What to paint?

I Didn't Choose It, It Chose Me! 

Like many artists/crafters, I've tried my hand at many and most mediums.  I became quite proficient at sewing, quilting, lampworking (aka glass bead making) and hand built ceramics.  I've tried numerous other things throughout the years; watercolor, photography, scrapbooking, the potters wheel, ceramic tile making via plaster molds, a variety of jewelry making techniques (chainmaille, resin, metal stamping etc...), linoleum block printing etc.... You get the idea!  Until, some life events forced me to re-evaluate what I was doing with my life.  Through lots of prayer and reflection, I finally came to the conclusion that God was calling me to focus on this gift of creativity that He so generously gave me.  Fortunately, I was able to quit my job and focus more on what I felt God was calling me to do at this time in my life - paint!  It's a bit of a long story on how I came to this conclusion but it is a really cool one at that.  I asked the Holy Spirit in a very bold way to let me know what God wanted of me and He did in an awesome way.  Maybe someday I'll share it here but if you ask me in person I'll not hold back.

Hunh? Paint?  I hadn't really painted since my college days.  Where to start?  Hmmm, I think I found a mini mixed media lesson of sorts online.  I had all the supplies (scrapbooking paper, acrylic craft paint, stencils, stamps) so I sat down and painted "my guardian angel" as the tutorial suggested.

It was lots of fun.  So, I did another and another and another - all angels.  I kept painting angels because after painting this angel, I started thinking about my guardian angel and how little attention I had given her/him throughout my life and it got me thinking about angels and their presence in our lives.  This in turn lead me to reading a lot more on the subject.  I LOVE to learn and wanted to know more about this subject.  Then reading about angels lead me to a deeper understanding of my faith which then lead me to the Saints.

Reading, painting, reading, painting - 

-now mostly the Saints.  Reassurance from family, friends and eventaully etsy sales kept me going.  However, the more I painted, the more my style evolved - what was in the beginning very stylistic, simple, folksy (like the online tutorial taught me) started to become more realistic.  I didn't plan it that way, it just evolved that way.

The subject matter chose me! 

I never, ever would have thought to paint portraits.  Portraiture is intimidating and difficult, at least that is what I recalled from my school days.  Yet here I am still drawn to painting portraits.  In my next blog, I'll share with you how my newest love, PASTELS, chose me. I did NOT choose them.

What to paint, you ask?

Let it find you!  However, you can't just sit back and wait for that magical moment.  You have to do the work.  May I suggest a few things to get the ball rolling:

1. PRAY about it - not just once or twice - consistently, especially if you are a faithful, God trusting person, (or even if you're not) try it anyway!

2. Search the internet for how-to's and/or tutorials to try something new.  I love Ivy Newport.  She has such a great variety of classes that are fun, inspiring and affordable.

3.  Take a class at a local art center

4. Read up on a subject(s) that excites you or that you always wanted to know more about.

5. Just do it - don't let fear of failure stop you!

I know I am guilty about waiting until the moment is just right, until I have all the right supplies, the right space, until I've read up on the subject, and until I have to have the right amount of time set aside with no interruptions etc... those are all excuses.  JUST DO IT!  

The Artist's comfort zone - to go or not to go?

Ok, so I think we all pretty much know that if we are to grow, we need to step out of our comfort zone.  Think about a time in your life when something really difficult was going on, it was hard and it was uncomfortable but you got through it. Now when you look back, you can see how it changed you. GROWTH!

So, I'm all about growth - personally, professionally and spiritually.  As I said before, I want to make the most of what God has given me during my limited time here on earth. So, being organized and managing your time well is important. (see my last post on a good app to help with this: https://triciahampo.blogspot.com )

I made glass beads for about 12 years. I felt I had a good mastery of the medium and had exhausted my creative possibilities for it.  I tried various other creative mediums that might compliment my bead making, such as various types of jewelry making and metal smithing.  However,  nothing really clicked or sparked my desire to create and express myself.  So, I started to search which meant stepping out of my comfort zone.  I decided to try painting again after many, many years. But, what to paint?  I came across a wonderful book, called "Finding Divine Inspiration" by J. Scott McElroy: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Divine-Inspiration-Working-Creativity and it lead me to so many new places and adventures in my creative life!  It is absolutely one of my all time favorite books.  It is a book for any creative person, who desires to do God's will!  Doing God's will can also be a little uncomfortable, can't it?  That's where trust comes in.

So, stepping out of the comfort zone is not as uncomfortable when you know you've got God by your side the entire time.  So, just do it!  Take the step out and keeping doing it until something in you says, "that's it!"

Things I've learned stepping out of my artistic comfort zone;
1. It's easy to get discouraged or frustrated
2. It's easy to lose focus because your always thinking of the next thing your going to try
3. It takes time and persistence
4. It can sometimes be financially straining (after all you've got to have the right supplies to be successful)
5. It can be exciting, rewarding, transforming

"Trust and Transformation"
A step out my comfort zone - exploring Linocut

I left the best for last.  When it is exciting and rewarding, grasp onto that moment and run with it.  It will transform you!  That is the moment when you feel you've discovered your new latest and greatest love - whether it is the artistic medium, subject or technique.  Now it's time to slow down, take smaller steps out of your comfort zone but within this new zone you've discovered.  Time for focus, growth, mastery.
So to answer the question, "to go (out of your comfort zone) or not to go?"  I think stepping out of your comfort zone is always a good thing but make sure to take the time to enjoy the "zone" that you are in and see everything it has to offer.

Developing Habits - there's an app for that!

Time is precious. As the quote says, "Time = Life..." and life is precious, because it's limited, it will end.  I want to make the most of my life.  I want to become the best version of myself (whatever that may be).  I know I will find that out gradually, as I proceed on my life's journey.  The key is to be always searching, growing, learning, doing and of course loving.  In order to do that, I need to use my time wisely.  It is far too easy to let the minutes, days, hours tick away accomplishing very little.

In the past, I've discovered that I accomplish the most when I have a plan and/or a schedule and I stick to it as best as I can.  I have discovered that having daily habits make those plans/schedules much easier.  I've also discovered how easy it is to get side tracked.  I've already got a few habits in place that I've developed years ago (daily exercise and prayer) and fairly recently (reciting daily rosary).  It has become such a habit, like brushing my teeth, that if I miss it, well, it just doesn't feel right.  My day feels off.

So, to be the best version of myself, I want to grow.  Right now, I feel God calling me to grow artistically and spiritually.  So, I want to develop some new habits.  Since I am a visual person, I like to see what I'm doing and how well I'm doing.  I like challenges and goals.  So I searched for some way to record my efforts and keep me on track.  I figured there must be an app for that. Well, what do ya know, there is!  I tried a couple of free apps until I finally settled on the one I liked the best.   It's called Strides: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/strides-goal-tracker
Learn more about it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch

I really like it because it is simple, allows me to keep a record the things I want to accomplish in my day, week, month, whatever.  It will give me reminders and show me the "big picture" on how I am doing.  Making lists has always proved very successful for me in getting things accomplished.  It is such a great feeling to be able to cross them off or put a check mark next to them.  It shows progress. It's a little pat on the back saying good job - keep going.  Here's what I'm currently working on;

May I encourage you to give it a try if you are struggling to make the kind of progress you would like in your life?

Creative Growing Pains

"Unless you do something beyond what you have mastered, you will never grow." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

My newest art obsession - Painting with Pastels - 5x7 practice

Do you have Art A.D.D.?  That is my term for someone who wants to try anything and everything related to art.  The internet is a dangerous thing because when I search for something (usually an art supply or maybe a tutorial), it inevitably leads me to some new product, gadget, art supply or technique that I never knew existed but looks so cool that I want to try it.  It is a good thing and a not so good thing.  It's good in that it gets me thinking and experimenting with new things but it is not so good in that it distracts me from really diving in deep and mastering one medium at a time.  It also costs me money because I usually need new supplies. I suppose you need to break a few eggs to make an omelet, hunh?

First painting exploring mixed media (2015)

I discovered lampworking (making glass beads) years ago when I took a jewelry making class (Yes, I was searching for a medium to be passionate about and master) and someone mentioned hand made glass beads.  Of course, I needed to know more about this, so I went home and researched the internet and hence the obsession began.  However, it was a good one.  I ruled out the desire to make jewelry for the desire to make beads.  I focused strictly on bead making for 15 years until I felt my creative juices for this medium drying up and a nudge to try something else.

Exploring ideas and things I am

passionate about. (2015)

That said, I think we always need to be in a state of curiosity if we are to truly find our passion and grow.  So, I began painting.  Something I had not done since college.  I called on what I knew from my experiences many years ago.  It really is like riding a bike, you never really forget but you are a little wobbly and uncertain for a while.  Once you develop a little confidence you start taking risks.  I'm not a big risk taker.  I take little risks at a time.  Just big enough to push me somewhat out of my comfort zone but enough to see if I can succeed and that in turns gives me increased confidence.  If I fail, so be it, I stilled learned something, can't grow much without it.  I think that is one reason why I like art.  It is a tangible way to see growth.

St. Joan of Arc.  Mixed media  (2017)

So, embrace your art A.D.D., but always with a focused goal in mind - to find what you are passionate about creating and do it!