Love & Passion

Male Nude Paintings, Sexy Figure Art - Works in Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 12:15:00 +0000

This video shows the creation from start to finish of a couple of my sensual male figurative nude and semi nude paintings. If you ever wondered what a painting looks like in the middle of creation, check out this video.

A Quick Look At The San Diego Artwalk 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 21:03:00 +0000

I thought I'd take a quick video of what it's like as an artist at the San Diego Art Walk. Here it is.

Heart Paintings

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 03:42:00 +0000

Do you love hearts? They you will love this video of some of my heart paintings.

More paintings can be found on our Etsy Shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/michellegart

Tips on How To Hang Art

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 03:40:00 +0000

Clients are always asking me how to hang the art in their home. I decided to show how I hang art at one of my galleries when I have multiple pieces of art, large and small.

How To Paint To Paint A Painting? Step Four: Decide On The Background

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 16:00:00 +0000

Some artists really struggle with creating a background for their piece if they are doing any kind of portrait.

An artist needs to know before or at the start of their painting what the background is. If they don’t, the rest of the painting can look very imbalanced. Art needs to be created simultaneously. Often an artist will struggle with one piece of their canvas. And be frustrated that this one section is not perfect. But when an artist makes sure to pay attention to all parts of the canvas, equally, a lot of that frustration will vanish. As each piece ads to the other parts of the image. And the entire piece begins to flow.

I have been painting long enough that I have a general idea of the types of backgrounds that work well with my subject matter. And so I now tend to stick to background choices that have worked for me in other pieces. There are two reasons for this. 1) Once something is working there is no need to stop using it. 2) This way people can put more than one piece of my art together in a consistent way on their walls.

That said, there are invariably pieces which are new, or where I am trying a new color palette or subject matter, and I need to figure out the background. This can be a trial and error process. And can be one of the most frustrating parts to creating a new painting.

And even once a background is determined, there can still be issues with where to put the color transition, or how much of a color value you wish to create in the background. Changing where a color variation occurs by even an inch can at times make a big difference in the overall composition of the painting. The other key piece to background creation is bringing color through the painting. This is another reason for painting all pieces of the painting in sync with one another. You may not know it, but often an artist will bring some of the foreground color into the background, and vice versa in very subtle ways. This helps the eye take in the entire piece and feel it flow.

How To Paint A Painting? Step Three: Set the Intention

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Setting the intention for a piece of art is something that makes a big difference to not just the ease of creation but the essence of a piece. If I forget to set an intention, or I’m unclear about my intention or forget what the intention is half way through the piece, this is where I will find myself struggling with a painting.

And invariable, I just must simply ask myself, what was the intention? What are you trying to convey? WHY did you decide to paint this painting? Once I remind myself of these answers, the painting always begins to work itself out and convey that emotion to the viewer.

And to help myself remember what my focus is for each piece, I also write a word or phrase on the back of each piece to remind myself of the intention.

Below if a interview from the RAW Artist show, where I discuss intention in the creation process. Towards the end of the interview, we were discussing my intention when creating this male figurative piece titled Mmmmmm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaHYmzcC2F0&list=FLKWyHx4c5f3bA2kj4U3KrTA

For you artists out there – do you set an intention to your piece before you begin? Why or why not?

How To Paint a Painting? Step Two: Prepping The Canvas

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000

I used a blue color wash on this painting, which gives it a blue feel even after layers of paint have been added.

The second step in painting is preparing the surface to be painted. Normally for me this means deciding on the size and shape of a gallery-wrapped canvas. And then preparing the canvas for paint.

The first step is determining how big and what size the painting should be. Over the years I have come up with a standard set of canvas sizes that I like to use, for example 24 x 24 and 18 x 36. But at times an image will strike me as needing to be painted and it will take a while to determine what size the image will scale to. This requires math and a ruler to determine the scale of the current image and then translating that into the size of the canvas to use. Yes! Artists use math! For example, a 4 x 6 picture could work well on a 24 x 36 (scale of 6), or 16 x 24 (scale of 4).

Once I have the correct size of canvas to paint on, I then add a layer of gesso, which is very white, heavy paint to the canvas. While the canvas I buy has a layer of paint, it helps to add additional lays prior to painting. It also helps me feel that I own every inch of the canvas at the start of the process. Some artists create many layers of gesso on their canvas and sand down each layer so that the canvas is like glass. I like to work with a slightly textured surface, so I do not sand anything down. But that is a personal preference.

Gessoing the canvas is probably the messiest part of the creation process. It is messy because I am covering every inch of the painting, including all the sides of the canvas. I always end up with white gesso all over myself and my studio floor. (Which is why I always do this process on a drop cloth.)

After the gesso dries I may or may not add a light wash of color to the entire canvas as well. The advantage to adding a wash of color, is if the color is the same as your subject matter you have now saved yourself some time with establishing the middle shade for your art. The possible downside to creating a wash of color, is the entire painting now has that color as an undertone. Which will give your painting a different look than starting from white. Lately I have been forgoing a color wash on my more realistic figurative works, but I continue to use color wash in my abstract figurative paintings.

The last step in preparing the canvas for paint is sketching out the image onto the canvas. Normally this process goes smoothly. But occasionally, once an image is sketched out I decide that I don’t like how it is centered, or I think that a different shape or size of canvas would look better. Sometimes this means erasing my sketch and starting over, and sometimes I find it faster to simply re-gesso the canvas. After I am done grumbling to myself about waiting till I finished the process to figure this out, the end result and changes do make a difference to the overall presentation and the image I’m wishing to evoke.

Because this process works well for an assembly line process, I tend to gesso and sketch multiple paintings at once. Taking me approximately 1/2 a day complete this process.

For Step one see How To Paint A Painting? Step One: Deciding What To Paint

How To Paint A Painting? Step One: Deciding What To Paint

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000


Finished Painting Titled: Classic

Often people wonder how long it takes to take a painting and what the step are involved in the process. And the answer to how long it takes to paint any painting is a lifetime. In that every painting we have completed follows on the learnings we have learned in our past paintings. No painting would be possible without the skill and knowledge learned through the previous years of painting. And while the actual physical time it takes to create a work of art varies, and is in some ways unpredictable. I hope in this series of articles to show the steps involved in the creative process.A few of which I think most people are unaware of.

Before an artist puts paint to canvas, there is an important first step that occurs, and that is deciding what to paint. This might seem easy, but in reality it is often one of the most time consuming parts of creating.

For me, because I paint a painting over a series of weeks and months, and my best creative time is at night, I work off photographs. When I get the urge to paint a new group of paintings, I will look at my existing photographs taken in my studio. If nothing is speaking to me, I will then setup a photo shoot. I do this in my studio so that I can control the light and the environment. My work intentionally has a side that is more well lit, and one that is not. And during the photo shoot we will play with how close and how far away the model is to the light source, and the angle of the camera, to change the intensity and the variety of shadows on the human body. Using a tri-pod, a digital camera and a model, I take up to 500 shots before I am done.

The next day I comb through the 500 shots and delete any that don’t work for me, that I don’t like, that are blurry because the model moved in the low light setting, or that are under lit. I also delete anything that is very similar to another shot that is a slightly better angle or better shadow play on the subject. This process generally nets me about 200 photos to continue combing through.

Original Unaltered Model Photo

Sometimes because of the angle of the camera when I took the shot, the shot will look better when cropped. So this is where I being to digitally crop photos and possibly play with the lighting of the image. Once I’m done with this process, I have approximately 50-80 pictures that feel interesting enough for me to print.

I then print these photos so that I have a visual, tangible image to work with. These are the group of images I will then work off of whenever I am looking for inspiration, or decide to paint from.

In terms of looking through my now set of prints to determine what inspires me, often there is a feeling I am wishing to evoke. Or I have been told by clients I wish you would do this or this. Or this type of pose would finish the story of these three other paintings, etc. So my selection of what to paint is often a combination of the story and emotions I wish to tell with the new group of paintings, combined with the feedback I hear from those viewing my art about the story they would wish to see completed.

When I do a commission of someone, the process is the same but on a slightly smaller scale, as we generally have more of a focus for the photo shoot. I take pictures in a variety of settings if the client isn’t entirely sure what type of pose they are looking for, and then initially comb through 100-200 pictures together (to delete any immediately that the client might not be comfortable with). And then discuss which images they might like. I will then do the fine tuning of images, and return with anywhere from 2-5 images for the client to look through and then decide on a final image to sign off on.

All in all this process can take anywhere between 20 and 40 hours. And isn’t something most people think about when they ask about painting.

If an artist is working off a still painting, or a live model, the process is a little different. In that there is setup time for the still. Or setup time for the model, followed by many breaks the model needs to take. But in general, there is always going to be time and thought put into what someone is painting and why. And the story they are wishing to convey through their art.

For Step 1 see How To Paint a Painting? Step Two: Prepping The Canvas

One Of The Perks Of Being An Artist:

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000

One of the funny things about being an artist is that it seems at times to be extremes of two worlds - one social and one very solitary. When creating in our studios, are is very solitary. But when we have an art show, or are meeting with clients it is then also very social. I find that the social aspect brings an unexpected twist to almost any outing I have. Which is a great perk of being an artist. For example, I was out on a date with my man this past week, and we ran into two wonderful clients of mine. One of the great things about my clients and fans of my art are really wonderful, supportive, warm and loving people. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s because in order to “get” my art, we have to think a like. So running into two of my favorite clients was a great and added surprise to my evening out. Then a few days later, my family and I were checking out a new spot during the weekend. And I ran into a fellow artist who has been in two galleries with me. His name is Dano and he is incredibly talented. And as is the case with most people I bond with over art, he and his manager Bill are “good people.” I was able to introduce the family to Dano and Bill. (http://www.artbydano.com/) As well as catch up and exchange some great art talk. When we left, our son had a new personally autographed singed print of a surf painting Dano did. It was a great addition to our day out. These are some of the things that add to the warmth and depth of the fabric of my life, because I’m an artist. And I feel very blessed to know and connect with so many people around my area, and the world. All because of my art. What about you? What are you blessed to have in your life because of your work or your passion? For additional art show fun, see Funny Things I Hear at My Art Shows

My “Other” Creative Life:

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Most artist, being creative people, tend to create in more than one way. Many of us create in multiple mediums, and/or in multiple styles. Some artists do this all under one name. Most however, have additional names under which they create. For example, I share my photography under my ArtFullWorld shop on Etsy. And I also have a children’s line of paintings under the name Billie TK. I thought today I’d share one of those paintings with you. If you come into my home, on the wall of my living room is a series of 3 giraffe paintings. Guest have often commented that they feel they are being watched because somehow (I really have no idea how) the eyes of some of my subjects seem to follow you around the room as you moved. I personally love giraffes. When people ask why I started painting them I always ask if they have met a giraffe. Because for me, to meet a giraffe is to love giraffes. They are such amazing creatures. They are tall, really big animals that are at the same time quite gentle to humans. And also impressively can be quite strong when encountering by some of the fieriest animals on the African plains. I find when I take pictures of them that they rarely stay in frame – the most uncooperative of subjects! Giraffes are very curious of us, and the younger ones especially have some of the most comical yet cute expressions when looking at you. So this is what I try convey when I paint them. I know starting out with giraffes as subjects is somewhere of an odd/ off-beat topic. But after painting one of the pictures I had taken of a giraffe, I was amazed at the response of toddlers and young children coming into the group studio I was working from. And so I knew I had a hit. Of course a lot of my paintings actually end up on the walls of adult rooms. Because I am not the only one who loves things that make people smile like happy giraffess. If you’d like to see more of this style of my work, it’s available online at www.BillieTK.com or on Etsy at www.Etsy.com/Shop/BillieTK for another side of creativity see: Behind the scenes look at my Abstract Landscapes

Behind the Scenes Look at More Passion:

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 26 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

This was one of my first couple paintings. I actually created couple themed paintings before I started creating torso paintings. But because these paintings are considered risque by some viewers, any works with subtle nudity have never been shown at art shows. My goal as an artist is to show the beauty of the human body. But as we know, not everyone holds that belief, and many people would have the vapors should I bring one of these to a gallery or art fair. So to avoid drama, they remain for the most part unseen by the public accept online. I had actually created this same piece, but with a very different color palette (of blues and reds) first. Because of it’s almost angry color scheme, it had a very different feel than this one. I decided after the original sold, to try painting the painting again, but with a new color palette that I had recently started using. And this was the result. I chose this image because I felt that making love outside, near a waterfall would be quite sexy. I imagined that being in Hawaii in a deserted part of one of the islands, could lead to a very romantic tryst. So that was my intent when creating this piece - to portray that on canvas. I get this question a lot, so I will just try to put it to rest - no, that is not me in the painting! She has blonde hair only because I liked the contrast of his dark hair, and her light hair. Which is also why I made their skin contrasting as well. It was an artist choice, nothing else. I am often asked how long a painting such as this takes me. Every piece of art work is different. And of course, each piece contains the culmination of everything I have learned up until that point. So the most correct answer would be “a lifetime.” But for those who can’t see in the abstract like that - figurative works generally take me about a year to complete. Sometimes less, sometimes more. Partly because I am always painting multiple works at once. And partly because good things take time. And if I don’t have a specific show deadline, I let the paintings dictate their completion, rather than me. For another look at creation of art see Lack of Intention

Behind the Scenes Look at My Abstract Landscape Series:

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

People always want to know why artists paint what we paint, so I thought over the next few months I’d share background on some of the paintings I get the most questions about.

At art shows people always ask me about these landscape paintings. They are surprised to learn that I paint them with my fingers. I don’t use any brushes for my abstract landscape series, only my hands. So yes - I guess you can still finger paint as an adult!

One of the reasons I started to use this technique, is that I wanted the paintings to really emote. And the best way for me to do that - was to have nothing between me and the canvas.

I also use music to help create emotion as well. When painting this particular series, I intentionally listened to Bon Jovi's Lost Highway cd. I was trying to capture the emotions of their music, particularly the songs "Make a Memory" and "Whole Lot of Leavin" Another reason I intentionally listen to the same CD when creating a series, is that painting a series can take many months of work. In order to get into the same mental state as the last time in your studio working on a series, I find it helpful to continue to listen to the same set of music. It helps me stay / return to a similar place mentally and emotionally.

The funny thing about using the same music over a period of time in the studio, is that my interpretation of that album can change. For example, some of the pieces in this series are more moody and dark, while others are light. It all has to do with how I was feeling about the content of the album at the time I was listening and creating.

Another way to create emotion in a piece is to make sure there is a good play of light on a piece. Which can be a little more difficult to do when working with something as blunt an imprecise as a finger. So sometimes I also us an artists medium to make the paint stay wet a little longer than normal, in order to be better able to blend.

I hope this helped give you a little bit of insight into how and why I painted this series. Let me know if you have any other questions about the series I can answer for you.

For another look at behind the painting, see My Latest Torso Series - A New Twist

Funny Things I Hear At My Art Shows:

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000

The Seduction, by Michelle Geromel ©

One of the fun things about an art festival or art show is hearing the positive and sometimes funny things people same about my art as they pass by.

The most common is when men and women both walk by and insist they are the model. I will play along and tell everyone please to not let it out, that they were my model. This banter happens at least 5 times a day at an art festival. Normally everyone know we are joking, but once, this past spring, a Mom actually got a little hostile and really insisted that I must have some how gotten hold of her daughter’s photo shoot last month, because she had that exact same pink bra. This was funny considering, that I know the model quite well, and that bra actually had been black and I changed it to pink because I could. And, it takes me a heck of a lot longer than a few weeks to create most of my art, so it was also pretty outrageous of the Mom to be so upset.

A lot of times women will insist that I have captured their lover perfectly. Or the men will insist I have captured their wife or lover perfectly. I always find this to be sweet. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am a sucker for love.

The funniest interaction was with a couple and their children, that actually ended up becoming friends after this - The little boy insisted that the couple embracing (The Seduction above) was Mommy and Daddy. So I asked the little boy why that was - he said they were hugging. Which is kind of what they were doing. I thought it was great because the kid obviously saw his parents as affectionate and happy with each other. Something not every child has the privilege of seeing.

I once was at a show where across from me was a woman with beautiful, ruebinesque women. More than once I heard “Before ... After”. I was never sure before and was after what. Although if the cupcakes I am sitting next to as I write this blog have there way as they silently call to me it will be before and after the cupcakes!

For another look at art shows see Lovers & Haters

Mourning the loss of film?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Golden Gate Bridge, By Michelle Geromel

I have heard my photographer friends bemoaning the change of film to digital. Indicating that no matter how advanced digital gets, it misses a depth and feel that film has. I wasn't really believing this until the other day when I picked up some pictures I had printed of pictures of Europe - some of which I took with digital, some of which I took with film. There is just something about the film, that makes things deeper, that the digital misses.

Anyone else feel this way? Or see any other differences between digital and film?

For another look inside the making of art see Step Away From the Paintbrush!

What is an Artist’s Medium?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Sometimes people look at a painting and try to figure out how so much texture got added to all or parts of a painting. Artists can use a variety of things to mix with paints and create texture in work. These types of things are called mediums. Some examples of homemade mediums include wall paper paste and caulk. Some, like caulk, because of their heaviness are used best on wood based paintings. Others, like wall paper paste, can be used on canvas without bowing the art in the middle over time.

Artists can also buy mediums specifically made to interact with and adhere to paint and canvas to create depth in our art. These are either designed to either be mixed with artist’s paint, or painted on top of to create various effects. The consistencies available range for the very coarse to the very smooth.

In the painting above, I used layer after layer of a gel like medium to create a glossy, 3-dimensional heart on canvas. (And yes, getting it to stay in that shape until it dried was a bit tricky!) The medium was at times mixed with paint, and other times not, until I got the effect I wanted. The result is a raised glassy heart on the canvas with gold color trapped inside.

What is your favorite type of medium to see or to work with?

For another look inside the making of art see How Long Does It Take to Paint a Painting

The Myth of the Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Somewhere in the ether is this myth - that artists don’t work at anything really - their craft, their business, their life. We are mythological creatures who blissfully dance through existence. High on life, and paint fumes, without a care in the world.

On the flip side, there is a myth that all artists are morose creatures of the night, who love to wear black, drink themselves into oblivion and can only create when deep in the muck and the mire of self and world loathing.

While I admit that history has shown us a few poor souls who might fit into either category. The majority of artists are neither blissfully dancing through life, nor trudging through the murky outskirts of society.

Most artists are somewhere in the middle. They tend to expend energy on their craft on a regular basis. Anyone with a portfolio of consistent work, does work a bit on creating. And sometimes that work comes blissfully easy. Other times, not so much.

Any professional artist I know has a pretty set schedule of times they create. While they might not clock in from 9 to 5, they probably clock in from noon to midnight instead.

Art is business. Art is fun. And art is work. You can’t do it high or drunk (although I know a few who try). You don’t sell much or at all if it’s all depressing as hell. And you sure can’t make leaps and bounds in creative progress if you are out surfing or tanning all day.

So why do these two myths persist? Is it because it’s easier to romanticize that the thing of beauty on the wall took no effort to create? No countless hours of the paintings created before it to birth this one? Do people secretly wish that artists, who must by the very personal nature of their work, not care what others think, also not operate with the realm of the rest of the world in terms of taking steps to continue progress?

I really don’t know... But the next person who walks into my office, takes a look at my white board with all it’s to-do’s on it and says “wow, you really DO work” is getting a slap up side the head. (figuratively speaking of course)

Can anyone else relate?

For another post about Artists see What Is An Artist?

Rediscovering Creative Voice

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:01:00 +0000

I know I have written about this before, but as an artist we walk a fine line, between giving people what they want and need, and being true to our own voice. It’s a tightrope walk at times for me because I want to give people want they want and are happy with. While at the same time, I need to paint what works best for me. Sometimes I end up giving away a part of my voice without even realizing it.

(Indian Americans would call this a version of soul retrieval - which can happen in three ways - a) soul theft: someone taking something from us; b) soul gift: us giving a piece of our soul away; or c) soul loss: occurring during times of trauma or death, when parts of us are tied up with other. Me, I tend to give away and not even realize it.)

A few years ago I was dating someone, and while he was very supportive of my art, he had this idea that my color palette was not right. That it needed to more match his own aesthetic tastes.

I tried to see this as an opportunity to expand my color palette repertoire. And came up with a few additional color palettes with which to paint from that would more suit his tastes, and those of similar background. So I painted a new series in his colors and continued to do so, not because I loved those colors the most, but because I forgot I had ever painted differently.

Recently I dated a guy who has a very similar color tastes as myself. As a gift I went through my paint sketches and gave him one I knew he would love. The thing is, pulling it out, I realized I missed that color palette. I missed not painting in ways most important to me.

So today, I opened a few new canvases and painted in my colors - not someone else’s - my own. And it feels really good.

Has anyone re-discovered a part of themselves, they had accidentally put aside?

For another blog on a similar topic see Rediscovering a Passion

Being In-Flow

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 15:46:00 +0000

There is a stereotypical image of an artist - heads-down in his or her studio, working frantically and late into the night, working erratic hours and sometimes forgetting to eat or sleep. While I never seem to forget to eat or sleep - I do at times end up knee deep in my studio for days - not wanting to break the stream of creativity flowing from me.

I realized recently that this is actually simply being “in the flow” of things. Some days it is only a trickle and other days it is like a fire hose has been unleashed inside my head that must be put to canvas or paper. Other days, it simply means that painting and creating come naturally and effortlessly. And on days I assigned to painting time, and it’s not happening, it’s not really my fault, it’s just that creativity doesn’t work on a schedule like that. So while I can be productive, I won’t be half as productive as when I am plugged into the flow.

Over the years of painting I have learned that it’s OK to take a break, go work out, etc. (as long as I stay with right brained activities) That the flow will be there when I get back. Although most times it feels way to good to stop,and so plans with friends are cancelled and the workout is put to another day.

I think the reason this activity has seemed foreign and odd to most of the rest of the population is that so many of us spend WAY too much time doing things we aren’t really put on this earth to do - and so we aren’t in flow.

Being in flow - with tons of creativity doesn’t just happen when creating art. Last week, I was knee deep in my office upstairs. Going over work planning, social media marketing and general business strategy planning for the coming 12 months for 5 different brands that I am working on (some art, some not). The same thing that normally happens in my studio happened here. Ideas sprouted from my mind into actionable steps, and answers I had had for up to a year came to me one after another. Every time I was evenly slightly “stuck” for an answer or next step or “how the hell will I ever get to X” - I would get an email or a call that would completely answer my question and continue me on my path to move forward into the unknown.

I was afraid if I left my office I would miss the next great idea or answer to a question I had been trying to find for weeks or month that were now all pouring into my mind at a rapid, crazy speed. It was as if someone had unleashed a fire hose of ideas into my brain and I was struggling to control it. For days I did nothing but work in my office creating spreadsheets, color charts and scribbly drawings of flow diagrams. Going to bed late, only to wake back up an hour later with whatever answers still need to be filled in.

I realized this week - that that was simply being “in flow” on the left-brain side of things. And since it was so rare I just didn’t realize it. I could have easily taken a breath or two and it would have been OK. It was a bit exhausting trying to get everything down as quickly as it was coming to me while also being in fear that if I paused, an answer would vanish. Had I realized it was simply “being in the flow” I could have relaxed into it, instead of fearing it would pass before all the answers were revealed.

I remember a course I took with Matthew Ferry (insert link). He talked about how life flowed in sets of waves, and that we couldn’t always be in flow, because it would exhaust us. That we needed rest, the lull before the next set of waves/flow to relax, recharge and reboot.

The other reason I think so few of us experience flow in work at regular intervals is because we are trying to fit our work into a box of 8am-6pm or so. Flow doesn’t work this way. It goes for days. Then stops - let’s us rest and focus on something else like, our relationship, the laundry and a workout, or nothing at all.

So next time you feel yourself getting a few answers - embrace it - acknowledge it and see just how much more often that flow comes your way.

Thoughts? Anyone else out there able to be in flow while doing left-brain, logical things????

For another blog about the creative process see Keeping the Vision

Studio Time

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 14 May 2011 15:34:00 +0000

There are days when I need to paint (deadline, upcoming show etc.) and yet I’m not in the mood. Sometimes this is just because I’m focused on the other left-side portion of my business and so I’m just not feeling creative. But at other times it’s because life has thrown me a curve ball, and I’m feeling something other than joy, love, peace and happiness.

The funny thing is - if I can buckle myself down, and just allow myself to paint. Even if I just paint something that doesn’t / wont ever see the light of day (show or public wise) everything will fade away. All the pain, angst, hurt, worry - whatever it is - will fade away.

And all that is left is me, in my studio, in the present. Brush stroke by brush stroke easing away the angst and just allowing myself to be in the here and now.

Being as some would call it - in the flow.

And it’s at these points that I’m reminded just how lucky we artists are to have a passion that puts us in the flow. And strictly in the present. So that all the past can effortlessly melt away.

What do you think? What other passions are out there, that help you become more in flow, more in the present?

For another look inside the making of art, see Standing In Line For An Art Show

A Creation Myth:

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:45:00 +0000

Many creation myths and stories have been told over time. The most common/ well known in the Western World, is the story of Adam & Eve. This story tends to bother me because it blames Eve for everything. And through time, some who have believed in this story, have literally blamed women for so much and have also propagated the belief that life is pain, because this story made it so.

I would like to offer another story - one that holds no pain, and no blame of women. Once best told by Fiona Horne:

“Yhi is my favorite goddess from Australian Aboriginal mythology. She is the goddess of light and creation, a sun deity who lived in the dream time. When she opened her eyes, light fell on Earth. She then walked the earth, and green things grew where her steps fell. Soon the whole world was covered with plants, fruits, trees and flowers. She next decided that, in addition to plants, she wanted to make something that could dance and move. Insects of all kinds were created. The she explored ice caves in a mountain. She shone her light inside and fish and lizards came out, along with countless kinds of birds, mammals, and amphibians. But ultimately Yhi returned to her own world, and when she left, darkness came back and covered Earth. But the next day Yhi opened her eyes again from her home in the sky, and her light returned for all to enjoy.

Many millennia later, Yhi saw something strange. It was a man, alone, and she realized he was not anything she had created, and she was intrigued. While the man slept that night, Yhi focused all here power on a flower so that it became more magnificent than anything any god had ever created. When Man awoke, he, joined by all the other animals of Yhi’s creation, gazed in awe at the beautiful flower. The flower then blossomed and turned into Woman. She looked at Man and found him interesting. Man ran around doing many things to try to impress her and wanted nothing more than to make Woman happy. She was amused and thrilled - in fact, all creation was laughing and enjoying their coupling, declaring man and woman good for each other.

~From the Introduction to Bewitch a Man by Fiona Horne

What other creation stories are your favorite? And why?

For another female inspired post, see Love Yourself Gorgeous

Cheeky

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 17:00:00 +0000

As an artist, I feel that “good” art is art that elicits some sort of response. The worst response I could get for a piece of art work is no response at all. If someone loves it or hates it, then at least the work has been noticed and felt on some level.

The interesting thing about being an artist publicly showing work, is I get to hear what people are saying about my art (the good and the bad). It can at times be great instant marketing feedback and at other times an interesting look at our culture.

I love this painting because it's fun and slightly provocative. To me this is a very girlie piece of art, and I love it for that reason. I have had it, or a limited edition giclee of it, up at a lot of shows because it gets people to stop and notice my booth or wall space. But as with any good piece of art - the opinions on this one vary drastically depending on who is viewing it.

There is one thing, I've heard from multiple little girls that I don't understand. More often than not, when a young girl passes this painting she will point it out as "disgusting." Which makes me wonder, what are we collectively as a society telling our kids? There are areas of the world where this response would not be the initial thought coming out of the mouth of babes.

On the flip side, the funniest thing that I hear a lot is from mothers of teenage daughters, insisting that this painting is a picture of their daughter. This is interesting to me. First, to discover that women pay this much attention to their daughters’ bodies and are proud of their fit nature. And second, because I think it’s sweet in a way that moms feel their daughters are flirty and sexy all at the same time.

So what do you think? Does a piece of “good” art generate some type of response, even if it’s negative? Or do you only think of art that you like as “good?”

For another blog about reactions to art see Funny Things I Hear At My Art Shows

Rediscovering A Passion

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 22:44:00 +0000

Growing up, I was a classically trained dancer. I stopped dancing when I decided that career wise it had very little up side - given the short career lifespan. But I've always continued to dance, just in my home, or on the dance floor. A few weekends ago a girlfriend invited me to an ecstatic dance workshop. I had never been, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Well, I really didn't like the slow, can't really dance tempo - so I started doing ballet warmups. It felt sooooooo nice. And this weekend, I put in the New York City Ballet's workout - which is a basic dance warmup. And that too felt sooooooo nice. And so right. My body just flowed and afterwards I felt amazingly good.

I think it's great to somehow let go of a passion, but rediscover it again. At just the right time.

Anyone else had that happen?

For another blog on a similar topic see Rediscovering Creative Voice

Step Back

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 07:19:00 +0000

Came down into my studio this morning and realized that I was much farther on this painting than I thought. I think that life, as in painting, sometimes if we just step back for a second and come back with a different perspective that only a little time can give us, we are actually making more progress than we give ourselves credit for.

Last night I felt like nothing was reading right on this piece. I felt the girl’s hair and her back were just not coming together. But that was because I was too close to it. And my brain and ego were attached. This morning, looking at the painting through the kitchen (my studio is downstairs) I realized that the parts I had been fussing about last night, were actually quite good - and reading as they should.

Kind of reminds me of a process Jayne Johnson (http://theclearingsight.com/) teaches in her goals workshop. That before we set goals for the new year, take a few minutes and write down all the things we accomplished in the prior year - and then tell them to someone else. Two things normally happen - 1st I always realize that I have done more than I thought (stop beating myself up so much) and 2nd, when I read the list aloud, I see/feel even more of the accomplishments I was writing, because it just again, gives a new perspective.

So - next time I’m struggling with a new piece of art, I’m going to try to remember what I learned this morning - to step back, take a break, maybe work on something else. And see if it really is as bad as I think, or if I’m actually on the right track, but just too in the way to see it.

Anyone else have a similar story?

For another look inside the making of art see Happy Mistakes

The Creative Process

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 06:53:00 +0000

The Creative Process is not one size fits all. I remember writing a paper in middle school. My desk blotter was my outline, my notes, everything but the final piece. My teacher reduced my grade because I couldn’t show him a “proper” outline. As if that was the ONLY way one could properly draft a paper.

After this - I tried to make my creative writing process fit with his - years later - I was still trying to come up with an outline. And since my brain just honestly does not think that way, I started using colored notecards, that I could then arrange into thoughts - and then type up the stupid outline required for professor or teacher. Because they didn’t get how my brain worked, they wanted me to create in the way their brain functioned best.

For years - and years - this is what I did. Tried to smoosh my creative, right-sided thinking into left-sided school and business worlds. And it worked. Scarily well, actually. I had everyone thinking I was just like them, amazingly left brained. When in fact I was the opposite. And it was exhausting. All to get that little star on my paper, or the top rating on my corporate reviews.

Now, maybe my life is a little messier. But it is a lot less exhausting - because I finally allow myself to just be. To create (writing, drawing, painting, photography) all how my brain works. And I hope that when I teach, I allow each student to do their own thing. And to not conform to what I do - because there is no one way to creativity.

I think one of the things I have learned on this creative journey is that in the creative process there is no one right answer. Period.

So ironically, the only time in the creative process where the answer one size fits all is this truth: THERE IS NO ONE WAY. The paths to creative development and creation are many and varied and each should find their own way. Trying out of a few paths for size along the way, and creating a process that works well for him or her.

Has anyone else found this to be true for them?

Painting Away The Angst

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Geromel) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 07:12:00 +0000

Started painting today, as I normally do - with some warm up paintings. (These end up becoming 5 x 7 originals that I create cards out of.) Not every painting makes the cut - the idea is to warm up, maybe try some new color schemes and get focused on the task of creating. Some might call this "getting in the flow." I think of it as shifting my brain from thinking-left-brained mode, to creative-right-brained mode.

Well, today I was just all over the place. I wasn't in a good mood, and it was translating into my work. So I definitely needed to paint that out - in order to be able to paint with intention and intended emotion, instead of with the all over the place emotion I was feeling (which would have resulted in ruined paintings).

So I began to paint hearts - all drippy. Normally I wipe the drips off, but in the beginning today, I did not.

As my time in the studio progressed, I was still not feeling like if I put paintbrush to canvas I would do a good job, so I continued to paint hearts. I finally started to feel in the flow. And in the end this is what progressed.

Although a few still managed to keep some of their original drippy nature. But hopefully with slightly more hopeful overtones.

Of course, now it is time for bed. Guess the portraits will have to wait until tomorrow. But at least my brain has stopped fighting the process and work should progress much easier.

Anyone else have a way of shifting their brain and getting into flow or state?

For another look at the creative process see Keeping The Vision