Art Links for You
Here are some art links for you this week, with hopes that you’ll latch onto something that fires your urge to create, and muffles your inner critic. It’s Spring. Lets get some inspiring snapshots from around the yard, and make something soon!
Solar Plate Printmaking
If you live near Santa Fe, New Mexico, you can take a printmaking course on solar plate printing with the originator of the process, Dan Wheldon this coming June. If I lived closer, I would sign up for this workshop in a heartbeat. Check out the details here.
One Hundred Faces in One Week
Marc Taro Holmes posted a mini-interview with Liz Steele about traveling with watercolors, painting urban scenes, building online art courses, and the movement to paint 100 people in one week. Check it out here.
National Watercolor Society Newsletter
The National Watercolor Society just released their Spring newsletter and you can read it online here. The NWS President Robbie Laird wrote a nice essay about the joy, inspiration and encouragement we get from looking at other artist’s work, and I wholeheartedly agree with her.
How Does Etsy Search Work?
If you have a shop on Etsy, or you’re considering opening one, writing a listing title and item details to include relevant search terms can be overwhelming. It helps to understand how Etsy search works, so they’ve written an article on that and you can read it here.
Draw to Remember
Here is a short article on the power of drawing as it relates to memory. If you want to remember something, draw it. In my first studio art class, we were asked to draw the door to our bedroom during class, from memory. The homework assignment was to draw it again from our rooms, looking at the door.
The next in-class assignment was to draw the door again, from memory. All three drawings were pinned up to show us that the first drawings were almost all horrible, but the second and third drawings were almost identical. It’s amazing what you recall after drawing something.
Savvy Painter Podcast
Have you listened to Antrese Woods’ Savvy Painter podcast? If not, you’re in for a treat. I binge listen while driving, or mopping floors or painting in my studio.
I listened to this interview with plein air painter Matt Smith twice. It’s so good. Trust me. His journey as a painter has been one of conviction, uphill climbing and an unwavering pursuit to capture the beauty in front of him from life – even if it’s 107 degrees in the Arizona desert. Brew a cuppa something, and have a listen here.
The Shelter of Community
My son married a wonderful woman on Friday. It was a sparkling evening, swelling with people who love them both. My favorite part of all weddings is the power felt from the collective good wishes of the attendees, sprinkling the new couple with hope, and accumulated experience and wisdom from the crowd. We are a steadfast, sheltering, shade tree, watching over them as they embark on a new life.
The art community can be the same safe haven, full of wise counsel, encouragement, and inspiration. We artists should endeavor to take good care of each other, and make time to reach out, offer help where needed, and always be encouraging of other artists. That goodness comes back to you tenfold, over and over again.
Here’s to a productive, creative and fret-free week ahead. Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you in the next post!
Belinda
P.S. You can get each post via email by subscribing here.
P.P.S. If you’re thinking about trying audiobooks, here is a link to get one free. See if you like listening while you paint.
Art Quote
And if there come [to the market] the singers and the dancers and the flute players, buy of their gifts also.
For they too are gatherers of fruit and frankincense, and that which they bring, though fashioned of dreams, is raiment and food for your soul.
And before you leave the market place, see that no one has gone his way with empty hands.
For the master spirit of the earth shall not sleep peacefully upon the wind till the needs of the least of you are satisfied.
Khalil Gibran
Congratulations to your son and his wife. I like the idea of family and community as a sheltering tree, and the same with the arts community. Love the painting and the post. I’d so love to go back to Firenze.
XOXOXOXOXO Barbara
Thank you, my friend. We are all very excited about the merging of two families. I appreciate you, and your online hugs. And yes, Firenze again would be so very good. XOXO B.
I love your watercolors Belinda. They have a moody quality that expresses such depth. Thank you for sharing them.
Hi Annie, You are so kind. Thanks for your encouragement, and for the use of the word moody, because I love that my work expresses that part of my character. All the best for a creative month of April. 🙂