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| "Wildflowers", acrylic on 20" x 16" canvas. |
When I paint, I must leave myself behind. Only then will I be fully present.
And I must humbly welcome the muse each time I paint. (I could feel her guiding me during the painting of this one.) I cannot take her prisoner or she will inevitably escape.
That is all I know.
Thank you to Celeste Bergin and Belinda del Pesco, who both introduced me through their blogs to The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, an indispensable read for any artist.
And here is a shadow shot, for Shadow Shot Sunday:
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Congrats, Dan!!! What a beautiful work and a wonderful post. So happy for you! Go, go, Dan!!!!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, Sadami
Thank you Sadami for this enthusiastic and happy comment! With many exclamation points too! A wonderful welcome back, thank you.
DeleteBeautiful work :)
ReplyDeleteinteresting shot ...
Thanks Claire. For the shadow shot I had to crop it to get rid of the feet - lol.
DeleteAbsolutely love your wildflowers.
ReplyDeleteI have never been able to paint flowers. Ever. And I've tried. The secret, it seems, is just to go all wooly and abstract, and voila! Glad you love 'em. :)
DeleteNice painting! And so nice to "see" you again!
ReplyDeleteThanks Vicki, nice to see you too - thanks for visiting.
DeleteHey Dan ! I missed you. This painting is a knock out and your words are words to remember. It's true, let the muse take over and you will soar. You did and you did.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I have visited your blog fairly often. Can't ever get myself to comment with a cell phone because the posts always warrant more. Love how you are building up your foundation of knowledge for portraiture. This painting is something like the complex outdoor brush scenes you have done. Thanks!
DeleteWow Dan… this one is fabulous, I'm so glad to see Dan again… and sharing your art and your wise insights. Don't stay away so long please your fans miss you.
ReplyDeleteCaptain you are always here for me. Such a wonderful welcome back, I'm going to do my darnedest to stay around. Thanks!
DeleteIt's GORGEOUS! I just love it. The colors, the wildness, the freedom.
ReplyDeleteYour photograph is nice too- you always nail the composition.
Welcome back! You have been missed.
Paint on!
It was as though I was a wild stallion and the muse was racing me through the fields like a cowboy! Can't explain. Tried to do it a week or so later and made a mess, lol.
DeleteMiss you all too. Paint on!
I'm a bit out of touch myself (on chemotherapy but it's my week off...yay. Back on on Friday...boo!).
ReplyDeleteYour Wildflowers painting is superb...beautiful.
Stew.
Aye, Stew. When I hear what you have to go through, I feel that what I have keeping me away is so little. Thanks for hanging in there, the world is a far better place with you in it. Keep fighting the good fight. (and more positive aphorisms - lol - but I mean all of it, truly).
DeleteThank you.
Dan, I'm thrilled. The journey into abstraction is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteAnd Melissa - it is so much like what you do all of the time! Thanks!
Deletelove it. i like abstract, but can't seem to "free" myself to do it!
ReplyDeleteI had to leave my brain in the other room and look for the balance of colors and shapes. Glad you like it!
DeleteYour posts are always worth visiting. I agree that The War of Art is essential reading. Keep on, Dan.
ReplyDeleteThanks Virginia. See my comment below to Celeste about The War of Art. As for keeping on, I'm trying, I'm trying.. :)
DeleteDan, this one is a real stunner - really and truly, something I would LOVE to have on my wall. An absolute joy to look at. Worth the wait - though we missed you!
ReplyDeleteJane
Stunner! Love words like that! Thanks! So I was just going abstract this time, and it ended up looking so "flower like" that I gave it to my mother. She loves flowers and I can never paint them if I actually think about it! lol. Thanks for missing me. Missed all of you too.
DeleteNice to see a new painting and your walk on the wild side, very expressive! Great work Dan.
ReplyDeleteWild eh? And I'm usually so sedate. I was in the muse's power, that is all. Tapped into something wonderful. Thanks!
DeleteWelcome back! I love your wildflowers...very beautiful! Isn't Steven Pressfield great? yay!
ReplyDeleteGood to be back with all of the wonderful welcomes. Great book, isn't it? And the other day, I heard Roseanne Cash on one of my podcasts talking about it (of course she actually knows him and calls him "Steve" I think, lol. It works for all of the arts. Great recommendation - thanks so much! Yay!
DeleteWonderful design of sharp and soft shadows in your photo. And the colours in your painting are exhilarating.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gemma - I was pleased as punch with the results of this photo. It's funny about the colors in the painting - I felt exhilarated while doing it, and it must show through. :)
DeleteHappy to see you back painting and posting again, I would have commented earlier but been away.
ReplyDeleteGreat abstract painting Dan, full of life and free lines, reminds me of those kaleidoscope tubes you look through (only one can see the colours and anything is possible through the shapes, the more sun shines through the more the shapes melt together and new colours appear).
The shadow shot is peaceful, almost like a shadow of your very painting.
Thanks Mari! Yeah, I saw a kind of shape relationship between the painting and the photo as well. But the mood is strikingly different. The painting is kind of kaleidoscopic, now that you mention it!
ReplyDelete