Folk Art revisited 2009

Mystery2009

I returned to folk art today.

I really enjoyed the creative process

of making this painting. I always love

sketching and then colour selection

for the piece.

I enjoy drawing faces although it might

not be my strongest talent.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Have a find-the-joy in your life

kind of day.

Helen.

Folk Art white magnolia

Today, I am quite pleased with my folk art rendition of the photograph of

the white magnolia set against a blue sky.

Seeing my recent work on magnolia in bud a colleague was reminded

of a quote by writer Anais Nin.

The quote speaks to change and being swept along by a change with it being

unhealthy to resist it:

"and the day came when the risk it took to remain tightly closed in a bud

was more painful than the risk it took to bloom". (Anais Nin).

Change can be frightening as it disturbs our sense of equilibrium.

Even if the changes are positive they can still be unsettling.

Old habits and routines are familiar.

Have a take-the-risk-of- blooming-kind-of day.

Helen.

Today's work

folkartmagnolia2009

I created this sketch of a tourist at the Halifax waterfront

and this folk art painting of a magnolia in bud from my own photographs.

touristatthewaterfront2009

I hope that you enjoy these images.

Helen.

art-a-day

1090miniaturetulip2009

There is a breed of artists whom create art every day.

An example of this is well-exemplified by Toronto painter

Barbara Muir. See barbaramuir.blogspot.com. Barbara

is interesting as she is so dedicated to her art and shares

her work and insights about art in a generous fashion on a daily basis.

The June 2009 issue of HOW magazine also profiled

five graphic designers and artists who produce a piece of art a day.

I am compelled to be creative daily, as well.
Whether it is heading out the door with my camera

or working on a folk art drawing or painting it

is a rare day that I skip being creative.

It is not about goal-setting but about flow.

My life flows into being creative daily.

Where photography is about drive and

passion drawing and painting are more contemplative

for me.

Hope that you enjoy these sketches and the folk art painting of the red

tulip.

Have a driven-to-be-creative day today.

Helen.

More spring inspiration

Two spring images (above).

The birch tree collage combines folk art painting

and collage and was completed last year.

The iris picture is simple with appealing colours.

Below is a shot of a property adjacent to a garden
I was invited to photograph by the owner.
I find the juxtaposition of the harsh wall and window
with the delicate hyacinths in multiple colours to be
a pleasing if somewhat edgy composition.

More thoughts on spring and beauty from Freeman Patterson excerpted from

"the garden" (p.17):

"By late winter and very early spring I not only enjoy the flowers blooming in my sunroom, I need them. My sense of well-being depends on having plants living, growing, and blooming around me, especially when there are none flowering out of doors.

We grow plants, especially flowering plants, in our gardens,greenhouses and windows because they are beautiful. Beauty never requires justification, because it balances the ugliness, hurtand sorrow that are present in every human life to a greater or lesser degree.

Without beauty as inspiration and refuge, our deprived souls grow hard and cold, and often we transfer, or project, our unacknowledgedsuffering onto others, especially those with whom we live and work.

Beauty is invariably a positive factor, an enriching presence, a healing influence. It is true in music, painting and dance, of clouds in the skyand birds singing in the light of dawn ,of flowers, even humble geraniums in kitchen windows."

Have a happy-to-finally-be-spring-see-the beauty- kind of day.

Helen.