How to make a breakthrough by watching clouds
let the clouds in #953 mixed media ( watercolor, Solarprint, acrylic, Japanese tissue collage 22' x 30"
Yes, I have been watching clouds all last year, imagining their magical beauty
is not only their appearance but also in the way they recycle and process water on the earth! They also cleanse the air when the raindrops fall.
They really do capture my imagination. So creating Solarplate images by using the sun to develop your image on a light-sensitive coating, and water to wash away the soft film water-soluble ink to print, made sense.
Looking and working on those clouds, made me think about how I could be more ecologically minded in my art. As I began to work on top of my first artist proof (a print that looks different from the original edition), I was using watercolor acrylic along with collaging Japanese rice paper, enlarging the image by breaking through the rectangle!
Suddenly I realize the philosophical importance of the art I am making.
❤️“Breaking through the boundaries of the rectangle with the softness of a cloud, is how life is. All change begins with a thought. My art is to make that “idea” visible. Once visible it insists on being looked at.”
Breaking through resistance does not require violence. When you pay attention to the visual, it can bring forth, metaphorically, another way of perceiving.
Through my work process, I understand that I need to explore this concept, of “breaking through boundaries" with clouds. So I ask myself what other artists, writers, directors, dancers, musicians have done that and what can I learn from them? Now i am asking you...
❤️ Have you ever asked yourself why you are so drawn to something, like the beach or the sun, asking yourself what about it attracts you? I love to hear what breakthrough you have had so comment on Instagram facebook Linked In or in the comment section here!
When windblown curtains provide refuge
In the middle of the night, I awoke to the cool breeze sailing through a slightly open window. The breath of the wind carried a sense of excitement by sailing on the curtains.
It was a quiet but streaming energy that entered our room. I felt the freedom in the air and allowed any weight accumulated from worries of the day, to dissipate.
The translucent white cotton curtains wafted and softly draped, creating a feeling of safe refuge in my soul.
Then I took a photo with my iPad, in an attempt to capture that moment in time, when I felt energy give me refuge from the remnants of the day.
How to find light in the darkness
0910_waiting_char_fig_15©bvw.jpg
“Then I begin to draw with an eraser to reveal the sparkling white shining through. From then on it is a dance, engaging black, gray and white, interacting with each other! Every mark I make changes the whole.”
— beth vendryes williams
01.01.15 I am collecting my thoughts, reflecting on my incredible journey this year. Painting is my language, and now I am interpreting and responding to the world with visible gestural marks and colors. Now I see much darkness. Yes, physically, because it is near to the solstice, yet also spiritually because of the enormous suffering in our world. And emerging from this inkiness, I see beams of light. When I hear the beautiful music of Arvo Pärt when I see thoughtfulness in the subway, or encounter a very patient person, online or walking down the street, I am reminded that each person is a light. We are all in this world together.
So I thank you for shining your light! The darkness only makes your light more precious and visible.
When I create this charcoal drawing, I tone the paper deep gray and then draw into it with rich black charcoal, defining the darkest dense areas and joining small areas to create a connected form. Then I begin to draw with an eraser to reveal the sparkling white shining through. From then on it is a dance, engaging black, gray and white, interacting with each other! Every mark I make changes the whole.
So too, it is, with the darkness of night, when the moon and lights guide our way. Every change of light and shadow reveals another path of possibility and hope.
I just now found a very motivating and practical post that reframes “making a resolution” as if “creating a story”! Sara also includes precise steps to create the story that becomes a recipe for your desired resolution, and it sounds like fun!
Therefore, I will be in my studio creating a story for the next hour today! Want to join me in spirit?
If you are not signed up for my newsletter, oh please do so now, as I will be painting and exhibiting a lot this year. I am letting my heart light the way, and I want you to be to be a part of it! I also am working on a new and transformed website! Exhilarating! Coming soon!
How to leap into your next awesome big idea
editing in the afternoon 0791 watercolor & beeswax 20" x 30" beth vendryes williams
I will plan a structure for the day, so I have dedicated time to allow my imagination to follow its course, eat, exercise, nurture relationships, take care of my home environment and read.
The structure is not carved in stone, but is a flexible net which can catch me if I start to get distracted.
Then I will take action...drawing and painting as a way of discovering my next direction, allowing the action of creating to discover where I am heading.
If you try this, l would love to hear how it works for you! If you have other ways of jumpstarting yourself after a period of great exertion, p;ease share that! I would love to try different approaches!
The party is over, so what do I do next?
If you have ever had that ungrounded feeling, you know it encompasses both a sense of freedom and inertia. Try this next time you get into this tetherless situation. Below is my breakdown of what I try to do
I am up early sitting quietly and yet distracted by the lists of things I feel I have to accomplish and would like to experience, I feel lured by the call of the internet and the sight of little tumbleweeds of dog fur scooting under furniture in my house.
I meditate, accessing my deepest spirit self, asking for help from within, at the core of who I am.
Next I take care of my body, making sure I am getting the right food, sleep and exercise.
“The structure is not carved in stone, but is a flexible net which can catch me if I start to get distracted.”
Thoughts to ponder...uncertainty
Uncertainty is where things happen.
It is where the
opportunities
for success, for happiness, for really living
— are waiting.
What do you find happens to your perception when you are uncertain? I begin to get nervous and stop believing in my ability to create. BUT, if I am able to let go of trying to control the results, I am suddenly free to imagine and discover new ways to accomplish something. So, what about YOU?
Courage to paint... daily
Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman,
before which difficulties disappear
and obstacles vanish into thin air."
by John Quincy Adams