A song for you and more stuff I am not good at

 

Here’s a question….. What in your art making practice feels like dessert??

Or maybe what activity in your life feels like the easy, tasty, good part??

The bit in your day that feels like going to the hip, friendly, new frozen yogurt store and indulging in a yummy, cold, sweet treat. The place where you get to put on as many toppings as you like and even get seconds??? (sub-text I have a new addiction to YogurtLand) 

This question came up yesterday while chatting about why we do “new” stuff instead of what we are “supposed to do” 

I like painting outdoors. I suck at it, but love it. It makes me hop out of bed and dash off to the lake or any beautiful spot to paint with friends or by myself. It’s my art making dessert. So today, after a morning painting, I came to the studio to work, and something happened. I know it was the thing that I was secretly hoping for, but didn’t know how to do. I accidently fused an altered landscape painting with old photos IN A WAY I THINK MIGHT WORK! It’s too soon to tell, but I might have stumbled on something that merges my two favorite things. YEHAAA!

So………. maybe that is why we do the stuff we are not good at? Why we eat dessert first?

Is it because there something in that small desire, that wants to pull you towards a bigger or fuller experience? Is it about growth? About a happy expansion of your world? I hope so and I think so.

So, now, I will sing you a song.

Seriously, it’s bad. and dopey and I am not good at singing, and marginal at playing guitar, but I like it so much, so here goes.

It’s just for you, and it’s called Have a nice day.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXO

Here’s to doing things we are not good at.

 

glorious place to be

 

I am wondering why some of us are drawn to do things that we are not good at? 

and, by we, I guess I mean me.

I am so enamored with painting landscapes outdoors. I’ve been dabbling with painting for a while now, and I might, as of today, actually gotten worse. But I love it so much. I think it’s the challenge of trying to juggle all the balls of value and composition and drawing and shape making and all that good stuff, while at the same time soaking in NATURE!  You get to create OUTSIDE. Why haven’t I figured this out before?

But I love mixed media too. I have something in my craw about being pulled in different directions. I am wrestling with the intrinsic value of trying new things, vs staying on course and building your way to the top of  a specific site.

It would be simpler and easier to stay on one track and much more logical than spreading your interests too wide. Like a flood light scattering lots of light, or the intense beam of a tightly focused laser. 

Yet, there are so many wonderful things to do and experience and discover. I imagine those explorations will lead you to the next thing that you wish to lavish your full attention on, the thing you want to roll around in and enjoy fully.

Learning new stuff gets you to the next big thang, and there is value in that.

So in the spirit of new things, in my next post, I will sing you a song, something else I am not good at, but love.

xoxoxo

summer travel and exciting new workshops to announce!

 

fun at Bennett Gallery

 

Summer is coming and off we go! It’s show season!  We just returned from an opening at Bennett Gallery in Nashville, TN.  It was great to see the newly renovated space and great to be with fellow artists and friends. Nashville has wonderful places to eat drink and just plain hangout and talk art. One of our favorite spots is a restaurant called LIME. Beyond super Yum. Lime is the  first place I ever enjoyed a spicy hot pepper mojotio. Cool and refreshing while warm and tingly. The space itself is worth a visit. Its one of those great looking places that makes you want to entirely redesign your house.

A cool coffee house to sit and sip and watch all the cute Vanderbilt University students is called Fido. Good coffee, nice space, good vibe. Thanks to our pal John Brown, who not only is our rep, but show us all the great spots in town, and makes us laugh!!  Loves ya JB

Now our sites are set for the next three shows and a great workshop hosted by our favorite store in Kerrytown, Michigan, FOUND!  Mary and Sylvia make this a perfect spot to be inspired. You will find great, handpicked pieces and parts to use in your own work and an interesting collection of stuff for any creative life. Mary has an eye that is spot on! They recently traveled to France to bring us back lovely Parisian flea market finds. My personal favorite’s are the beautiful pale blue envelopes and letters with the lyrical french handwriting.

FOUND will be hosting both John and I for a set of three workshops July 16, 17 and 18th, which is the weekend right before the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair. The workshops are all about Mixed Media, Collage, Surface design and of course FUN! 

Check them out at http://foundgallery.typepad.com/found_whimsical_art_vinta/2010/05/lynn-john-whip

FOUND  is right next to Zingermans Deli, one of those deli’s worth traveling miles and miles to go to. Seriously! The best pickles and sandwiches EVER!!

xoxoox