Artists Garden

You may be familiar with the larger than life mosaic vividly colored sculptures created by artist, Niki de Saint Phalle.  I first saw a few of her sculptures across from the San Diego Art Museum in Balboa Park.  They are whimsical, wild, delightful creative, creations. Viewing them will inspire you to think out of the box and infuse you with the desire to be incredibly creative.

I discovered that in a remote corner of western Tuscany there is a garden created by Saint Phalle that contains 22 of her sculptures! I found out about this garden when my friend, Marianne gave me a copy of the book, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go by Susan Van Allen. After reading everything I could find about this garden, I decided both men and women and us should go.  So I have scheduled a day trip to Capalbio, Tuscany,  the home of the Saint Phalle Tarot Garden. We will visit this garden on my upcoming Fall Tuscany Watercolor Sketching trip, Oct. 2-9, 2016.   

Another Idea That Might Help You Get More Artwork Done

I read an article on the Domino Effect on JamesClear.com this morning.  I thought you might be interested in how we can apply this effect to our issue of getting more artwork done.   

According to Mr. Clear, the domino effect is when you make a change to one behavior and it activates a chain reaction and causes a shift in other related behaviors as well.

Now that I have been picking up my paintbrush most nights after dinner to paint what other behaviors are activated? Well, I am painting very small objects and concentrating on using one specific watercolor technique only. This is causing me to paint more often because I am seeing my work improve. Could this be the chain reaction?  Let me know what you think about this and if it helps you.

Beautiful twilight in Winsor, England.  Maybe, I'll find sometime to paint this photo....if I follow this advice. 

Speaking of Travel Journaling and Packing for Your Next Trip

Tomorrow I am speaking to members of the San Dieguito Art Guild about finding time to watercolor journal and how to pack your art  supplies.  This is a subject very dear to my travel painting artist's heart. I can chatter on endlessly about water brushes, sketchbook sizes, paper quality, packing cubes and the importance of purchasing expensive travel underwear that dries in 2 hours or less. 

 I must confess that I actually study the dimensions of suitcases and overhead bins. I know the best pencil sharpener to take on a trek up to a mountain top.  I know the smallest paint set you can  toss into your tiny travel bag to take to Tasmania. I have no less then 24 bags to choose from to take along on my next trip. 

I am sure they will find me fascinating. If not, I hope the refreshments are good.

Are You Interested in Visiting Ireland, Scotland or Italy with Me this Fall?

Sketch and watercolor views that this in your travel journal. 

If you have been thinking about a trip to Europe now is the time to make your plans. I can teach you how to record what inspires you as you walk down the road with me in Edinburgh. I can show you how to sit in a cafe and sketch a window across from the cafe as you sip a glass of wine or savor a cappucino.  If the colors you see from the window of the train inspire you to paint, I can teach you how to mix those colors and paint without anxiety.  

I still have a few spots open on my Fall trip if you want to join our small group and travel, sketch and relax.  Here are the details: 

Scotland- Sept. 18-25, 2016 $2,500. 

Ireland- Sept. 25-Oct2, 2016 $2,500. 

Italy(Tuscany)-Oct.2-9, 2016. $1,700.

Discounts available if you sign up for more than one week. 

For more info www.barbararothanywhereart.com   

Sometimes A Scribble is Enough.....

......to get you started drawing.   I was making a list this at 2am when I couldn't sleep. I had some ideas for the book I am finishing up and I scribbled some very simple images of possible ideas at the bottom of my list.  When I looked at the scribbles today, there it was, staring me in the face, the idea That had been eluding me for my illustration!  Now that I have my idea I can go ahead and complete the drawing.

Start scribbling your idea today and let me know how this process works for you. 

Finding More Time to Paint, Free Art Supplies and Trader Joes?

Frequently I am asked how to find more time to paint. Do you wrestle with this time issue?  If so, consider one solution I have discovered which is to shop at Trader Joe's.  

Trader Joes sells many pre made or pre prepared items that will cut down the time you spend cooking and preparing meals. 

Did you know Trader Joes also gives away free art supplies? I repurposed their cookie jars into a watercolor brush cleaner. Note that it has a clean water holder inside and a larger round water holder outside to hold your dirty water. 

Dip your dirty brush in the outer container to clean it and into the inner container for clean water.

Pet Peeve and A Petite Seminar on Viewing Artwork

Have you ever showed someone a painting you've done and they said nothing or maybe mumbled something?  

How did you feel? Let's face it we artists have sensitive souls. When we get up the courage to show someone our works of art, it is a little like showing your mom your first pre school painting (at least for me, you may be a lot more mature).  You want a positive response to validate your efforts or at least but maybe too much to expect, an offer for them to hang it on their refrigerator. 

If you put yourself in the other guy's soes, in this case the person looking at your painting, they may not know what to say. After all they cut most of the art education out of the school budget when most of us were growing up.  

So I am going to suggest to you somethings to say upon being shown a person's artwork: 

"I like the colors." 

"I like your line work" 

"I like the textures you achieved with your brush work." 

Or you can ask an open ended question such as: 

"What inspired you to paint this subject?" 

"How did you get that subtle color in the sky?" 

Or you can resort to one or two word answers but say them loudly: 

"Fantastic", (maybe over the top but please err in this direction). 

"Wow!" 

"Excellent!" 

"Terrific work!" 

Now here is a thumbnail I did for a larger painting of Napa, you can practice your responses by emailing or using the comment box on this blog. 

Setting Priorities to Find Time to Paint

Study the picture below. Can you find my eye glasses? They disappeared in here sometime after midnight Monday night.  

My art studio

In case you think your art space needs to be pristine at all times in order to create, re-think that concept and decide how much chaos you can tolerate and still find time to make art.  

Summer Painting Classes

Can you see yourself under the pink striped umbrella at the beach with me this Summer? 

It's not as difficult as you might think to paint a beach and ocean scene. When I first moved to San Diego, I thought I couldn't paint seascapes. The trouble was I thought I needed a special education on oceanography and wavology to be able to sit on the beach and paint. However, after studying the beach while walking, gazing and sitting I realized that to paint beach scenes all you needed to do was look at the ocean and the sand and put marks on your paper with paint to describe what you saw.   

I am going to teach at the beach this Summer and share with you how to paint what inspires you at the beach. Want to sign up for a class with me? Email me soon with your thoughts at anywhereart4u@gmail.com

Under the Pink Striped Umbrella . Acrylic painting by Barbara Roth

Creative Cookie Arranging

This could be my artist bio. It says so much about me. I like cookies, I like vintage fabric and I like to make art anywhere.

Yellow Orange

I never really appreciated the color yellow orange before now.  I was painting some color charts the other day for a local class when I stumbled on yellow orange. It's the color of school buses and the yellow traffic light and marigolds. It looks good with when it goes out with blue violet. They complement each other because they are opposites on the color wheel.

What do you think? Have you got a favorite color couple? 

How to Find the Time to Paint in You Daze

Lately I have been finding the time to paint more. People have actually been asking me how I am able to accomplish this. 

I don't want to be like a certain dear relative of mine who only quit smoking in her old age when her hands could no longer grip the cigarette but then lectured to others on how they should quit smoking.

Part of the reason I am getting more painting done is fear and belief in my work. I am working on a commissioned project that has a deadline. I am fearful about meeting my my deadline on time. This fear is motivating me to find the time to paint. 

The fact that I have been comissioned to create this artwork gives me credibility and a bit of confidence. This new confidence motivates me to paint more, it makes me feel like painting is a legit way to spend ones time and not a leisure time pursuit I am obsessed with. 

So here are some strategies I have found to work for me to create more painting time: 

1. Say no nicely to nice friends who want to spend time with you. Reschedule friend activities to other less hectic days in your schedule. You cant work all the time, so you do need to have some time to see your friends. 

2. Make a list of your priorities with painting near the top of your list. You have to follow this list and not blow off painting. 

3. Pretend you have a deadline, high priority and confidence tto complete a sketch/painting of the flowers below. Then send your work to me and I will post it on this blog and send you more confidence and a green star.

Organizing Tool for Artists

A lot of creative people struggle with organizing their art supplies including me. I know this because I have googled this topic and found lots of info about this online.

I am a fan of "just enough art supply organization". Its a term I just made up. It means not spending all day organizing your crayons in alphabetical order by color. It also means putting your supplies in some kind of of easy to organize form so you can find them quickly when you need them. 

I am pleased as pie to tell you about an excellent artists organizing tool you can purchase at your local market.

The Artists storage sack. It comes in all sizes, closes at the top so your stuff won't fall out and its recyclable! See picture below. 

Artist's storage sacks can hold a variety of artists tools and supplies. 

I somehow decided I needed this metal palette with 56 1/2 pans waiting empty for me to fill with watercolor paint. I found the palette lying collecting dust on a shelf in a small art shoppe in Sarlat.  So you could say I rescued this palette box from obscurity, couldn't you? 

My rationale for buying this paintbox was my need to find my colors quickly and have them easily available to me when I am painting in a travel location or have limited time. What do you think? 

How to draw like a Cave Person

I was very inspired by the Cromagnon cave paintings I saw in France when we toured the caves in the Dordogne region of France during our workshop. 

Cromagnon inspired sketches found in San Diego cave. 

We toured the museums of Lascaux and Pech Merle and saw artifacts and exhibits that taught us some facts and theories about cave art. 

We learned that early men and women created their own tools from the materials in their environment. We saw reindeer bones sharpened to be used as weapons and engraving tools. 

We learned that no one knows the exact reasons for the paintings on the cave walls. Scholars believe the images may have been drawn to increase the numbers and varieties of animals they hunted for.  Some believe the drawings were done for religious purposes or  to increase fertility. 

This morning I decided to draw like a cave women. I looked around for tools to shape out if what I found in my environment. I found a drawer of chalk and a pen to use on my kitchen counter. I found a pad of mixed media paper on our kitchen table. 

I needed animal subjects to paint. I found two beagles in the family room. I used a blind contour drawing technique for my sketches and added chalk lines for color and shading. The beagles shifted positions constantly while I drew them, hence the multiple sketchy lines.

New French Style

One can't go to France, the fashion capital of the world, without picking up some style tips and accessories.  How do you like my new look? 

My daughter described this look as 1960's flight attendent chic. I'm not exactly sure that is the new look I am going for as to represent Anywhere Art LLC and take it to the next level.

Returning to Real Life

After being at home a few days, you gradually move out of your post trip daze. 

It's necessary to pick up where you left off before you left on your trip. Hopefully your outlook has broadened, you have aquired some knowledge of the culture of the place you visited and you have some new ideas you want to integrate into your old life.  

So when you cook your breakfast egg you no longer see a poached egg. Instead you see possibilities about what else that egg could be: en coquette, an omlette, a quiche ingredient, or a topping for a crepe. This gives new meaning to me for the phrase, "Imagine the possibilities."

A crepe with cheese& ham & egg in Giverny

I am also looking at my paintings I did on my trip in my sketchbook with "fresh egg eyes."  

Maybe this will be a theme for a series of chateaux paintings, a larger oil painting or a gift tag? Imagine the possibilities I tell myself. 

How to Avoid Post Trip Depression and Jet Lag

Returning home from a great trip involves a lot of mental juxtaposing. On one hand you are glad to see your family and relax in your familiar surroundings. On the other hand you miss the excitement and alertness of experiencing a different culture and having daily new sights, tastes and sensory alertness.  

My solution is to relax. I try to talk about my new travel insghts and show my photos only to those who are truely interested. 

The fatigue from jet lag usually protects you from reality for at least a day or two.  

If you find you miss the incredible French food you ate 3 meals a day while on vacation, do not imediately get out Julia Child's cookbook and try to cook something French. I can tell you from experience this doesn't work. Instead if you can, eat your favorite foods that are found near or in  your home, like maybe sushi and whole wheat toast.

Do not bore your friends with your new interest in Cro Magnon man, quietly go about resarching the topic by yourself. By all means organize your art supplies, start a new painting and wear the new shoes you bought in France. If anyone asks you why you didnt submit something last week, it is permissible to say, "I'm sorry I could'nt submit that form, I was in France."

Let me know if you have discovered any more efficient ways to cope with jet lag.  

What We Did in France

Everyone is on their way home from our France workshop to different spots around the U. S.  In addition to travel journal painting we saw some amazing scenery, visited some beautiful small villages , tasted some delicious regional French food and made some good new friends.

Sunday in Sarlat

Today was Liberation Day in France (also known as victory in Europe day). There were celebrations and decorations in the villages. 

V E decorations on the monument in the Square of May 1945 in front of our hotel.

We visited a few of France's most beautiful villages today, the final day of our workshop.

We enjoyed our two weeks together painting and touring.