Lift Up Your Heart

Jessica Licciardello's artwork always manages to bring a smile to my lips.

But this morning when I saw her post this particular image...

it definitely gave a much needed lift to my heart.  

To see more of Jessica's work visit her website

at  http://jldelloartwork.com/
 

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Mind Body Spirit Artist Series - Pattie Brooks Anderson

The ability to depict the natural world with clarity, fluidity, balance and sparkle - that's what initially drew me to the beautiful art of Patty Brooks Anderson.  Once I had to opportunity to interview her for the Mind Body Spirit Artist Series, I was surprised - or was I - to learn why these qualities are reflected so vibrantly throughout her wonderful work.  Thank you Pattie... enjoy!


                                                                                                                 ~ diane fergurson 

Holding the Moon

MBS: Tell us a little about yourself.  How did you get started in art?

Pattie:  When I was very young I always loved books and book illustrations, and I often spent hours looking at the illustrations of my favorites. I wanted to do illustrations like some of the ones in these books and I also wanted to write stories. I enjoyed doing little cartoon illustrations for my stories. In grammar school I tried to draw every cartoon or line drawing I saw.  In high school, I decided to drop chemistry and chose art as my replacement. I completely blew my chance to go to a University, but I didn't care because I found something I loved. After graduation I enrolled as an art major at San Diego State College and found the classes satisfying and challenging, but also discovered a lot of other classes that interested me, including biology. I toyed with the idea of being a scientific illustrator, but life came along and I got married and spent the next twenty years raising my two children. I still managed to take a required class or an art class every semester. I began to take painting seriously. I also loved drawing and creating etchings. Through the years, line was always a major element in my art work.  One teacher said I was linear and I should never lose that aspect.  I began to show my art in various art festivals and the college shows with modest success. During that time, I had received my certificate in commercial art at Palomar Community College. I was required to take two very intensive classes in color which changed my fine art in amazing ways. During the same time I spent nine years doing all types of free lance commercial art. It began to dominate my time and I missed painting. My children were grown and I needed to move on to another phase in my life. It seems life is full of little reinventions.

I returned to San Diego State University to finish all the requirements for a degree in painting and printmaking. I found the formerly vibrant art department gutted, with only a skeleton of course offerings. There were no water media classes being offered at all, so I adopted oil as my new medium.  When I returned to school, I had an urban-type studio in Escondido, California, overlooking the main street of Grand Ave. I needed the space because my apartment, two blocks away, was so small. I paid $100 for an 18x18 room. I loved it and felt I was finally a practicing artist. I helped to create an artist co-op made up of the group that had working studios in the building.  We built a gallery in the building along with a few non-residents who joined us as part of the co-op. The artists in the building were professionals, and I learned a lot from them about how they ran their businesses. They were a constant resource of inspiration. The building still exists today and some of the original artists have studios there, but the co-op has moved elsewhere. It was here that I met and married my second husband and life partner.

At SDSU I graduated in 1993 with honors, thirty years after starting college. In my drawing classes, I had experimented with watercolor and ink and it was a major part of my senior show, but I put it aside when my professors said it was too radical for watercolor societies and not important enough for gallery submission.   I spent the following ten years painting landscapes in oil in Southern California and in our new home in the Eastern Sierras.  There in the small Sierra town of Bishop, I became a high school teacher, teaching fine art and commercial art. This went on for seven years.  I planned retire from the high School and teach art in my wonderful barn shaped studio.  I did that for a couple of years. Fate stepped in again, and when our friends moved to the Northwest, we visited them and fell in love with the Oregon Coast.

In 2003, we moved to the cooler climate of the coastal northwest and we built a new studio in the trees. I discovered watercolor again and began experimenting with the watercolor and ink that I had done in college once again.  I have found the ink and watercolor combination, along with gouache and acrylic, allows me to make paintings that radiate with color. It satisfies my need for line and my life long love of color, and the expression they bring.  Also here in the Northwest I have become a part of an artist co-operative.  I have been a member for six years and I find it truly rewarding.

  

Om

MBS: When I first saw your artwork, I was really struck by the way you depicted the natural world with such a fluid clarity and sparkle.  Then I read your artist statement and it all came together -  "The word alchemy has two meanings, the first: to change metal to gold and the second meaning: a seemingly magical power or process of changing one thing to another. The work you will see here is of the second meaning. Each work began with an idea, but, in the process of creation, it was transformed into something more magical. Ultimately, the work comes from a source that exists outside of myself. Hopefully, the work will inspire a sense of mystery and wonder."  - Could you explain more about the connection between art, alchemy and the spiritual/natural world that you portray in your work?

Pattie:  Oh, that is a big question!

When I get ideas for paintings they sometimes come to me as complete images, usually during meditation or when I am walking in the trees or on the beach. Or they might be inspired by the colorful language in the practice of qigong, one of my favorite pastimes. I usually look for reference to paint these images that have appeared.

Other times the image may materialize as I am painting with no subject in mind.  In both cases I feel that the painting is imparting knowledge to me. I often don't know why I am painting the image until I get close to completion and then the message, what ever it is, seems to become clear.  It is often deeper and more complex than the simple image that I see at first. I have believed for a long time that these images and the subsequent messages are transmitted through a source greater than myself, or perhaps, from a part of myself that is connected to this source.

I suppose this is the "alchemy" that I believe happens with just about every painting that I do. I am often surprised at the end of this process. It always leaves me with a sense of wonder about the mysteries of our earthly experience and the sense of connection to something beyond our human existence. I love using animals, nature and whimsy to make this connection. Animals seem to impart a sense of spirit.

Fairy Landing

MBS:  It sounds like your process is pretty spontaneous and intuitive.  I've also studied and practiced qigong for many years, and I understand what you are referring to about the energy, internal symbolism and alchemical process that can emerge and be transmuted into the artwork that one is creating.  What is it about using watercolors that you find lends itself to this process so well?  Also, what format do you use?  Materials..etc

Pattie:  I am glad you can relate to the energy I receive from qigong and meditation. 

Watercolor is so amazing, with its surprising twists and turns.  These little surprises fire my imagination,  and sometimes suggest a subject for a painting. I like to play with color, so I often start this way. When I have a subject in mind it starts with very free flowing watercolors. I prefer to use large sheets, full size watercolor arches 140# rough paper, 22x30.  Sometimes I begin with a sketch in watercolor pencil on the arches paper, if I am sure of the subject.  If I need reference I go on the internet to find multiple images that reflect my idea. I never copy the images, but use them to draw from. 

I might draw a pencil sketch from the references, and then I use the computer to enlarge it to the size I want.  Once I have the drawing in watercolor pencil I wash in the general colors I want to have in the painting, I use almost all watercolor that is free of sediment because I glaze color over color to mute them. 

I really enjoy the next process of using permanent India ink, usually with a brush at first. Then I add the line drawing with, India ink filled, Faber Castell pens or dip pens and sometimes sticks. I find this drawing process extremely satisfying, but I try to wait as long as possible to begin this.  There is a point where I step back and become my own critic. At this time I eliminate areas (sometimes parts I love) just for the sake of composition or color balance. I will sometimes crop the picture if it helps or I will mute or darken the areas that compete for attention. I usually try to keep a focal point and a light source. I sometimes experiment with multiple light sources which can add a sense of mystery.

Cranes Walking

MBS:  You've mentioned to me several times your involvement with an artist's co-op.  Can you tell us about the co-op?  What it is, where it is - how it works.

Pattie: Yes, I love my co-op Gallery.  I have been a member since 2006. We have been an Artists Co-operative since 2005.  The group has always had the mission to cooperatively come together for promoting art and selling art.  We also ave the goal to try to help the community in any way we can. There was not much information about Artists Cooperatives at the time we were created, but now there is a lot of advice in the web about starting and maintaining this type of organization.

We started in a tiny old house quite a distance away from the tourist area on Bay Street in Florence, Oregon.  Many never discovered our little gem, and when they did find us, they were pleased at the range of art we had to offer. Now we have grown to 24 members and we are planning future growth in a larger space right next door to our current address in Old Town.  The foot traffic we have had since we moved has changed the dynamics of our group from a casual club atmosphere to a thriving business.  We have all kinds of tourists from every part of the world visiting us, and we have some very loyal local customers who frequent us in the lonely winter months, as well as in the summer season.

I joined thinking I wanted to be connected to this great group of artists. I still feel that connection even though we have become more busy and business oriented.  All of our art has improved with the mutual support available from the group. Our sales have increased each year. And we learn more about running a gallery each day. Every one of us works the gallery for about three half day shifts per month, and we work on at least on one committee.  It is very little time for me, because I have worked harder in my life.  Our younger members have to juggle jobs and commitment to the gallery, but they manage.  We are much like a family, all with the goal of making the gallery a success.  I would recommend being in a co-op to any artist willing to work a bit to save paying a 50%+ commission.  If an artist is not willing to do that this is not for them.

Sea Turtles

MBS: What is a typical work day for you? Do you keep "hours" and go to work painting like a 9-5 job or are you less scheduled about it?

Pattie:  I do all my correspondence and checking my email and websites in the morning and get in the studio at late morning.  I am happy working on paintings for the rest of the day, having been fortified with a larger breakfast or coming back for a light lunch, and then I work until 5:00 or 6:00. My commitment as President to the co-op gallery has interrupted this schedule, but I will pass those duties on soon.  I also like to get out in the morning and walk because it feeds my mind.  I truly believe these forays into nature and sometimes to galleries are ways we can feed the mind for inspiration for our future work. This schedule sometimes gets interrupted for a week or two if family things come up.  I think women artists often experience the production of their art this way.

Tree of Life

MBS:  What are you currently working on?  Are you working on a series, or do you have any shows or events coming up?

Pattie:  I work sometimes in series, because I have not totally captured what I want in an image, or because one painting is not enough to discover all that needs to be understood.  I might do several paintings to complete the idea.  Usually, I paint the images as they come to me, from inspiration from a variety of sources.

Waiting for Dad Again

MBS:  I noticed that you sell your work online.  How has being online impacted you as an artist  Any advice you can give to other artists who are thinking about selling their work this way?

Pattie: I do have my work online in several venues. I have been doing this for a short time and it is all very new to me. I am pleased that the internet is available.  But I don't have a complete grasp of social networking yet.  I am still working on it. The best thing about having work online is that customers can come after seeing images in the gallery and find my images there.  I have made many reconnections with customers this way and all my cards and prints are marked with all my online information and email. I have come to believe that the blog is probably the most important feature for feeding the rest of the online spaces. And I have not tapped that yet. I feel it is most important to have the main site with your art gallery carry your own name as an artist, so mine is pattiebrooksanderson.com, it links to all the rest of my sites. I chose a group online called Fine Art Studios Online created by an artist, faso.com. It allows you to use your own url with your name and provides a blog and newsletter feature.  They are very helpful with the set up and have wonderful designs for the pages. The beginning membership is reasonable and easy to set up. I took their newsletter for a long time before choosing them, great articles about managing an art career.

MBS:    Looking back over your career is there any advice you have for those who wish to (seriously) pursue an artistic path?

Pattie:  My advice to those who would like to pursue an artistic path is to never give up seeking. And, I am serious about "seeking." Everyone's path is not the same. If you are drawn to make art, there is a reason and you will discover this motivation in the process of making art. The route you pursue could lead to methods of creating art that are far from the traditional. You may end up expressing your self through gardening, fashion, installation, video or a multitude of other avenues.

Begin by feeding your mind.  Humans are inspired by images. Pay attention to the type of image that most captivates your interest. Spend an amount of time each day doing the art that most attracts you. Leave the inner critic out of these sessions. Take workshops or college classes and learn as much about technique and the principles of art as you can, but give your self time to play and experiment with art materials.

I believe drawing is one of the most profound methods to reach your own submerged artist.  The way each person puts down marks is different from any other individual, this acceptance of your personal mark making is the validation of your own creative spirit.  If you do this diligently you will be compelled to continue and will emerge at the end with something uniquely yours. As you explore materials you will find one that you want to work with extensively. But, continue to allow yourself to draw and visually express the ideas as they come to you daily. These drawings are only for you. Taking walks alone in nature (or with a quiet friend) can produce a space in your mind that can't be reached when surrounded by the stimulus of our busy worlds. Allow a time during every day for quiet meditation and walks. If you do these things you will experience a shift of mind that cannot be described in words. And it will bring clarity to your artistic journey.


Thank you Pattie!




To find out more about Pattie Brooks Anderson and her wonderful work, you can visit her shop on Etsy, check out her website or visit her blog.

Links to other interviews in the Mind Body Spirit Artist Series.

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Mind Body Spirit Artist Series - Heidi Thompson

When I sat down to read and review the book "Calm Focus Joy: The Power of Breath Awareness", little did I know that author Heidi Thompson was also a fine artist.  I knew that if her work was even remotely as intelligent and fascinating as her book - that she would be someone I would definitely like to interview for the Mind Body Spirit Artist Series.  Well, as you will read, Heidi certainly did not disappoint.  I hope you will find this amazing artist's journey and work as fascinating and inspiring as I did.  Thank you Heidi!

                                                                                                          ~ diane fergurson

Orange Breaking Through

MBS: Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get started in art?

Heidi:  I have loved painting, drawing, and making things ever since I was young. When I was five, I remember sitting in a mudpuddle scooping up the velvety warm muck and splattering it all over myself. There was something about the tactile, hands on, messy experience that has always given me great pleasure. Even now, at age 56, I have the same eurphoric feeling when I am pouring and splattering paint over my canvas.

I grew up in Vernon British Columbia. My mom was an artist and was always drawing or painting. Our house was filled with beautiful paintings that she had brought over from Denmark. These paintings had a profound effect on me, though at the time I didn't realize it. I remember gazing at them a lot. When I was ten, we travelled to Europe and visited the Louvre and other museums. My mom was also interested in meditation and yoga, and took us to stay at ashrams. I grew up surrounded by books on Eastern philosophy, religion, and art. All of these things in my childhood influenced me, but I never believed that I could become an artist. My father strongly suggested that I find a more sensible trade. However, as soon as I moved away from my family and lived alone in Europe, I started to pursue my passion for art.

I attended the University of Art and Design in Zurich for four years, and became a professional photographer. But even though I loved photography, I knew that I wanted to be a painter. Choosing to study painting was always a struggle. I was brought up to believe that artists couldn't survive - that it was a unrealistic dream. But my passion was too strong; I couldn't help myself.  After graduating from the school in Zurich, I studied painting at art colleges in Nurnberg and Budapest. I was in Europe for almost nine years; seven of these were spent attending art schools and being an apprentice for a German artist.

When I returned to Vernon in 1982, I set up a photography, publishing, and painting studio. I married Ted, a guitar maker, and we had one daughter. We are still together after 30 years. At some point, I went back to university to become a teacher.  However, I have stopped doing photography and I rarely teach. All I want to do is paint. I live in Vernon and paint full time. Now and again, I create books. Recently, I have written and published Calm Focus Joy, a book about breath awareness and helping children focus better.


MBS:  That sounds wonderful, to be able to study art in Switzerland.  What is the one big thing that  you took away from that experience?

Heidi: There was one significant experience which continues to affect my paintings today. I was attending first year art studies. We were given a technical assignment to shade a 3" x 4" rectangle using a sharp 3B pencil. The shaded area was to be perfectly even with no lighter or darker areas. It took several days to finish. Whenever I thought I was done, my professor saw some discrepancies which I had to correct. It seemed an impossible task and at times I questioned this "Swiss" perfectionism. However, while focusing on the work and the shading, I experienced profound, almost visionary insights. At night, I began writing about the meaning of grey and how it symbolizes life. By focusing exclusively on one small patch of grey, new dimensions of its reality revealed itself to me. Today, many of my paintings resemble monochromatic rectangles with evenly distributed fields of color. I am still applying the same meditative and focusing principals that I learned in my first year of art school.

Eternal Optimism

MBS:  You also mentioned that during your time in Europe you were an apprentice for a German artist. What type of artist - and what was it like working as an apprentice?  An apprentice is usually quite different then working as a studio assistant, which many artists have spent time doing as well.

Heidi:  After earning my Swiss photography degree in 1979, I still wanted to be a painter. I met Nurnberg artist, Oskar Kollar, who was well-known for his minimalistic abstractions of landscapes and flowers. He was prolific and sold his work all over the world. He invited me to live with his family, and in repayment for food and rent, I would work half days in his studio doing jobs like stretching canvas, cutting matts, framing, operating the printing press, cleaning, and shipping paintings. I would also help to hang exhibitions, both in galleries and in his home.

In the mornings I worked alongside Oskar and then, for the rest of the day, I went to cafes and bars to draw and paint people. He offered weekly critique, and this helped enormously with my drawing. His focus was always on a work's composition. He believed that every artist evolves a personal composition - his or her unique way of seeing the world. You could distinguish a Picasso from a Monet through their painting's composition. He explained that composition is all about how space, line, and color interrelate; it is through this relationship that the artist expresses feelings, ideas, and personal truths. While I was doing my "apprenticeship", Oskar also helped me to prepare my art portfolio. In 1980, I was accepted into the Nurnberg Art Academy, which I attended for one year before going to the University of Art in Budapest.

The most important lesson that I learned from Oskar was that if you wanted to be a painter, you had to paint. This was his motto. This meant making a decision to be a painter and then struggling through years of not being recognized or paid. Oskar showed me that it was possible to be an artist. He was in his mid-fifties and was financially successful, raised two children, and had a beautiful home. He also warned me that not all artists can sell their work - some do and some do not. However, this shouldn't make a difference to one's commitment to the path.

MBS:  After reading your last answer, I can't help but think about what a totally different attitude that is - that a person should expect to paint for years and struggle to make it as an artist - if they do at all.  Sure a person needs to support themselves, but it seems like in the American culture, and probably Canadian, there is such an attitude of entitlement and immediate success.  For many people they don't even bother making art unless they can 'sell' it, and then it's substandard and mass media driven.  And then, like you also mentioned, you have to put in the work, hard consistent work.  Any thoughts?

Heidi:  Artists may feel entitled when they hear about other artists selling work for big bucks. But the reality is that there are more artists today than ever before in history. Overabundance makes art redundant. Everyone has a camera; everyone is an artist. As well, art became a profitable investment, escalating prices to incredulous heights. So the poor artist, like dreaming of becoming a rock star, wants to become the next Damian Hirst. And why not? It is obvious that you don’t need your masters in art or talent to make art. Because anything goes when it comes to art, people may see art-making as a way to strike it rich. Well, for me, these dreams may have crossed my mind in my younger years, but experience has shown me that you need to create what makes you happy, find a balance in life so you can stay healthy, and be grateful for those occasional sales that give you the validation every artist needs.  

Blue Light Breaking Through

I actually enjoy that there are no guarantees. Art remains a mystery. Success (and whatever success means to an individual) depends on accidents, luck, connections, economy, and other uncontrollable and unforeseeable factors. Because there are no guarantees, the struggle to survive as an artist continues even today. I think that the hardest struggle is staying committed to one’s unique vision. Artists often have an extraordinary way of seeing things. Sharing these insights with others becomes an important “duty” or calling. Again, even when artists pursue their vision, there is no guarantee that he or she will be understood or appreciated. Nevertheless, there is something noble and worthy in the struggle to stay true to one's vision, despite financial hardships. Many of our most influential artists sacrificed comfort and security to bring into the world art that changed how we see, feel, and understand. Their artistic struggle may or may not have “paid off”, but most of us are grateful for their contributions.
 
MBS: Several months ago when I was going over the background information for your book Calm Focus Joy, I remember reading about the long practice history you have with Buddhist Meditation.  Spirituality is obviously a very important aspect of your life and is  reflected through the artwork you create and the writing that you do.  What insights do you have about spirituality and your artwork?

Heidi:  I have been practicing Vipassana since 1982, which is a meditation technique rediscovered and taught by Buddha. Buddhists practice forms of Vipassana, but I am not a Buddhist. Vipassana is a universal, non-religious technique used by people with different beliefs and religious backgrounds. Vipassana, as it is currently taught at 10-day silent retreats under the instruction of S.N. Goenka, requires students to do breath awareness or Anapana (observing sensations of the breath) for three days, and then Vipassana (observing sensations in the body) for the final seven days.

Over the past 30 years, my Vipassana experience has not only positively influenced my health and relationships, it has influenced how and what I paint. My early artwork was shaped by old European tradition and expressed what I percieved the human condition to be. My drawings, paintings, and photographs were of people. They were dark, depressing, and expressed universal suffering. This is how I saw and experienced the world in my twenties. It is possible, though, that these disturbing images may have been expressing my confused state-of-mind and psychological struggle that came from living alone, dealing with my past, and trying to find myself.

My current work, in contrast, expresses my inner physiological condition and a more uplifted state-of-mind. Meditation training has enabled me to turn my attention away from my intellectual, agonizing thoughts, and calmly focus on bodily sensations. Focusing on sensation actually changes my state of mind and lets me experience an amazing, peaceful, and energizing dimension of myself. Meditating has helped me to experience who and what I really am - a vibrational field of perpetually moving sub-atomical particles. The more I experience this reality, the more my paintings mirror what I am discovering. My paintings, at least to me, express my perpetual, vibrational, changing, sensational truth of who I am.  

MBS:  What is a typical work day like for you?  Do you work on your artwork everyday?

Heidi:  I love daily routines, but interruptions and unexpected challenges seem to outweigh any schedule. On a fruitful day, I wake at five and meditate for about an hour. At six, my husband, Ted and I have breakfast, planning to get lots done. But we end up in lengthy discussions about family, problems in our work, health, future plans, dreams, and figuring out what the purpose of life is. This takes at least two hours. We are both in our mid-fifties, and "purpose" seems to be a major topic. I always plan to paint, so if all goes well, I go to my studio, which is in a separate building overlooking a beautiful wild field with deer, bears, owls, and coyotes. Recently, I almost bumped into a growling bear. Once I start painting, I spend most of the day working. While waiting for my paintings to dry or if I finish one, Ted and I go on a walk, hike, swim, or bike ride. We live out in the country, so we are surrounded by nature. On many days, I get distracted from painting. I end up either working on my book, which involves interviews, responding to emails, or going to Toastmasters to improve my speaking skills. I also give the occasional workshop. In the evening, we eat a great vegetarian dinner (I like cooking), and we sit around and continue discussing. Even if I had no interruptions, I couldn't paint everyday. I am motivated by inspiration, which only comes in waves. It is difficult to find the energy to paint if I do not have a goal. So I am constantly creating goals for myself.    

Orange Red Yellow

MBS:  Are there any particular materials or format you prefer to work with?

Heidi:  I enjoy working on larger paintings up to 66 x 90 inches. After stretching the canvas, I prime it with gesso. Then I create a textured surface using a thick mixture of silica sand and gesso. I splatter this mixture evenly over the whole canvas. Once this rough surface dries, I prime it again. I begin my painting with flowing colors; maybe dark Prussian to light turquoises. I use acrylic paint because it doesn't smell bad, it dries quickly, and it lets me spontaneously repaint a canvas several times - sometimes seven to eight layers.

Depending on my mood, I use one of two techniques. My first, more random and accidental approach, involves applying layers of color. I will let the paint dribble, flow, and do its thing. I ususally tip, tilt, or turn my canvas around to change the direction of paint. This often creates patterns or stripes, which show through later. I dry sections of these colors and patterns. Then, with a garden hose, I wash away sections that aren't quite dry.  I may scrub the drier paint surface if I want more underlayers to show through. I call this method the "patina" approach. I am inspired by weathered surfaces and simulate the weathering process using sun, wind, and water, and friction. For me, the remaining scrubbed, washed away surfaces expresses change, process, transition, and the impermanence of matter.

The other technique is called "splattering". Although this sounds random, it is more controlled than the previous approach. It is a highly controlled spattering, which allows me to build up surfaces without any accidents.  I use a 1 inch fan brush and a stick. I load the brush with paint and then tap it lightly on the stick. The paint flicks onto the canvas creating beautiful delicate splattery lines. I was inspired by Jackson Pollock, but I prefer not pouring the paint or using heavy, large lines. I prefer the delicate look. I build up layers of color allowing space between the lines. I often create a dark, almost black edge. This edge somehow encloses the the random chaos and reminds me of my own body. Inside my body is subtle, delicate movement, sensations, and transformation. But my physical body seems to confine this randomness. I feel the same about the dark boarders enclosing the color energy field. If you stand close to the painting, you would see that the weave comprises subtle complementary colors. For me, monochromatic paintings need to incorporate all three primary colors, yellow, blue and red, to emit a natural, healthy energy. This may have something to do with the fact that we need white light to be healthy. White light is made up of primary colors. When I am successful, these meditative, one color paintings express my experience of inner vibration, dissolving separation, unity, and peacefulness.

MBS: You are also a writer.  How do you see your writing as an extension of your creative process?  Also, how do you effectively manage your time to do both?

Heidi:  I have met many artists who also express themselves with words. Although we artists are predominately visual people, we are also philosophers and thinkers. When we feel that there is something important to be said that can't be done with painting or artwork, we artists may try writing. Some are really good at it. I am not skilled and have struggled to become more clear and concise. I felt compelled to write my book, Calm Focus Joy: The Power of Breath Awareness, because I wanted to share this amazingly helpful technique with others, especially children. I see a great need in the world to help educate children. They need to learn ways to gain more confidence, self-knowledge, and calmness. Schools aren't teaching these skills. Over the years, I have conducted breath awareness workshops with children and have seen positive results. To see children learn how to focus, calm down, and tap into their inner worlds was very rewarding. It seemed to be more purposeful than painting. So, at times I was dedicated only to helping children. However, when ever I let too much time pass without painting. It has been a juggling act with between spending time writing or painting. Luckily life is long, our children are independent, and I do have time to both write and paint.

MBS:  What advice do you have to anyone who wishes to (seriously) pursue an 
artistic path?

Heidi:  There are countless ways to pursue one's artistic passion. Many successful artists would suggest unique and non-conventional routes to achieving your artistic goal.

I had the opportunity to ask one of America's iconic painters, Robert Ryman, the same question when I was a student in Zurich. He told me that he never went to art school and learned everything about art while working as a watch guard at a public art museum. He spent his days studying the paintings of masters and thinking that he could do that too. Ultimately, a person's passion, talent, drive, and ambition will determine whether or not they will succeed at becoming an artist.

My path was more traditional. I would recommend a traditional path for serious young artists who are wanting advice. I went to art European art academies and earned a degree. I also spent a lot of time in historical and contemporary art museums. I worked hard and drew almost every day, When I wasn't drawing, I was reading about art, especially writings written by artists. I was serious about my passion and tried to get the best education I could.

My advice for any one who is just starting out would be to attend an art foundation course in a reputable school. Most art colleges offer such programs. Foundation studies teach a variety of skills giving students the important opportunity to explore different areas of art-making. Usually, the focus of these programs is to develop drawing and observation skills, which I still believe, are essential for artists. Drawing the human figure and face may be one of the best ways to learn.

Foundation courses also offer things like color theory, silk-screening, jewelry, pottery, photography, film, painting, sculpture, 3-design, graphics, web design, and art history. As well, there are usually classes that develop critical thinking, writing, and a deeper understanding of art and humanity. The best thing about going to art school is the experience allows you to become immersed in art. With the support of teachers and peers, you can dive into the wonderful world of creative life without thinking too much about the practicality of life. For this reason alone, I would recommend going to art school for several years.

Many students, after one year of foundation studies, quit and pursue a more adventurous path. These paths are perfectly valid. They include traveling, learning new languages, having a family, painting, or even working at mundane jobs. Art is about expressing life, and all things we do in life become material for our art. 

I knew of a young artist from Toronto who was bored with art school, quit after a year, and started painting hundreds of pieces to sell on Ebay for $25.00. As he sold them, he gradually increased their prices.  He made a lot of money, and could afford doing his more "serious" work. A gallery was intrigued with his unique approach to painting and picked him up. Through this high-end gallery, he sold his serious paintings for around $100,000.

An art student of mine went on to get her BFA degree. She then combined her dance and gymnastic skills with painting. Now at age 25, she is raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity doing her high acrobatic art painting stunts. As you can see, success comes to those who are creative. The safe and traditional confines of a regulated art academy can never guarantee an artist's success. However, a serious education and even getting an art degree has benefits.

Provided a young student stays true to his or her vision while at school, there are advantages to earning an art degree. Not only do these degrees help you get recognized as an expert in your field, they show future employers, galleries, and art collectors that you have invested time and  money into yourself as an artist. If you have taken yourself seriously and learned your craft well, they will be more confident to invest their money and time in you.

Heidi with Cerulean Blue and Orange Yellow Energy

As well, teaching art, whether privately or at a school, is a viable means to earn a living. Throughout history, many famous artists taught art to support their art careers. Therefore, having a degree, will help you be seen as a more qualified teacher. To teach at college level, you will be required to have at least a BFA, though most colleges now require a Masters. 

Artists do not always do art, but can be employed in many areas of our society. Having a few years of education under the belt, and even a degree or two, makes life easier.

To sum up my advice for the serious young artist I would say:

Take your art education seriously and attend at least a one-year foundation course.
Learn how to draw and observe. Study some art history.
Choose a preferred field of art and learn everything you can. Become the expert.
If possible, earn a degree.
Go to galleries and museums, learn from the masters, and read artists' writings.
Copy other people's work to learn, but never loose your unique vision.
Find a mentor who will give you feedback and support.
Visit artists in their studios and ask questions. (It's not about you)
Work hard, discover your vision, and be creative when it comes to practical survival.
Never lose your integrity for the sake of art.
Don't sell your soul. 
 

~Thank you Heidi.  Wise words...



You can find out more about Heidi, her artwork and her book through the following links:
www.heidithompson.ca
www.heidithompson.info
www.calmfocusjoy.com

Links to other interviews in the Mind Body Spirit Artist Series.

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Artizen Magazine Interview - Diane Fergurson

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to interview with Artizen Magazine about my artwork, the Mandala Series, Connecting Heaven and Earth, qigong, creativity - and a whole variety of other interesting topics!  Artizen Magazine is an absolutely 'gorgeous' award winning, online publication.  If you are not familiar with it, take a few minutes to look around - enjoy!

interview link

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Mind Body Spirit Artist Interview: Karen Casey Smith

If you've been reading the Mind Body Spirit Odyssey, or have followed us through our Marketplace over the last few years, you'll probably recognize the work of artist Karen Casey Smith. We have been fortunate to be able to use her artwork on numerous occasions illustrate our articles.  Meditative, simple and beautiful...whether through her stunning photographic images or her exploration of the Mandala form, Karen's work makes a specific, focused statement...while always motioning the viewer in for a closer look.

                                                                                                        ~ diane fergurson

Awakening in Your Spiritual Heart

MBS:  Can you tell us a little about your background?  How you got started in art?

Question 1:  My start in art was through my mother's paper dolls. My mom is creative in so many ways. When I was very young, she used to draw paper dolls for us to play with. I was enchanted with her drawings, and wanted to draw them too. I watched her, practiced, and found that I could draw them, and it was fun! Once I started school, friends would ask me to draw things for them. I feel very lucky to be a part of such a creative, and talented family.

Karen:  For many years, I mostly did drawings in pencil, or charcoal pencil. It's a peaceful, meditative activity that I really enjoy. I also loved to write, and by that I mean, the pencil or pen to paper, forming the letters. Handwriting is so beautiful. I've done some calligraphy, watercolor, and was also a comic book letterer for a short time. After reading Judith Cornell's book, Mandala, I was inspired to begin making mandalas in colored pencil. For awhile that was the only art I was interested in making. Once I got a computer, I started learning Photoshop and loved the freedom of it. You're only limited by your imagination, and knowing the program. A dear friend send me a link to flower mandalas, and they were so amazing that I had to try my hand at making one. Because I wanted more of my own photographs for making new flower mandalas, I got serious about photography, and found a new love in that.

Sho Yo

Question 2:  You are both a photographer and, as you said, work with digital images to create your Mandalas.
Do you prefer one over the other?  Or does one really feed into the other?


Karen:  I love doing both! When I go out shooting, I'm surrounded by the scents, the sights, the energy of the place, and filled with love and appreciation for each subject. All these things feel as though they're kind of downloaded into me, and recorded in the images I make. Later when I open the photographs up to work on them, or create the mandalas from them, I have access to all of that information again, and that same wonderful energy comes through in my finished work. When I'm working at the computer, time seems to cease to exist. Each image, each mandala, seems to unfold organically, with ideas and connections occurring during the working process. So yes, one does feed into the other.

Solitaire-White Lotus Blossom

MBS:  I've noticed that you really do seem to have a very focused, meditative connection to the energy of your subject matter, both with the photos and your mandalas.  How does spirituality play a role in your work and as an artist?

Snow Bunny

Karen: While all aspects of life are important, my spiritual life is my foundation. It's essential to my life, and my art. All things are spiritual, including work, family, our bodies, thoughts, and our talk, so it's part of everything though not separate. We're all spiritual beings. Everything is interconnected. Everything is energy. There's a vibration, that might be perceived as a 'feeling quality', to the energy of each being, place, and object. We can just be more, or less, conscious of this.

Making artwork is a spiritual experience for me. It was always that way, even before I knew it as spiritual, or had the words to begin to describe it. In a way it's difficult to talk about all of this, because the place you create from is a silent space. It's unlimited, pure potential, so full, but the experience isn't in words. Poetry, music, images, any work of art, is a physical expression of the artist's journey of connection and communication with the Divine, and a path that can be used by others to have their own direct experience of connection. Creative expression is one of many paths to this place.

Sometimes while working with an image I feel as though I'm watching the process, though I know I have my part in it. Once I begin, the creation takes on a life of its own. The outcome is better if I remain open to inner guidance, and let the piece dictate what steps come next, instead of holding too tightly to my original vision. It's very much a collaboration.

While I'm making photographs, or editing and creating, I focus on peace, the connection with my subjects, my deep appreciation for them, their inherent divine perfection, and love, so much love. All of this energy comes through the images, and the mandalas. I truly believe that the images, and most especially the mandalas, actually radiate positive energy, and that each one has a unique vibration. They can be used to assist in balancing the energy of people and places, and for contemplation. All of my work is uplifting in nature.

Communion

MBS:  Is there anyone or anything in particular that has has a big impact, or influence, on you as an artist, or
on your work?

Karen:  A big impact on my work came when I read Judith Cornell's book, Mandala - Luminous Symbols for Healing, based on workshops she gave. She taught people to access their own personal, meaningful, symbols. They would then use their symbols to make sacred art, for transformation and healing. I found the book absolutely inspiring, a book you really want to participate in! Before I'd even read the whole book, I made my first mandala. I still love making them.

Also, for years I've practiced Reiki and T'ai Chi, and use other energy balancing systems, and these all have taught me greater awareness, and definitely influence my work.

Eternalism

Question 6:  What's a typical work day like for you?  Do you work on your photography and artwork every day?

MBS: The only thing that's typical is the way I begin my day. If I get a good start, set the tone, the rest of the day works out great.
After a nice glass of water, I do Donna Eden's Five Minute Energy Routine, then a modified form of the Tibetan Yogic Exercises, at least five minutes of Zhan Zhuang - the Embracing the Tree form, and then a meditation. Depending on weather, I practice my T'ai Chi outside then, or later in the day. Then it's time for breakfast, brush and play with the cats, and after that, start to work.
As a small business owner, my work includes bookkeeping, packing, shipping, inventory control, creating, and marketing, plus improving my skills, and keeping up with new technology. It's always interesting, challenging, and rewarding. And yes, I do work on photography, or artwork, every day; that's the part I love the most! Some days are filled with other work, or unexpected things come up. When that happens, I spend time on my creative work in the evening. There's either some idea I really want to try out, or I want to do just a little more on something I'm working on. I always make space for my favorite part of my work!

 MBS:  What kind of photographic equipment do you like to use?



Karen:  Other than my camera and my tripod, Photoshop is the "equipment" I like to use the best! Once you know the tools and their functions, whatever you can imagine, you can make visible with Photoshop. It's almost magical!

MBS:  Your work really does have a signature look to it...both the mandalas and your photos.  Your images are very crisp, clear and clean....colors are often bold.  What is it you are striving to portray in your images? 

Karen:  It's definitely a feeling. My work is about light and energy, about the vibrational aspect of our world. Capturing the peace and perfection present in all things, through the beauty all around us, is my focus. I hope that my work may act as a bridge to connect the viewer to the spirit, the truest essence, of my subjects, and this in turn will assist them in connecting to their own intrinsic beauty, their own peace and perfection.
  

Danza de la Vida

MBS: I know many artists who are very hesitant about selling their work online. I've noticed that you actively sell quite a bit of of your work that way and are on several different selling sites.  Your also pretty active with your blog. How has selling online and social networking worked out for you as an artist? Any advice you can give to other artists who are thinking about selling their work this way?

Karen: Having an online presence has been a positive experience. I love selling online. Sales come through at any time of the day or night. I meet lots of really nice people, and have made some amazing friends that I might never have known otherwise. When you sell online, your work has the potential to be seen by more people than you could ever reach in person. Your work is available to buyers at their convenience, unrestricted by the time of day, or where they're located.

My advice for selling online is to deliver high quality products, give superior service, be easy to deal with, and respond quickly and pleasantly to any communication. Provide quality pictures, and information about your work and processes, but don't be offended if it isn't read. People are busy, and have more information coming in than most anyone could keep up with. :)

Opening a shop, or creating a web site to show your work, isn't enough. Besides connecting with your audience, they need to remember you, and know where to easily find you; this is ongoing work. Marketing and promoting are a huge part of your job, though these things can simply be the ways you connect with people, not a one sided activity. Also, life will be easier and more fun if you're adaptable, and love to learn new things. Make peace with the fact that things are always changing, and there's always something new to learn. Have confidence in your work, and have fun!

MBS: Any advice you have for those who wish to pursue an artistic path?

Karen: If you feel a pull to follow an artistic path, begin to take some action in that direction, and make it a priority. They say that people regret the things they didn't do, more than the things they did do. Don't wait for conditions to be "just right," or for anyone else to approve. You don't have to quit your day job. Begin small, begin anywhere. Do even a little toward your path consistently, and it will build on itself. Make friends who are positive people, are supportive, who share your core values, and are moving forward. Jim Rohn said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Who and what you surround yourself with matters.

Do your work with a feeling of appreciation, keep touch with why you love it, and why you chose it. This way it will always be an adventure, always be fresh.

Thank you Karen 


For more information about Karen Casey Smith, you can visit her blog.  Her work is also available for sale on Etsy and Artfire. 

Additional interviews from the Mind Body Spirit Artist Series:
Ben Isaiah
Emily Balivet
Laura Milnor Iverson
Joanne Miller Rafferty
Jude McConkey
Atmara Rebecca Cloe 
Alison Fennell
Fernanda Gonzalez
PattyMara Gourley

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