Patience Is Not Passive

memories of a bloom  watercolor on yupo  7x5.5"

Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength. 

~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton

I have to fully agree with that quote! The little painting on Yupo took a couple of days and lots of determined patience on my part as I layered paint and waited; used a tooth brush to splatter some paint and waited;  dabbed with a wet tissue and waited; added paint in one section and took away paint in another. And repeated the process a few times!  I think finally I see the little plant in the sunshine with dried twigs and memories of a lush little field around it. 

Incubation Of An Idea

A Day in the Life   page 23 Sketch Book Project color pencils

Another sketchbook page to the rescue for this post. Picking up on the text of that page - how do you solve problems?  When do you get your best ideas? 

I read today about 'Bed, Bath and Bus Theory'  -" ....it’s the notion that the best ideas come when you least expect it, such as in the bath/shower, lying in bed or waiting for a bus." The article further stated that "we need two characteristics in particular to make incubation successful: patience and belief. Both of these are necessary for you to walk away from a problem that means a lot to you, that you really want to solve or that has a deadline."   The author of that article  Lucretia Torva concludes "One last thing to do. Assign this project to your subconscious. Literally tell your mind to take care of, then let it go. " 

I am glad to know that my coping mechanism of moving away is in a way looked upon as 'incubation of an idea' :) 

The Mirror never Changes

Near Anish Kapoor's 'Cloud Gate' Chicago Millenium Park Digital Photography

The mirror never changes, but everybody who looks at it sees something different.

-Harold Kushner

Inadvertently Omitted...

A Day in the Life..... page 22 Sketchbook Project color pencils 

'not intentional, not on purpose, not conscious'  -- it is the definition 'not conscious' that stings! And it is not the first time this has happened - and not just in art either. I felt so very disheartened.  It truly represented a 'Day in The Life'.  I decided to  force  myself to consider this as a set up for a new twist in my Sketchbook Project ! This time my 'inadvertent omission' had created three empty pages right in the middle of a book with a planned narrative and a challenge for me to somehow resolve it and to incorporate  new ideas into the story line.  I did not want to just tear the pages - a self imposed constraint to be a bit creative to compensate for my slip; to be grateful that it is a small mistake in the scheme of things,  a way to assuage my guilt for not being mindful....

What do you do when mistakes 'happen' in your work? Do you despair and scrap the whole project? Do you change it? Do you cover it up? Do you start over? Do you call it divine intervention and move on?  

Fall Colors

Persimmon  watercolor sketch 3x5"

Persimmon another view watercolor sketch 3x5"

My neighbor has a persimmon tree that I can see from one of our windows.  Over the past few weeks, the persimmons turned deep juicy orange and now the leaves are gorgeous yellows and oranges.  She gave me four fruits last week and I really wanted to paint them.  I even took pictures to capture their fresh ripe colors. But before I realized, three disappeared as after dinner treats :) The leaves on last  remaining persimmon have dried and almost fallen off! So this morning I quickly sketched and painted the last remaining persimmon in my little sketch book with the  Aquaflow waterbrush pen and transparent colors (top) and a mix of transparent and opaque colors (bottom). 

I read that in Chinese culture when the persimmon appears as a symbol, it denotes an energy which would remove the obstacles and allow things to proceed smoothly.  I definitely need that energy now! I have not been painting much these past few weeks as we are getting the inside walls of our house painted (almost done!) We had to move furniture and other belongings from all the rooms, shifting them from one to another and back again. Now I am trying to wade through the 'stuff' we have accumulated over the years as I decide which ones should be put back. The plan is to cull clutter and give away as much as possible -- which I am finding out is a lot easier said than done. And I just added two more paintings to my stack! 

Attach A Silken Thread

Pomegranates and Spider Web  digital Photography

Natural History

E.B. White

The spider, dropping down from twig,

Unfolds a plan of her devising,

A thin premeditated rig

To use in rising.

And all that journey down through space,

In cool descent and loyal hearted,

She spins a ladder to the place

From where she started.

Thus I, gone forth as spiders do

In spider's web a truth discerning,

Attach one silken thread to you

For my returning.

My heart felt ' Thank You ' to all my 'blog friends' who return and encourage my efforts in my art, my photography and writing  as I finish  three full years of blogging.  Tomorrow will be my blog anniversary and I am grateful for your support :)

Playful Art

A Day in the Life -sketchbook project page 21 color pencils

I always wonder how and who came up with original recipes and cooking methods for various dishes.  How and who concocted the very first delicacies? or the herbal remedies? The cough syrup herbal remedy that my aunt made for me was a wonderfully powerful one that relieved me of my incessant hacking  during my trip to India in January.  I do hope that these recipes and knowledge don't get lost as the world moves towards new and improved technology.

Speaking of innovations and creations, I watched  TED fellow Aparana Rao talk about her unique interactive art projects that are steeped in surprising, playful and humorous ideas.  Check it out and see why I want one of her high tech art installation 'shy pygmies' ! I am totally fascinated by her mix of art and technology - her fun 'uncle phone',   delightful 'drunken man', the intimidating expanding cube, and cute tired oil blob. Actually I am in awe of her imagination and innovation! What a wonderful way to infuse art with 'humanity' that begs one to respond and interact. 

Stash and Search

A Day in the Life - Page 20 Sketchbook Project Color Pencils  

"The great question is not whether you have the best nut, but whether you are content with your nut." (Bill Squirrelspeare)  

I hoard  quotes and am so ecstatic when I can pull out a perfect one from my stash :) I also have over 15,000 photos in my newest laptop, similar amounts an older  desk top and too many prints from 'film' years. With a digital camera I take way too many photographs with abandon and am very hesitant to delete the so-so ones.  Quite often I know I have a reference photo I have clicked for what I want to paint. But when the best cataloging system I have is  'I know I took a picture....' ,  I think I am like the squirrel who finds something wherever she looks :) Usually, in my photo-album searches, I stumble across something else I like and the next thing I know I am off with a new idea.

By the way, check here and here  if you are curious about squirrels and nuts  :) 

Dancing in the Light

Dancing in the Light  digital photography

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

 -Albert Einstein

Making Waves

Making Waves watercolor 4"x4"

Unruffled watercolor 4x4"

Splash of color watercolor 4x4"

These ducks were entertaining a toddler who was shrieking with joy as the birds swam gracefully in circles in a small fountain early last spring.  I watched the birds and the child for a long time and took many photographs. Later, it was pure joy for me to paint the colorful ducks and the water using watercolors. The challenge in the paintings was to capture the different textures of the birds, the fluidity of the water and a hint of reflection. My aim was to make the ducks sparkle with color. Each painting was a unique discovery of beauty of nature, of colors and patterns.  

These are miniature paintings and the top two - "Unruffled" & "Making Waves" were selected for "Small Works" exhibit at the Charles Taylor Art Center in Hampton, VA along with my other miniature "Slow Sunny Day. The show opened today and will run through December 4.