If you can't change your life, change your perception.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all you have to get done?

Even the enclave of your home has let you down.

After a a great vacation full of sunshine, reading and sketching, I needed to perceive some  of that same order and beauty in my home.

I looked through a magazine to get some ideas for quickly refreshing my surroundings. Doing this always has the effect of transforming my way of looking at things. Sometimes, though, drastic renovation is not momentarily feasible.

Fortunately, I found a refreshing editorial by Sophie Donelson in HC & G. She addresses the real issue of the "debris of living"  that we never see in homes in glossy publications. Offering timely alternatives to gutting and renovating, she makes practical and reasonable suggestions that will quickly provide renewed focus and simplicity to your home.

While acclaimed photographer, Michael Moran removes a window screen to get a crystal clear view for his photo shoots , she suggests cleaning your windows to add light and clarity to your own daily landscape just outside the window.Stylist Elizabeth Mayhew has a philosophy of bringing things you love into the decorating. Don't just organize, bring things out that you love, but carefully and with discretion. Check the link above for a complete list of her suggestions. She has also written a book on the topic.Sophie suggests removing everything from a room and then bringing back in only what really inspires you.Look through your home to find new uses for old and forgotten items: for instance I've use an old galvanized pail for a vase; old mugs for storing paintbrushes.If you have a multiples of the same item, use them to display in patterns. For example I place generous cubes of savon de Marseille for washing hands next to all of my sinks. I place them on beautiful plates that have no more partners.

Inspired, I took the dried lavender I had purchased out on the east end of Long Island and after splitting each bouquet into four bunches I hung them from my wooden fold up clothes dryer in an unused corner with paperclips. The bunches create a patterns across the horizontal wooden bars with subtle shadows and the heady lavender fragrance perfumes the air when I pass by.

Next, I'm going to clean the windows to take that grey cast away. After that, I clean my office area.I will share the visuals and processes on a later post.

How would you transform one small part of your house to highlight the beauty and your inner vision?

Walking the dog like Pierre Bonnard

Pierre Bonnard walked his little dog. Everyday, like clockwork.

Who is Pierre and why should you care how and when he walked his little dachshund, Poucette?

Actually, he was a painter...

Pierre Bonnard painted his love, his life in his little home and his walks with his dog.

What?

Why did he do that? Doing  this repetitive activity, could be taking time away from focusing on being creative. It could begin to make a person feel resentful. I actually feel that way, sometimes. But dogs do really need a good long walk to be happy. And I love my dogs, too.

But Pierre Bonnard said,

“ I have all of my subjects to hand.

I go and look at them.  I take notes.

Then I go home. And before I start painting,

I reflect, I dream.” from Accidental Masterpiece by Michael Kimmelman

Maybe he has something there. He took notes. He perceived walking the dog as a habit for making time to see see and reflect. He took his sketchbook with him. But my two golden retrievers don't like their walk to be stop and go. Maybe I could try to remember one or two images that see on my journey.

So I tried it.

I painted when I got home.

My little drawings captured more than I thought I could remember. They had a spirit to them that was fresh and immediate. The dogs were happy. I felt happy, and fit, too.

I might call it the 3 mile sketch series, perhaps?

Try it!

• Choose what you want to focus your creative energies on.(writing, composing, choreographing, directing a play, designing your house,)

• Choose a chore that is already a repetitive habit. (folding laundry, weeding)

• Now, how are you going to combine the two? It has to be easy to do.

• Try it. You will be surprised at how the ideas flow!

How to observe like an artist

I’ve been drawing for most of my life , to capture ideas and feelings inspired by moments that catch my eye. As I tidy up I pause to reflect on and  draw  a lovely basket of fresh, clean, unfolded clothes and I think of  fresh beginnings .  A disorganized closet  stops me in my tracks. I draw it because I like to see the deep recesses and flowing linens spilling out of this dark mysterious cavern.

"Why would I want to observe ordinary, everyday objects and things?", you may well ask.

Suddenly you see so much color and beauty that, previous to conscious observation, you walked right by. You find yourself noticing the details and then the gestalt of a place. The places haven't changed. Your perception has!

The difference between looking and observing is why Jasper Johns began to make his paintings of oversized American flags, flashlights ,  and light bulbs. Functional easily recognized objects are very difficult to actually see with centered attention.We take them for granted.  Be aware of perceiving with all of your other senses and incorporate the feedback into your observations. To write, dance, scientifically investigate, act, compose & play music, paint, draw, sculpt you need great observational skills and then the ability to reflect.

This habit of observing & reflecting has motivated me to get up peacefully at 4 am in the morning to meditate, draw & paint, before I go off to work. Because of it, I have developed a large and strong body of art work. Practicing yoga and walking each three times a week keeps up my stamina and gives me time to observe. When I take the time to see, every nook and cranny holds surprises.

Your observational skills are easy to do in a few moments, you don't have to purchase anything, and you can do it wherever your day takes you. If i can't draw or take notes at that moment, I attempt to remember it for later.

Here are some suggestions for becoming a a keen observer:

1. Start your day with a quiet meditation. Starting your day this way can help you to remember  to make time to see.

2.Decide how you want to record your observations. You could take a photograph, record your voice or the sound on your phone or computer, write in a journal, make a video or draw. Make it convenient and easy to carry with you.

3. When you observe something that is significant to you, document your observations. Adjust the the time you spend to what is reasonable for you now.

4. If you don't even have time to stop, make a mental note to remember it. Without judging yourself,document it before going to bed. Its best to do this exercise one a day until you feel comfortable. Then you can move on to two observations. Its like running...not too much at once, You are in oservation training!

5. Keep focused on the process of observing. It's a way of thinking that embraces and articulates the senses. Decide which medium or method above you wish to use. One is as good as the other.

6. Make this a habit and you will reap the benefits faster.

7.Keep your observations together and dated, so you can find them easily. You could use a program like journler or Evernote on the computer,  an ipod, a simple blank sketchbook , papers to be stored neatly in a portfolio.

Paintings serve as signs on a journey...

It is incredible how much I can learn by reflecting on past work!  I actually always considered documenting the work and classifying it as extraneous.

Now I can find correlations between work done in the past and  what I am doing now. Paintings are like signs showing where I am and where I need to go. I guess it is kind of like looking at a map of time!

I guess it's kind of like looking at                photographs or journals to reset your compass!

So as I do new work I am surveying the past work observing my path.

Now that midsummer is in full swing, I am loving the flexible  time it gives me to paint, draw, cook  and read! In a search for wheat-free recipes for one of my visiting sons, I found a Elana's Pantry with great attiTUDE and extremely creative recipes! Her cookbook is coming out next week!  Can't wait!

Restarting the studio for new work!

As I clear off the desk I review my inner spirit! I am invigorated by the dialogue that began to occur around my work at my opening reception (see previous post) last Thursday. Although the concept of organizing time and pacing oneself  by the structure of the  hours of the day in prayer is a simple one, it reverberates deeply in my soul. Sometimes as I travel through my day, I neglect the inner awareness that needs nurturing on a regular basis.

Speaking of traveling, check out Casey Toussaint, who literally documents her travels while doing "everyday drawing & painting".

So I reflect on a quote from a website I find inspirational, by Lisa Bowman. This a is a site worth checking out!

Wisdom in knowing what to do next.Skill is knowing how to do it.Virtue is doing it.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)Third President of the United States

Art exhibit-finally up and running!!

Seeing the watercolors all together in the space was inspiring!                                                                                                                           Below are a few photos of the art crowd at Michael Peter Hayes' Art Salon in  Locust Valley last night.It was so wonderful to share my work and hear responses to the work!!It has been inspiring to carry on a dialogue with others about working with the effects of light as it changes over the day. I have utilized the structure of  the "liturgy of the hours" used by so many religious orders for daily prayer. This helps me to organize my vision and  awareness and document the effects of light and shadow on my perception. I reckon that a tradition of discipline that has encouraged heightened awareness and mindfulness in prayer would help me to attain that in my visual meditation of painting.

Any thoughts on that?

fresh watercolors of light & time!

I'm back!  The  show is going up today!  Check out my website to see more work! It is so exciting to see the work pulling together in this show! My current work investigates how light (and shadow, of course) informs our perspective throughout the day. Check out the portfolio of work in the show for more! here is one of my "vigils" or early morning observations of light and presence.

Brooklyn Museum visit stretches my visual boundaries!

I needed to just see some artwork at the Brooklyn Museum today, and was treated to a smorgasbord of artwork that encircled, surprised and caused me to rethink how I paint and how I see.First of all, there was an installation by Sun K. Kwak done with masking tape...black only! When in the room, I felt wrapped in a swirling and comforting ribbon river. I am enthralled that this effect came from nothing more than torn black masking tape! Simple. Different.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9fg7SJSDGE]

Gustave Cailebotte had a very pleasant group of paintings that explored the water, his love. he also rowed, raced and designed boats. Busy man!

It was also an interesting and practical touch to be able to use my cell phone to call the Brooklyn Museum and get the comments on his paintings that way. (I am easily amused.  And I like using what I have.)

 This was one of my favorites because of the energy in the line, texture and composition!  I feel the wind!

"Waterfall" by Pat Steir was refreshing and powerful!

Here is the artist describing her approach to her work!  This is quite a bit for one day. Have you had your visual perspective readjusted lately?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muvtnUITT4A]

Inspired again by Twyla Tharp!

After having read "The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for life" I finally  saw "Movin' Out" based on the music of Billy Joel and conceived by Twyla. The show was incredible, bursting with energy and a depth of communication that was moving and articulate. It made me want to move in  my ordinary daily movements with the grace, power and energy inherent in this dancing!  I want to be more focused and energetic in my creative movements and stance while I am painting and drawing, as I think it will help to make the work more expressive! So when I got back home, not only did I find "Movin' Out excerpts on youTube, but a one on creativity and motivation!  Here it is! Your reactions??!!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLzl6D8kYuY]

Painting the hours of the day...

I am continuing my exploration of daily hours, by observing the light on objects and places that I inhabit.I find patterns in the images themselves and then again in my repeated actions and routines. I document the hours, based on the times of the day remembered with prayers in monasteries, to find meaning and express gratefulness for the richness of my life. 

The more I observe the moment that I am currently in, the richer and multi- layered my painting sketches become.

I see things I never took the time to notice before. Does this occur in your life and if so, how do you create the space to see more?

Because of this attention to the sacredness of each moment, I love to visit the site Gratefulness.

lauds

Creating within a ritual of space & time

Consciously searching my room as I lay awake before dawn, I create a ritual which I find comfort in following. I look while still quiet.  Get up and stay warm, perform morning rituals and then meditate and do a few yoga stretches. It allows me the space and  peace of mind to allow the brush to follow the memory of vigils more closely. Vigils is the time before dawn, when it is still dark and all the world is quiet.   I am  inspired to  put down the colors and shadows that we see and focus on the moment in color and shadow. I paint by candlelight to be sensitive to the tonal quality of my brush strokes. 

Elizabeth Gilbert's observations and rereading Twyla Tharp's "The Creative Habit" have bolstered me as I wade through this period of time when I find no familiar landmarks in my working. This structure of my practice seems to allow an easier flow. 

It is sometimes difficult to balance inner and outer life, but maintaining a balance seems to aid the flow of ideas. I guess what I'm saying is that world responsibilities sometimes trump the inner call until finding quiet time and space allows that inner spirit to be.

Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity!

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more about "Vodpod Firefox Extension for Wordpress", posted with vodpod

Life as art...a balancing act

I look at " life as art ". It makes sense to me that the very act of being requires creativity and can improve with self-reflection.  Reading, meditating and experimenting have allowed me to put together a holistic , creative way of balancing life.    I have created a  mindmap of the areas in my life in which  I want to be sure to develop and unify. 

When you are creating art, it is always good to take a step back and reflect on it, asking whether it needs color, a certain linear quality, a better balance. These are some of the elements and principles of art.

The elements of design are line, form, color, value, texture and space. These concepts are organized by  the principles of art . The principles of art are balance, movement,repetition contrast, emphasis, balance, pattern and unity. So, I decided  to  apply these elements and principles to the big art of my life and see what would happen!

The materials that I build my life with are artwork, spiritual growth, physical needs, intellectual development,  relationships, environment (surroundings) and riches (both financial and other). I knew it would be difficult to remember these areas on a daily basis, so I made them into an acronym, ASPIRER.  I like that word , so I remember it easily.

Each day, I plan my activities and goals around these seven areas. Some occur more often than others, but I generally touch base with each of the areas at least once a week. No real pressure, just a gentle reminder to balance myself with my goals.  Kind of a visual nudge, I guess.

Color is constantly influencing me from choosing what to wear, to creating an appetizing meal,  to seeing a rose -to -lemon sunrise on my way to work! Its broad spectrum and depth delight me everywhere I look!  Color changes in relation to its surroundings. This brilliance of color color and its changeability cause me to be aware of the corresponding qualities in my life. It reminds me, also, how who or what I am near to has a great influence on how I perceive things!

Color, anyone?

Inspiring interiors, rejuvenating everyday routine!

Have you ever been caught unawares by the sunlight falling over an ordinary corner of the room?  In its path of revelation, colors and shadows that you never noticed become apparent.  The air is electric with expectation and time slows down so you can drink it in.                  Then you wonder , which is the real place and time?   What has allowed you to notice the lively energy and vivid colors? How can you save this memory? How can you see past your daily routines, allowing light, time and space to open another view of the ordinary?

Pierre Bonnard, in the current exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The Late Still Lives and Interiors", shows us the results of his attention to daily routine.  A breathtaking exhibition that brought tears to my eyes in its simplicity  and grace!  A show not to be missed! it will help you to see beyond the mundane!

Visual meanderings: going through the motions

Life as Art

Drawing and  painting  has always been  an insightful and energy producing adventure in my life.  The process of creating it is as fruitful as the product!  I  have come to realize that all creating uses the same skills as making artwork..... including shaping my life! Using the process of creating can give  a template  to transform your life.

So what is "art" anyway?  According to Eric Booth, in the  extraordinarily insightful book  the everyday work of art

"At he birth of the word"art" it was a verb that meant "to put things together." It was not a product but a process. If we can reclaim that view of art_ as a way of looking at and doing things, as a series of experiences and experiments_ all of us gain a fresh grasp on the proven practical ways to construct the quality of our lives."

So let's look at the definitions of both work and art to divine the process!

According to the Visual Thesaurus the verb "to work" is to 

"exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity; apply through; think through"

and defines"art"   as

"the products of human creativity; works of art collectively; the creation of beautiful or significant things; a superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation"

Michael Kimmelman, art critic for the NY Times and author  of the book, "The Accidental Masterpiece; On the Art of Life and Vice Versa"  clearly articulates the process of art making in our daily lives! He integrates stories of artists in his book, demonstrating how their way of working  can easily be applied to our lives.

"...art provides us with clues about how to live our own lives more fully... creating, collecting, and even just appreciating art can make living a daily masterpiece."

 I have come across blogs that are created with the attitude of an artist.   "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin is one.  Her journey into the ways of attaining happiness share depth and  balance. I always leave her site with at least one new perception. It is definitely worth checking out!

Powerful imagery...raw and oppressive anguish

Although I was hesitant to go, I did attend the exhibit to see the work in person. There was a dark silence in the rooms filled with her work. The watercolors and oil washes were potent and dark. They were powerful and executed with expressive washes and strong graphic qualities. The show was difficult to be with for any length of time. I see influences of Edvard Munch. 

A review by Roberta Smith in the NY times describes much of the work as "superficially painterly"  and speaks hopefully that "Ms. Dumas’s best work may lie ahead, and in the direction of greater variety."

Here is a slide show of more of her work.

Marlene Dumas

The work has haunted me a little. I still think about it , although I saw it a few weeks ago.So I am trying to articulate more precisely what draws me and yet repels me. This will help me to become more fluent in my own work.

I want to feel uplifted when looking at art. I want the work to nurture the spirit within me. I do not feel that with this work. But I have learned  more about the power of a singular focus that harnesses will and talent to convey a message!

I'd be interested to hear what you think about the work.

Trusting the validity of your visual memory !

Right now I am beginning to work on a new series!                                                                                                                                                              I approached it tentatively because I wasn't sure I could remember the essence of the moment...I am glad I trusted myself!

The "gathering" series is drawn from memory onto paper layered gently with graphite.

I draw first with an eraser, leaving white paper and then go back in with graphite.      

I will probably develop paintings from these ideas!

the gathering

Hesitation to trust intuition is more visibly apparent in the process of making art, yet it occurs in many life moments.  Let me know if this is your experience...or not!                

wary by beth vendryes williams

Live life as if creating a work of art!

You can look at life as if you are an artist working at creating...at making visible your ideas!I find that humdrum and repetitive tasks such as morning ablutions, folding the laundry , setting the table, making and eating breakfast, reading the paper and driving to work, provide a pattern and structure on which to build dreams for the day.  In the midst of the structure I can find time to  balance the elements of my day, notice and choose color and tone and find the lines that connect events and places. Although I feel that my life as a  "work" of art in process, it was further articulated and richly defined in "the everyday work of art" by Eric Booth.

I will be exploring the idea that the work of creating art is not limited to paint, canvas and clay about once a week on this blog, simply because I find  such a freedom and inspiration to think of my own life this way! I will also s feasibility of each person to develop a way of thinking to create art from the stuff of his life.

I then begin to notice when other people are treating there lives with the creativity and discipline usually associated with the creative process. I see the creative "work" of art in small acts such as setting a table or huge, highly visible efforts such as Barack Obama's journey by train to Washington!

So I wonder, where do you find that you exercise your creativity  in your daily life?

Last chance to see Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton ... Interview

How exciting to find this interview on the New Museum site!Now I am determined to go to see the show this weekend, before it comes down on the 12th!

Elizabeth is quite articulate in the interview, sharing her troublesome issues as well as her solutions.

Laura Hoptman has asked some really thought provoking questions, as well.  I wonder how I would answer them with regard to myself and my work?  Now that would be a productive and helpful exercise1

Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton | Interview.