Is your art growing….are you stretching your artistic wings? 

Are you committed to your art? 

Do you continue to grow artistically?

Have you developed a personal painting style? 

Does it have depth?

I went to an art show last year and was disappointed with what I saw.  The paintings were technically good but the artists were doing the same paintings they did fifteen years ago.  The same colors, the same design…..everything the same.  Boring!

Yes, you need to develop a personal painting style but it should never be boring.   When artists become boring it tells me they are filled with fear.

I am in the process of writing a book I have named “Getting out of Neutral”.  You know what neutral is…it is that safe boring place filled with stale air that suffocates the creator.

Growth is essential to an artist.

I never ask anything of my students  I am not willing to do myself so I will share with you what I am doing this year to grow.  Working in clay has called me for years but I put the idea aside and closed my eyes to it’s possibilities. No, I am not going to throw pots and make coffee mugs….I need to go deeper into the clay.

Abstract figures are calling my name.

Where will this take me?  I haven’t a clue.  I just know I need to respond to a voice that is gnawing in my gut.

How do you want to grow your art?

Are you willing to get out of neutral? 

If so, let’s grow together.

Share below what you are going to do this year to grow.

The post GROWING YOUR ART appeared first on Gwen Fox Art & Mentoring.

   Alyson Stanfield did a great post on her blog. It is about reviewing your year.

Looking back on 2012 will give you insight on your mistakes and triumphs. One of the most important things about this project is for you to discover how much you accomplished during the year.

We tend to forget all those little things that add up to lots of wonderful victories.

Why is this important?  If we don’t grow from our mistakes we will repeat them each year.  Your goal is to make 2013  one of your best years ever.  Right?

Here is the link for Alyson’s post.

Take time to answer the questions.

Don’t skimp and tell yourself you will do it later.  This is too important.  Get yourself a good cup of hot tea, find a comfortable spot to curl up with a notebook and review your 2012 life.

If you do this you will be way ahead for the coming year.

After you finish write to me and tell me one thing you learned about yourself.

2013 is going to be a great year……. a great year for YOU!

The post STARTING THE NEW YEAR WITH CONFIDENCE appeared first on Gwen Fox Art & Mentoring.

How does one breathe?

You have cried, asked the question”why” and you have failed to find the answer.  Words seem empty when you attempt to describe the horror.

There is a frantic feeling while observing your children, grandchildren and neighbors children.  You want to hold them, touch them.  You whisper a silent  thank you for their safety.

This Christmas give an extra hug to those you love.  Take time to say “hello” to the stranger you meet in the grocery store.  Give a compliment to someone who appears stressed.

Share your smile.

Slow your pace during this season.  When you are filled with peace you share peace.

Presents are not important but the YOU that is gifted to others will last lifetimes.

Bestow hugs freely

Give from the heart.

Share the sparkle in your eyes.

This Christmas wrap your spiritual arms around the world.

Wising you the most peaceful and giving holiday ever.

love and hugs

gwen

The post SHARING LOVE AMIDST HORROR appeared first on Gwen Fox Art & Mentoring.

E mails…..I am sure you get more than your share of emails.  They clog your minds with subjects you need to delete.  Some emails look really interesting so you keep them to read tomorrow.  Soon you have several hundred or even a thousand emails in your box.  These emails haunt you but tackling the problem is too much….it is overwhelming.

Take fifteen minutes each day to start the purge.

Unsubscribe to 5 emails a day until you are down to exactly who you want to keep.

If there are topics you want to keep Make a Folder.  I have folders that say Blog topics, Art quotes, etc.

For those emails you have opened that require an answer and you don’t have time to do it at the moment put it in a folder that says  ANSWER ASAP

Set aside five minutes each day to open this folder and answer those important emails.

Make your system the way that makes you happy and that actually WORKS for YOU.  Ideas are a dime a dozen so take the ones you will use and put them to work in 2013.

Simplify as much as possible.

Soon your email box will be down to a manageable number.  Our goal is to get it down to no more than 20 emails remaining in your box.  How would that feel?  Such relief!

You can do it, I know you can.  Start today and let me know how you are doing.  Leave a comment as it encourages all who view the post.

Let’s start 2013 with as little baggage as possible!

The post TIME MANAGEMENT FOR THE HOLIDAYS appeared first on Gwen Fox Art & Mentoring.

This thanksgiving will be shared with a deeper sense of grace.

I am also thankful for YOU… my readers, my students and friends.  Many of you I have never met but the connection between us is there and it is strong.  I am filled to the brim because of you.

Sending you loving thoughts intermingled  with the delicious fragrance only Thanksgiving can bring.

love and hugs,

gwen

The post THANKFUL FOR YOU appeared first on Gwen Fox Art & Mentoring.

As you can see from the pictures below the paintings created were outstanding.  Unfortunately some of the pictures did not come out as good as hoped…..sorry guys.  I will read my camera manual and get better at this before next year.

Enjoy!

The post TAOS WORKSHOP….ABSTRACTS THAT GLOW appeared first on Gwen Fox Art & Mentoring.

Emma, one of my German Shepherds,  joined us in the workshop as she loves to share her support to those who are in need.  It is always good to have something to hug when a break is needed from creating.

Not all my photographs of the students paintings turned out so I apologize to those whose wonderful paintings are missing.

The post Color, Design and Value Workshop appeared first on Gwen Fox Art & Mentoring.

My camera decided not to work during the Abstract workshop so many of the images are not available….sorry guys.

Enjoy !!!

The post FLORAL and ABSTRACT WORKSHOPS appeared first on Gwen Fox Art & Mentoring.

I flew into Denver airport Sunday evening and one could smell and see the smoke.  The drive from Denver to Colorado Springs made me grow anxious as  the smoke grew thick and was a dull gray.

I was to leave for Taos, New Mexico the next morning and decided to go ahead with my plans.  My little hose was no match for this uncontrolled monster.  I gathered all the family photos and my Melissa Zinks dog sculpture and loaded the car.  Walking through the rooms I said good-bye, touching the paintings and memorabilia.  Perhaps this house would be spared but then perhaps not.

I locked the doors, got in my car and drove away into the smoke to get my dogs at the kennel.

It is situations like this that remind us what is really important in our lives.   We all know know what is important and  when put to the test the answer comes easy…….family and pets.

Furniture, paintings, china, clothing, etc. are all extras of life.

The post DISASTER appeared first on Gwen Fox Art & Mentoring.

How wrong you are my dear.  All women throughout the world are  Mothers in some way or another.  Women are  Mothers without having to give birth as we are the givers of life.  We care, we share, we help, we plant flowers just for the beauty of seeing the color. Women are strong, vibrant, determined, courageous and most of all……we willingly share our love.

Mothers quietly do many wonderful little things just to make our lives easier. Yes, Mothers are often taken for granted but when a need appears guess who comes without question…….yes, our Mothers.

My Mother passed away from leukemia many years ago.  In her passing she gave birth to me twice.  The first was the actual physical birth and the second was as she died  she showed me the grace and love that life should always have.  She gave me the determination to live my life to the fullest. She was strong, intelligent, resourceful, giving, yet stood up to those who didn’t want to give women equal pay for equal work…… she was my hero.

I lived in England when I received the call that it was time to come. I arrived late that night and was picked up at the airport in Knoxville Tennessee by my brother, Crowell.   We went straight to the hospital.

Mother look so small and pale in the hospital bed  but when she saw me her smile melted my heart.  I lived in the hospital room with Mother for a month.  It was then it suddenly dawned on me I really didn’t know a lot about her life.  Yes, I knew the normal things but what about her favorite color, her favorite flower or what was her biggest dream?

One day I asked Mother was there anything she regretted not doing? Expecting a bit of thought on this subject I was shocked when she immediately said “Yes”.  Had I opened up a can of worms that I really didn’t want to know about?

Her answer was simple ” I regret I never  bought a pair of red shoes”. I sat there in silence trying to absorb the statement……red shoes?  That was her biggest regret?  She then explained “I always wanted red shoes but they were not practical so I never could bring my self to purchase them”

Mother died soon after that discussion and after her funeral I flew back to London to my precious family.  One afternoon my son John, while playing soccer with his sister Mary, kicked the soccer ball  through the window which hit and destroyed  my favorite Lladro.  Others were upset but I said it didn’t matter…..it was an object…..it wasn’t important.  My world had changed as to the importance of “things” over “life”.

One day I took a trip to  London to see the museums and it was then I saw a pair of red shoes in the window of Harrods department store. They had my size, they fit perfectly and I purchased them……I didn’t even ask the price.  I left the store, looked at the sky and said  “This is for you Mom!’

Each year I purchase a pair of red shoes and each year the smile gets bigger.

Wishing Mothers all over the world a blessed day.

love and hugs

gwen

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