrops on a windshield, and transform those things into objects of desire…paintings sought after and cherished? Dunbar does it and makes it look easy. How she does it is what this interview is about.
"Driving Through A Downpour" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 12x16
“Driving Through A Downpour” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 12×16

"Driving Through A Downpour (Detail of raindrops on windshield)" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 12x16
“Driving Through A Downpour (Detail)” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 12×16
Not only is Dianne extremely thorough, even fastidious in her preliminary work for each painting, but what is so admirable is her ability to take risks…to try new things. I talk to my students about not being afraid to fail, but Dianne lives in that world with every painting. Just examining a “simple” raindrop she has painted, I can only shake my head and ask, “How does she do it?” Each individual drop is not only a masterwork of texture but is also full of reflected color. Paralyzing fear must be thoroughly conquered when attempting a painting such as Driving Through a Downpour. Quite amazing.
Mark Smith, co-owner of the Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art in San Antonio, said, “To view one of Dianne’s paintings is to experience complexity in its most artistic form. Most often, her choice of subject matter is quite complex, challenging and can be categorized as “crazy”. However, this type of complexity is the stage that most accurately reveals Dianne’s stunning sense of color and expert brushwork. Dianne is a master of articulating her inspiration and the “story” that she finds in the most mundane and overlooked objects and moments.”
"Gumdrops" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 10x18
“Gumdrops” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 10×18
I wondered how she went about selecting her subjects…”I try to remain open to what I consider interesting subject matter. If I am not interested in the subject before I paint it, I have found the resulting painting looks flat. I carry a small camera with me wherever I go, and when I see something that catches my eye. I photograph it. I may or may not decide to paint the subject matter, but at least I have a subject to consider. My still life’s are painted from the objects; the other material is painted from photos. When I take photos I don’t limit myself to one or two. I may take twenty or thirty of the same subject, from different angles, cropping them, expanding them and bracketing them. Once I have an idea that I like, I then take the photos or the objects and work on designing the painting. So, I would say the composition or design of the painting is very important when selecting a subject. If the shapes and composition are not strong to begin with, it will not matter how fancy the brushwork, or sophisticated the color scheme or values. The painting will not work.”
"Cans" - 12x12 - Diane Massey Dunbar OPA
“Cans” – 12×12 – Diane Massey Dunbar OPA
I will not be featuring Dianne’s complete interview here since it is quite lengthy. Her thoughtful answers have actually sparked topic ideas for future blogs, so you’ll be hearing more from her in the future.

Visit John Pototschnik’s Blog for more articles.

 

And now more from Dianne Massey Dunbar…

“I want to thank John Pototschnik, whose work I have been watching for some time now and greatly admire, for asking me to answer a few questions. I have tried to answer these questions honestly and openly and I truly hope that my comments are helpful.”

"Cityscape In Green" - 8x8 - Diane Massey Dunbar OPA
“Cityscape In Green” – 8×8 – Diane Massey Dunbar OPA
How would you define your role as an artist?  I think we all have an important place in the world at large and are equipped with unique skills and resources. Some of us are called to be doctors, others to be lawmakers or dancers or carpenters or electricians or teachers or florists. My world, my role, is to paint; to use my training and whatever talent I have to create images that are meaningful to me and hopefully have an impact on others. In a way it is like storytelling but my paintings are my voice. There are other aspects to the role of an artist beyond painting that may include encouraging fellow artists, leadership, teaching and involvement. Primarily through, I need to show up at the easel.
"Fire Engine" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 5x7
“Fire Engine” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 5×7
How much of your work is intellectual vs. emotional…and how would you define the difference?   I would define intellectual as rational, deliberate, thoughtful and thought out, planned and intentional. I believe it includes problem solving that in turn fuels creativity. I would define emotional as one’s personal likes and dislikes, opinions, sentimentality, excitement, spontaneity, responsiveness and our relational selves. As for those rare moments of inspiration, well I think they are largely emotional, but I also believe they result from an intellectual process. In my work, it takes both the intellectual and the emotional to create a painting.
For me, the intellectual part of painting is the process of designing the painting, the drawing involved, and the problem solving along the way. It is not sentimental and it frequently is not much fun. There is skill and experience that an artist draws on, and every painting, no matter how well it has been thought out, has an area somewhere that is troublesome. There are times when work is tedious or even boring. The emotional part of painting is for me what I like and don’t like, the subject matter that I paint, the thinness or thickness of paint, the “play” time I have with a painting, and the colors I may choose. And for good or for bad, I emotionally invest in my paintings.
Finding subject matter that is exciting is personal. I am drawn to simple common images: candy bars, cupcakes, rain on my windshield, jars, dishes, road crews, and reflections. After that, almost all of my preparation for each painting is intellectual and frankly a little tiresome. I study various compositions and value arrangements for my chosen subject matter long before I put brush to canvas. I tape the value studies upside down in my kitchen and study them to see if the design and the shapes are working. Once I have a design, only then do I begin painting. And for me, the beginning and early stages of a painting tend to be thoughtful and deliberate and even a little intimidating.
However, I absolutely love to play with paint, so when I have a painting far enough along, I can then begin to have fun with it. I might decide to smear paint, or flick it. I use any number of implements to play with paint, from the jagged edge of gum wrappers to torn pieces of paper towel rolls to palette knives to inexpensive brushes that I have cut gaps in. Today I experimented with my rubber kitchen spatula (I had fun but unfortunately was not happy with the result!).
I think non-artists have a notion that art is the result of “inspiration”. Well, there are times of inspiration, when instinct takes over and something happens on a canvas that I probably can never do again but I look at it in wonder. However, those times are few and far between for me. Being an artist is very much like other careers, there is leaning and thinking and hard work involved.
"From The Outside Looking In (Photo Reference)"
“From The Outside Looking In (Photo Reference)”

"From The Outside Looking In (Value Study)"
“From The Outside Looking In (Value Study)”

"From The Outside Looking In" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 20x20
“From The Outside Looking In” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 20×20

Describe your typical block-in technique, the thoroughness of your initial drawing, and the part photography plays in your work?  I have more than one process that I use, depending on my subject matter. If I am doing a relatively simple still life, between one and three objects, I will do one or two quick thumbnails on a piece of inexpensive canvas board, and if I am happy with the shapes, I will begin to sketch those shapes in on my canvas. On the canvas, I may do a very simple sketch, or a more complete sketch, either very lightly with pencil or with a small brush. I then paint, working from background to foreground, massing in the large areas of a single value without much regard to detail. Once I have the large value shapes in, I can begin to break them down into smaller shapes, etc. I try to work on gradation and edges as I go along.
On the more complex paintings, I generally use photographs and work with a grid system. I might start with 20 or more digital images that I study. I look at the overall design, and see what happens when I zoom in or crop the images. I narrow these down to maybe the top five and I have those printed at my local camera shop. Then I make black and white Xerox copies of the color photographs. After the copies are made, I use inexpensive poster paint in white, gray and black and paint directly on the copies exactly where I think I want the light value, the medium value and the dark value. For each photograph I might do two different value studies, to see what the resultant design is. I do this by hand instead of computer because I can make all kinds of decisions when I work by hand that might go unnoticed otherwise.
Value Study For A Possible Future Work
Value Study For A Possible Future Work

Every part of that image needs to fall into one of those three values (I have been known to work with four values, but that gets very complicated). I then tape them up in my condo and live with them for a day or two, turning them upside down and sideways to see if the design is satisfactory. It is tedious, but I have found this process works for me and I have more successful paintings. After I have a design I like, then I have that photograph enlarged. However, I keep the value study because that is my “roadmap” for the painting. So, I paint the image that I have chosen, using the values of my value study. If I am working on a square canvas, I might work from an 8″x 8″ photograph, and work on a 16″x 16″ canvas, or 20″x 20″ canvas or even a 24″ square canvas. The photograph is taped to lightweight cardboard and I use a sewing needle and thread to grid the photograph so that if necessary I can move the thread aside to see what’s underneath. I usually use 1″ squares on the photograph. I grid the canvas (the canvas must be the same proportion as the photo you are working from) with very light pencil lines, usually in two or three inch squares. I then paint each square, starting from the upper left hand corner and working to the right. After my canvas is painted, then I go back and make necessary corrections, work on edges, simplifying, etc.
"Late Afternoon" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 24x18
“Late Afternoon” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 24×18
What colors are most often found on your palette?  I love color! So, you would find a great many colors on my palette. My ‘stock’ colors are: Titanium White, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Light or Medium, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson (permanent), Dioxazine Purple, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue Deep, Permanent Green Light, Cadmium Green, Sap Green (permanent), Phthalo Green, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Torrit Grey (Gamblin).
I use other colors in different situations, especially Zinc or Transparent or Flake White Replacement. There are times I really need Indian Yellow. Caucasian Flesh is a very useful color in a number of situations. I also use Venetian Red or Naphol Red and a number of other greens, especially Emerald Green Nova. I mix my blacks, but I do have a tube of black that I use if needed.
Some of these are quite transparent in nature, and some opaque. An artist needs to know the tinting power of different colors and use the intense colors sparingly (Alizarin Crimson and the Phthalos immediately come to mind). However, a lot of wonderful effects can be achieved with a more limited palette, so you do not need all these colors to produce wonderful paintings. Indeed, if you are new to painting, you would probably be best served by using a more limited palette.
"Ten" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 20x20
“Ten” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 20×20

"Nancy" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 27x23
“Nancy” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 27×23

"Cups And Saucers" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 10x10
“Cups And Saucers” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 10×10

How do you decide on a dominating color key for a painting, and how do you maintain it?  I use the subject matter to guide this decision. If it is an overcast cloudy day, then much of my painting will be grayish. If I am painting toys, obviously the colors wil be much brighter. However, too much pure color is overwhelming. I mix almost all of my color. I reserve pure or intense color only for small splashes or small areas.
You have entered a number of significant art competitions. Why are art competitions important to you and how do you go about selecting the paintings for these shows?   I usually enter two to three art competitions per year. I started by entering local and state competitions, and when I was comfortable with those, I started entering regional and national competitions. There are two main reasons that I enter art competitions. The first one is to see how I stack up against other artists. Secondly, I enter competitions to hopefully have my work seen by other artists, collectors, galleries, and even magazines. There are other good reasons as well: meeting other artists, being inspired, and being challenged. Some art competitions have seminars that an artist can attend to learn and expand their knowledge on any number of topics. And, let’s face it, competitions can be fun! As far as selecting a painting, when I have what I feel is a good to exceptional painting and a deadline for a show that I want to enter is approaching, I will try to put the painting aside and keep it to enter in the show. Be aware that competitions can be expensive, there are entry fees, shipping and storage fees, and perhaps travel fees if you decide to attend the opening.
"Ketchup, Mustard and Relish" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 11x14
“Ketchup, Mustard and Relish” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 11×14
What advice do you have for a first-time collector?  Speaking as an artist, it is my hope that my paintings find homes where they are loved. So, I suggest that you buy a painting that you love and respond to. Also, trust your instincts. You will hopefully have it in your home for years; you will look at it over and over, perhaps seeing something different every time. So, before your worry about who the artist is, or how the colors might work in your home, look at the painting and see how you feel about it. Does the painting interest you? Do you want to get close to it and see all the beauty in the brush strokes and splashes of paint and even fingerprints? Do you find yourself thinking about a particular painting you have seen but have not yet purchased? You will know it when the right one comes along.
"City Sidewalk" -18x36 - Diane Massey Dunbar OPA
“City Sidewalk” -18×36 – Diane Massey Dunbar OPA
If you could spend the day with any three artists, past or present, whom would they be?  Every artist brings something different to the viewer. I admire so many artists, from Rembrandt to Wyeth, Monet to Van Gogh to Fechin. And, there are many current artists that I greatly esteem. I cannot begin to choose one over another, as they are each brilliant in their own individual way. However, I will state that for many years I struggled to appreciate the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Then, on a trip to New York, almost twenty years ago, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was there that I saw my first Van Gogh in person. I could ‘feel’ the passion and the painting just by looking at it. I remember standing there for a very long time, with tears running down my face, finally getting it. I have never forgotten that experience. It was profound.
"Shopping Cart" by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA - 20x30
“Shopping Cart” by Diane Massey Dunbar OPA – 20×30

What do you think of that amazing interview, folks? Personally, I so appreciate Diane’s willingness to submit to this interview…and being so thorough in her answers. I hope you do also.

Here are important links to see more of OPA Signature Member Diane Massey Dunbar’s work:

  • Dianne Massey Dunbar website
  • Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art
  • Gallery 1261

Click here to receive John Pototschnik’s monthly newsletter

It’s Just Paint and Canvas

Rick Delanty · Jan 14, 2013 · 4 Comments

"Perihelion" by Rick Delanty, 24x24
“Perihelion” by Rick Delanty, 24×24
What is the true “market value” of a painting? How does a potential collector know that a fair price is being offered? After all, the price can be negotiated… It’s not like a car, a stereo system, or a suit jacket that contains technical components and can be shopped between stores. It’s only paint and canvas, right?
Lines, colors, shapes, usually on a flat rectangular surface: that’s how we most often define “a painting.” As an objet d’art it has perceived value, both inside and out of the marketplace. Often paintings contain little or no moving parts. Precious metals may be employed, but not usually — it’s simply canvas by-the-yard and pigment. The materials of which a painting is made today are not much different than they were thousands of years ago, when early man painted and engraved shapes of animals on cave walls, with crushed plants and vegetable matter for paint, and animal-fat crayons and fingertips for brushes. The technology of paint-making and the variety of painting surfaces have significantly improved since then, but paint is still made of pigments and the surface of a painting is still usually flat. Doesn’t sound that impressive, does it?

“The synthesis of truth and beauty…is the highest and deepest reality.”Ovid

"Point Glow" by Rick Delanty, 16x20
“Point Glow” by Rick Delanty, 16×20
Let’s consider the work of those early artists, at places like Lascaux and Altamira: they were the agents of man’s first recorded history. Their wall paintings speak to us through the millennia, even though their materials were elemental. Those artworks still communicate human ideas, perceptions, the very milieu in which early men and women lived. Those paintings today give us an insight into a culture, basal psychology, and the soul of early man. Those artworks were — as all artworks have been since those first paintings were created—visions, thoughts, dreams and an exploration of what it means to be human. Those paintings in sedimentary sanctuaries were not — and are not now — simply colored dirt on stone: they are the reality of a time gone by.

“ We keep our eyes on the things we cannot see: for the things which we can see are temporal; the things that are unseen are eternal.”2 Corinthians 4:18

"Sunset Billows" by Rick Delanty, 16x20
“Sunset Billows” by Rick Delanty, 16×20
It’s the vision encapsulated in those ancient artworks that give them their true value, not the materials with which they are made. Then as now, it is the material that gives the immaterial form and meaning, and which gives any painting its value. How well a contemporary artwork does that for each viewer or potential collector in today’s marketplace, how deeply the painting establishes a personal connection, is what gives the work its significance and worth. Paintings enable us to see more than the obvious, to break free of our prejudices, to elevate our thoughts. The author Charlotte Bronte expressed this ability of the artist to help us “see” on a higher plane: “I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.”
The artist is the catalyst in this process of Imagineering and revelation. It is through the artist’s eye that new possibilities can be discovered, and comprehended. In fact, former President John F. Kennedy underlined that creative significance: “I see little of more importance to the future of our country and of civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.” The painter does what the director does for a film, or the composer for a symphony. He or she draws unrelated concepts together, instills pattern, variety and unity, and discloses the essence of an idea. If we look through the painter’s lens, we are treated to a new perspective on reality. The visionary artist is a conductor on the journey to an exotic destination. We begin to understand that here is something higher in that artwork, than just paint and canvas.

“An artist is not paid for his labor, but for his vision.”James Abbot McNeill Whistler

For a painting, it is the experience of the artist expressed therein that is of utmost value. The material nature of the work is quite secondary. A painting that conveys the power of emotion to the viewer is more than “just paint and canvas.” It is the description of a heartfelt concept that has been forged into tangible excellence through a creative process of envisioning and technical facility. It even has the power to change lives. “(Art) has the capacity to penetrate even the most callous skin and to ignite a revolution from within,” as musician Benjamin Moore so eloquently reminds us. Pursuing art with our whole hearts and minds is probably the most civilizing undertaking we can do as artists. “What a privilege it is to be able to take brush in hand and put paint on paper in this troubled world,” is our encouragement from artist Veronica Stensby.
A painting’s value is not in its material nature, as “just paint and canvas.” Rather, it is the vision an artist expresses with those materials that is of value: that slice of heaven, the best of the Best, that idea of the Ideal, that is the central core of both the material and spiritual worth of an artwork.

Stylistic Unity

Mrs. Laura Lewis · Dec 31, 2012 · 2 Comments

Two years ago I had my work critiqued through Oil Painters of America.  Todd Williams was the  Signature Member who looked at images of ten of my current paintings.  He gave me some very helpful insight into my work and useful  suggestions.  One particular idea he proposed to me was very surprising and has resulted in unexpected changes in the direction of my work.

Miller's Bend,  oil on canvas, 60 by 90inches,  © 2009 Laura Lewis
Miller’s Bend,  oil on canvas, 60 by 90inches,  © 2009 Laura Lewis

This is the painting he was discussing.  He said something like this: “I notice that you have stylized the clay in the riverbed at the foreground, but you have not stylized the bluffs or sky in the same way.  So I am suggesting that you consider the idea of whether you would wish to have stylistic unity in your painting.”
 
I had never heard anyone talk about stylistic unity, nor had I considered such an idea when making this painting.  I knew that somewhere in this suggestion was a powerful catalyst for change in my work.  I could not accept the idea of stylizing this entire image in the same way that the clay was treated.  So I did not really know where to go with it.  But what became clear to me was that the patterned  clay was a big part of the reason that I keep returning to this part of the Brazos River for imagery.  So in some of my next paintings I gave pattern a stronger voice in my work.
Tractor Tracks, oil on panel, 18 by 36 inches,  © 2011 Laura Lewis
Tractor Tracks, oil on panel, 18 by 36 inches,  © 2011 Laura Lewis

Shadow Tracks, oil on panel,  32 by 14 inches,  © 2011 Laura Lewis
Shadow Tracks, oil on panel,  32 by 14 inches,  © 2011 Laura Lewis

Winter Wheat, oil on panel, 34 by 24 inches,  © 2012 Laura Lewis
Winter Wheat, oil on panel, 34 by 24 inches,  © 2012 Laura Lewis

Turnrow,  oil on panel, 32 by 45 inches,  © 2012 Laura Lewis
Turnrow,  oil on panel, 32 by 45 inches,  © 2012 Laura Lewis

 
Then I did get back to painting the Brazos again, and here is the evidence of the power of this idea.
Brazos Clay,  oil on panel,  32 by 34 inches,  © 2012 Laura Lewis
Brazos Clay,  oil on panel,  32 by 34 inches,  © 2012 Laura Lewis

So here I am back at the Brazos River. This painting has more stylistic unity than Miller’s Bend. I am happy with the painting. The water is mostly realistic and I have had more fun with the patterns on the right. The concept of stylistic unity is still driving change in my work and is a challenge I am enjoying wrestling with.

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5 Stages of Painting

Ms. Jane Barton · Dec 17, 2012 · 5 Comments

"Horsepower" by Jane Barton, 8x10
“Horsepower” by Jane Barton, 8×10
Artists know that, in spite of what people think, creating a good painting is not a day on the playground. Some days are easier that others, but mostly it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to get what you want to say on the canvas.
"Taking the Lead" by Jane Barton 12x16
“Taking the Lead” by Jane Barton 12×16

I was teaching in my studio recently and glanced at the bulletin board that I’ve loaded with sketches, ideas and quotes. I had written down the 5 stages of grief at some point and laughed (yes, laughed) at how the same list applies to the work of an artist. If you are an artist I think you’ll be able to relate to this. If you’re a collector, this will give you some idea of how hard our work can be, but you also might find the list applies to your own work, whatever that may be. And, as in life, these stages don’t just run their course and then “you’re done.” They keep repeating. And we keep trying to paint that perfect painting. All artists have a studio full of paintings that will never see the light of a show, but the ones that work make it all worth while!
"Full Bloom at the Arizona Inn" by Jane Barton, 8x10
“Full Bloom at the Arizona Inn” by Jane Barton, 8×10

Here’s an idea of what these stages mean to me:
Denial: This is not bad…not the painting I had in my head when I started…but maybe this will work…
Anger: Why isn’t this working? Why can’t I find that color? Why can’t I draw a horse?
Bargaining: OK, if you (the Art God?) just let me get this one painting done in time for the show, I promise I’ll clean up my studio and give up popcorn…and maybe ice cream.
Depression: This is never going to work. What made me think I could paint?
Acceptance: Well, this is not bad. This is going to work for now and the next one will be even better. I hope. I just have to keep working at it and I will get as close as I can before I die.
Repeat 5 stages of Painting. Order may be shuffled as needed.
Good Luck! And don’t give up!

Challenging Painter's Block

Susan Abma · Dec 10, 2012 · 6 Comments

"Plans for Christmas" by Susan Abma
“Plans for Christmas” by Susan Abma
Here’s a few ideas to think about whenever you get a creative block and find you ‘just can’t paint right now.’ There’s no guarantees, but they just might work, so it could be worth a try…
1. Paint your favorite drink – whether it’s a cup of tea, a pina colada, a steaming latte with lots of foam, or an ice cold beer – paint it in such a way that would show the viewer why it’s your favorite and how much you love it.
2. Go through the newspaper and find a photo – the first one that catches your eye – and paint your version of it – it could be abstract, realistic, finger-painted, or painted any way that might get your creative juices flowing for the next project.
"Eyes in Mirror by Candle Light" by Susan Abma
“Eyes in Mirror by Candle Light” by Susan Abma
3. Look in the mirror at yourself in this painter’s block mood and paint just your eyes, so that it shows how you feel and why you can’t paint right now. In doing so, you’re already on your way to stifling the creative block.
4. Paint yourself as a person with the occupation you wanted as a child – did you want to be a fireman, a hairdresser, a bungee jumper, a police officer, a dancer? Give yourself a day as the person of your childhood dreams.
5. Do you love spaghetti? Eggs benedict? Chocolate Mousse? Strawberries? Your secret recipe? Paint it so everyone can taste it with you.
6. Repaint the first thing you ever painted. Just knowing that you now have a greater technical knowledge will help you paint that image with confidence.
7. Paint your worst habit – do you smoke, drink, eat too much chocolate? Paint in a way that will show how bad this habit is. Perhaps your painting, over time, will actually even help you quit your habit – if you even want to.
8. Paint about conformity – peas in a pod, ducks in a row, bananas in a bunch, etc. Make sure that part of your group doesn’t conform – for instance, leave one of the peas out of the pod.
9. Paint yours or your child’s favorite toy. Show some of the worn areas that clearly display how much it has been loved.
10. If you’re really hoping for some particular thing in life – paint it – maybe a cottage at the lake? A diamond ring? A new tool box? A particular make and model of vehicle? A child? Live your dreams through your painting.
Remember that at one time you only dreamed you could paint – now you truly can paint your dreams. Just make those first strokes that will put you back on your way – you can do it – you just need a little motivation. Hopefully you’ll find it here.
© Copyright · Susan Abma

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