8/27/2021 9:04:43 PM
There are differing opinions about the body's rhythms and the creative process. Bouts of creative activities might be easier to undertake just after waking as this is the time of day when the prefrontal cortex is most active. A scientific study of brain circuits confirmed that this creative activity is highest during and immediately after sleep, while the analytical parts of the brain become more active as the day goes on. The study looked at morning and evening MRI scans and observed that mornings showed more connections in the brain—a key element to the creative process.
I try to paint as much as possible during the morning. I also tend to paint in the evening. Do I feel a difference between the two period? Not much except for an easier ability to concentrate in the morning.
Here is where I'm at with my latest painting. There are still some adjustments to be made to the crystal items, but I need to finish the surface, cherries and black background first.
This painting should be completed in the coming days. I need to find a block of uninterrupted time when the cats are napping to paint the black background. You'll be able to see it on my website shortly after it is finished which I hope is early next week.
Painting cut crystal in the past days has really put me in the mood for my "Images of Old - Cut Crystal" 6-week class starting on September 9th for the Kanata Art Club. I look forward to painting more crystal. During this class, we'll start from the very basic.
I'm also tempted to start another painting of mixed objects similar to the painting above.
The next month promises to be very busy with three different classes and two exhibitions. I'm excited to tell you that I'll be participating in a pop-up exhibit with a few friend artists at the St Laurent Shopping Centre, Ottawa in the Spotlight store from September 22 to the 26th.
Before that, you can find me at Wall Candy Expo which is being held at the Wesley Clover Park on September 11 and 12 from 10am to 4pm. This is an excellent location to social distance as the booths are far apart. In addition, admission is free and parking is free!
I hope to see you either in an upcoming class or at one of the two exhibitions.
Have a wonderful week,
Danielle
8/22/2021 7:51:59 AM
Recently I was chatting with an artist friend about which path we want to take our watercolours. We each had clarity with what we want to focus on. What a great feeling.
Although I've dabbled with loose style and want to get better at it, an extensive exploration of this style will not be in my near future. I feel that there is much more that I can learn about texture, still life, etc. all painted in a realist manner. Looking back, I see that I've made some progress every year along this path and this motivates me to see where this path will lead me.
I consider myself very fortunate to have this watercolorist friend. We truly support and understand each other even if we are on different paths. We share one common aspect, we each want to keep learning, evolving and improving our respective artworks.
I'm fortunate to have a few good artist friends.
Following a number of small artworks and taking a number of reference photos for my upcoming class in crystal, I am motivated to paint a larger painting (about 26" X 20") of various crystal items and a tea pot that I have. This is certainly the most ambitious painting that I have undertaken to date. As you can see, I'm in the early stages.
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| WIP - Title TBD |
Here is my most recent small painting.
Luckily, I have enough paintings of various sizes for the upcoming Wall Candy Expo coming up in a few weeks. I hope that you will come and visit. The layout of the booths will guarantee social distancing.
If anyone is looking for barely used affordable frames, please check out my adds on Facebook Marketplace.
Have a great week,
Danielle
8/15/2021 7:43:39 AM
Many discovered the significant advantages of adult online learning during the pandemic. In particular, online learning helped reach a greater number of learners from diverse areas. One of the advantage is that online learning tends to be inclusive.
However, now that the COVID numbers are down in the Ottawa area and people are socializing more, it appears that the popularity of online watercolour learning has decreased. I'd appreciate hearing from those who have taken online watercolour workshops if they think they will return to it in the future.
This past week, I continued to paint some small paintings to be mounted on wall panels. This last one was painted with the colour sepia. It was a great exercise in values. I'm calling this one "Is it haunted?"
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| "Is it haunted?" - 12" X 10 |
I love old barns. Do they call to you as they do to me? I've even wished to have a studio in an old barn.
I know that I’m not the only one who feels like I do about barns, otherwise there wouldn’t be calendars and books about them. So what exactly is it, why do we love old barns?
I believe that this attraction is similar to my love of antiques. They make us feel closer to our roots and remnants of a by-gone era.
Have a great week,
Danielle
8/8/2021 8:35:43 AM
It's interesting to see how many artists I know that are also good photographers. While the locations are their inspirations, their ability to crop and manipulate photos is vital. Similar to artists, photographers often have to get out in the field to trigger inspiration. Most artists store numerous photos that they have taken but yet get inspired to paint the most recent photographs taken.
Artists, like photographers likely walk slowly in nature to be able to explore the many angles. For those painting still life, artists take photos from all angles. They are likely both believers that there's not such thing as too many reference photos.
This week, I'm one step closer towards disclosing the dates and location of the pop-up show that I'm planning. This also means that I'll be able to schedule my next workshop. For the month of September, I won't be able to offer 4 consecutive weekends as last season. October should be a different situation. Check out my website for workshops that will be posted later today or tomorrow.
This past week, I started painting a full sheet painting. A quarter into the painting, I had to abort. The still life was not coming together. I then cut the sheet in half and painted another iris. With exhibit opportunities coming up, I need to have small artworks available. Here is my latest iris.
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| Bearded Iris #2 - 12" X 12" |
Now I'm off to paint another small painting, then another, then another...
Have a great week
Danielle
8/1/2021 8:12:55 AM
I'm thankful that I didn't teach these past weeks. Getting the garden ready for my son's wedding was a full time job. The garden has never looked so beautiful. Now that the wedding is behind me it's time to start planning what I'll be up to in the Fall. Here is something special that I painted for the wedding. It's about 4 feet wide.
The fall is lining up to be a busy season for my watercolours. I'm already scheduled to teach for the Kanata Art Club. The subject of that 6-week class will be cut crystal. During this class I want to focus on the last touches to finishing a painting to bring it to the next level. Registration opens on August 9th for classes that start on September 9th. https://kac1.ca/club-activities/online-classes/danielle-beaulieu-2.
I'll be teaching again for Art for Affect. During the next workshop that will be at the end of September, we'll paint some macarons. This workshop should be posted within a few weeks. This week I'll be painting the demo.
I'll also be teaching a 2-week or 4-week workshop starting in September. The topic will be florals. The dates will be shared in a newsletter as soon as I work out my entire schedule.
In addition to teaching, I'll be participating in the Wall Candy 2021 Exhibition that will be held on Sept. 11th and 12th at Wesley Clover Park (401 Corkstown Road, Ottawa) - https://www.wallcandyartexpo.com/ . I hope that you will drop by.
I'm also considering a pop up exhibition either in September or October in Ottawa. As soon as I consult and decide on this, I'll schedule the floral workshop.
In the meantime, here are four irises that I painted recently. Each will be mounted on a 12" X 12" wall panel and will be on exhibit at Wall Candy Expo.
Have a great week
Danielle
