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Drawing on our differences

18/4/2016

"Rock Nude 2" available as a print

We have been using Art to communicate for 34,000 years. At least, that’s as far back as we can actually date humans drawing and painting on rocks and the walls of caves.
We don’t know what happened before then of course; less permanent methods of mark making are lost to us forever. We also have no idea what those beautiful cave paintings signify – were they magical means of capturing reality, plans for the hunt, shamanic rites of passage or simply means of expressing life as they saw it?
I like the theory that, as the cave paintings are carefully placed to become part of the uneven surfaces they adorn, they represent the shaman’s ability to travel between the worlds. That what we see is superficial to the hidden world where everything is one profound and plentiful soup of living energy.
The shaman contacts the spirit of animal or plant to commune with all of life.

Besides imagery we self-express through music, dance and the written word. The wonder of a sunset, the sorrow of loss, the joy and hope of a new birth, life often touches us deeply and we are moved to find ways to share it with others. We smile, hug, cry, give gifts. We celebrate and commiserate. It’s what makes us human.

Art can tap into this deep emotional urge to communicate abstract emotions that are beyond words. This can vary from the literal translation of a scene to the darkest of obscure abstractions. Ultimately we are speaking to ourselves, making our feelings visible. How well we manage to do that depends on our level of expertise, and can be very frustrating if your drawing is like a seven year old’s, or your painting of a sunset turns to shades of brown.

It would be lovely (if a little boring after a while) to produce professional standard artworks every time, but ask yourself WHY you are painting/drawing?

Is it to please someone else or yourself?
Assuming that you’re not aiming to sell or exhibit these ‘feeling’ paintings, does it really matter if they’re not perfect?

Personally, I think It’s worth practicing your skills and honing your techniques so that your paintings satisfy you more and more on an aesthetic level. They will also gain praise from others as a consequence, but always try to hold onto your personal motivation. Why did you choose this view and not another? What did this particular colour combination stir in you? Why did you use this technique or method? Keep it real and individual, keep connected to your art and it will communicate on many more levels than its outward appearance.

"Axis Mundi" mixed media on canvas

There are plenty of painters out there who can reproduce reality and churn out commercially popular works, but many of them communicate absolutely nothing other than ‘here’s another one, buy me!’

We are all individuals; we all have different approaches to life.

Let’s enjoy being ourselves!

"Mnajdra Temple" watercolour and crayon

"Pray Tell" watercolour and pastel

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Painting in Sicily this May!

7/4/2016

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Fountain in Noto, Sicily. Watercolour

Last weekend Caroline, Miriam (PaintMalta), Mario (GoSicily) and I popped over to Sicily to finalise the itinerary for our three-day painting holiday May 27th - 29th. It was a whirlwind trip really, as we visited so many of the places on (and off) the original plan. Everywhere we went the people were wonderful (I think Mario knows everyone in Sicily) and the scenery was stunning.

Caroline and I, as artists, got very itchy to stop and paint instead of zipping past the endless vistas. The only chance we had was in one of the magnificent squares in Noto..... oh, and I caught a quick little sketch of a street musician.

The trip was invaluable though - non-painters find it hard to understand that all artists really want to do is stay in the same place for a decent amount of time, let our eyes settle and then just try to capture whatever grabs our attention. We find it tiring and overwhelming to be shown vista after panorama after view without a chance to stop and really see into it. So Caroline and I simplified the programme to our liking - there will now be plenty of time for everyone to focus and really do some good work. To see our revised programme, please click HERE

First of all, our four-star hotel is amazing. It's a converted monestary in the middle of a golf course!

www.imonasterigolfresort.com

It is beautifully landscaped, surrounded by orange groves, a small lake and even a typical Sicilian dovecot in the grounds.

We will be spending the first day in the grounds of the hotel. On the second day there will be a choice - those who wish to paint in the nearby town of Noto will go there with Caroline, anyone wishing to continue painting in the grounds will be with me.

Noto is jam-packed with corners and cafes and wonderful architecture.

On the third and last day we will be spending the day in Marsamemi, which is a tiny fishing town with so many subjects to paint we'll be spoilt for choice.

Caroline and I will be a good team as co-tutors; we both emphasise good drawing and basic skills, and we also love to experiment with unusual painting techniques. She loves urban scenes, architecture and cafe scenes, working mainly in acrylics. I prefer natural landscapes and more rural scenes. I find watercolours more convenient on location. We have both been teaching art for years to students of all ages and abilities, from beginners to advanced.
Read Caroline's blog about our test-run trip HERE

While we are doing our thing, the non-painting group will be out and about with Mario, who is a walking talking encyclopedia of everything Sicilian.

To join us on this adventure, do have a look at the full itinerary HERE and book soon!!!

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Connections

4/4/2016

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After my last blog post, I had an email from a lovely lady who came on many of the painting holidays I used to tutor for Malta Art. She has since become a good friend and it's always good to hear from her. She overflows with creativity and bright ideas. She is commenting on the Quintessence series that I described last week....

"Such vitality expressed in your paintings, emanating from your zest for life.
This is you as I see you. In your paintings I see the expression of your love for life.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3521889/True-secret-success-Make-LOTS-mistakes-sounds-totally-crazy-uplifting-new-book-MATTHEW-SYED-argues-embracing-failure-improve-life.html

As I was reading the article above, I thought of what you said in your last blog;

I just sit and look at them for a while, until I see what they need. I sort them into three piles; one to throw away, one to work on a little and one that needs a lot of adjusting. Some get overworked or just messed up while I'm working on them. Some just sing right from the start.

Your blogs always inspire me and at the moment I need a kick in the proverbial to get me started. It's good to know that you need to fail to kick start."

I agree we often set the bar so high that we stifle ourselves before we begin - and we do it to ourselves, which really is a little crazy when you think about it.

Carp

This brings me to the recent craze for adult colouring books, which is a very interesting phenomenon, isn’t it? Hundreds of (I wonder if it’s mainly women?) are carefully keeping inside the lines, filling in the colours and loving the calming effect it has on their senses.
It’s obviously a soothing reminds-me-of-childhood thing. And the results look quite professional because someone else drew the lines. The only personal choice is which colour to put where. It’s a good-enough method of switching off the hyperactive left brain and zoning out for a while. Time slips peacefully by, worries are diminished and there’s even a decent result to show for it.

I did think of illustrating a saucy version myself, but – like most of my Bright Ideas – I was distracted by something else and somebody else did it instead. And made a packet, no doubt!

There is a theory that our consciousness changes and develops as we foster creativity. The more open we are to creative thoughts and activities, the more they flow into our lives. This puts us in touch with flashes of inspiration and insight that seems to come from nowhere.
Perhaps we really are all connected in a very subtle and natural way, much like the www. We are, after all, made from the same Stuff; recycled stardust that forms itself into humans or rocks or television sets. All mixed with the same water that has existed since the beginning of time. All breathing the same air. How big an idea is that?

"Life's Rich Tapestry" mixed media 80 x 97 framed 750 euro

So, much like the Web, once we tune in to creativity we can pick up whatever we choose to resonate with. Insights flash out of that mass concentration like bolts of lightning. Whoever catches them has the chance to make them manifest in the world. Edison and Tesla were ‘warring geniuses’ who changed the world with their inventions, but in the article “Nikola Tesla vs. Thomas Edison: Who Was the Better Inventor?” DeGraaf told Live Science "If Edison hadn't invented those things, other people would have,"

Their inventions alone opened the door to the amazing innovations we have today.

The moral is - If you don’t manifest your Bright Ideas, someone else will!

Each manifested idea sparks another and another, not only for the creator, but for those who are touched and inspired by it. Creative thought is like lighting candles; if you keep it to yourself eventually it will burn itself out, but if you share it freely and light as many other flames as you can, the light spreads and grows brighter, even re-lighting your own spark if it begins to dim.

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Drawing on our differences

Painting in Sicily this May!

Connections

Jeni Caruana

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