Create Your Deepest Abstract Art- Nancy Hillis MD
Studio Inspiration: The Importance of “Holding Onto Yourself” as an Artist
One of our wonderful artists in The Artist’s Journey courses tells the story of creating wondrous paintings and yet being asked by another artist why she added scribbles to the painting. The implication being that the scribbles bothered the inquiring artist.
Our fellow journeyer also recalls being asked by a gallerist to remove some smudges in her works.
Her answer to both: “Because it creates interest”.
Bingo!
The important concept of authorship
As an artist and creator of abstract art, it’s important to remember that you are the author, artist and composer of your work…
Not the collector.
Not your best friend.
Not the gallerist.
This is not painting by committee.
This is not about pleasing others.
This is about your own expression
We want to see YOU in your art, not someone else’s idea of what you “should” or shouldn’t do or be.
At times you may feel lonely and lost because there are no absolute answers on your journey to expressing yourself. There’s no map, formula or recipe for creating your deepest and most authentic art.
Indeed, you’re stepping into the terra incognito, the unknown territory, every time you create.
And this is scary. This is threatening. This is vulnerable.
Don’t look for answers outside of yourself. You won’t find them there.
Look Inside
The answers that are your answers can only be found inside of you.
Keep searching and finding your way as you paint.
Keep exploring and experimenting.
Keep allowing space for “ugly” paintings.
You never know when an “ugly” painting may actually be the nascent form of emerging work trying to be born that will ultimately knock your socks off!
In the end it’s about holding onto yourself in your art
It’s about digging down deep and finding YOU.
Your work isn’t contingent upon what others think. It’s not about extrinsic validation.
You weren’t born into your life and your vision only to relinquish it to the pleasures or whims of others.
You were born to be yourself.
And your art is an expression of you…of what you love, feel, notice…and of what you want to experiment with and explore.
Not everyone is going to love your paintings.
The question is: Do you love your own exploration in your art?
I’m reminded of a story of a child being asked why she did something.
The question was framed as: Why are you doing that?
The child looked quizzically at the questioner as if to say: Are you kidding me?
The child finally answers: “Because I want to”.
I sit at the feet of babies and children, our greatest teachers.
Will you allow yourself to deeply explore and experiment and create what’s inside of YOU?
Will you step into the perils of creating and go ahead anyway?
Will you take big risks and let yourself create exploratory works, some of which you love and others that you don’t like at all?
Will you express your truth in your art?
This is the journey we’re on. It’s paradoxically vulnerable and perilous and yet wondrous and meaningful.
Thank you. I’m blessed and honored to be here with you on this journey into abstract art.
From my studio to yours,
Nancy
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Such and interesting summary. Too close to the bone for comfort for me.
I see that all the books are on Kindle. I do not have one so sadly cannot purchase the book.
I notice that it is advertised by Amazon, but they do not deliver to South Africa. We not longer have a post office system.
Thank you anyway.
Hi Liz,
The books can be purchased worldwide on Book Depository. As for the ebooks, (Kindle books) you don’t have to have a Kindle device to read them. You can download it onto your computer or smart phone.
Thanks,
Nancy
Sounds like something I’m very interested in.
Fabulous post filled withe value and meaning. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much Alicia! Delighted to hear it was so meaningful to you.
Warmly,
Nancy
Hi I was looking on my tablet on Pinterest and came across your pin … I find great enjoyment in seeing Abstract Art, paintings mostly…
I find Abstract to be something that I have always wished I had the imagination to try… when I see a painting that I like I can get lots in its shape, colors, and I find myself seeing it in at way that only the person looking at it sees… I’d love to paint but I don’t believe that I have the imagination to do this… This may sound dumb but how do you find ones imagination??? Where do I start? Well thank you for peeking my interest…
Thank you for writing and sharing this. It’s just what I needed to hear right now.
You’re welcome Wendy. Thank you for letting me know that this was meaningful to you.
Wow. Thank you.
You’re welcome Tom! Thank you for your kind words and for writing!
Exactly what I needed.
My Creative Soul thanks you!
Ah…thank you so much Wendy. I’m delighted that it was meaningful to you. Warmly, Nancy
Thank you for writing – says it well!
Thank you Joe!
The definition of ART and how it is created varies from a different person’s perspective. Being an artist is not an easy career to pursue. There are lots of challenges and factors to consider to become successful in this type of profession. Thank you for sharing this helpful information!
Indeed. Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. Warmly, Nancy
Thanks so much for writing!
I have been painting abstract art almost exclusively for about 2 years. I find it so engaging, so deeply difficult and satisfying that I’m not much interested in painting anything else. I have to block out all of the negative voices, from within and from the world. I paint a lot on mixed media paper so I can let go and not stress about the cost of materials. Since I have become ill with a chronic health condition, I am acutely aware of the limited amount of time we get in this life and I want to be “in it” as much as possible. Painting takes me to a world without pain, almost without self-awareness. When it’s working, I’m a free-wheeling 5 year-old. I follow only the Frankenthaler rule:
“There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. That is what invention is about.”
Reading what you wrote gave me goosebumps, Chris. Yes, life is short. There’s a German saying: “It is later than you think”.
Your description of being in the “flow” when you paint transported me to those wondrous moments of creating. Yes, yes, yes to Helen Frankenthaler’s “rule”. Thank you for writing.
I am not sure this is the right place to ask this question, but I don’t know how else to ask…. I sent you an e-mail but it may have gone into Spam.
I signed up for the Library, saw the supply list for the workshop (which I am seriously considering joining, after the first free 7 e-mails/days).
I see from the supply list that this seems to be a workshop for acrylic artists. I paint in oils, on canvas, not on paper. Would this be a workshop for someone like me, as well? Can those recommended brushes be used with oils? Thanks for your clarification.
Hi Bela,
No worries at all. I believe I emailed you already about this but I’ll respond here just in case you didn’t receive it. In my workshops, I use acrylic and mixed media but you can definitely use oils and canvas or any other media you wish. I’ve had artists who work in textiles, batik, watercolor, oil, oil and cold wax, sculpture and ceramics to name some media that come to mind. As for the brushes, yes, you can use them with oils. Thanks for writing.
It is always challenging to work as an abstract artist (In my opinion). And yes, the most important aspect is indeed to hold onto one -self. With all the challenges, the ugly stages, the angst, the often negative comments, still seems a better place to be than following a perfect recipe. And I have to be honest, my beginnings in art were following precise recipes, motifs, and it was fun, and I still teach them, happily, because I remember my beginnings, but this, abstraction, is not about fun, it is about achieving a depth of authenticity, building upon those sacred layers.Thank you Nancy.
Thank you Basia. I was thinking about the topic of composition the other day when I was working on an upcoming art bundle called Intuitive Composition. In my previous life I painted landscapes and figures. I worked with composition as if it were a set of rules. Ultimately, I got bored because though the paintings were beautiful and sold easily, they felt formulaic and predictable. Abstract painting asks us to experiment deeply and allow for some “ugly” paintings…and actually be surprised by what emerges. There’s an interesting dialogue between being aware of compositional principles and considerations and yet not being ruled by them. This is what I’m continuously exploring as a teacher. Thank you for being here Basia. Warmly, Nancy
Since I started this journey, I feel that I have discovered my true self. I’ve returned to the space I occupied as a child. A place of endless curiosity, a place of tranquillity and safety, where I can play to my heart’s content. And, lo, my heart is content and I am creating my best work. I recently posted a large work in process and one person commented, “I used to paint like that when I was a kid!” My initial response to that was that I felt it was a bit of a mean put down, but on reflection, I decided to take it as a compliment and say, “You know what? It’s great that my inner child is alive, well, thriving and has survived all the c**p life has thrown at it over the years”. And that child needs no-one else’s validation. She’s a strong, vital, happy soul. Thank you, Nancy.
What a wonderful thing to re-find the curiosity and self trust that’s been there all along Geraldine. Yes, as children we explored and experimented continuously. Picasso said that at 14 he could paint like Raphael, but it took his whole life to get back to painting like a child. It’s a wondrous thing. I’m so delighted for you dear Geraldine. Thank you for being here and in my life. Warmly, Nancy