Recently, I have exhibited in local art shows and exhibitions. I was very fortunate that several of my pieces sold at the shows. On two occasions, I was able to meet the collector of my artworks. What came up in the conversations was how the artwork spoke to them. The pieces were quite different, watercolour and abstract mixed media landscapes. I know when I am creating a piece, I almost get this giddy feeling and butterflies. When I experience those feelings, I know I am happy with what I have produced. It may take time during the process for this to come up, sometimes it can be immediate within the first layer. It made me wonder if similar feelings came up for the observer of art. Does the art talk to them through feelings, emotions, memories. Does the art take them back to a time and place, does it send them into an unknown exciting future, through the art piece? I know, personally artwork feeds my soul, both purchasing and creating. It evokes emotions and mostly brings joy. Art is for everyone and is always a welcome addition into ones life. Do you have an art piece that has evoked an emotion for you? Do you create art and have physical or emotional responses to what you create? Leave your comments below. Featured Artwork: Entertaining Angels and Friends
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Just this weekend, I was gifted a weekend to myself. Hubby headed off to a blokes weekend in the country and I had the house to myself. As our little fluffy mate passed away over three months ago, there was no one relying on me or waiting for me. I was as free as a bird to do as I pleased. The monthly paint-out had been postponed due to inclement weather. This had been my only commitment over the weekend. After heading out for some extra art supplies I headed back to my studio with the heater blasting and started on a project I had not had time to do for months. The panels I had purchased had sat there on my shelving teasing me every time I went into the art shed. They would look at me and I at them, wishing I had the time to take them off the shelf, unwrap them and then cover them with creamy delicious acrylic paint. I started slowly on my idea using paper and working on my idea for the eight panels. Suddenly two hours had slipped by as I worked on a small 20cm x 20cm piece. I was happy with the outcome. Finally, the next day I set up in the garden room with panels, paint, water, brushes, palettes and paper towels, I was ready. I could now start on my project giving it my full attention. Throughout the process, I mixed an array of colours, used a variety of mark-making tools and skimmed books for the right words to jump out at me for the collage. It was exhilarating, to say the least. I didn't stop for a coffee or a break, I was so focused and in my zone. After many hours, I was finished, it was time to sit back and let them dry so they could be varnished. The gift of a weekend to enjoy creating was invigorating, peaceful and filled with what I love to do. I think you need one of these weekends once and a while. How would you spend the gift of a weekend to yourself? Leave your comment below. Featured artwork: Unscaled Peaks and Uncharted Waters As much as I would love to have hours and hours to sit and paint, the reality is, it just doesn't happen very often. Like many of us, to be able to paint for several hours in one go is a luxury and one that doesn't happen as often as I would like. With running art classes and an impending house renovation calling for attention, I manage to carve some time into my week to play in the sketchbook and lately creating mini landscapes. These landscapes are half an A4 size paper,or some are 20cm x 20cm. The paper has a luxurious feel as it is 100% cotton watercolour paper and is a pleasure to work on. Allowing myself an hour or so to work on a landscape or finish one off means I am still able to create for my art business. Most importantly, I continue to keep that creative muscle working. The joy of time carved out of a busy schedule helps to calm my mind, taking time to forget about what is happening around me, my to do list or anything else that pops up. Growing up, I had no idea my grandmother my dad's side was an artist. It wasn't until recent years I found out she worked with charcoals and watercolour. I now sit and wonder if this was her stress release from her busy life of being a nurse, mother and living on a poultry farm. Besides the escapism, the joy of honing my skills with watercolour and gouache on small works. You can see some of my current mini landscapes created during these times. Please feel free to leave a comment below. I am an all or nothing type of person. When I start a new hobby or project I seem to swamp myself with he must haves and a few might grabs. I can't help myself. There are a few essential items to have in your kit if you are planning to start creating. Instead of starting on canvases there is the option to start in sketchbooks/journals or pads. Not only is it cost effective, as someone that is starting our you are more likely to experiment and have fun than worry about wasting a canvas. A few quality pencils starting with a HB and then a range from 2H to 6B is a terrific starting point and often can be purchased in packs. A kneadable eraser and a rubber eraser are also ideal to have on hand. For those wanting to explore painting a basic brush set is indispensable. Include a variety of sizes and types such as filbert, round, flat to give you different brush strokes. A couple of palette knives are also a worth while investment. You can buy packs of brushes with a few palette knives to give you a reasonable variety of tools. Choose your medium, do you want to use watercolour, acrylics or gouache? Start with a basic colour palette of your chosen paint, this will inspire your to mix your colours and experiment. You can always upgrade the quality and colour range as you become more comfortable. You don't have to spend big on palettes and cups. I use recycled food jars for my water cups and a plastic palette. I also use a perfect for me size cardboard and tape greaseproof paper to it. This is perfect for acrylic paints and for watercolour I have an old plate. One tip I do have is try and work on a whit palette so you don't change the look of the colour you are mixing by the distraction of another colour or a pattern. The photo above is of my mixing palette using the greaseproof paper. Finally, learning resources are something to tap into. I run over 80 classes a year if you live near my studio or use the internet and check out some of the great resources on Youtube. There you have it, you can get creating on a small budget and enjoy the process. I have put together, my favourite tools as a starting point, if you are not sure where to start. Do you have your favourite tools you would like to share? Leave a comment below. I once knew a lady who spent so much time talking about how little time she had that she never actually got anything done. We all have the same mount of time in our day 1440 minutes to be precise. It is how we choose to use those minutes which makes a difference. Personally, I am a paper diary gal, I write everything in it and schedule time for particular tasks. Yes, I schedule medical appointments, classes I run, business tasks, cleaning the house and also studio or painting time. I also have non-negotiable times which often my painting or studio time falls into that category. Non-negotiable means it must be something super important for me to schedule over that time. If your hobby of art is important to you, you will schedule in time to spend pursuing it. It may be as little as 30 or 40 minutes a day. The first step is giving ourselves permission to take the time to enjoy our hobby, I don't know about you, as I was growing up the fun stuff could only be done when the work was finished. Our brains have been programmed to allow ourselves pleasurable pursuits after the work, chores and responsibilities have been completed. Guess what? They never end, they never are completed so we don't end up enjoying our hobby, art, painting, knitting or any other hobby. Think about the last time you "indulged" in your hobby or a pleasurable pursuit. How did it make you feel? Did you feel calmer, less stressed and revitalised? If like me, the answer is yes, this is the time to grab that diary, planner, phone and schedule in the time to enjoy your hobby. You are no good to anyone else or yourself if you are frazzled, stressed or feeling down. Making our art or hobby a priority is helping ourselves to a better, less stressed and more rounded life. Leave a comment below on how you prioritise your time to pursue your hobby or what you plan to do now. I would love to see your ideas. Can creativity positively effect your mental wellbeing? Well, in my humble opinion, yes it can. I have talked about this before in classes and on the socials, how returning to creativity helped me through the COVID lockdowns. For those in Melbourne, you would understand what it was like to live through the lockdowns, as one of the most lockdown cities in the world. I rediscovered art during this time and found I lent on it to relax me and take my mind off what was going on. In the art classes I run, often there are comments such as, "where did that 2 hours go?", "I got lost in the painting.", or "This is my happy place, I forget what is happening in my life." "This is my me time to relax and enjoy some quiet time." Just 40 minutes of art can help to reduce the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone in your body. There is a fabulous book, Your Brain on Art; How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross which goes into great depth. It is well worth a read. You can check out the link under my favourite tools. Art therapy is now found more in mainstream mental health services as the benefits of art and creativity on wellbeing is being highlighted more and more. I have found when I run an evening art class, I sleep better that night, participants of the night programs have also commented they have the same restful night's sleep. If I have had a particularly busy day or really have been under the pump, I take some time out for 20 minutes to half an hour to sketch or dip into some watercolour, it can have a profound effect on my mind, mood and wellbeing. Sometimes, taking a short amount of time can be all you need to shift your mood with a simple sketchbook or a simple watercolour palette, a few brushes and an art book. Have you found art has helped your wellbeing in anyway? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. |
AuthorLee Cummins is a mixed media artist, workshop and art class facilitator. Archives
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