Mt Tabor Art Walk

This weekend in Portland was the Mt Tabor Art Walk. Numerous Artists, be they print makers, painters, potters, gardeners, or photographers opened their homes, patios, studios, and gardens for the pure pleasure to enter and enjoy Art! Following the Art Beat Program on Channel 10 last Thursday, this was the perfect opportunity to collect that loved piece of art from an emerging or unrepresented artist. Mila Raphael was working on a piece from the last workshop she attended and had many guests tour her home and studio.
I visited several artists also in Chris Williams neighborhood. I have many more pictures of her garden I will process and post tomorrow. She had a friend selling Porcelain pottery on the Patio around back. I'm signed up to take the garden painting workshop there in July so I explored all the little paths and arches for possible painting compositions. It was a great day.
I noticed many folks walking or taking their bikes from one studio to the next. Perfect weather for an Art Walk. Hope you got a chance to enjoy this great neighborhood. Carrie

Sometimes when Olivia starts painting with me she decides to help me paint on my paper rather than her own. I think it is her desire to get more control of the medium. She's come a long way I think since this early "Collaboration." I enjoy my refrigerator gallery every day. Thanks Liv!

Camp 18 Paint Out

Tomorrow morning a painting trip is scheduled by the Hillsboro Plein Air group to Camp 18. This location is between Elsie, Oregon and Seaside. The forecast is still a little up in the air. Last year we went over in June and spent the weekend in Gearhart for Carolyn R's birthday. I found the painting from last year and thought I could share it with you. I never have framed it, it's still on the hot press watercolor block. Thanks for taking a look. By the way, this is available.

Water Tower at Edgefield

Spent Friday afternoon at Edgefield again but where last Friday there were four other painters, today I was by myself. I liked my start from last week but it was one of those partly sunny days and it was hard to get a handle on the shadows. Today was very bright so I was able to complete my beginning.

Makin' Changes

Just thinking about repainting the last one, larger and a little more carefully. I was not thrilled with color and how paint application got murky without any glow. The darks on the left side went flat so I have been playing with the color and value in Photoshop. This was one possibility -
I think there is a very subtle attraction for these high keyed neutral grays and lavender.
Then I pushed the color way way cool and darker. With more color on the front table, more possibility for contrast. Fun to speculate; lots of choices! You have any preferences?

Workshop Painting

I did this painting last month in the Salminen workshop at Cannon Beach. We had done the abstract project for the first three days and the last day and a half we were to work in our usual (more realistic) style but use the ideas from the beginning of the week. I had the painting drawn on the paper Friday morning and had even started painting when J.Salminen did his demonstration on reflections. The process is described in detail in his second video, Urban Landscape in Watercolor. As you can see, as a result of that demo on tail light reflections, I was able to transfer some of what he did to my table top reflections. You never know what, when, or how you are going to use information from workshops. This was immediately gratifying.

The Top 10 Secrets of Creatively Successful Women

I'm not sure how I acquired this list or who to give credit. I found it stuck to an old phone list from a long ago dismantled critique group in Hillsboro.

1. Creativity takes time and silent space.

Each of us who have creative talents needs to stake out some quiet time regularly. You can schedule time daily or a couple of days a week. This needs to be an appoitment and commitment you keep with yourself.

2. There are cycles of creativity

Just as there a seasons in a year and cycles in preparing, planting, nurturing, waiting and harvesting - there are creative cycles. We are not always in the harvesting phase. We go through dormant cycles of winter that feel as though nothing is happening. When we honor this, we complete the cycle and move into the planting and harvesting phases.

3. Select mentors, friends and dream partners wisely.

I will paraphrase Helen Gurley Brown's quote, "Don't expect anyone to be happy for your success. If you have a loved one and a few friends who are happy for you, count yourself lucky." Other people can stop your project or idea before you ever get to work on it. So, carefully select who you invite to be on your creative team. Yes still be friends with lots of people. when it comes to working creatively, choose like minds and train them to be honest, yet unconditionally constructive.

4. Commit to yourself.

Many women feel guilty when they take the time to engage in their projects. It may mean having a messy house, not over committing , and just saying no. In one study of women and creativity the biggest fear was the fear of lost and weakend relationships. We still need to be connected. This may mean asking friends, lovers and children about staying connected and nurtured during this process.

5. Set strong boundaries.

"I say no to many things, so I may say yes to what gives me life." paraphrased from Oprah Winfrey - We need strong boundaries so that we have energy and the time for our creations.

6. Work from our strengths. Self explanatory

7. Make friends with fear. Don't let fear stop you from doing what you want.

8. Stop criticizing yourself. Turn off the disatisfyed little voice chirping in your ear.

9. Get over perfectionism. It stifles creativity

10. Play have fun, feel joyful, get in the flow. Embrace your inner child on these occasions.

Who is that "Tiny Head"

I thought by showing you a picture of my Niece, Amanda and my great niece, Olivia that would explain my little avatar.(Now retired) On Wet Canvas they call them "Tiny Heads." Olivia moved to Portland before her second birthday and now she is finally four. She has turned out to be my little painting buddy. Just for a generation map I have added an old photo of Amanda's mom sitting between my mothers legs. So now you have four generations in one post!

First Post For my new Blog

I've had a few friends ask me when I was going to write a blog. Well, now's the time. I was going to give it a name like,"Now's the Time" or "In My Own Sweet Time" but I let too much time go by and someone already grabbed those lovely timely ideas. Luckily, no one had taken my name so here it is...Blog title," Carrie Holst." I think I shall hope for great things to share here with you. Thanks for stopping by.
Carrie