Revision

Shakespeare my hero!

I'm deep in the revision of my novel and there are moments when I want to throw the laptop off Taos Mountain. And then there are flashes of time when I finally solve a verb or scene or character flaw. Revision is the hard slog of writing, or painting, or composing, kicking the soccer ball into the goal, or getting the dance move just right. It's practice, practice, learning, and more practice. Sometimes just as I think I'll have to scrap a painting, it suddenly becomes right. I read Shakespeare and wish I could write like that. Yet, I know enough about the theater that I know he had to constantly revise his plays as he got new insights as the actors moved across the stage and something didn't work just right or could work even better.
Life is that way too. We think we have just conquered a big portion of our life, like forgiving a hurt by a friend decades ago, when it rears it's ugly again, and we have to revisit and revise our pov! It's hard and we do it, and then we feel the joy of resolve rush in. Now to go work on that drawing again where I made one object too dark for the composition. I hope your week resolves itself ever so nicely.

Creativity as Labyrinth

"Over There"
ink on wood, 3" x 2"
Judith, March '10

I've been thinking of labyrinth's lately, how after you start out, they somehow circle back on themselves at several spots before reaching the center. I find that my art and writing do that. It's nearly like a deja vu of being at this point before: do I dare to paint differently this time, or the same? Do I dare to make my characters seem a little crazy, have big flaws, step into their unknown, make huge mistakes, or do they play it safe like so many of us try to do? This weekend I moved my studio back into its own room from a table in the living room where it is much warmer in the winter. Sitting at my "real" art table, I looked at this painting above that I mentioned last time where I dared to make the ground red. Oh, I was so tempted to use the accepted colors in my new painting, you know green grass & blue sky in back of a yellow daffodil. Ah, I've been there before! Yep, it was scary, but I decided to make a fuchsia, orange-y background instead. When I paint the daffodil will it be yellow, red, turquoise, or ...? I'll let you know. At least I past this point of the creative labyrinth & am closer to center. Now to make the main characters in my book both a little more crazed and bold! Where are you on your labyrinth of creativity and life?

Art Is Daring!!

Let me tell you about Leigh Hyams. I first met her on an art camping trip in the wilderness of the high Sierras in California. It was a trip another art teacher, Medora Bass, organized, There we were without any amenities, so close to the stars they seemed to sing at night. Leigh is a great inspiration as it was on that trip that art became alive for me and I forgot to be afraid, partly because of her example. I went out on trails that were so foreign I didn't know if I could make it back to the tent. I sketched and sketched and painted with watercolors by a stream. Later I was in a class in Leigh's studio/home in San Francisco. That class was organized by the wonderful, inspiring teacher, the late Charles Miedzinski. Again Leigh's daring to paint on canvases cut to the shape of ancient pots helped me to see outside the box. Yesterday I painted a red ground instead of green or brown. Last week I wouldn't have been able to do that. And this is a huge step for me as in the beginning of my painting I shunned red as it frightened me for some reason, and now I'm painting it big. What is your creative and life daring today?
Happy Spring Holiday week!
P.S. Visit Leigh's web site: http://www.artsreal.com/ and get her juicy book, How Painting Holds Me on the Earth, Writings from a Maverick Painter and Teacher, ISBN: 9780557012855

Inspiration & "finish what you begin..."

TheTurtle's Dream and Keys
Benrali, Author & Illustrator

I recently decided to begin writing book reviews again after Benrali sent me her query. At first I thought I shouldn't, but her amazing images haunted me. And now that the book project I was semi-ghost writing is into the publishers, I have time to indulge my love of childrens' books and talking about them.
As creatives we all need inspiration whether it's from nature, others' work from our own media or cross-over inspiration from another media. Go to http://childrens-book-reviews.blogspot.com/ to see my review of two of Benrali's books.
And, sometimes, like happened to me this week, something we view, read, hear, or see just doesn't inspire us. I was starting to read a novel that is being raved about. It bored me, and I had to put it down. Now, that was hard as - remember - we were taught as children to finish the food on our plate, our homework, our chores, etc. As creatives and adults we have finite time; therefore we can give ourselves permission to chose what inspires us. If it doesn't, then we can put it down and dash to the studio to work on our latest creation. What inspires you this week?

When will we get there?

"Old Reliable," 3 x 2, ink on wood
Judith, Feb. '10

Remember when you were a kid and you would ask your parents, from the back seat, on that interminable car trip, "When will we get there?" That question sometimes pops up when we work long and hard on our creative project. I just came off a marathon writing project where I was a semi-ghost writer. The project was sent to the publisher last Friday. So, I knew when it was due, but with my own book there is no due date, just milestone, daily, and weekly goals as I go along. And the question is a variant: "When will it be finished?" How do we know when we have that piece of art, that score, that novel really polished and done? I'm not sure except I know with my art that it is a matter of practice and instinct, and in the early days my teacher Fred Reichman helping me to decide. In the ghost writing project, though I'm glad it's done, a part of me wishes there was a little more time to proof read. I'm was not satisfied 100% when it went in, and I'm thinking perhaps that's when we know. When we feel satisfied. I feel that way now about the first quarter of my own book. It feels just about there. When I'm close to finishing a painting, I'll put it in a different place in the house to just look at it for a few days. I usually see something to tweak with that different pair of "observer eyes." Then, when I don't see anything amiss or to add, I just know it's done. Have you found a way to know when your piece is done? Let me know. It's an art in itself to know when we are there.

Bragging Rights

"On a Telephone Pole," acrylic on canvas
6" x 4," August '10, Judith Nasse

I have to "brag" as my miniature sold at the annual Millicent Rogers Miniature show! This means I can really call myself a "Beginning Artist." The next step will be to work my way up to "Emerging Artist." I learned recently that it's o.k. to brag in spite of the early training most of us had that it was not polite to brag. It's one thing to aggrandize ourselves, but another whole thing to just let others know about our progress. By the way that increases our own inner creative confidence too. Have fun with your bragging rights this week!

Snow & Creativity

My Blue Spruce in the Snow today!!

I was glad for our big snow yesterday, nearly 8"! It meant that I had an excuse/permission to stay in, with the wood stove blazing, & catch up on my novel & paintings. I was determined to work hard on my creativity today no matter what, but the snow is the perfect backdrop! I even had time to read & play my piano! Ah, the perfect creative day. It's one of those rare days that we creatives dream could happen every day, but so ecstatic when being in the grove happens at all. It's the juice that keeps us going & keeps us connected with our soul and passion. It's the time that we remember & look forward to when the going gets tough. Happy Creative Day to you!