Study for Summer Seashells

This work entitled "Study for Summer Seashells" was inspired by my love for color, line work, and of course...seashells. 

As a kid, I loved to collect shells on the beach when we visited Mexico. I would comb the beach from our rented condo in Akumal all the way to La Buena Vida--the local lunch spot, surrounded by turquoise seas and white beaches. 

I was fascinated that every shell had a different pattern, texture, and color--no two seemed to be the same. As a child, these collectables were treasures to me. Today, a beautiful nostalgia accompanies this visual language of seashells. When I see them, I think of salty air, breezy sunsets, warm sun beating down on my shoulders, and the coolness of the ocean, overtaking me as I bobbed up and down in the waves of the Mayan Riviera. 

Tropical climates have always made me feel alive, and I am blessed to have these memories and now to live just a drive away from the sea in Los Angeles. 

This work is a tribute to the gorgeous colors of Mexico and to the wonderful memories that I have from family trips to Akumal with my mom, Rab, and The Lundgrens. I will be creating a series of 8 seashell studies to start, using Deco Color paint pens on Ampersand Clayboard.

I hope that you enjoy my posts. <3 Happy Friday.

Study for Summer Seashells

Study for Raspberry Seashells

Painting Flow [Songs / Playlist]

To any of you who like working with music while you paint or get creative, I would love to share my current playlist with you.

It is a floaty, rhythmic, soulful, and dreamy combo created for easing into a creative flow and is made with love for hours of painting. It will be a work in progress.

Click here to stream "Painting Flow" on Sound Cloud.

Universally Speaking [AP Micron ink on Ampersand Clayboard]

I created this drawing with thoughts of the mysterious universe on my mind. I don't have much more to say, but here you will see my head, hand, and heart trying to work together. To infinity and beyond...

Mandalas [Meditative Expressions]

Mandala coloring book (perfect for plane rides)

Painting is my favorite state of flow. It is the type of mental, physical, and spiritual space where time stands still and everything unites perfectly. Skiing sometimes is the same way (but I digress).

Sudden inspiration came to me in the vision of mandalas most recently. I don’t think that I have ever been exposed to them consciously, but images of the art form are probably stored somewhere in my subconscious. I had a strong urge several days ago to learn more about the beautiful creations.

Mandalas are gorgeous maps of the cosmos, which originated as an eastern art form around the 9^th century. With the power to evoke visceral reactions in many, mandalas are also thought to serve as elaborate representations of nirvana, the ultimate state of enlightenment and bliss.

The word mandala means circle or enclosure in Sanskrit, which is why you often find a round motif in most. The roundness and pattern is what draws me in. 

Another aspect of mandalas is that they often have symmetry incorporated within. I love the way that their symmetry creates a never ending motion. I have heard somewhere that all people you meet are your mirrors. I think that mandalas are reminders of that sentiment.

For purposes of meditation, mandalas can serve as guides for deeper self awareness and ultimate truth, whether viewing or creating. As an art form, mandalas represent both the macrocosm and microcosm of the universe, bringing individuals together with the universe. Mandalas are also thought to awaken spiritual energy within the viewer, whether consciously or subconsciously.

Whether creating or meditating on mandalas, it is all about following your intuition--getting into the flow and seeing what comes naturally to you. Surrender to whatever shapes, colors, patterns, and forms come into your mind’s eye and see where the elements elevate you.

. . . 

I took two flights on Saturday and worked on sketches during both.

When I arrived in Dallas from Salt Lake, my flight was delayed for quite some time. I took it as an opportunity to draw. I felt very inspired and was filled with love that I needed to express after a wonderful visit home. 

I put on a playlist and created these mandala-inspired drawings. Suddenly, the waiting time to get to Miami, the babies crying, the stuffy air, and the chit-chat disappeared into the background, and I made these. 

Sketches from my plane rides / delay in Texas

Close up mandala sketch 1

Close up mandala sketch 2

I hope that you like my meditations! They will serve as starting points for my next group of paintings.

View from our plane, as I began one of my mandalas

Strawberry Cake and Southern Gardens

Wayne Thiebaud is an artist whose work I have become quite fond of while working at the gallery. Thiebaud is well known for dreamy renditions of pies, cakes, sweets, landscapes, and people.

Strawberry Cake by Marsh Nelson

While browsing through artwork on Etsy, the uber popular online market place for artists and craftsmen and craftswomen, I came across (and purchased) this painting by Marsh Nelson entitled Strawberry Cake which reminded me of Thiebaud's essence. I thought I would share it with you.

Art can be acquired in all types of places: online, in galleries, at flea markets, through friends and neighbors, through street vendors, consignment stores, estate sales, artist studios, on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and more.

I love finding gems in all types of places and often look for gifts and personal collectables through small businesses and craftspeople, so as to support the arts.

I am slowly building my own collection, and excited to welcome works that bring light and happiness into my home and space. The joy of color and subject matter is not to be underestimated.

During my search for art online, I also came across the work of Susan Kelley. Her paintings are amazingly uplifting, feminine, and whimsical to me. Though abstract, each work reminds me of a mood and place. Visions of people playing on the beach, thoughts of airy landscapes in the South, reminders of white curtains blowing in the wind from the Great Gatsby come to mind when viewing her works.

I was particularly taken with Crumb Snatchers which is now part of my morning routine as it hangs sweetly in my bathroom. It takes me into a beautiful garden with lovely trees blooming flowers in the springtime. It has been a wonderful addition to my space, and its lightheartedness and beauty adds a lot to my surroundings.

As we approach the holidays, I suspect that I will be browsing Etsy and other local artisan sites for my loved ones.

Support the arts!

With love,

Jess

Crumb Snatchers by Susan Kelley

Soul Exercises

The next few blog posts will be focused on my hour-long painting exercises. I am making the time to get up in the early morning, when my mind is like a sponge after sleep--fresh, unaffected, and raw--to do one-hour canvas-to-brush sessions. The reason I say exercise is because I think that sometimes the concept of "working" on a canvas can put too much pressure on the activity and block discoveries from taking place. The less precious the work is, the more experimentation that can take place. To achieve progress, one has to be unafraid of messing up; the more fragile and perfect the work seems, the less likely one is to take the necessary risks to change it. The exercises that I am participating in are meant to be freeing, awakening, and without pressure.

My intention is to paint for an hour (giving ample time not to rush to work), to sip espresso (and not to take it like a shot), to have a breakfast, to listen to music that fills my soul, and to repeat until my canvas is finished. What beauty, emotion, or pent-up energy will come out of my mind and body after sleep--after dreams? Who or what am I thinking of during those first twenty minutes? How do I express that?

I do not believe that creating art is a mystery. All that is necessary is a blank canvas or paper, some basic paint tubes, a brush, a jug of water, and the will to let go and make mistakes. You are an innately creative being. If you are thinking of painting, maybe approach it like a little bit of exercise for your mind, body, and soul. Don't worry too much about whether or not it feels comfortable. It takes time to get in shape. Pretty soon you will be flexing your muscles and adding on an extra mile.

Below is an image of my first hour-long exercise for this canvas. More to follow this week.