Dancing Paint Brushes

A great video  of a live painting session by Tali Farch to the music of one of Brubeck’s jazz standards.

It’s not so much the painting that attracted me as it was the idea of painting to music.

The total experience of getting lost in the rhythm, brush strokes, colors, mood and the energy expressed as the two paint brushes danced across the canvas. Wow!

I would love to try this process as one of my daily morning warm-up exercises.

thoughts for the day;

“Nourish your eye and spirit with inspiring things. They will bloom with your tending.” – Sark

“Art is the only proof we have of the existence of the soul.” – Author Unknown

Raining Blue

Here is another digital morning warm up exercise.

This time I used digital liquid ink on hot press paper. I did several 4 x 5  inch paintings, and each one turned out a little different.

I sometimes use these as a point of reference for traditional paintings. This way I can experiment with new ideas without the expense of purchasing new canvases, and if I don’t like what I ‘ve created I can hit the delete button.

This also allows me to  play around with several different compositions before choosing one, and helps me to figure out what medium would work best for each new painting.

As an example, lets say I wanted to turn this one into a traditional painting. I would probably use acrylics, collage elements, gesso, crackle paste, and light modeling paste on canvas.

Raining Blue – Digital Painting – 4 x 5 inches – Digital Liquid ink on hot press paper.

thought for the day;

“if you want to get better at painting or making art, then do it everyday (passionately/religiously) as if there is no tomorrow. Let go of the judge within, and be surrounded by positive, supportive people. Be gentle on yourself and others. Give. Never hold back. ” – Nancy Davis Bilbro

Lughnasa

I started out my morning with my usual daily warm up exercises. Instead of working with traditional mediums today, I did my morning warm ups using Corel Painter IX. 5.

My inspiration for the day came from the word “Lughnasa,” which is one of the four main festivals of the Medieval Irish Calendar, celebrating the beginning of the Harvest season.

It’s that time of the year when blackberry bushes are heavy with ripened fruit, and there are subtle changes in the light, a golden haze that seems to wrap itself around everything.

I love this time of the year even though there is a lingering sadness as summer comes to an end.

Lughnasa – Digital Painting – Oils – 4 x 5 – on heavy hand made paper

quote for the day;

“Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,
Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;
Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing
Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn.”
–  Michelle L. Thieme, August’s Crown

Tableau Of Pears

Here is an interesting tableau of pears that I found while taking my morning walk. It felt like I had somehow stumbled upon a secret hiding place where someone had placed four pears to ripen.

There they were waiting for the return of  whomever put them there for safe keeping. A pair of worker’s gloves resting on the ground nearby and the quiet solitude of the place made me feel like an intruder of sorts.

I quickly snapped a couple of pictures and moved on. I looked around but didn’t see anyone, and I wondered about the story behind the pears and the mystery person who placed them there.

thought for the day;

“Without mysteries, life would be very dull indeed. What would be left to strive for if everything were known?” – Charles de Lint

Journey Of Courage

It takes courage to try new things and explore uncharted waters. Especially when our inner critic keeps whispering in our ear  . . . I wouldn’t do that if I were you!  You really don’t have time for this! Remember how frustrated you can get with Photoshop!

Today, I played around with some photographs taken over the past couple of months, and tried my hand at creating a photomontage/collage using Photoshop & Painter 7.

I tried several different techniques I had read about, and ended up merging them all together in this one image. Some of the techniques worked and some didn’t, but I sure had fun!

Photoshop and I have an uneasy relationship, and one of these days I am going to take a class. I know it would make my life so much easier!

thought for the day;

“Another word for creativity is courage.” – George Prince

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” – Mary Lou Cook