"Megan" (study)
Oil on linen - 12x9"
Have you ever considered taking a break from commercially driven work?
Have you wanted to, and come face to face with 'the voice'? You know the one..."Are you crazy? You need to make a living. You need to keep your galleries happy. You'll forget how to paint. The wheels will fall off and you'll never get things rolling again. Must keep the work coming." That voice.
I just took a 6 month sabbatical from painting for income. Actually didn't do a single painting, commercial or otherwise (other than workshop demos) from July to January. Unplanned. To a degree unexpected. And absolutely necessary. It was truly the BEST thing I've done for my art in a long time. The break from commercially motivated work is not over yet - will share more about that in a future post as I've developed some pretty strong opinions about it.
That said, the perfect opportunity to dive back into heart centered painting presented in the form of a gathering with 4 great painter friends. We arrived from different directions, traveling long distances, navigating the worst possible winter driving conditions and missed flights in order to assemble for a few days of painting live models.
We stayed in the same house and ate, drank, talked, breathed, lived art for 4 days. It was soul enriching on so many levels, and the perfect re-entry into serious painting. Both feet back into one of the most challenging kinds of painting - loved every minute of it. No judgement, no expectation, just curious looking, seeing, and reconnecting with the remarkable experience that is painting.
Oil on linen - 11x14"
"Matt" (study)
Oil on linen - 12x9"
Here's what the break has made me absolutely certain of: If I am not completely captivated and engaged by a painting idea, I am no longer willing to spend time with it.
Bigger learning: Somehow in the time out I've developed the ability to notice as soon as I am getting pulled into a negative thought pattern around a painting, for any reason. (This is an extremely valuable skill that has eluded me until now, and I'm fairly certain a commitment over the last year to a mindfulness practice is largely responsible for this heightened awareness.)
I have made a choice that self-imposed negative energy around my art is no longer acceptable, and any condition that contributes to it (time constraints, other's expectations, fear, financial pressure - all of which are about attachment to outcome) is now prohibited. My intention is to allow only joyful energy into my studio space, and if I'm not doing that, then it's time to rearrange my thoughts, or change the condition.
I recently said to a good friend: "I need to find a way to get my heart back into the studio." It's becoming clearer that this is the way.
Excellent!! I look forward ot reading more about it.
ReplyDeleteYou are always inspiring Liz!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work and important considerations for all of us.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a valuable and necessary discussion we all need to have with each other and ourselves. I have concerns about the immediate attention folks seems to need, (and ironically) are getting on the internet. I miss the days when we all struggled together in a class,,,,,,,
ReplyDeleteWOW! Well, you certainly didn't forget HOW to paint! (We never do.) Such beautiful paintings. I am awe struck. And a beautifully written, heart felt post. On all counts, you've come a long way, baby, and I am thrilled for you ... BRAVO, my friend!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you--so important--so true--I'm off on my own non-painting journey in New Zealand--
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback guys, and nice to see it's striking a chord with some of you out there.
ReplyDeleteThere doesn't seem to be a lot of encouragement and support for taking this path, least of all from ourselves, and yet almost every artist I know longs for it to some degree.
Why not give ourselves permission?
Beautiful post and marvellous paintings. What you say is so true and inspiring. I do hope you manage to find the perfect happy balance between commerciality and creativity.
ReplyDeleteYour post is encouraging and inspiring. Your recent paintings have such wonderful emotion and beauty portrayed.
ReplyDeleteFascinating post, thank you. Also, I am extremely envious of your four days! ;)
ReplyDeleteReal nice work as usual Liz. Was wondering where you were. You always seem to have a different slant on what is happening around you or to you, if that makes any sense at all. Now I don't feel quite so bad about taking almost all of 2011 off...ha!
ReplyDeletePaint on with happiness and presence Liz. I'm enjoying your Living Attuned Blog as well as your always stunning paintings.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing Liz.Your story reminds me how much I enjoy figure painting...Gotta do it more often!
ReplyDeleteWell said Ceci, exactly. Back to the reason for picking up the brush in the first place. It is amazing how lost that can get.
ReplyDeleteThis sure did hit home with me! Thanks for sharing this Liz. I have not painted much at all for 7 months and feeling rather bad about it. Now i can't wait to "not go to work at the studio tomorrow". Instead a little daydreaming, sketching, wandering and observing sounds about right.
ReplyDeleteSo glad i subscribed to your email.
Lol - that's awesome Ross, have fun not going to work! :-)
DeleteYou are an inspiration to many artists. I'm glad you have brought back the joy of just doing art from inside yourself and for yourself. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteYou are such a wealth of great ideas, and inspiration, Liz! Way to go! I have found that your thoughts really come out on the canvas, paper, board, whatever you are creating. To only allow positive energy to be with you while you are painitng will create paintings with wonderful energy. Can't wait to see what you're doing!
ReplyDeleteWow Elaine, your comment got me totally excited! Yay!
DeleteTHANK you for acknowledging the elephant in the room and courageously guiding us and empowering us through this mindset.
ReplyDeleteI am familiar with your amazing plein air landscapes, Liz, but these life paintings took my breath away.
I love your comment Marilyn. I think the fact that it is a bit of an elephant in the room is what has made me so passionate to express my feelings about it. I believe it is so important to always, and only, paint from our hearts and it's amazing how many conditions we have working against that.
DeleteThanks for sharing. You are a wise lady and I think more painters would be well advised to follow this road.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful paintings, Liz! Your post made me think about what is "commercially driven" as opposed to "heart-centered" or "serious" art.
ReplyDeleteIf we think that others' (buyers of art, gallery owners, judges of competitions) evaluation is the thing that matters the most and we should create work to please them, we would be paralyzed--because our primary focus would be on others, and not on reality, or truth. I believe this is true in any field, not just in art.(As you know, I am not an artist.) A business entrepreneur wants to make profits, but he can only do so in the long term if he creates to the best of his ability products or services that are good, by his own judgement. (He may ask others what kinds products they would like, but what he comes up with will have to be his own idea and vision.) If he does that, there will be buyers--although marketing is required. Marketing is often not a strength of entrepreneurs, but he can hire others to take care of that.
So keep creating your "heart-centered" beautiful art--that's the only way.
P.S. The Finnish composer Sibelius wrote many beautiful symphonies and concertos that are considered his masterpieces by many. But his family also had to live while he was working on these long pieces, so he composed many short works that he was able to sell quickly. Was that "commercially driven" work? Perhaps, but I find many of those short compositions equally beautiful and "true."
I'm a fairly recent fan of your painting. So many of you do what I've always wanted to do but was afraid too. My art was always about making a living at it and that affected my ability to truly enjoy it. If I didn't have an art director telling me what they wanted I wouldn't know what to paint. Basically turning me into a soulless technician and not a very good one at that.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't make the shift from commercial illustration to fine art. Didn't know what to paint. What did I love about art? I tend to lean toward representational painting but one day a friend took me to the Museum of Modern Art in SF. I stood in a room with Cezanne, Miro, Picasso, and others and started to cry. Not because I had seen the most beautiful paintings ever, but because I realized they were having fun with it. Somehow I had missed that. The simple joy of creating.
They say absence make the heart grow fonder, but sometimes absence creates a distance that makes it hard to find one's way back to what they love. I hope your time away helps you remember what you love about painting. You are truly and inspirational artist and you may not see it at the moment but when I look at your art I see what I love and enjoy about it. Thanks for putting it out there and being real.
Liz,
ReplyDeleteThis is unreal, so insightful, so beautifully expressed. Would love to see a book from you...it would be a best seller...
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your clarity. You articulated so clearly what many of us need to embrace. Love you work, and appreciate you generosity of thought and heart.
ReplyDeletethese figure sketches are beautiful and your post is right on.
ReplyDelete