H is for "Highly Realistic" (or maybe hope)

I created this image with the Oil tools and brushes in Art Rage.

After downloading and playing with the free Art Rage Oils app, I invested $4.99 to purchase the full program. This is clearly the premier painting program available for Android users, described as "natural painting software." In my opinion, it totally lives up to its promise of "highly realistic" painting tools.

To create this sunset (sunrise?), I played with various brush choices and of course, colors. I loved the way this tool allows me to blend colors, choose hues and tints within the color menu, highlight parts with thin and delicate overlays, scratch through the paint with a thin brush, and all in all - have a very satisfying and higlly realistic painting experience.

Just what I needed on this horrific election day - here's hoping for a happy outcome - for all of us.

U is for Unafraid to Fail

" Creativity is something we can all improve at... it is about daring to learn from our mistakes"   James Dyson

I found an interesting article online the other day and I knew it was just right for U day. I will let the article speak for me today.


I have included this painting of a New Mexico sunset to remind ourselves to look UP, even when the challenge seems doomed to fail.

How creativity is helped by failure

A design college in the United States has just started a new exhibition about creativity, which will run till January. It is called "Permission to Fail". The curator asked a group of 50 prestigious designers and illustrators to send in their mess-ups, rough drafts and preliminary sketches so that they could be put on display.
Now, this may seem like an odd thing to do. Most exhibitions are all about the finished product, the pristine new car design, perhaps, or the flawless painting. But the college, called Mount Ida in Massachusetts, wanted its students to engage not with the finished article, but what happened beforehand. They wanted to reach into the true characteristics of how creativity happens.

Read on ...

S is for Sunset

Yesterday was about making it rain. And boy it did!  I hated driving home in the dark and torrential downpour. So, today I want sun.

I spent last winter traveling to warm places (and can't wait to leave again.) As I have written before, almost every evening was an opportunity to capture a sunset with my camera. When I got home, some of the images called out to be painted.

 This painting is one of my favorites because it captures both the light and the dark (and a place I long to be again.)

Acrylic on canvas - 12"x24".

X is for Expect the best

 

As a teacher, especially of seniors, I am constantly hearing variations on the theme of "I'm no artist." Students come to class expecting to fail. I love the moments when they are surprised, even amazed, when their work seems good to themselves.

My attitude is not so different, except I expect the worst of weather when traveling to the Oregon Coast.

This day had been rainy and windy and kind of nasty - til sunset when the clouds parted and all of the beautiful light and color appeared. This is a photo of a beautiful summer evening. The beauty of the evening all the more special because is was so unexpected.