A Fresh Approach to Art



"City Life" (my new favorite!)

22x30, acrylic on canvas

I have thoroughly been enjoying art lately!  I thought I truly lived by the rule of being fearless...but after the last two weeks...I really was not being as fearless as I thought I was!  I have approached art so differently these last two weeks and have truly had a blast creating!  I have been using lots of Gesso, tracing paper, handmade papers, glitter paint, old credit cards and lots and lots of splatters of course!  I have been creating subjects that I would have never thought I would create.  I have slowed down.  I am no longer in a rush to finish a piece like I have been in the past.  The last three years have been a whirlwind for me since I practically sold everything right off the art table which left me scrambling to create, create, create!  I am learning now that it is okay to slow down.  That it is okay to start a painting and come back to it later due to either drying time in-between coats of paint or glue or just plain old..."I am not sure what I want to add there".  I am letting my canvases evolve as I create them instead of just mapping everything out first.  One never knows where a painting is going to end up.  No one knows the painting's journey before it takes its first step.  We all have intentions of course, but it is the excitement of seeing color dripping over another and seeing where the drips actually take you.  Rather, where the drips take the painting.  It is a whole new look at creating art!  I was fearless in the past when it came to outlining my subjects in a rough manner, using bold colors, the way I used a palette knife, drips, drips and more drips...but this time, it feels different.  It feels good.  Really good.  I feel like my style is evolving more and more and I am able to pinpoint what I really like in art in general.  A mix.  A mix of abstractness or chaos, a portion of it involving something specific (a subject) and art that provides a child-like feeling.  Vibrant colors are a must!  I am enjoying every minute of the creative process!  Can you tell?!?!?  

"City of Color" and "City Life"

Both 22x30, acrylic on canvas

"The Pink Panda" and "Hold on to Love"

Both 18x18, acrylic on canvas

"Balloons over the Serengeti"

18x18, acrylic on canvas

"Let's Ride"

16x16, acrylic on canvas

"Let's Play"

16x16, acrylic on canvas

In addition to me approaching art differently, today is the last day of the first week of school! So far, school has been a success. The only difference is that since we moved, our girls have to practically leave the house at the same time as when they had to wake up last year when living in our old house. For starters, our oldest is a patrol this year and that alone means they need to arrive earlier. The second reason is that we live a little bit farther from the school now and traffic has been quite inconsistent! Below is a snapshot of them on the first day of school this year...of course, baby Curran cannot go to school just yet! She was sad to see her sisters off for six and a half hours a day now as she has no one to play with anymore! Just look at the attitude on her face!

Well I am off for now!  I created some new bookmark designs last night along with some new magnet designs and I need to get them into our local Co-op today! 

Till next time...Be calm.  Be strong.  Be grateful.

Live Artfully,

Jennifer