12/25/2021 8:45:26 PM
A myriad of digital experiences in the form of webinars, live streams, workshops, and online summits has provided golden opportunities to artists from across the world who want to create and learn while finding connection and reducing distance.
Online classes have also allowed me find purpose in helping others. I can't describe the pleasures that I've experienced in seeing numerous budding artists grow in my classes. In the past year, I started teaching 6-week classes for the Kanata Art Club. These have allowed me to plan the progression necessary to allow participants to learn the building blocks necessary for some subjects that are deemed complicated such as crystal and silver. Starting in January, I'll be teaching how to paint different fabrics and apply different colour theories.
In addition to making an impact by teaching, I feel that my own artworks have benefitted. Teaching has forced me to have a heightened sense of observation in order to "translate" photos and techniques to class participants. This increased sense of observation has been used on my own paintings.
Here is my latest painting. This cat belongs to my daughter-in-law and this painting was part of her Christmas gifts.
Here is the reference photo that I used. Do you see a resemblance?
It is likely that I'll be teaching a class on painting animals sometime in the new year. For now, I'm off to prepare my class on colourful fabrics.
With regard to my workshops, I still have to come up with ideas for the new year. There is one planned for a gorgeous teacup and blueberries. Who knows what will be next. I hope that you are a subscriber to my newsletter to be one of the first to find out about my new workshops and classes.
I am very grateful for this community of readers. Sharing my art and stories is an absolute joy and I will continue sharing in the new year. Wishing you all the best wishes for a bright New Year.
Warm Regards,
Danielle
12/18/2021 9:17:17 PM
Today I stumbled on a Ted Talk with Kirby Ferguson. He claims that everything is a remix and that there is nothing truly new. Essentially creativity isn't about making something new, but copying, transforming, and combining what's already out there.
A number of people believe this intuitive notion of creativity, of this brilliant genius who creates something totally new and wows everybody. If you listen to this Ted Talk, you may conclude that everything is a remix and that people always have influences and are putting things together that existed before in new ways. So, what is creativity?
If you subscribe to the idea of the remix as a way to produce things, should we begin to worry that what we produce as a culture is not innovating things so much as recycling old things. Is that something that we should worry about? Should we avoid this? Or can we avoid this?
I will leave you with these thoughts.
Here are my latest paintings. This is the last demo to participants of my class "Life is a bowl of fruit".
Here are a number of small ones that are either at Da Artisti Gallery or are at the Wall Candy Fine Art Pop up in Carlingwood mall. BTW, this is the last day for this pop up.
Have a great week,
Danielle
12/12/2021 6:57:01 AM
Having ideas and putting them out there takes guts. Exploring new ideas and stretching ourselves may feel natural at times and other times it feels counter-intuitive.
Do you trust your guts? For the most part I trust my six sense. This feeling of deeper wisdom has always served me well. When I was working as a public servants, I felt like the odd ball at times because I just "knew" how to approach things and most of the times I was right. I did not fit the regular "profile' for a Director". Senior management who learned to trust me also recognized this "gift". I didn't always know why things should be approached in certain ways but then I could always position it to make sense.
As an artist, I also trust my six sense in how I approach a painting, how I take reference photos and a number of other things such as selecting topics to paint which is probably one of the most important "gut" decisions.
The gut is not an irrational part of ourselves, nor is listening to it necessarily an irrational act, ignoring all reason, but it might just be pre-rational.
Here is a painting that I'm working on. This one took an odd turn when I painted peeled paint as the background. Yup, what was I thinking of? Luckily for dark backgrounds to cover it up.
This is where I'm at with my last demo for my class with Kanata Art Club. I'll be finishing this painting in the coming days.
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| WIP - 21" X 17" |
Speaking of Kanata Art Club, there are only a few spots left of my upcoming class on colourful fabrics.
Have a great week
Danielle
12/5/2021 9:49:06 AM
Since my last concussion, I've spent countless hours learning from e-books and more recently online watercolour classes or even podcasts. The joy in learning something new feels fantastic. My current classes with Angus McEwan are very stimulating and I'm loving learning from him.
It’s a great moment when you touch on something you’d never heard before, that changes the way you think about the world and makes you look at everything from a different perspective. I’ve been strangely surprised by my thirst for knowledge. Why didn’t I feel this way in school?
Here is my progress painting for my class with Angus McEwan
I can't wait to see this painting finished. I feel like I can spend another 10 hours on this.
Don't forget to check out my two
new classes offered in the new year. During the colourful fabric class we'll learn much about colours. The teacup class will allow you to learn to paint blueberries and the loveliest little tea cup.
And if you're in the vicinity of Cumberland, ON, you must stop by
Da Artisti Gallery to see the Minis exhibit. I also have quite a few small artworks that would make great gifts at the Wall Candy Fine Art Pop Up in Carlingwood mall.
Have a great day
Danielle
