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Joann Wells Greenbaum
Fine Art
Blog
by Joann on 9/22/2010 12:32:54 PM
And I'm happy to invite you to come and view my newest Chicken painting at Booth # R-45.
This is an earlier chicken painting entitled "The Shoes Make the Chick".
She was inspired when I was watching a news anchorwoman on TV wearing the most incredible red high heels and this image came to my mind. The original is in a private collection, but you may view limited edition prints on
My newest Chicken painting is going to have her debut next weekend, at the Fair. She is not shown here because she is still in progress.
The original 15" x 20" painting will be presented in my booth, so please come by to say hello and meet the newest Chicken.
by Lori Woodward on 9/17/2010 12:23:04 PM
"The wisest (wo)men follow their own direction." Euripedes
Building Confidence With Action
by Lori Woodward
Today's Post is by Lori Woodward, Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. She is also a contributing editor for American Artist's Watercolor and Workshop magazines and she writes "The Artist's Life" blog on American Artists' Forum. Lori is a member of The Putney Painters, an invitational group that paints under the direction of Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik. Find out how you can be a guest author.
Why do we lack confidence to forge ahead? We don't know where to start and feel overwhelmed. Too much information doesn't help us clear our minds and seek the next action step.
I know what my goals are, but attaining those goals requires action... daily action. The process is slow. Some days I have trouble getting started and if I ask myself what's holding me up, it could be any number of things. My husband and I have been using Scrum - a management system developed for software engineers. I'm finding Scrum useful for prioritizing and accomplishing my everyday tasks. Each evening, we review 3 questions: What I did today, what I plan to do tomorrow, and what's holding me up - what got in the way of my progress? There's no analyzing, self flagellation -- just stating the facts.
So... how does reviewing daily action relate to building self-confidence? What I've discovered is that building self-confidence has more to do with my ability to solve everyday problems than with how I was raised (which by the way was to think poorly of myself). I was repeatedly told that I'd never succeed at anything. Although those voices of the past still plague me, I "show them" with positive daily actions. It's amazing how insignificant, repetitive daily action increases my confidence over time.
Working on a daily action plan eliminates all the fuss surrounding who we think we are and what we might accomplish. It also takes lofty dreams and organizes their implementation into do-able (but less exciting) steps. While dreaming and planning are fine and have their place, it's the day in, day-out DOING that what will change the world.
Want to change the world - at least your world? Make a list. This kind of list is not as exciting as listing big goals, like where do you want to be in five years. This list deals with "right now". Where are you, right now, in your career? What have you accomplished so far? What have you got going for you? What can you do today, tomorrow, this week to eliminate your current roadblock? What's in your way of getting today's work done?
All the talking, planning and dreaming in the world will not help me get today's work done - only action will. It's disconcerting that as soon as I begin to take action, I hit another roadblock.Sometimes it's technical, sometimes it's because I don't have the right supplies on hand.
So now I ask you, my fellow artistic travelers... are you ready to take action, day by day, working through the issues, problems and "dips" in order to reach your version of expertise? I promise you it will be sometimes tedious, even boring, but the rewards of daily, focused work will lead you to the success you dream of. There are no shortcuts - it takes daily concerted action The good part is that ultimately, hard work results in joy. Remember, if being a remarkable artist were easy, original art wouldn't be worth much.
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This article appears courtesy of FineArtViews by Canvoo,
a free email newsletter about art, marketing, inspiration and fine living for artists,
collectors and galleries (and anyone else who loves art).
This article originally appeared at:
http://fineartviews.com/blog/23032/building-confidence-with-action
For a complimentary subscription, visit: http://www.fineartviews.com
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by Joann Wells Greenbaum on 9/5/2010 2:05:57 PM
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Home on the Delaware River
Whenever I have the privilege of painting a watercolor house portrait for a customer, it gives me pleasure to be able to portray a beloved home for the residents who cherish it.
This lovely home sits on a bluff overlooking the Delaware River, and is as charming inside as it is outside. The rustic hot tub is a focal point of this landscape.
I work from photographs, and welcome inquiries about having your home or business reproduced as an original watercolor.
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by Lori McNee on 9/3/2010 4:41:12 PM
She's in a world of her own
The Importance of Being an Artist in Today's Modern World
by Lori McNee
This post is by guest author, Lori McNee. This article has been edited and published with the author's permission. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.
After watching the movies, 'Avatar' and 'How to Train Your Dragon' I was amazed at the artistic advancement in Computer Arts. It got me thinking about the possible irrelevance of Art in this computer driven day and age.
On a number of occasions, I have heard people speak of this: Are we as artists a dying breed? Will we, as 'Fine Artists', go the way of the dinosaur?
Personally, I think NOT!
Artists truly are the movers and shakers of the world. The ages demonstrate that artists have been at the forefront of every epic era. Oscar Wilde's famous quote, "Life imitates art far more than art imitates life", illustrates this.
Art has been said to be 'an expression of both hope and despair', which embodies all facets of the human condition. The awe inspiring cathedrals of Europe rose from the ashes of plague, cruelty, and despair. After which, the forward thinking artists of the Renaissance era emerged in times of religious persecution and political chaos.
I believe, the worse things get - the more indispensable Art becomes. As our American economy sags and democracy weakens amid the smothering of our beloved earth, Art will find fertile ground and bloom.
Art, in all its forms, is the universal language. It is the great equalizer and thinking agent. Art reaches across borders and connects the world. Great Art stirs the imagination, causing us to pause, think and reflect. Art allows our minds to escape into childlike wonder. Paintings are windows to the imagination.
Did you know, the act of drawing and creating Art can help us relieve stress? Also, Art improves students in their personal, intellectual, and social development. It can be especially beneficial for children from economically disadvantaged conditions or those who struggle to succeed in school.
Art records the footprint of all peoples, cultures and the world around us...
From prehistoric times, cave dwellers drew and carved on rock walls to record important history.
In biblical times, artists recorded the life and death of Jesus.
The Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Greek and Roman artists left us invaluable traces of their culture and our human heritage through their art.
Still life paintings often adorn the interior of ancient Egyptian tombs and Roman walls and record information about the vessels and delicacies that the upper class might have enjoyed.
Lavish tapestries, book-covers in precious metal, ivory, jewels and mosaics help us understand the Dark Ages.
The Renaissance era was lead by visionary artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael and Michaelangelo.
John James Audubon (April 26, 1785 - January 27, 1851) painted, catalogued, and described the many birds of North America. (I know he killed too many while he was at it, though.)
The Impressionists were considered the 'radicals' of their time and broke the rules of academic painting.
Sure, now we have the modern capabilities to record history with a camera. And yes, I loved the movie Avatar. In fact, it gave me a whole new appreciation for the artists in that industry.
However, nothing will replace the feeling of being in the presence of great Art - whether you are at the Louvre Museum or staring at a beloved painting in your living-room.
Computer Art is the newest form of artistic expression, but the silent story of the brushstrokes made by a master's hand or a vessel formed by a primitive artisan will never be obsolete.
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This article appears courtesy of FineArtViews by Canvoo,
a free email newsletter about art, marketing, inspiration and fine living for artists,
collectors and galleries (and anyone else who loves art).
This article originally appeared at:
http://fineartviews.com/blog/21810/the-importance-of-being-an-artist-in-todays-modern-world
For a complimentary subscription, visit: http://www.fineartviews.com
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by Luann Udell on 9/2/2010 4:38:37 PM
Art Budget Banks
by Luann Udell
This post is by Luann Udell, regular contributing author for FineArtViews. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.
Years ago, I came across an unusual metal box at a flea market. Roughly 6” square and 2” deep, the lid opened to reveal six smaller metal containers. Slots on the box’s lid aligned with slots in the smaller boxes inside, and the whole thing locked shut with a key.
A little research revealed I’d found a “home budget bank.” Banks would provide such a locked box to their customers. The slots were for inserting coins or bills into each little box.
The best part: There were little labels provided, some pre-printed for rent, utilities, food. Or you could turn the labels over and write your own financial priorities. (These are my favorite ones.)
Once a month, or when the little boxes were full, you’d return the box to the bank, where it would be unlocked.
Voila! You had successfully saved money to pay all your bills for the month.
I love so many things about these boxes.
I love the cheerful painted metal: red, yellow, turquoise and dark green. “Look!” they seem to say. “Isn’t it FUN to save?!”
I love that, human nature being what it is, the bank held the only key to the box—which is also why it’s rare to find these with their key.
I love the array of little lidded boxes inside and the different categories each person came up with. I have one with the preprinted labels. Others have handwritten labels like “stamps”, “paper”, “vacation.” I’m charmed by the idea that once you could fund an entire vacation with only enough money that would fit into a little box smaller than 3”x2”x2”…
I love imagining the age and circumstances of the previous owners. Surely “camp” and “bicycle” were for a child? But “insurance” and “rent” were for an older person.
And I found this poignant story of a home budget bank with the categories “honeymoon”, “yours”, “mine” and “ours”.
I love the hope that this simple little gadget could build character, change our spendthrift ways, and move steadily, diligently toward our goals—and our heart’s desire.
I love that each box, each label, represents a responsibility accepted—or a dream. I love the implication that even a dream involves responsibility—planning for it, saving for it, even naming it. Realizing it takes energy to bring that dream to fruition. I think this is the thing I love the most.
I like to imagine such a home budget bank for my art. I wonder what I would choose to budget money for. Perhaps “supplies”; “classes”; “framing”; “new studio”.
Or perhaps time? “New work/experimenting”; “cleaning the studio” (on second thought, maybe not this one); “finish an old project”; “research”. As a creative person with many demands on my time—spouse, children, aging parents, job, friends, pets, housework--I sometimes forget to just sit and dream. Perhaps a time slot/box for “daydreams”….?
I can think of some things I wouldn’t budget for—“pointless anger”; “self-doubt”; “fear of failing”; “procrastination”; “envy”. Maybe I could replace them with “forgiveness”, “confidence”, “courage”, “motivation”; “self-improvement”.
What labels would YOU put on your six little boxes, if you had a home budget bank for your art?
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This article appears courtesy of FineArtViews by Canvoo,
a free email newsletter about art, marketing, inspiration and fine living for artists,
collectors and galleries (and anyone else who loves art).
This article originally appeared at:
http://fineartviews.com/blog/22614/art-budget-banks
For a complimentary subscription, visit: http://www.fineartviews.com
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