Friday, March 22, 2013

The Crocus Among Us

"Springtime is the land awakening. 
The March winds are the morning yawn." 
~ Lewis Grizzard





The Crocus Among Us

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8" x 10"
Signed and Certified by the artist
See purchase information here.

I've been listening to Leslie Saeta's Artists Helping Artists radio shows while I paint. I listened to yesterday's show today.  I was so fascinated and impressed with Carolyn Anderson's interview that I had to play it twice. What an amazingly accomplished and articulate artist she is! I was very impressed with her philosophy of art as well as with her fabulous interpretative oil paintings. I love what she writes in "Thoughts About Painting" ~ "Realist painting comes with its own set of parameters and craft can certainly be one of them. But I have yet to agree that craft alone will make a great painting. Craft without creativity is only part of the equation. When we make judgments about what is acceptable, or not, what is good, or not, and what “realism” is, or is not, we end up narrowing the possibilities of what our paintings can be.  Painting is about learning to see  - and hopefully, sharing how we see and what is visually important to us with others. We share a responsibility to interpret, not to try and re-create. We need to be open to the adventure of exploring, visual information. If we accept that what we paint can never be “real”, then we should be able to take our “reality” and see it in new and interesting ways." W O W! I would really love to take a workshop with this lady!

Well folks, spring fever is upon us! It's a time of rebirth and awakening that influences us whether we realize it or not. Don't you find that the longer, warmer days tend to renew your passions? Doesn't this season seem to interject more energy into your life? Do you find enthusiasm for new projects, inside and out? Am I alone in feeling that springtime produces a kind of kick in the pants, jump start or jolt effect? For me, it's almost a kind of urgency. For what, I'm not really sure. Maybe you have some ideas and could help me out by sharing your feelings about springtime here.

"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"  ~ Mark Twain

Wishing you a great weekend
and all the blessings of spring!

6 comments:

  1. Your crocuses are beautiful, Sandy - So Spring-like and alive!
    The Carolyn Anderson interview sounds very good. I'll have to listen to it later. Thank you.

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    1. Thank YOU Kathryn. I think you will like Carolyn's spirited interview.

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  2. Once I get moved Sandy, I think I may take up painting...give it a good try anyway. I never attempted it before, although I will say I sometimes try my hand at drawing...I'm not very good really but I so love seeing what artists bring forth on paper that I've had the bug for several years now, lol.

    Your Crocus are gorgeous...I love these little but pure, flowers...so full of strength yet seem so innocent and feminine to me.

    I think we all love Spring and I so agree with you, that it gives us a kind of urgency to get up and get moving. Even when the calendar says it comes on a specific day, I can smell it long before it is marked on the calendar. The atmosphere is different, the light, and even the air...all good things to get us up and out of doors to engage our senses and replenish from a long winter's nap.

    Lovely, Lovely Dear Heart!!! :)

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    1. I am so glad to hear you are thinking about taking up painting when you move, Akasa. There are so many great instructional art videos online now! If you really have the desire and the perseverance, you can do it! It's a skill, not a magic ability you are born with. Some have a greater aptitude for art, but desire is the most important ingredient. I think you would be a great candidate for really falling in love with the creative expression and process! You put such feeling into your writing, I'm sure it will also come out in your art. You are so right and I totally agree with what you said about spring; "The atmosphere is different, the light, and even the air...all good things to get us up and out of doors to engage our senses. .. ". And I LOVE the photo you shared on your blog post today! Aho!

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  3. This is a great post! I like that part about what we create can never actually be 'real', so we should be able to interpret it the way that we want to! Good idea!

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    1. I really felt connected to Carolyn's mindset. She put into words so many feelings I have about art in general and my own work. Even though she's an oil painter, I would love to take a workshop with her someday. I'm sure it would be a mind blowing, artistic awakening. To be able to really interpret the essence of something, in your own voice, to me, is the epitome of what it means to be a creative, searching, evolving artist.

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