Art Resource Recommendation

I want to share a fabulous resource with you. I have discovered a New Zealand oil painter, Richard Robinson, that you might want to check out. I've purchased "Mastering Color" from his website, which is like a university course on color and all its complexities (according to Robert Genn). I have yet to dig into it... but I will this week.

Along with the course, I am receiving free painting lessons in my mailbox (signed up to receive his newsletter and free lessons), which I have been enjoying. There are good tips in these lessons for beginners and non-beginners alike! You can also watch these same videos on YouTube.

Today, I received this e-mail, which has some great tips on how to find inspiration. At the mid-point of this year, I think it is good to read, absorb, and then incorporate some (or maybe all) of these tips. As well, you could head over to Richard's site and check out his work for yourself. Maybe you'll gain some inspiration and encouragement for your art there! I know I did.

Hi Joanne,

I was out sailing on the Pacific a while back dwelling on the subject of passion.

If passion is the wind that fills your sails and gets you moving, inspiration is

the rudder which uses that power in a useful direction. Without direction to our

passion it's easy to just sail around in circles covering the same old water. Here's

some tips on finding inspiration:

Re-evaluate. Look at your latest works and notes to see where you have

come to and try to recapture your previous notions of where you were heading.

Absorb. Look at other artists' works on the web or printed media or galleries

to spark the desire to create something that beautiful.

Play. Just PLAY with your paints until something starts to emerge.

This can be lots of fun.

Set a Goal. Set a goal for learning or exploring a subject or technique which

will generate its own inspiring thoughts. e.g. Today I'm going to paint 4 small

cloud studies from life using only 2 colours and white.

Explore. Go exploring outside, by foot or vehicle, looking for things that grab

your eye.

Feel. Start with a feeling or a piece of music or poetry - how would you

paint that? Try to imbue everything you do with that feeling - from first sketch

to mixing paint, to each brush stroke - let it all be an expression of one idea.

Take a break! Sometimes we can just push too hard. It's amazing what a

little break can do for the creative juices.

Pray. I don't normally pray for things for myself, but the two times I've

been desperate enough to get down on my knees and pray for a creative

breakthrough, God has come through with flying colors - literally. Aside

from that, letting God have a hand in your work is an awesome experience.

I've heard others call it the 'flow state', where the work comes through you,

not from you. When you're finished you have the distinct feeling that you

couldn't have done it by yourself.

Meditate. I've found that meditation helps firstly with being calm

and centered, but also enhances your creative faculties, making it easier

to think clearly and purposefully, visualize powerfully and be more open

to the infinite creative power of God (or whatever you want to call it).

Love. Nothing great is created without love. The more love, the

greater the creation - just look at parenting! I've heard it said that as

artists we need to have a deep abiding love for both the large and the

small aspects of painting - from the process itself to our individual

brushes and paints. This is what it comes down to - if you are not

loving what you are doing, stop. Try to find that feeling again or find

something else to love.

There are an endless number of ways to generate inspiration for a

painting, and my list is just a drop in the ocean, so I encourage you to

explore ways that suit you - whatever works, do it!

Happy Painting,

Richard

Lessons: www.livepaintinglessons.com

Paintings: www.newzealandartist.com

Blog & Painter's Group: www.thecompleteartist.ning.com

ps. Here's how to get over 50% off my painting lessons: www.livepaintinglessons.com/specialoffer_prezzypack.php

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered,

you will never grow."

Ralph Waldo Emerson