Step back, look forward!

The blank page or the completed painting: both demand a specific kind of looking.

As artists, we are constantly trained to critique external work—analysing composition, balance, contrasts, colour quality , and mark making. But the work on the easel doesn’t exist in isolation. It is an exterior map of an interior state. True artistic growth happens at the intersection of two distinct reflective practices: the Art Review and the Inner Self Review.

After a relentlessly hard summer, I have escaped to West Coast Scotland to rest, revel in the wildly beautiful landscape and take time to come back to myself and to review.

I brought photos of paintings in process and a pile of little illustrations I’ve been working on, and notebooks to review, make notes on what’s needed and plan a little beyond my next steps, for the autumn and winter work.

I’ve also been thinking recently about what I want to LEARN over the next twelve months. I found the idea of this shockingly impossible in my burnt out state in August. But now I am feeling more myself, established my meditation habit again and rested well, I got clear on some learning I want for myself. Most of this was not task specific, although some was. (Getting closer to Boat Pose in yoga) Most was learning about myself. So a little bit of self review came in for this. What has felt good? What didn’t work well? What do I want to let go of?(people pleasing) and what do I need to be better at? (Kind, authentic communication) Where do I want to find some better balance between different aspects of my life?

This sort of review, like reviewing my artwork, has produced notes, next steps and near future planning.

All of this comes together in my art. From the humorous little illustrations, here, to my pure abstract and abstracted figure paintings, all are an exterior map of my interior state…I find that fascinating and exciting! Because we all contain multitudes! We each have a rich, largely undiscovered landscape inside us, our inner life, subconscious and conscious. We are all unique and all the same, all at once. Something of my inner life will connect with yours, through art. Those moments when art, for no explicable reason, connects with you. You’ve no idea what is, or why it is, it just connects! This is what I am hoping for with every painting released, every little offering!

This next 12 months will see new paintings released, a new series, of humorous, meme-like illustrations as originals and as prints and new cards. Oh so many goodies coming!

I’m even looking at ways to offer you mini art prints…possibly a little mini art honesty box! (I’ve been much inspired by the network of Honesty Boxes around here)

Without a season to rest, review and plan, we would just keep churning on, same old, same old. And I know that breaks me. It’s taken me so long to get here, I will not be broken now!

Keep following for new arty goodies large and small…and thank you, for being with me so far!