The month of love.

        

Hello sweets! It´s been a while I know, I miss you and I am back to share the news!

I´ve grown so much since I first started this blog, 15 years now!  At the beginning I didn´t know much about blogging and I know I still have a lot to learn but it´s been fun and very interesting to me and I thank you for being part of this journey, I will always be grateful to you!

What´s new?

My studio is smaller so I had to learn to be practical and focused on what I really wanted to do and being in a small place helped me because I can´t have a bunch of stuff I don´t use just waiting there, so I cleaned up a lot of my art supplies. 

New paintings!

Yes! I´ve been absorbed by creating, but what is new right? this time I wanted to try new things, dare a bit more, loosen  a lot more and experiment and have fun at the same time.  At the beginning of the year I had that clear in my mind but not the how, so I just kept painting, doing and trying, that´s been my path, my way, my school but somehow I feel more comfortable now.  That doesn´t mean that I don´t struggle anymore, it´s just different.

                

          

                

Sometimes you aren´t clear about what you are looking for, specially when it´s about creating.

That`s how it is supposed to be!  Yes, you are walking a new path and something that hasn´t been created yet is taking shape, go there with all you have.

Trust

Use patience 

Experiment

Play

Enjoy

To me, art is a playground, a wonderful tool to expand, nurture my soul and grow.  I apply what I learn in my art in other areas of my life but everything has it´s time and it´s own process so it is important to be patient. Our society is in a rush, we are currently living as if there is not enough time, food and supplies!  Please notice how you have implemented that same feeling in your life and take a step back and breath!  We´ll get were we want one painting at a time and never let anyone tell you you should be there already, specially your self!  We are our greatest critics and pushers, at least I am, I want to be painting the things I see in my mind but now I know it´s a life time process and I am happy with it, it means you get to keep learning forever and trying new things all the time, how boring would life be if we wouldn´t be able to do this! Agree?

            

                   

               

I hope this is inspiring, soon will share more news, if you haven´t yet listened to my music you can take a peek here, soon my new album will be released, that´s what I´ve been doing all this time too, music is the part of me many haven´t yet seen but I am slowly changing that. So much to do, so much to enjoy, so much to love in this lifetime, grateful.

                   

People say 

there is a month of love 

but I wouldn´t survive a day without it,

I can´t find a day without it,

there are morning notes

 feathers and awakenings,

there are fireflies and stars

travels in sleep,

there is joy in the rainbow 

and laughter in children,

so much to breath, 

so much to be.

To be,

consciously conscious,

growing to get there,

to impersonal,

reach the truth beneath

find the real.

Blessings!

Finding time to make occasional art or making a decision to be an artist

Making art is a decision, one does not "find" time to make it, one has to MAKE the time to make it and this means that you care a lot about how you are living your life and that you care about the things you love or enrich your life, after all, we have to live a life that is fulfilling!

I came to realize that no one will ever come to my life and make room for the things I want on it, I have to create the space and environment for them, to me, it is making art, learning and growing my skills to a position were I can create with ease and being able to share with my students to help them achieve the same and so I made my decision to choose art as my path and to have art in my life forever, it took me a while to make it my top on the list decision and some doubts arised as I had other paths to choose from but then my desire to enjoy more time arting and crafting and sharing with artsy friends had become my life, one that I love and enjoy beyond my belief and this helps me keep going and knowing I've chosen well!  Let's say that my inner artist was the sleeping beauty in my tale, (doubts, fears, the ignorance of knowing my self, laziness, wanting other paths), until one day, my decision, (the prince), came to rescue me and so they are now living the ever happy life!

But it is all because making decisions doesn't come easy, a feeling of being close to letting go the real deal over a failure arises and floats somewere inside you and it may stay there over months even years as a tiny voice on the back of your mind until one day you finally allow your inner voice to be heard and find the strength to finally do something about it. This is what I call making a dicision!  Now, I know it's scarry and takes a lot of courage to embrace your chosen path but there is no other way to get there.  

So when you find your brave self planning to make big decisions, first take the most important things for you an make a gide list and write it down, writing makes it all easy to see from a distance and your notebook helps you to see better and feel better, write the no nos of the situation as well and ask this kind of questions:

Is it something that comes from your heart?

Is it something that will make you feel good about your self?

Doing it means you respect and honor your dreams and spirit?

Are you wiling to do the effort to get there.

Can you picture your self happy doing it now as well as in the future?

Are the pros higher than the cons?

Does this reflects who you are or who you want to be?

Is it honest?

Is it challenging but exciting?

Does this makes you feel more alive?

Are you doing it only for the money that envolves or there are other

gratifications that are important to you?

Are you looking for a life style that suits your personality and this is the one?

Is it scarry but it is an honorable path for you?

Then it probably is your call!  I know there is a lot more in this topic but I am sure that this questions can help, just take the time to consider them and make a good research about your chosen path and see if it appeals to you, I know there will be things we don't like along the way but if you are willing to overcome them because of the benefits are greater, then you are close to living your true life and I believe there is no grater path for the soul!

People have told me that I shouldn't dare to say such things like "get your self to make more art and be happy!", that they have to be serious and work for a living!  Believe me, I totally understand!  I too, have a life and so I have to make a living too, it's not that I'm rich or super famous, or that I have a wealthy family to stop working and dedicate my life to "just paint" but I have made and still am making a huge effort to make art my way of earning my everyday bread because I made the decision of it and I    continuously push my self to keep going!

As some of you know I had a few online courses and now I am teaching live at my studio, I keep learning and studying, I strongly believe that being a good student helps on being a good teacher and now, teaching live is even more helpful for I learn a lot about how each one understands and how I can help them better to reach their goal and this will improve my teaching skills even more, being a teacher is not something I planned, it has become to be a natural part of my life due to the fact that I love others finding joy making art as I do, I love artsy friends and it's a great way to keep making art and make a living with art. I know some of you are anxiously waiting to join my new courses and I promise they will be great, I am working hard to do so.

Just to be clear, being an artist is not being a child playing with art tools, (some parts of it), but it takes a lot of work, some that you may even ever actually see, practicing, learning, being frustrated, thinking about new ideas, buying art supplies that are sold only in other countries like from the us and having to pay a lot more for the shipping costs which are very expensive already and making it all very easy and clear for you when I share in the classes, I hope you understand that we artists are also working for a living as anyone else, it only appears that we aren't because we enjoy it a lot!  I also have some freebies here on my blog for you, I love to share and I hope you enjoy them! Hopefully over time this blog is a great source of inspiration for many but it takes time, money and passion to keep on building it! Hey guys, it's only one person behind all this!  I am the student, the teacher, the planner, the film taper, the editor, the seller, the host and the list goes on and on and I love doing it but  I had to let it all out and share this so you could have a better perspective of who I am and what I do and hopefully you can understand better.

Thank you for reading, for understanding and for being a friend, thank you for your support and comments, for sharing my work and spreading the voice, thank you for have taken my courses, thank you for sharing this art journey and hopefully we continue sharing even more and grater things!  I love you!

Now I leave you with some inspirational photos!

WIP, oil on canvas about a study of a painting of William Turner, his work wasn't following the current style of the artists at his time, (1775-1851) (and of course because of this he became a great artist and his work is highly appreciated now!) a Brittish romantic landscape painter known as the painter of light, his work is regarded as a romantic preface to impressionism and considered as abstract, also a watercolorist and printmaker, I have been introduced to his work by my teacher and this year there is a movie about him to be released in October "Mr. Turner"  Watch the director's interview here... http://youtu.be/OnMgmzH1koQ  this painting is based on his work "Yatch approaching the coast"  I am told tha he used to attach him self to the yachts to experience what is to be traveling and surfacing the waves and he used to paint being there!  OMG! That is passion! I've learned a lot from it!

Now go make the time and space in your life for creating what's important for you and make the best of it!  After all, we all live once!

Works in progress, sketches & life

Pencil drawing is so friendly, it`s easy, cheap and you can

learn a lot by doing it a lot! Practicing is always part of the

artist life and it`s amazing how much you keep learning,

understanding things you used to strugle with makes a total

difference and makes me enjoy this even more!

Keeping a record of your drawings will make you amazed when

you go back to them and it helps to really see how much

you`ve gotten better.

I am practicing again full body shapes,

with different posses, I am walking to new areas, it`s

challenging and takes me out of my comfort zone but it`s the 

only way to learn and improve, at least, the one way I know! 

If you know different, please share!  I have collected a few online

 tutorials on my pinterest wall of art tutorials if you feel like 

practicing too!

I love ice cream, this one is of soursop,

Guanábana in spanish and it`s covered with chocolate and 

little pieces of pecans! Wow, just a delight! The weather is

just my favorite now, warm but lovely!  My brother had one of 

coconout and his doing his little happy dance in this photo!

This was all in Coyoacan, Mexico city!

I am practicing drawing hands these days, it`s been a long time since

I decided to draw them better and slowly they are starting to look decent!

Still a long way to go here!  It`s amazing how much one has to learn in

just one field like drawing or painting!  Another thing that makes me think,

is how much one learns about your own self when learning to draw, now 

I know more about my hands than before laerning to draw them!

Can you believe it?

Life is awesome, I never get tired of saying it, I learn everyday,

little things, simple things, important things, this field of awesomeness

were the soul is learning about it self, it`s something magical, my 

heart is filled with gratitud when I am able to be aware of this!

Enjoy Life!

One day at a time...

I`ve been practicing a lot, I want to be able to grow my art skills even more,

the only way is to go a head and do it, practice and learn, sometimes I surprise 

my self with magical touches, some others I wish I had undo like in photoshop!

Having a goal keeps me going, other wise it would be tiring and frustrating, my wish

has always been to be able to paint what I can see on my mind, sometimes just ideas

but usually better in my mind that when put in the action but more and more, with

each day of practice, I come a little closer so that is my motivation!  In the mean time

I use what I have, what I know and I am happy with it!

This is the first page of the bamboo watercolor papers, I showed you in the

last post and let me tell you the pages are simply fabulous!

"Mirror" 

Mixed Media on a 11 x 14 acid free mixed media paper

I`ve also been using the XL Canson mixed media pages like this to paint 

over the desk easel and they are fabulous, they hold a lot of abuse, 

I love them!

Each day is a step into a better self, 

each day a new realization of how I´m blessed,

each day is reaching higher, 

each day is finding happiness,

going forward, 

going to self, 

going farther 

out of the shelve,

growing stronger,

growing together,

growing pure,

growing forever...

"Shine"

Mixed Media 13 x 10. 5 inches watercolor paper

this was an experiment, one that I want to repeat!

"Fruiting"

Mixed Media on a 11 x 14 acid free mixed media paper,

I have been thinking about circles and more circles and so I gave this a try to

let it out, I like how my abstracts are taking shape, little by little coming out of the 

corners of my soul, this is called fruiting because I used a fruit photo as reference!

I have been painting over cardboard, thanks to Misty 

in my current class, I love it and it`s

super easy to find around the house, I love to recycle all

 kinds of them and now I always have 

a few ready to go for when inspiration strikes, 

I really recommend you try it!!

love the path 

for the path 

is who you are...