Snippets of an Artist's Life
Originally posted on Art of Quotation: ? “Studio Ghosts: When you’re in the studio painting, there are a lot of people in there with you – your teachers, friends, painters from history, critics… and one by one if you’re really painting, they walk out. And if you’re really painting YOU walk out.” Philip Guston, painter
I was driving home from the artists’ breakfast that we have every Saturday morning and in my neighborhood the sun was hitting this tree in full fall colors. I got a couple blocks down and knew I had to go back and snap some photos with my iPhone. I went home and began painting. It’s not often I get to use Cadmium orange and Cadmium yellow right out of the tube. I must say I did get too thick too fast though. I guess I was too excited. It was going so well and then it wasn’t! I was getting picky—painting every leave. So I wiped out the tree and began again, slowly layering the paint. Much happier with the results.
The neighborhood is full of trees in all stages of color and falling leaves. I had a plethora of streets to shoot my photos. This one with its deep shadows complimenting that fiery color activated my “OH!” factor.
Available at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/andrea-jeris-5884/artwork
“The woods would be very silent if the only birds that sang were those who sang best.” – Henry David Thoreau, historian, poet, social activist, social critic, writer
People like the idea of a fresh start, a clean slate, and a chance to do it “right” this time (as long as starting over doesn’t involve losing any built up vacation time).
As an artist I’m lucky—each new art piece begins with a blank canvas. Some people go to work and do the same thing every day. Even a doctor might see her waiting room as a sink full of dirty dishes so to speak.
Of course that white space staring at you every day can get intimidating. I have to think of something to put on it everyday. When inspiration doesn’t come I still have to work. I put a wash of color on the canvas. I move some paint around. Inspiration comes.
Creating art is good for the mind. Creating art is good for the body. Looking at art is good for the mind and the body as well.
In an article by the Huffpost, Art Isn’t Just Good For The Mind, It’s Good For The Body Too, Donna Betts, president of the American Art Therapy Association, “referenced a slew of studies chronicling art’s ability to reduce pain, counter fatigue and promote general physical wellness”.
So in 2016 be sure to include art in your schedule—sign up for a class, attend a show, visit a museum, buy a special piece for your space that you will benefit from in more ways than one.
andreajeris 