Getting Loose & New Shared Creativity
May 3rd, 2024
Getting Loose & New Shared Creativity
Taking time to make art within a circle of friends is one of the most profound ways of finding our deep centers of creativity. In that finding, new marks are made and images appear, often as if by magic. There is a union of artist, art materials and creative flow. It is a holy trinity.
During the last month I spent time in several sacred circles of creativity. Time with a dear friend painting flowers helped me get loose with flowers. And the monthly Mandala & Creativity Circle helped me find that deep center and become immersed in a holy trinity (artist, art materials, creative flow).
Getting Loose
Spring has arrived and the explosion of flowers fills my heart. Each day I look out into the garden in amazement. How can I create images that capture the childlike joy of seeing, smelling and becoming one with those flowers? I picked a few flowers, put them in a vase and joined my friend as we painted together. I wanted to create a loose somewhat childlike painting that captured the essence of these flowers. My first two painting although lovely, seem too serious.
My first painting of bleeding hearts and butterweed
My second painting of bleeding hearts and butterweed
I played with gouache paint, which is more opaque than watercolor on a dark beige paper. As often happens, I didn’t like these paintings when I finished them. But as time has passed, I like them better.
Picasso said “it took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child”.
Third painting is a charm
Finally I let go and played with watercolors. There is more light with white paper. The shapes are more abstract and loose. Not exactly like what the flowers looked like, but more childlike and joyful
I’m creating more still life paintings from just picked flowers. I’ll share more in upcoming blogs. It appears I have to create “tighter” paintings first before the looser ones. Guess it takes time to paint like a child. Maybe a lifetime.*
Sharing New & Homey Creativity
The monthly Mandala & Creativity Circles always fills hearts and enlivens creative juices. Sometimes what is created is an exploration of new art materials and ways of expression. And often familiar expressions create that homey feeling of cozy, comfortable and inviting.
Christine T – Mandala honoring nature flowers and insects
Christine T. played with gouache for the first time. Usually she chooses watercolors. Although both are water based, gouache is thicker and opaque with vibrant colors. New rubber stamps called “bug stamps” were something she tried out. Combinations of different body parts can be put together to create different insects. Her piece celebrates the plants and insects of the natural world.
Linda M – Mandala honoring labyrinth with center tree & the wisdom found there
Linda M. mandala was inspired by a stay at a local retreat center that has a labyrinth. A tree grows in the center of the labyrinth. This mandala has a foundation of a labyrinth drawing underneath with a tree and words of wisdom emerging from the center.
Linda M – Mandala inspired by light through stained glass
Linda M’s second mandala was inspired by the illuminated colors and shapes of a stained glass window at the retreat center.
Ann B – Mandala of Colors in sea of calming green,
surrounded by soft blue of water and sky
Ann B. explored bright colors, each surrounded by a black line. Each circle of color has a larger white dot and three smaller black dots in the center. A soothing surrounds green surrounds each bright color and calm waters and sky around the mandala.
Ann B – Meditation Mandala of Blues & Greens, with soft violet
Ann’s love of blue and green always creates a quiet meditation of simplicity. It is an invitation to explore and see the depth. This one looks like a mountain and clouds.
Wild Hyacinth Flowers at Shaw Nature Reserve
Christine shared a photo of a wild hyacinth (camassia scilloides) she saw at Shaw Nature Reserve. It was the inspiration for my mandala. I played with some new highly granulating watercolors, where the colors kind of separate. It’s an effect some people love and others hate. I am in the first camp.
My Wild Hyacinth Mandala
Yellow Butterweed from my garden
The many yellow blossoms of yellow butterweed (packera glabella) plant themselves and grow in my garden. They loosely inspired my second mandala.
My Butterweed Inspired Mandala
Enjoy & Create
May spring blossoms and the beauty of spring inspire your creativity. Let this beauty become embedded in your heart.
*I am immersing myself in the joy of painting flowers, both real and imagined. My hope is that this joy will be shared in the Fantasy & Real Flower Art Workshop I’m teaching Sept. 28th. Here’s a link with more info.
