Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Hillside Ridge - Show Tip #9

Hillside Ridge, 24 x 24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2016
Sold in Solo Show, "Chasing Color, Finding Light", Davis Gallery

Texas skies always call to me. I have my favorite places to go on big sky days and this is one of them. To just BE in the landscape with giant clouds floating by is peaceful, calming and a reminder of the BIGness of it all. 


Show Tip #9 - Whistle While You Work

I think Snow White was on to something with this little ditty as she cleaned up the cottage for the The Seven Dwarfs. :) Pairing up a rhythmic activity to enhance and encourage work flow is a practice used by people in all professions (athletes, car mechanics, dentists, you name it). And it certainly works for me... if I have music or an audio book going in my studio while I paint, I am much more immersed in my work and way more likely to stay in the flow. My favorites are music with Pandora (you can pick a favorite artist and the app will populate a music station with music in that style) and Books by Audio (actors with great accents read unabridged books for hours of listening pleasure). And by the way, the act of listening engages the logical side of our brains, so that the intuitive side stays unencumbered for the creative process. Try it, it really works!

Here are links to other Show Tips:
Tip #4 - Work in Series
Tip #6 - Be Kind to YOU
Tip #8 - Stay Flexible

Painters - join me at this Plein Air Workshop:
April 28-30, Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simons Island, GA
Contact Info: Mary Anderson, 912-634-8414

2 comments:

Sharon L. Graves said...

I too like to listen to Pandora. Never tried listening to a book though. Skies are one of my favorites and this is beautiful. I totally understand the big sky feeling. We don't get that feeling much living in Kentucky, but when I travel out west I always get that sensation.

Marilyn Flanegan said...

Your stunning sky and landscape seem to be having a conversation of mutual admiration. : )
Listening to music, audio books and podcasts in the studio wonderfully intensify the creative experience for me, but I find that my selection needs to support the sentiment of the painting I'm working on.
love this series, Laurel!