When I Get Out of My Own Way Amazing Things Happen!

During the month of January I became aware of the obstacles I place in my own way as an artist when wonderful opportunities start appearing.  I have been using "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron again the past month or so.  I have gone through this book probably four or five times now though this time I decided I would go at my own pace and take my time.  It has been wonderful and very eye opening for me.  She talks in the book about sabotaging ourselves and I became very aware of my fear of success, which I read is fairly common among artists.

1st acrylic painting

First I made the decision to once again participate in the #twitterartexhibit which will be held this year in Moss, Norway.  I painted my first acrylic submission which appears to the left.

2nd rendition

I then received an invitation to participate in the "Hearts and Stars" 2015 event being held at Wilder Nightingale Fine Art in Taos, New Mexico to benefit the Taos homeless.  While discussing my new opportunities opening up with my friend and chiropractor, she asked me to think about submitting a piece of artwork to an organization she participates in that is having an upcoming ball with a silent auction.  As I started to consider these new opportunities I started questioning my first rendition/submission for the #twitterartexhibit and did some revision.  To the right is my second rendition of the same painting.

Gentle Giant Hollyhock

The next week I was invited to participate once again in the "Let's Paint New Mexico" website/challenge where a photo is presented to New Mexico artists each week and we submit our interpretation/artwork of that photo. I got very excited remembering that when I participated in this last year it provided wonderful growth and exposure so I started on this painting challenge right away.  To the left is the Challenge one picture and to the right my 8"x10" oil painting interpretation.

Taos Inspiration

Now I started thinking about the upcoming timelines for having submissions mailed and completed and questioning my abilities to first make those timelines and second my abilities as an artist.  The I'm not good enough, so and so is really an artist and I'm an amateur, etc.  I then got back into the reading and doing of "The Artist's Way" and in my writing discovered my fear of success and made a decision to take one thing at a time and wrote many affirmations telling myself I AM an artist, I CAN make deadlines, I CAN create beautiful, unique art and I CAN succeed.  Then came my third and final rendition/submission for the #TwitterArtExhibit shown to the left.

Winter Chamisa

It seems that as soon as I became determined to create my art came one of my biggest personal
challenges.  The second challenge picture arrived from the "Let's Paint New Mexico" group, it is shown to the right.  When I looked at this picture I could see nothing but bland, dry, brown, colorless landscape.  I told myself I just wouldn't make a submission for the second challenge yet as I was reading and I'm not sure where I saw it, but somewhere a sentence stood out to me.  It said something to the effect that God can see the beauty in even bare and colorless areas.  I thought about "The Artist's Way" saying that God is a creator, therefore as an artist, I, too, create.  I magnified the photo and looked for color and instead of going to bed found myself in my art studio painting onto a blank canvas.  The photo to the left is the oil painting on 10"x8" canvas and my translation of the Challenge 2 photo.

Spirit of Taos

I finished my oil painting submission for the "Hearts and Stars" 2015 benefit and hurried to get it framed and packaged for shipping to Wilder Nightingale Fine Art in Taos.  I'm happy to say that this painting went through very slight addition in one area around the little church in the foreground before framing and shipping it out.  It has been delivered as I type this and I'm excited about it's presentation and showing at their event happening Saturday, February 7th.  To the right is the oil painting "Spirit of Taos" on 10"x8" canvas.  It will be available at their auction and I have donated the sale price to aid the homeless of Taos so pray someone will buy and cherish it.

As I type this I am still in the process of formulating an idea and painting the oil painting for my friend and chiropractor's equine association silent auction though I feel I have walked through my fear of success and have begun my next leg of my journey as an artist.  I feel overwhelmingly grateful to all the people who encourage, help, support and honor me with their friendship.  As I gather experience and confidence I realize how very blessed I am to have a Creator who is my source and supply of whatever I need to succeed in life.  Already 2015 is proving to be one of immense growth and opportunity for me, hence the title of my post this month "When I Get Out of My Own Way Amazing Things Happen!"

During my above process two paintings were done that I'll post here.  One was an acrylic of Taos Mountain on 10x8" canvas and the other a miniature done at the same time in it's final frame, I call it "Small Wonder" and may enter it in a miniature show in the future.

Thank you to Dick Blick Art Supplies for always having all the art
supplies that I use and providing excellent customer service, I've provided a link to their online store at the top right hand of this art blog.  Please give a look, they have some of the best prices around.