Connecting To Infinite Possibilities
The calmer the water the clearer the reflection~ Anonymous
I’ve decided to take up meditation again. For 13 years I would meditate regularly twice a day for twenty minutes. I even got my kids and husband to allow me to have this quiet time. It’s been 6 years since I have meditated regularly and have noticed that my health, stress and well being, have suffered because of it.
Meditation lowers blood pressure, heart rate, lowers cholesterol levels, reduces stress hormones, and increases anti-ageing hormone DHEA, improves immune system and restful sleep. I didn’t realize that it helped with creativity as well. Being and artist this becomes a great motivator.
The wonderful reasons why meditation should be part of the artist’s life:
Calms the critic.
Gets you in touch with your authentic self, to express your uniqueness.
Helps you to get out of the repetitive loop of thinking that suppresses new ideas and inspiration.
Increases brain activity in the parts of the brain involved with ideas, insights and connections.
Increases your ability to focus on the big picture instead of trivia.
Helps you to be focused in the moment and enjoy the process as much as the result.
Increases insight moments of inspiration and answers to problems.
Eases fear and anxiety, less fear more risk taking and freer thinking.
Experience “Quantum Leaps” of imagination.
Be in a higher state of consciousness.
Helps you get in touch with the flow, where time stands still and effortless creating occurs.
Let’s you step in to the unknown.
Increases the ability to use your whole brain for problem solving.
Connects you to the field of infinite possibilities.
Do you meditate and if you do what have you discovered?
*ART20K footage completed 13,782 square inches
*Above painting~"Meditation", measures 16" x 20", acrylic on canvas, price $800
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
Feynman And I'm Doing It For The Fun Of It
"The Brain changes with every flicker of experience." ~Deepak Chopra
Inspiration can come from the most unlikely places. The inspiration for my painting came from watching a video of Richard Feynman, one of the scientists belonging to the Manhattan Project, and the inventor of the atomic bomb. After the destruction in Hiroshima, Feynman had such a strong negative reaction that he found it very difficult to go back to work. He felt what is the use everything will be destroyed anyway.
Feeling stressed and doomed he realized that he was going to change his approach to life and work. He was going to “do things for the fun of it", for no reason, no purpose at all. As soon as he started playing and doing things for the fun of it, he said, "it was like a cork came out of the bottle and everything poured out."
Richard Feynman recounts: "I was in the cafeteria and some guy, fooling around, throws a plate in the air. As the plate went up in the air I saw it wobble, and I noticed the red medallion of Cornell on the plate going around. It was pretty obvious to me that the medallion went around faster than the wobbling. I had nothing to do, so I start figuring out the motion of the rotating plate. I discovered that when the angle is very slight, the medallion rotates twice as fast as the wobble rate—two to one. It came out of a complicated equation! I went on to work out equations for wobbles. Then I thought about how the electron orbits start to move in relativity. Then there's the Dirac equation in electrodynamics. And then quantum electrodynamics. And before I knew it… the whole business that I got the Nobel Prize for came from that piddling around with the wobbling plate." A replica of the Cornell plate is now part of an exhibit marking the centennial of the Nobel Prize.
I was having difficulty going into the studio to paint. By listening to Feynman’s words it allowed me to go into the studio, just play and "do it for the fun of it". I realized that one of the fastest ways to stifle creativity is to be stressed. My attachment to the outcome was more overwhelming then the need to create. By playing and letting go, it allowed me to explore and create in an uninhibited way. I love this approach and hope the cork will come out of the bottle for me as well, but I guess I can’t get attached to that either ;)
*ART20K footage completed 13,462 square inches
*Above painting~ "No One's Home", 30" x 40", acrylic on museum wrapped canvas, price $3000
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
Art20K challenge Pro's and Con's
Ideas not coupled with action never become bigger than the brain cells they occupied~Arnold H. Glasgow
I am past the halfway point of my Art20K challenge for this year 2013. Last year I had painted 52 paintings for 2012, which totaled over 15,000 square inches. My intention this year was to have the freedom to paint larger, but at the same time I added to my goal 5,000 more square inches. I am at a pace right now to paint close to 25,000 square inches. In comparing both of the challenges this is what I have learned thus far.
Obvious, I have more time to paint much larger paintings.
Majority of customers can only afford smaller paintings, painting smaller offered more sales, but less dollars.
I have already sold twice as much in dollars this year, selling larger paintings.
Painting big allows me to be more creative and experiment.
Painting big is very freeing and inspires me to take risks.
Difficult to submit weekly posts and stay connected to fan base, due to the time factor painting larger paintings.
I'm painting for myself.
I realize I need to paint a variety of sizes to satisfy my customer’s needs, giving me a wider customer base.
I love painting large.
Large paintings create an impact in art shows.
I've discovered a new dimension and style to my current work that couldn't have been discovered with smaller works.
Why do you prefer painting larger or smaller and why?
*ART20K footage completed 12,262 square inches
*Golden Years 36" x 36" Acrylic on museum wrapped canvas, price $3240
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
Do You Have Art On Your Walls?
“Collectors are happy people”~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Do you remember art in your home when you were a child? Did it inspire you or fascinate you?
Do you believe art is important to have in your home?
Are you intimidated when going into an art gallery?
How often do you go to an art museum?
Would you ever consider commissioning an artist to create a work of art for you? What would it be of?
When you go to someone’s home and the owner has quite a collection what do you think? How does the home make you feel?
Do you know what type of art you prefer?
Do you own a favorite piece of art? Why is it your favorite?
Have you inherited a work of art?
How do you think having art in the home affects your children?
Are you a collector? How did your collecting start?
Do you believe purchasing art is a good investment?
Have you ever furnished a room around a piece of art?
Has a work of art ever made you cry?
Do you buy art from the heart or the head?
*Above painting a commissioned piece "Lion's Gate Garden" 36" X 36", oil on museum wrapped canvas. For commissions please contact me at (408) 460-7237 or jvander51@msn.com
*ART20K footage completed 10,996 square inches
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
Commissions Suit Me
Commissions suit me. They set limits. ~Jean Cocteau
I know to some artist’s commissions are a nightmare, but I love them. I love to problem solve and figure out a way to create a piece that makes us both happy. The customer’s input always inspires me and widens my vision.
Recently, I finished a commission to paint a garden. Due to logistics, I had my customer take photos for reference. Currently, she wanted a smaller painting 16” X 20” and later suggested that I do a larger one.
The secret to doing a successful commission is to take a lot of photos and preferably when the sun is in the early morning or later afternoon. Taking photos at noon or close to noon will create harsh light, unnecessary shadows and distort the photos.
Next, I drew a black and white sketch for her approval, as seen below. I will usually edit the photo to help the composition and color. I focused on the stool as the focal point, creating a triangular composition and juxtaposing the stool. We then decided on the size, canvas or paper, museum wrapped or standard canvas, oil or acrylic, a warmer or cooler painting and what she would love to see. Creating became a team effort, allowing me room for my own creativity to emerge; a perfect match.
It must be that time of the year; I have another commission as well to paint a garden. Why don’t you allow me to paint your garden, savoring your memory, as my customer did? “I especially loved the garden stool. It is so well done. I sit there every morning and now I will always have this painting to remind me of my lovely beginnings to my days.” Now that is special and it makes me feel very good to bring joy to others through my paintings.
For commissions information contact me @ jvander51@msn.com or cell (408) 460-7237.
*ART20K footage completed 9700 square inches