Creativity Workshop

I've been working hard on putting together my Creativity Workshop. The hard part is cramming all my ideas into one day. 

Creativity is: making, creating, seeing, feeling, moving, breathing, laughing, sharing, paint spilling, loving, colors flying, having fun, crying, sounds soft and loud, slowing down, filling up and giving.

 I've been in my studio a couple days and think I have finished 3 new large paintings that I'll photograph this week.

Creativity Workshop

cre·a·tiv·i·ty (noun)

 originality, imaginative ability

Synonyms: imagination, inspiration, ingenuity, resourcefulness, vision

In my own words creativity means coming up with something new and original, out of the box thinking and problem solving. 

Creating does not just mean making art. We create our lives every day. I'm  talking about creating drama, or creating an atmosphere of calm, these are things you can create anytime, anywhere. 

If you want to make art it's a simple as describing your day in your journal with colorful details, moving your body to your favorite song or deciding to wear a color that makes you smile. These are a few examples of creativity and once you get the hang of these you just give yourself permission to go a little deeper and risk a little more. Talent is the ability to reveal. My most wise acting teacher told me this and when I put my expression of thoughts and feelings on a canvas for all to see I reveal who I am and what I'm all about. 

I'm teaching my first Creativity Workshop on Sunday June 7th 10-4 p.m. 

Play – Explore – Discover – Experiment
with artist Linda Celestian

Through guided exercises in creative writing, movement, painting and mixed media collage open up to fearlessly enter new territory and discover your authentic self expression. Walk away reenergized and inspired to tackle your projects and life more creatively.
 
No experience required.
 Supplies provided. $65.00

The Buzz Ware Village Center
2119 The Highway Arden, DE
 Sun. June 7th 10-4 pm., 2009

to register call 302-478-1329
or email linda@lindacelestian.com

Finished Work, New Work

I photographed the work I call "The Bottom of the Ocean". This piece is 48 x 46 inches. Before and After. Not much of a change but I worked in the center of the dark hole giving it some subtle color changes that draw you in even more than just the darkness. It's intense and maybe a bit too predictable but I needed to paint it. I think it serves it's purpose and now I can move away from the central bulls eye imagery. Also like I said last post I'm trying to move away from the turquoise blue depiction of water to explore other color schemes and see where they lead me. Here are the beginnings of 3 large oil paintings. I started first with painting the whole canvas a color in acrylic because it dries so fast and then I poured a color in oil paint.

The shiny parts are just glare, they were still wet when I photographed them as I was running out the door. I'm really excited about these and hope to be able to finish them in the next 3 weeks. Working in oil the drying time is a huge factor but I enjoy all the variety of surface texture I'm getting by layering pours. Well in the meantime I'm working up some new encaustic paintings also and just bought a few more colors today. Here's what I have going right now.

Encaustic Painting

I did work on the painting from my last post, but I haven't photographed it yet. I'll post it soon. These are a few encaustic paintings from last week.First I had this.














I felt the colors were a bit tame and controlled so I said " let me see where I can let it go." Not where I can take it but where it can take me. We often stand in the way of our own development, so I repeat to myself while working, "step aside". I ended up here.














Quite a different painting. I kind of wished I kept the old one too but it's not good to be too sentimental about your own work. Like I've said before you have to be willing to let go sometimes to arrive where you need to be.
I'm always asking people to look at my work and give me their thoughts. I need to know, does it appeal to someone other than myself? I'm still learning how to manipulate encaustic paint and in the process making some work. The medium can be thrilling and exasperating all in the span of 2 minutes. I like it because it dries so fast. You can work up many layers especially if you're working small and melt or scrape it down when you decide you hate it.

Here's 2 more. These are 9 x 12 inches. I guess you could call this my phthalo blue phase. I'm in the process of priming new large canvases and my challenge is going to be to work up some oil paintings that aren't all blue to fit into this new body of work. I'll keep you posted.