Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Up, Up and Away...

Last weekend my sweet and brave husband took all three of the kids up to Salt Lake for an overnighter, leaving me here...and free to paint! I hardly knew what to do with so much unscheduled and uninterrupted time! Once I got over the light-headed giddiness, I was able to make a strong beginning on a project I've been waiting to start for a long time. It was so exhilarating...even if I was up until the wee hours. Time flew by because I was loving what I was doing, and completely lost in the flow of it all. Literally.

All this week I'm spending my days (and one night as well) up in Salt Lake at a watercolor workshop. Today was fabulous! The teacher is nationally renowned, I've admire his work for a long time, and his demonstration turned my world upside-down and inside-out. His process is so very different from the results. It was astonishing to see how very slowly, meticulously and painstakingly he created this loose, splashy, spontaneous-looking painting. (I'm sure there's a metaphor for life in there somewhere, but I'm a bit too tired to attempt to verbalize it.) :)

So you won't be hearing from me much (if at all) this week...but I'll be back before you know it. (Hopefully with a mind-bending psychological thriller of an SOS story!) Until then...

Here's a great quote from the workshop today, which is also a good metaphor for life:

"Artistic expression is a spirit, not a method, a pursuit, not a settled goal, an instinct, not a body of rules."- Foreword, Group of 7 Exhibition of Paintings, exhibition catalog, Art Gallery of Toronto, 1922.

I also like this one:

"The creative process is in fact, a surrender to this great life force and intelligence that has shaped us all. It is the spirit of the great creator moving through us. If we let this happen, without fear and resistance, we can act spontaneously letting this energy flow through us and direct us. This is the spirit that informs our creativity and allows us to express it in our own unique way." --Marsha Stonehouse


Can you see why I love it so much?

13 comments:

Kazzy said...

Oooo I love you quotes! I still use one of the quotes you whispered to me about literature when we were at an AML meeting at the SL Library. "Fiction... where truth abounds!" You paint, girlfriend! Have a great time and create some wonderful stuff. See you Sunday :)

Kazzy said...

your quotes LOL

Heather of the EO said...

Okay, now you've really inspired me to TRY to paint. (the flower anyway).
I just love how you think!

Happy week and thank you so much for all your help. Loved your email and I'll get back to you with more thoughts soon.
Thank you so much,
Heather

Jessica Stock said...

Love the quotes and I am SO happy for you to have time to immerse yourself in painting! What joy!

Dedee said...

The quotes are fabulous. I like quotes. Happy painting. I want to meet you someday so you can show me some of your work. My mom does oils.

Melanie Jacobson said...

I love that second quote especially. That's exactly what it feels like when I do my very best writing.

Paint on! It always made my mom so happy, too.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Oh how lovely sounding! So happy for you that you're finding this great access to joy!

Mrs4444 said...

Good for you! Enjoy yourself :) (And post pics, k?)

Little GrumpyAngel said...

I love these quotes. That's really awesome that you get to spend this week learning more about something you love so much. I wish I can see some of your work. Please post pics one of these days. I bet they are awe-inspiring.

Jo Beaufoix said...

Wow, that sounds amazing. Have a wonderful time. :D

Heidi said...

When do we get to see the paintings inspired by this lovely quotes? Can't wait!

Brillig said...

Okay, those quotes are amazing and I'm printing them out right this second.

I'm hoping that you're loving every second of your workshop. I can't imagine that there's ANYTHING left for you to learn (are you teaching or speaking at all too?) but I'm sure you're in your happy place!

And a mind-bending psychological thriller of an SOS story? Holy crap, I'm so excited.

Missing you...

Becky said...

How cool are you!? That's great that you got to tune out life for a while and just focus on you and your talents.