"Rooted" Mixed Media
Create, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is: “To bring into being, to cause to exist, to invest with new form, office, or character; to constitute. To produce as a work of thought or imagination, as in a work of art.”
Having the power to do this is exciting! To put anything, you want on a surface is a great feeling. Honestly, sometimes it’s an overwhelming feeling!
“A work of art is a magnificent struggle.” Robert Henri
When we allow ourselves to let go and let our inner selves take over, lose ourselves in what we are doing and create from our inner core, it can be surprising what we feel when we look at our work. Ultimately, we would like to be surprised and happy. Unfortunately, however, rather than being introspective and fascinated by what we do, we immediately judge what we did. “That’s not what I wanted to do. I don’t like it. I should give up. I have no talent.”
Most of the time this comes from having a preconceived idea of what we are going to do in the first place. Sometimes we get into our head too much and start second guessing every mark we make. We feel pressured to do something our heart is not in. Other times our work reflects something that is bothering us which we have not dealt with. This is positive emotional therapy, but may not be what we want to share as a piece of our fine art..
I learned a while ago that the questions we should be asking are: Where did that come from? What does it mean? It’s a part of us because we produced it. We should want to explore it, work on it, or work with it. Embrace all that we are!
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My work is organic and layered, motivated by nature, usually celebrating the natural elements, a reflection of the peace I find there. Lately it is busy and cluttered. But so is my life. I get what is coming out. I really like simple, but my work is seldom simple. I am not simple. I am complex with many layers and have many motivators, and lately they are all going off at once. Good or bad, that is who I am. Occasionally, the simple happens and I rejoice and say, “wow!” I wish that part of me would stick around a while longer.
We need to be brave and bold and let our true selves show. Cultivate a healthy curiosity and desire to experiment and experience the pleasure that free and spontaneous painting can give to us without judging it as good or bad. Embrace it! We must aim for creative expression which is original and individual and led by our own ability. Let who we are out. Then tweak. Edit the emotional inner part of us into a strong composition. It often just takes a couple of well-placed lines or a dab of color.
Embrace your inner artist and stay safe. Carolyn