Like, everything you shared here is sheer beauty and pleasure! Really love the color wheels, the rule of thirds, and painting with mom...Like, just everything is gorgeous, what's not to love! <3
Hi, long time reader here, excited to see TDB today. I was anxiously awaiting its arrival since the last one. You really kept me in suspense! But I love this issue!! And the yellow/pink energy here. I have a few thoughts:
“Getting out of my home for a few hours, sitting in a big room flooded with natural light, listening to classical music while painting is as relaxing as it sounds.”
This sounds like such a good time, I’m mad that this class is on the other side of the country. Otherwise I would be all up in there. It’s the perfect combo of things for me, especially because it includes two of my favorite things: old people and Liz. ✨
Fully obsessed with the disco balls!! Those coasters. The color. So visually appetizing. Generally, just loving all the flower energy here too, especially Monet.
“When you zoom in, each brush stroke looks abstract. But zoomed out you clearly see what’s captured in the painting.”
I kinda love this sentiment, especially in thinking about how we look at life and not seeing the full “painting” when you’re so focused in on something, you miss out on what’s actually there, or don’t see the role its playing is much larger, contributing to something greater. Or rather, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” At the same time, the more you zoom in on something you can see all the peculiar details in that one thing and learn to appreciate how something unique or abstract, on its own, is a “masterpiece”, but then you take all of those unique brushstrokes and put them together and they amplify each other to become: one big beautiful masterpiece.
On a similar note, this line: “Each brush stroke is an individual expression, but when combined, clearly represent a door.”
I think this hits on again, the importance of a single thing, be it a brushstroke, a line, or a sentence, or even a single word. But I’m also thinking about the uniqueness aspect and this idea of expression and how much of one person’s style or voice can be broken down to this one specific thing. Like how a brushstroke, the expression in that, can be uniquely one person’s. I think about this not just in painting, but in drawing, or writing, etc. You can look at something in its basic form, take a sentence, and someone can look at it and identify how it’s uniquely yours. And I think that’s special.
Should I turn this comment into an essay? Lol
Tell your mom Sandra thinks her painting is beautiful. My goal is to one day paint with her (and you) while conducting an interview of her. Let her know that. Plant the seed for me. I have many questions lined up for her.
“What are your thoughts on this? When do you decide when your work is done?”
I think like with all things, there’s fluidity in this, not necessarily a one way to decide that can be applied to everything all the time. Sometimes it’s when there are “no notes” left. Sometimes it’s taking the power back and you deciding when it’s done. Sometimes it’s when you’re more excited for the next thing. Sometimes it’s when the deadline hits. Sometimes it’s when you’ve done the best you can do and recognizing if you do anything else it may cause more harm than help. But mostly, I think it’s trusting your intuition.
Loving your painting, by the way. It’s BEAUTIFUL. Do you take pictures throughout the process? I would LOVE to see it at various stages, or for the next one you do. Consider breaking one down sometime?
Also, I think the best part of your presentation was truly you; your personality, your delivery, and the energy you bring. It’s really the way you carry yourself. I think while content is important and the flow of the presentation itself was very good, watching someone (you) who genuinely cares about what they’re saying and is putting thought into it like you did is more important. But more than that, back to what I talked about earlier today, humility is so key, especially (!!!!!) when talking about something like Historic Art, or any art in any form. Some people come from a place of wanting to impress instead of just sharing what they’ve learned or are learning and passing it along for the purpose of helping. Watching you felt like literally watching a friend teach you something really cool that they’re excited by. That is a very good thing! You could do a presentation or even just talk about something as simple as …I don’t know, an Apple Watch? and you would have my full attention.
P.S. You should consider repurposing that old drawing. Turn it into something new!
P.P.S. Please share more old drawings!!!!! :)
<3
(Thank you for reading this mini essay.)
((I already can't wait for my next issue of TDB.))
OMG I wish that you could come with me to this class. There must be a class like this near you. I highly recommend.
Sari’s disco balls are SOOO beautiful. I got the coasters haha I also highly recommend. They add a lovely pop of color to any surface.
YES write that essay!! You got a big chunk of it down right here 😂 But in all seriousness I love what you wrote here. I resonate with:
‘when you’re so focused in on something, you miss out on what’s actually there, or don’t see the role its playing is much larger, contributing to something greater. Or rather, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” ‘
AND: ‘…one person’s style or voice can be broken down to this one specific thing. Like how a brushstroke, the expression in that, can be uniquely one person’s… someone can look at it and identify how it’s uniquely yours’
I LOVE THIS. Everyone has their own unique brushstroke. That’s so beautiful.
Thank you I’ll let her know =] She’ll be flattered! LOL I will plant the seed for my mom. I really want her to write a memoir, and offered to ghost write it for her but she’s hesitant =(
Sometimes I take process pics… I’m very inconsistent with it… but also sometimes I get into a painting flow for like 4-5 hours and forget haha but I will definitely take them for my next painting and share them here. What do you mean by breaking them down?
And thank you so much for this sentiment, I really appreciate it:
“…watching someone who genuinely cares about what they’re saying and is putting thought into it like you did is more important.”
But I feel like it also relates nicely back to the ‘unique brushstroke’ above! I’ll also give you the tiny phone…I mean, Apple Watch spiel again, anytime haha
OOO repurpose the old drawing?! Hmmm I might have to recreate it into something bigger and bolder! Maybe... a painting!? Lol
Thank you for reading, being TDB’s #1 fan, and for your reflection! I love this mini essay, but also, please write that essay LOL
"Sometimes I take process pics… I’m very inconsistent with it… but also sometimes I get into a painting flow for like 4-5 hours and forget haha but I will definitely take them for my next painting and share them here. What do you mean by breaking them down?"
4-5 hours? That's amazing. I wish there was a time-lapse video of you painting something throughout that duration. Would love to see how the paintings evolve over time. By breaking them down I meant just walking us through the different steps you take throughout that process with pictures at different stages. As you lay down layers, why you do certain things/make certain choices, what changes you make, how you make things look a certain way, etc.
Love this Elizabeth! And you should totally create a short art course with your top tips. Here's the link to the CV4W recording by the way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFGgiDaeXGE. You rocked it! Would love to do another session in future.
Love all the visuals here including your painting and your moms! Very sad I missed the visual class you hosted. Also up top, “Actually, it’s more like a meet-up for retired folk to bond over painting a few hours each week.” I laughed at this. I feel like I’m a young snowbird in a snowbird town so I relate to your experience.
Like, everything you shared here is sheer beauty and pleasure! Really love the color wheels, the rule of thirds, and painting with mom...Like, just everything is gorgeous, what's not to love! <3
Thank you Helen =) <3
Hi, long time reader here, excited to see TDB today. I was anxiously awaiting its arrival since the last one. You really kept me in suspense! But I love this issue!! And the yellow/pink energy here. I have a few thoughts:
“Getting out of my home for a few hours, sitting in a big room flooded with natural light, listening to classical music while painting is as relaxing as it sounds.”
This sounds like such a good time, I’m mad that this class is on the other side of the country. Otherwise I would be all up in there. It’s the perfect combo of things for me, especially because it includes two of my favorite things: old people and Liz. ✨
Fully obsessed with the disco balls!! Those coasters. The color. So visually appetizing. Generally, just loving all the flower energy here too, especially Monet.
“When you zoom in, each brush stroke looks abstract. But zoomed out you clearly see what’s captured in the painting.”
I kinda love this sentiment, especially in thinking about how we look at life and not seeing the full “painting” when you’re so focused in on something, you miss out on what’s actually there, or don’t see the role its playing is much larger, contributing to something greater. Or rather, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” At the same time, the more you zoom in on something you can see all the peculiar details in that one thing and learn to appreciate how something unique or abstract, on its own, is a “masterpiece”, but then you take all of those unique brushstrokes and put them together and they amplify each other to become: one big beautiful masterpiece.
On a similar note, this line: “Each brush stroke is an individual expression, but when combined, clearly represent a door.”
I think this hits on again, the importance of a single thing, be it a brushstroke, a line, or a sentence, or even a single word. But I’m also thinking about the uniqueness aspect and this idea of expression and how much of one person’s style or voice can be broken down to this one specific thing. Like how a brushstroke, the expression in that, can be uniquely one person’s. I think about this not just in painting, but in drawing, or writing, etc. You can look at something in its basic form, take a sentence, and someone can look at it and identify how it’s uniquely yours. And I think that’s special.
Should I turn this comment into an essay? Lol
Tell your mom Sandra thinks her painting is beautiful. My goal is to one day paint with her (and you) while conducting an interview of her. Let her know that. Plant the seed for me. I have many questions lined up for her.
“What are your thoughts on this? When do you decide when your work is done?”
I think like with all things, there’s fluidity in this, not necessarily a one way to decide that can be applied to everything all the time. Sometimes it’s when there are “no notes” left. Sometimes it’s taking the power back and you deciding when it’s done. Sometimes it’s when you’re more excited for the next thing. Sometimes it’s when the deadline hits. Sometimes it’s when you’ve done the best you can do and recognizing if you do anything else it may cause more harm than help. But mostly, I think it’s trusting your intuition.
Loving your painting, by the way. It’s BEAUTIFUL. Do you take pictures throughout the process? I would LOVE to see it at various stages, or for the next one you do. Consider breaking one down sometime?
Also, I think the best part of your presentation was truly you; your personality, your delivery, and the energy you bring. It’s really the way you carry yourself. I think while content is important and the flow of the presentation itself was very good, watching someone (you) who genuinely cares about what they’re saying and is putting thought into it like you did is more important. But more than that, back to what I talked about earlier today, humility is so key, especially (!!!!!) when talking about something like Historic Art, or any art in any form. Some people come from a place of wanting to impress instead of just sharing what they’ve learned or are learning and passing it along for the purpose of helping. Watching you felt like literally watching a friend teach you something really cool that they’re excited by. That is a very good thing! You could do a presentation or even just talk about something as simple as …I don’t know, an Apple Watch? and you would have my full attention.
P.S. You should consider repurposing that old drawing. Turn it into something new!
P.P.S. Please share more old drawings!!!!! :)
<3
(Thank you for reading this mini essay.)
((I already can't wait for my next issue of TDB.))
Always gotta keep the fans in suspense!!
OMG I wish that you could come with me to this class. There must be a class like this near you. I highly recommend.
Sari’s disco balls are SOOO beautiful. I got the coasters haha I also highly recommend. They add a lovely pop of color to any surface.
YES write that essay!! You got a big chunk of it down right here 😂 But in all seriousness I love what you wrote here. I resonate with:
‘when you’re so focused in on something, you miss out on what’s actually there, or don’t see the role its playing is much larger, contributing to something greater. Or rather, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” ‘
AND: ‘…one person’s style or voice can be broken down to this one specific thing. Like how a brushstroke, the expression in that, can be uniquely one person’s… someone can look at it and identify how it’s uniquely yours’
I LOVE THIS. Everyone has their own unique brushstroke. That’s so beautiful.
Thank you I’ll let her know =] She’ll be flattered! LOL I will plant the seed for my mom. I really want her to write a memoir, and offered to ghost write it for her but she’s hesitant =(
Sometimes I take process pics… I’m very inconsistent with it… but also sometimes I get into a painting flow for like 4-5 hours and forget haha but I will definitely take them for my next painting and share them here. What do you mean by breaking them down?
And thank you so much for this sentiment, I really appreciate it:
“…watching someone who genuinely cares about what they’re saying and is putting thought into it like you did is more important.”
But I feel like it also relates nicely back to the ‘unique brushstroke’ above! I’ll also give you the tiny phone…I mean, Apple Watch spiel again, anytime haha
OOO repurpose the old drawing?! Hmmm I might have to recreate it into something bigger and bolder! Maybe... a painting!? Lol
Thank you for reading, being TDB’s #1 fan, and for your reflection! I love this mini essay, but also, please write that essay LOL
"Sometimes I take process pics… I’m very inconsistent with it… but also sometimes I get into a painting flow for like 4-5 hours and forget haha but I will definitely take them for my next painting and share them here. What do you mean by breaking them down?"
4-5 hours? That's amazing. I wish there was a time-lapse video of you painting something throughout that duration. Would love to see how the paintings evolve over time. By breaking them down I meant just walking us through the different steps you take throughout that process with pictures at different stages. As you lay down layers, why you do certain things/make certain choices, what changes you make, how you make things look a certain way, etc.
^ Damn, what a brilliant idea. Clearly, I needed to know ALL the things. I still do.
Help.
Love this Elizabeth! And you should totally create a short art course with your top tips. Here's the link to the CV4W recording by the way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFGgiDaeXGE. You rocked it! Would love to do another session in future.
Yayyy!! Thanks for reading John! and thanks for sharing! Going to update this post with the youtube link!!!!
I would LOVE to do another session in the future! CV4W is such a great group thanks for creating our lil community <3
Your slide deck was oh so gorgeous 🤌🏽
Thank you!!! And thank you for coming 🥰 I really appreciate it!!!
Love all the visuals here including your painting and your moms! Very sad I missed the visual class you hosted. Also up top, “Actually, it’s more like a meet-up for retired folk to bond over painting a few hours each week.” I laughed at this. I feel like I’m a young snowbird in a snowbird town so I relate to your experience.
Thanks! HAHA they MUST have similar classes in your town then! I highly recommend.
You’re probably right 😆 I’ll have to go find them