4″ square oil on panel. SOLD

The landscape looked perfectly serene, if a bit boring. Nothing like a pop of red to bring a bit of cheer. Thanks little guy.

18″x24″ mixed Media

A little known fact is that, for one year, I had a job as a research assistant to a botanist. During that year I learned many random things…like the definition of the word “glabrous” and that the end of greenbriar vines are edible. They taste a bit like asparagus.

I took a workshop today with two of my four children. They followed instructions, and they made outstanding art. At the end of the day, every single workshop participant and the instructor came up to compliment them on their behavior and art. It was so fun to share part of my world with them.

Work in a series.

A series does two important things: 1. It answers the question of what next, and 2. It stretches you beyond what you normally do.

If you are the cook in your home, you might know what a relief it is when someone in your family says “could you please make your minestrone (or whatever the request may be)?” The work is often not the hardest part, it is deciding what the work will be, that is stops us from doing anything.

Starting a series is simple. Choose a topic and a number. When I came back from Peru I decided to paint 50 pictures from Peru. One summer, at Ghost Ranch, I decided to paint a dozen cactus paintings. I loved it, every time I didn’t HAVE to paint something, for a demo etc, I just painted a cactus. After about 6, I had pretty much done what I set out to do, I had expressed cactus all the ways I could imagine…which brings me to my second reason you should work in a series…I kept painting the final 6 cacti. I got bold, I tried new colors and new strokes. I painted differently. And hands down, the last 6, were the better 6. I grew because I forced myself to. don’t worry if the series seems boring, that is when the magic will start to happen.

What are you waiting for?

Go make some art!

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

You have a grand vision, you can see it in your minds eye…and then reality sets in. Maybe you don’t have what it takes to complete your vision, maybe you don’t have: the time, the skills, or the funds to make your project come to fruition. Ok, if that vision is perfect, don’t let it fight good enough.

A few weeks ago I packed for two days out of town. I was going to be staying on a beautiful ranch with lots of time to plein air paint. I arrived, and realized that scratch in my throat was turning into the cold my son had just gotten over, and those storm clouds became VERY COLD RAIN. I packed everything I needed to plein air paint, I was going to capture rolling hills, black cows, and Post Oak Trees. That was perfect. I am hard core, but I couldn’t muster the energy to go out into the cold rain. Instead I painted some tiny 4″ squares of birds. Drawing birds is easy for me, they are fun to paint.

I was sick for almost two weeks (the longest I can ever remember), and I painted a lot of those little birds. I am better now, and those birds continue to delight me.

“Little Blue” – 4″ square oil on panel

SOLD

That vision you made is in your head, it is t a real enemy. Don’t let it be the enemy of something else you could accomplish. Good is still good after all.

7″x5″ oil on panel

This cardinal reminds me of a young man who has just needed to start shaving. He is red, so no longer a juvenile, but barley so. I love how he looks ready, eager even. That’s how I feel to start a new year, ready!

One thing I have worked hard at in my own art career is building discipline, or a habit to make art. One gift I feel like I can share with the world, is to encourage, inspire, or even impart some very practice how to’s on how to help you make more art. If you, dear reader, follow my blog because you like to look at my art and not make it yourself, try filling in whatever it is you wish you did more of when I talk about art. Let’s make 2019 THE year that you accomplish THAT goal!

Happy New Year!

Hope it is your best yet,

Juliana