Motivation, Passion and Following Your Dream.

Follow Your Dream

A friend introduced me to the television show The Voice.  Have you seen this program?  Ok, ok, it's another reality show and I do not typically watch this type of program, actually I watch very little TV, but I must admit I am hooked.   So last night, as I was doing the fast forward thing through the advertisements,  I started to think about what it is that has captured my attention.  Why am I watching this show?

This is the beginning of the season, the show has progressed through the Blind Auditions and is now into a phase called The Battles.  The contestants have been selected and are beginning to be eliminated. During audition phase they all said over and over that they want to move their career forward and believe the coaching they will receive if selected for the program will help them do this.   They believe they have the talent to rocket to stardom.  And most seem to.  

So what has captured my attention besides the fact that the singing is darn good and I love to see how they present themselves:  It's their desire to follow their dream, their belief in themselves, their willingness to act on their desires and dreams.  They have a passion for what they do and they are pursuing that passion.  These people are motivated, they are working hard to get what they want.  They have made sacrifices, have run into obstacles, but they pick themselves up and go after it again.  Not only do they have motivation, passion and desire to follow their dream, but they act on these feelings.  They are doing something to reach that dream.

  

We could all take a lesson from these contestants. What is it that motivates you, what are you passionate about?   What is your dream?  Are you doing something about it?  Are you working towards achieving your dream?  We have all heard that famous phrase, Just Do It, repeatedly.  It's oh so true.   Do something about your dream.  Make something happen.

So it is back to the easel for me where I pursue my passion for creating.  It's where I spend hours, lost in the process.  But it doesn't end with the creating.  That is the beginning.  There is much more to do, additional hours at the desk, working on the computer, visiting galleries, meeting people.  It's all part of following the dream.

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Inspiring Art.

What Inspires An Artist?

Several paintings by Pamela Hunt Lee

Inspired by Lake Tahoe Rock Formations

Shown at Spirit Gallery in Truckee, CA

Inspiration comes from many many sources.  Walking through an art gallery, reading the lines in a poem, listening to music, taking a walk or a run or a ride or a row or a kayak.

Original Painting by Pamela Hunt Lee

Inspired by White Tank Granite Rock Formations in Joshua Tree National Park

 Now that's my type of inspiration.  The outdoor type.  

Aspen Colors

16 ,x 20

Original Painting by Pamela Hunt Lee

Inspired by Fall Leaves

We look at things every day, from the moment we get up in the morning until we put our head on the pillow at night.  Our surroundings are filled with dramatic landscapes, lakescapes, seascapes, clear blue or cloudy skies, colorful sunsets, boulders, pebbles, trees, sticks, leaves, dainty small to spectacularly large flowers.  There are unusual and amazing things to see and inspire, everywhere around us.

Barrels And Fenceposts

Original Painting by Pamela Hunt Lee

Inspired by Desert Cacti

It's the detail in nature that inspires my work, therefore I create a composition that provides the viewer an intimate moment with the subject.  I want you to see and ponder the detail as well.

Three Birds

36 x 36

Original Painting by Pamela Hunt Lee

Inspired by Bird of Paradise and Hibiscus Flowers

Continuous inspiration fuels my desire to spend time outdoors.

Slabs

48 x 48

Original Painting by Pamela Hunt Lee

Inspired by Lake Tahoe Rock Formations

So while there are many varied sources to inspire an artist, mine is nature.

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99 Bucks

It's That Time Of Year!

Time for 99 Bucks!  Well, it's almost that time, it's just a couple weeks away.  Saturday, April 13 at Hotel Zozo in Palm Springs, 4:30 PM.  Mark you calendars.

These are a few of the hundreds of small canvases that will be available for purchase:



Good things come in small packages!  Each year Artist Council members and their friends solicit artwork on 5" x 7" canvases from celebrities and artists from around the state, the nation and the world.  At the 99 Bucks sale, hundreds of these artworks are displayed and each only costs $99.  The hook: the buyer doesn't know who created the art until he or she owns it.  You never know whose work might be hanging in your home....

It's a great and fun event, attended by throngs (over 1000 art lovers) who all rush into the gallery at once, snapping up original art at this wonderful price.  The energy in the room is incredible.  The money raised by the event goes to the Artists' Council of the Palm Springs Art Museum to further efforts of art education to the residents of the Coachella Valley benefiting youth and adults.

Click HERE to go to the on-line gallery where you see all of the little canvases that will be available at 99 Bucks each.  Hopefully I will see you at Hotel Zozo on April 13 at 4:30 PM.

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Leave Those Electronic Devices Behind.

Take A Vacation.

Yes... A vacation from your electronic devices.  We all love them, and sometimes hate them, but love 'em or hate 'em, they are a part of our lives.  Actually, I really like mine and use them with my work and for play, directions, entertainment...on and on.   But sometimes they are a bit too prevalent in our lives.  

So it was with wild-reckless-abandon that I left my iphone, the greatest tool, personal assistant, crazy little device, in my studio when I left town for a few days.  Would I be able to live without being connected?  It was only going to be four days.  I thought I could survive.

I packed my sketch book and a real honest to goodness paper paged book to read, then headed into Mexico for beach, ocean, friends, good food and a few lively libations.  I spent a great deal of time looking, just looking, mostly at the ocean, but also flowers, palm trees, cacti and other wonderful sights.  If you have read my book, See Where You Are, you know I encourage the ability to actually look and SEE what surrounds you.  (You can click HERE to see, preview and order the book.)

An interesting thing happened....my brain had to entertain itself........ I came up with a completely new and different body of art work to create.  Of course I will still continue to paint flowers, palms, cacti, rocks, and produce, but I am so very excited to begin experimentation with this new idea.  It can't happen soon enough.  All because I left the devices behind.  Another thing I noticed was that it was far more relaxing to be without connectivity.  So...that's it for this week and the blog.  Into the studio for me....music only, no connectivity, no electronic devices for the remainder of the day.  Try it.....step away for a few days.  You might surprise yourself.

To contact me click HERE

To visit my web site click HERE

Daily Paintings.

While Working on a Larger Canvas.

You saw the beginning of this painting last week.  Spending many hours in front of the easel I was able to paint in the boulders above the water and begin the under water portion.

As well as working on the big piece, I entertain myself with small daily paintings too.  Using small canvas boards I can work out composition and palette.   I make myself work quickly with minimal brush strokes, or maybe the use of an unusual color, or use of one brush only.  The painting shown above is 48" x 48", so it requires more time than the little daily works.

Daily Painting

The Back Side

5x7

This daily painting of Caught Rock is actually a boulder formation off the Crystal Bay Point at Lake Tahoe.  In the past I have painted it from the lake looking towards shore.

Daily Painting

The Back Side

3x3

 For these little paintings I am taking the view from shore out towards the lake, and it has become what I call, The Back Side of Caught Rock.  So while working on Slabs, the bigger painting, I am playing with a composition for my next larger painting.  

I was able to complete Slabs just this morning.  A new, blank 48x48 canvas is moving into the studio so Back Side can begin while I wait for four custom canvases to be constructed.  

Did I tell you the installation of the floral painting went so well the customers said, "FABULOUS!" and commissioned four more canvases?  Those are the custom canvases on order.  So for now I am painting Lake Tahoe Boulders, but soon I will be painting cacti and palms again.  

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Final Post About The Floral Painting

It is Complete

Weaver's Birds and Biscus

18 x 62

Signed, sealed and delivery scheduled to take place tomorrow.  I made a very few highlight corrections in the leaves and Bird of Paradise plumes before signing and coating with an acrylic varnish.  Putting on that varnish is always a bit terrifying.  Why?  After all the hours of painting and perfecting the painting I find that application of varnish is tricky.  It is far too easy to end up with bubbles, lint or hairs, and uneven surfacing in and with the varnish.  But all went well.  I think switching to Golden's Acrylic Satin Varnish has made a huge difference.  It is a high quality material and much easier to work with.

Between varnish coats I have been drawing compositions for a new painting as you can see in these pages from my sketch book..

...and I settled on the drawing located bottom left for my newest project.  I am focusing on Lake Tahoe Rocks and water, large slabs of granite seen above and below the surface of the lake.  This is a tight group of boulders with huge amounts of light calling for a completely different palette and large brush strokes which will be a departure from the more refined brush work used in the floral painting.

During last week I was able to progress part way into the work.  It's a good start.  

Last week was also the La Quinta Arts Festival, so I took time to  walk the festival and visit with some of my favorite exhibitors.  Take a look at the web sites for Shelley Evans http://www.spiritkeepers.com/ and Andrew Madvin http://www.axiomglass.com/  They are both talented creators working in different mediums, Shelley with fibers;  Andrew with glass.   Shelley creates incredibly detailed figures she refers to as Spirit Keepers.  They are rich in texture and expression.  Andrew's work is bold and colorful, made up of vessels, wall decoration, and my favorite cairns.  

It was a great week filled with art and more art.  This week promises more of the same with painting time, an artist's lecture, painting installation, and delivery of small canvases for 99 Bucks.  You remember that event from the past few years?  If not, stick around, check back, for I will be talking about it soon.

To contact me click HERE

To visit my web site click HERE

Painting Completion

It is Almost Complete

This past week I began working on the blossom of the Bird of Paradise flowers which I refer to as the bird heads.  Using a slightly different hue of green, combined with Hansa Yellow and Buff Titanium the birds began to come to life.

To create additional depth in this painting, a couple of the bird heads peer over a petal of a hibiscus flower.

After the heads were added, it was time to paint the plumes which, as I mentioned last week, were designed to curl and twist even though the actual flower petals are more rigid in appearance.  This is in an effort to create fantasy and whimsy which is also created with the size and combination of these two very different flowers.

Due to the black under painting, the plumage needed more than one layer of pigment.  The photo above shows the first application.

After the third layer of pigment, using the Buff Titanium, Hansa yellow and Indo Orange Red which was blended and mixed on the canvas to create dimension, the plumes were done.  Raw Sienna and Violet were used to shadow.

After the birds on each side of the canvas came to life, it was time to step back, assess the progress and add shadows. This was accomplished with quick brush strokes of pale violet, used like a glaze.  A very thin application of the pigment.

The canvas has been moved off the easel so I can 'live' with it for a few days to decide if there are high lights or low lights to add.  The next step with be to sign the work, varnish, add the wire and identification on the stretcher bars on the back. Then it is off to its new home in La Quinta, CA.

I have already under painted another canvas to begin a new painting (48" x 48"), so check back to find out what the subject and composition will be.  In the next post I will share that information plus show you the completed Bird Of Paradise and Hibiscus painting.

To contact me click HERE

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