Artists We Love

Artists We Love, a Resource to Discover our Personal Gold

Artists We Love are our beginning place to be inspired, learn, and grow as an Artist. When we ‘resource’ what they do, the symbols, lines, and colors we love, we create a map to finding ourselves.

Never copy, since that kills your passion. You don’t want to paint or draw ‘like they do’, since they have discovered their gold. When they do it, it comes from their soul, holds vast power, and palpable passion. A copy is simply dead. You want to color and draw like YOU Do! Then your Art is alive, vibrant, and original.

You’re so lucky if you find artists to love. I’ve had Joan Mitchell recommended as a resource three times this week, from 3 different people. I knew I had to pay attention here. The Universe is telling me this may be a turning point to create new work.

Begin by listing what you love about them. Keep a notebook of artists, colors, and styles that you love. Whenever you get stuck, this is your go-to place for inspiration. Do you like their gestures, lines, and color contrast? Next to each of these, draw or color in Your gestural mark, your thoughts, and the colors you would choose. Do you love their way of drawing simple folk angels, faces, or places? Next to each written entry, draw/color how you would do it.

Then it’s time to play. Remember play? Play is experimenting, discovering, and not caring about the outcome. Play is about the Doing. It’s messy, and many learning pieces can be considered ‘failed’ art. Ask your inner critic to just let you play. It doesn’t matter what the finished piece looks like. We’re not here to fill museums.

One way to start is to quickly, without thinking, Make a charcoal mark, your gesture, your beginning on several sheets of paper. Then go back with a permanent marker and intuitively add to each drawing. Ask the Art, ‘What do you need?’ Lastly, work into them with color.

You don’t know what you can do until you do it.

Artists We Love give us jewels. What we do with them creates the Magic. You mine for your hidden treasure, your Style, your Voice.

Begin with the jewels as a focus, then create with intuitive marks, lines, and color. Finally, analyze the process. What did you learn about yourself? What did you like or dislike, about You, the medium, the art? Are you pleased with the process?

Learn about artists to love in our Dragonfly Art Program coming in April. Join us as each month we learn the qualities of a master artist, hear from contemporary artists on their path, focus on art elements, and create from our soul. Let this be your golden cord to living a creative life. Create your sanctuary to feed your soul regularly.