Relaxing Can Bring On Inspiration

I am sitting in a hotel room in Richmond Hill. It has given me an opportunity to relax and consider the next few projects that I would like to do. It caused me to look at photos that I have available and to look at the suggestions I have been given to create decor signs with.

It also makes me think of Saturday morning after I woke up and was sitting in the living room enjoying a cup of coffee. The windows were open and I hear a flock of Canada Geese flying over the house, their honks announcing their presence. It made me think of how much I love this country; how much I appreciate living in a rural area. I thought of all the wildlife I had been privileged to see just outside my door. I regularly see deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, fox, raccoons, turkey vultures, hawks, and more. At our cottage we had seen all of those as well as bear, owls, grouse and other wildlife.

It all inspires me to capture the scene on canvas, or some other surface. Take a quick photo so you have something to work from. Seeing the beauty of this world also makes me want to work on things that would inspire others, either a painting to hang in their home, or dome décor style sign to hang on a wall and inspire.

It is worth it to sit, relax, listen and watch the world go by. It is worth sitting in a canoe or row boat and looking at the world around you from a vantage point you wouldn’t normally see.

My sons sat out on the front lawn and watched the lunar eclipse the other night and watched the moon turned brilliant red. They both made comment about the awesome view they had seen, something that you don’t get to see very often.

I hope everyone takes a few moments in their lives to sit, relax and look at the world around you.

I Enjoy My Time In The Studio

I have been painting since I was in my teens, if you don’t know me that was a some time ago. I have always enjoyed painting, even when my artwork wasn’t any where near what it is today.

I have found as in all things, you have to like, enjoy and believe in what you are doing in order to successful in any form of the word success. Over my life I have seen people who were good at doing something, but when the enjoyment they found in it was gone, so soon after was their success. This is true of day to day life, relationships, your job, anything that you set about doing.

I really enjoy painting, my passion is painting the Canadian landscape, wildlife. I also have found that painting decor and subway art to be enjoyable.  I couldn’t paint it if I didn’t enjoy doing it. I’m a firm believer in pushing yourself beyond your personal limits. I believe in getting out of your comfort zone, taking your experience and knowledge stretching and testing it to new limits.

I would still be painting nothing but flat no dimensional sunsets if I didn’t push myself. I wouldn’t still be painting if I stayed in my comfort zone, I would have become bored and given up. Life gives us many opportunities to expand ourselves. When it comes to my artwork I often seek new chaullenges, that way I keep myself fresh, enjoyable and new. 

Enjoy life, spread your wings, pick up your “paint brush” and go beyond your limits. Going beyond helped in creating the following items.

To Inspire, Help and To Heal

We live in a world that leaves many people wounded and hurt. Our world is so caught up in the "Me Generation", A world of "Selfies" where we can share everything on so many forms of social media.

The world is such that we often forget about friends and family that may need some help along the way. So many have an attitude of "Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead" for their life that they may plow others under or leave people behind who share another point of view.

I have decided to create a line of Inspirational posters and mini-posters based on my paintings and quotes taken from others and the Bible. It is my hope that they will indeed inspire people, but may also help them and even set them on a path to healing old wounds.

Look at life, look at those who are around you. Help them along the way. Pick people up, help dust them off. Too many people have knocked others down on the road to success, it's time to be the Good Samaritan and lend a helping hand to the ones at the side of the road.

I hope in some small way that those seeing my Inspirational Prints will be helped, or inspired to help.

Remembering Simpler Times On A River Bank!

It seems to me that a large group of people in the world have missed out on a lot in their youth. What does the future hold for the next generation? Will there be scenes in the future of Father and Son, father and daughter, grandpa or grandma on the banks of a river watching the day go by, or dipping a rod into the water?

I have been doing a series of paintings of late featuring kids fishing, walking with a grandparent and more. I am guessing that part of it is as I age I think of walking with my grandfather, going fishing with friends on a river bank, fishing with my grandfather off of a dock by the old pump house on the lake.

How many kids have been taken to a river with rods, worms and a bagged lunch to spend the day on the river bank. It's not catching a fish  that is important, but catching your first fish really feels great.It is about spending time with your dad, mom, grandpa, grandma. It is about seeing nature at it's finest, it's about just spending time in nature.

Well past the concrete jungles that we live in off the beaten path is the old fishing hole. A place like no other, calm and stress free. A place that frees you from the world around and builds memories that last a life time,

Remember those times? Have you given your kids, niece, nephews, grandchildren those same types of memories?

So as I sat and thought about things one day I felt I should do some paintings that brought back those kind of memories. I hope these will inspire you to think about it and go fishing, for a walk, leave the concrete jungle for the back roads.

An Artist Is Worth Their Time And Talent

Over the last ten years I have sold a number of pieces of my work, whether it was an original painting or a hand painted decorative sign. I have painted on Canvas, woods, slate, rock and canoe paddles.

In the time that I have been more successful in selling my works, I have been amazed at how at times people expect you to create a piece of work, specifically for them, at an extremely low cost to them. In the beginning I did work for lower than realistic prices because I was happy to be selling something. I wasn't valuing my own time the way I should have, but I quickly woke up to the reality of my work, talent and time were worth something.

Any one who creates something is worthy of being paid for their time, talent and supplies. If you work for any one you expect to be paid properly, Why should someone making something for you not be paid properly, you expect your employer to pay you properly why shouldn't the artist be paid properly?

Everyone who is using their talent, talent that they have developed, be it that they are; a writer, painter, actor, singer. That talent that you have asked them to use, it is something you don't have, so show your appreciation, show that you understand that, "the laborer is worthy of his wages." Pay the person properly, pay them for their talent.

There is no need for "starving artists", pay them for the work you requested, ordered, wanted to be done for you!

Do You…

1. Believe in yourself? We live in a world that looks at things more from the glass is half empty than from the half full point of view. If any one is going to be successful in this world they need a positive view on life, positive view on who they are. An athlete, a writer, an actor, an artist must believe in themselves in order to fulfill their dream. Whether that dream is to; write a novel that gets published, paint an image worthy of being hung on a wall, play well enough to get to the big leagues, you must believe that YOU can do it!

2. Think outside of the box? Don’t allow yourself to be satisfied with being comfortable with life as it was yesterday or the day before that. People that go beyond where they are today, that think outside of the box will grow and advance in their craft. Life will be an adventure, they will not be satisfied with common place. They will try new things and go where they haven’t before.

3. Lead or do you follow? Are you a leader or a follower?  That guy at the front of the pack, the one at the head of the race, he’s the leader. That person with the three stars on their shoulders, the general, he’s the leader. That person in front of the orchestra with the baton, the conductor, she’s the leader. Yes, we may start out as a follower, but the were a follower that wasn’t willing to stay that way. They had a desire, a dream to be a leader. Leaders set the pace, they lead the way. They push themselves to go beyond. To be true to yourself, ask yourself, are you a leader or are you a follower? Are you wanting, dreaming or desiring to go beyond and create your own style? Then you have to decide to be a leader and not be a follower. A leader will develop their own style, the follower will be happy with following someone else’s style.

4. You have tenacity? Can you see it through? Will you stick with it, even when the going gets tough? Any one who is going to be successful will want to see things through to completion. Edison, Ford, Banting and Best, Lincoln, Bell and anyone else who is known for inventing, creating, developing, winning saw their endeavours through to the end. They stuck it out, they may have had failures along the way, but they continued on, they did not quit. That old saying “winners never quit and quitters never win.” To be successful you must be tenacious, must have a stick with it attitude.

5. Like what you are doing? We have to like what we are doing in order to have fun, don’t just do it for the reward. If that is all it means to you than you might as well just quit now! Being creative should give you enjoyment, it should be fun.  Look at what you are doing, not just that piece of work, do you like what you are doing, is it fun and enjoyable. If you don’t like what you are going, quit!

Never Give Up, Rome Wasn't Built In A Day.

We live in a world that is filled with critics, people who feel they; can do something better, know more than you, feel they need to instruct others on how to do something. Ask yourself, if they could do better wouldn't they be.

There are always going to be; couch potato quarter backs, those who feel they did better when. They aren't the one holding the paint brush, sitting at the keyboard or standing on stage. They observe from the distance and make comments. They have either never tried, gave up or were so discouraged by others they feel it is their obligation to pass it on.

Don't be discouraged, don't give up. Give yourself time to develop your craft. That may take years, and if you feel you are getting better, if you enjoy yourself, all the more reason not to stop.

I have been painting since I was in my teens, I am not the painter that I was at age 13 I have come a long long way. I hear some family suggesting they are better, that they don't appreciate all that I do. There isn't an artist of any kind in this world that is loved by everyone else. Every artist has their own style, ability, and people who do like their work.

Be encouraged, have faith in yourself and continue to develop your craft. Edison worked on many inventions, not all were successful.  How many painters have been successful in their own right, have been great artist, that sold works, but we're only known to a few faithful followers.  How many writers get rejected by publishers, never give up, and one day get a book accepted for publishing.

Where would we be if some one didn't wander out of the cave? What about the person that first plowed a field and planted something? What if Bell didn't try to help those with hearing loss, the Wright brothers didn't try flying, Ford didn't try making inexpensive cars on an assembly line?

As a well known Scottish King by the name of Robert the Bruce, is known for having said, "If at first you don't succeed try, try again!" 

I encourage you to continue, there will always be nay sayers. If I listened to them I wouldn't have sold as many paintings as I have, over 500 hand painted canoe paddles, and as many decorative signs as I have done recently. 

Don't give up! Develop your craft and then develop it more. I don't promise you will be a DaVinci, Picasso, Salvadore Dali, no, you will be you! You will become the artist, with your own style and your own following.

I paint on, have fun and destress. I enjoy myself, and get a great big kick out of it when a painting sells, and so will you with whatever you are creating.

Here is some finished items and one I am working on!