Finding Inspiration In Unexpected Places

Being sick this last fall and into winter slowed me down, and I am just now starting to get back to work and feeling like myself fully. This can be frustrating, as I usually like to accomplish everything all the time. I gained new insight as an artist, and during my downtime, I paid more attention to the small details around me. It's as if being forced to pause allowed me to see everything in a different light, sparking creativity in unexpected ways.

When artists take the time to slow down and engage in other activities like cooking or gardening, they often find that it can significantly enhance their creativity and positively influence their work. It's important to remember that creativity isn't always about constant work but also about giving yourself the space to recharge and explore different experiences. In my way, stepping away from my art and focusing on other tasks led to new inspiration and fresh ideas that I wouldn't have encountered otherwise. It's a reminder that creativity is a multifaceted process; sometimes, the best ideas come when we least expect them.

As an artist, I have embraced the idea that each day presents an opportunity to engage in various activities. Whether it's the simple pleasure of baking bread in the morning, tending to my garden, or finding inspiration while sketching on my porch, I have learned to welcome these moments as essential to my artistic process.

I am currently exploring, along with my fairy tale paintings, the process of using Japanese paper and oils. This process of cutting out used to frustrate me, but now I find it relaxing. On goes my music, and I allow myself time just to be. It is a lesson well learned.

Aurora, 36”x36” Mixed media on cradled board

I really did cut out all those flowers and it was wonderful

Goose Girl 24”x24” Mixed media on cradled board

I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen, but I am unsure if this is not a case of procrastination.

Making Friends With New Holiday Traditions

I admit I am 100% selfish when it comes to sharing holidays. But life changes, and a little flexibility helps everyone stay connected and happy. I was blessed to grow up in a home steeped in traditions that made every holiday special. Christmas always started on December 6th with Saint Nicolas visiting. We would leave our shoe outside our bedroom door with a carrot and sugar cubes for Saint Nick's horse to be rewarded with a small gift and chocolates in the morning. Then the decorations would go up. Lights outside and candles in the windows; a favorite of mine is mom would paint her front windows with snowmen, Santa, or winter scenes, and I would get to help.

My Mother and her ever growing collections of santas

Me at 4 months

My Dad always told us sometimes Santa worked in our basement, so do not go down there. At eleven, I was feeling some doubts; a few weeks before Christmas, I discovered an ornament on our kitchen floor that was not ours. Did Santa drop it? Was he working here last night? Had to be, so I believed for another year. The following year at twelve, my Mom decided that it was ok for me to go to midnight mass with my older sisters and their dates. Wow, I felt grown up and could even open my gifts afterward. My Dad disagreed and was a little perturbed. As the youngest, he wanted me to still believe. Waking the following day, as I came downstairs, there were more presents for me under the tree, and my Dad said Santa had bought them. At that moment, I knew Santa would always be real in my heart.

Santa visits

“Backward, turn backward O Time in your flight; Make me a child again Just for tonight.”

Elizabeth Akers Allen

When I married, I added my own traditions to the ones I grew up with. Christmas eve was always the big meal, sometimes including family or neighbors. Silver Spurs the elf bought new pajamas on Christmas eve that magically appeared on my children's beds. These family customs were continued with my granddaughters as Christmas was always at my home.

My helpers making pasta

Family Fun

Cookie baking on the 23rd

I collected ornaments, so there were a few years that I had eight trees or more, all decorated in a different theme.

There was always a super tall tree that had to be sparse, so the ornaments stood out when you hung them. I had to have the old fashion colored lights as this is Christmas spirit. Plenty of tinsel and anything that shines.

“Children need Christmas trees, and not artificial ones either. The artificial ones have no fragrance, and some of them play tunes, which is dreadful to think of”

Gladys Taber

This year will be different; my family will spend Christmas at my daughter's home. It is time to hand over Holidays so she can create traditions unique to her family. Seeing how my daughter embraces this holiday will be a strange but wonderful sensation, and I have no doubt it will be wonderful.

I am looking forward to spending time with my granddaughters and not stressing. I may get used to this. But I do miss my very tall tree.

“It’s Christmas In The Heart That Puts Christmas In The Air.”

W.T. Ellis

Welcome To The Burnt Orange Season

With the change of season comes a new beginning; as the air cools and daylight wanes, it is natural for us to slow down from summer's hectic pace allowing us to settle in and resume our regular routines. I am much more productive during fall and winter. I could paint pumpkins every day, and orange is my favorite color.

Strange, but I am a "Nyctophilia," A lover of darkness or night. I find comfort and relaxation in the dark. When the sun sets earlier, I think it's perfect for serving dinner by candlelight, maybe a chicken pot pie or a steaming bowl of butternut squash soup. After an early supper, with friends there is plenty of time to pull out a new project or curl up with a good book.

The quiet of a dark morning in my studio is ideal for creating a quick sketch, mediating, or finishing a painting: no phone ringing or disruptions, just my time.

I still get out: painting in my kayak is best this time of year: no bugs or glaring sun, and the foliage colors are so inspiring. And the sunsets are amazing.

Autumn is also the beginning of holidays we share with family and friends. A time to surround yourself with people you love. Let's all slow down, feel the crisp air, and appreciate this beautiful season. Welcome to the Burnt Orange Season.

My Holiday ornaments are now available on my website paintedriverstudios, but this year, I created an extraordinary one to share with family and friends during this beautiful season. The perfect hostess gift for a harvest dinner.

Check out my Holiday shop for the perfect gift for teachers, friends, coaches, or anyone who needs a little Holiday cheer. Remember, there is such beauty in every season that we need to embrace. Next Winter!

"I Knew The Rules But The Rules Did Not Know Me"

I get it; artists should create in a consistent style. It's what the art schools taught us; it's what galleries want. Your admirers will recognize you, and you will develop collectors. But what if this is not you? What if inconsistent thoughts were what kept you creative? Sometimes I want to be messy; other times, I like playing with details. I need this challenge, this variety, to fuel my work.

I am fortunate to have been able (with the help of my best manager, my husband) to support my family as a designer and artist for over 30 years. My secret: learning to listen to clients and collectors, understand their tastes, and deliver to them. OK, I love all styles, modern, traditional, abstract, representational, and more, so this was easy for me. I confidently learned to work in various visual types and was proud of this accomplishment.

Study with a 8’x10’ mural on ceiling. This mural was a take on N.C. Wyeth famous Map Of Discovery painting. I painted it in two pieces on the studio floor on canvas using the equator line as the split.

All walls and trim were faux finished in a five step process. We designed all the trim, fireplace and builtins.

Mid century room, this was Skinny D’amatos house where Frank Sinatra, and the Rat Pack came while playing at the 500 Club in Atlantic City. I think I did them proud. The room was a mess with green brick walls, concrete floor and exposed pipes. There is a small casino behind.

Notice the decorative painting? Yea I did that too.

Lettering was always a stretch for me, maybe because I was left handed.

Mikie is my family name and this was my granddaughters nursery

Just Beach Style. Designed to accommodate grown children with sleeping quarters on the porch for grand children. The attic was opened for a playroom with ships ladder.

This painting was oil on canvas and 6’x8’

So fun creating a craftsman style mural for this home, the window shades were hand painted also

Craftsman Style with painted mural

Even an abstract , this abstract was one of the hardest paintings I did.

I agree that many artists have become highly successful with a definite style. But then think of Michangelo, a painter sculptor and an architect. There are advantages to multiple styles: More work, a bigger audience, new markets, and (my favorite) more freedom.

Art Deco for a ladie’s dressing room.

Just fun for a powder room

This was a labor of love, ceiling ,walls and floor

I tried staying in the lines within boundaries with my art, but my work suffered. Being turned down for shows, that I usually received awards in. Not receiving the commissions I typically received, but most of all, I was not being true to myself. I missed the variety and the challenge of fulfilling a customer's vision.

Art should reflect the artist's personality, so do I have multiple characters? No, I am just cherishing the fact that I love and am excited by lots of things, which ignites my passion. Now excuse me while I go work on my children's book.

LIVING AN ARTFUL LIFE

"To Make Living Itself An Art, That Is The Goal.

This is a tribute to my oldest sister, who passed away this past January. It is not sad but a celebration of how she led such an artful life. The above quote from Robert Henri describes how she approached every minute of each day.

She never followed trends, was always ahead of her time, creating a home from her heart that was a journal, a scrapbook, a vision of her individuality, and the magical artful world she loved.

As an artist, a shop owner, mother to seven beautiful children, grandmother to twenty-four, there was nothing familiar or ordinary about anything Teresa did. She created beauty always. She elevated even the simplest meal with a beautiful set table; candles lit, music playing. Every holiday had family traditions that I carried on to my children. Saint Nicholas Night, December 6th. Always a small party for the kids followed by leaving their shoe out filled with carrots an apple and sugar cubs for his horse in hopes he would leave small presents in their shoe. The Leprechaun who came and left presents on a beautiful set table in green depression glass. Pink pancakes were always the rule on Valentine’s Day and there were more.

Rocky and His Friends, her doll and miniature shop in Medford

Messing with me in front of her shop

We were thirteen years apart, Teresa starting college while I began Kindergarten. There were races mornings to see who could get ready the fastest. Nights that she would read and then drill me on her collection of art books. Of course, prints of the artist's works hung all over our room, and I had to be able to name them. There were nights I would cry to my mother for her to stop when the books came out, and now I cry when I pull them out too.

Graduating from Immaculata College, she traveled alone to Europe for an entire summer. A pretty bold move for a young woman in 1960. This adventure shaped her and gave her a sense of accomplishment, helped her dream big, and reach for new challenges. She bought me home dolls from every country, passing on her love of fantasy to me.

Going to Europe on her own money was very tight, and I believe she used some of her last Guilders to purchase these for me.

She started teaching kindergarten, and I would sit with her and help paint giant illustrations to decorate her classroom. Lucky were the children who had her as their teacher.

I will be proud to hang these in my home

She made sure I was exposed to all of the arts, from painting lessons to sewing lessons piano lessons (eight years and I was never good). I fondly remember her dragging me to the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. Not the best place to take an ADHD child. I remember knocking off the lady's hat in front of me, trying to mimic the flute player. Then there was the story of the lady who switched seats with her husband. Yes, she was sitting next to me. After the show, we ate the most delicious pizza I have ever had in her little Volkswagen Beetle. But is my love for classical music because of that?

She supported my creative side, always showing up to my high school art shows and later shows, purchasing a few pieces. Even this year tricking me and purchasing a painting of mine online.

These were two of my early watercolors saved by my sister and given to my Daughter for her first child.

When I had grandchildren, they treasured the Christmas tea party she held at her home for all the little girls in our family, and they were just captivating. My girls would talk about this event all year, brushing up on their tea manners, planning their outfits, wearing their best smiles to Aunt Tesie's.

The Kitchen tree

Tea was for everyone

Santa was such a surprise at this Tea Party

We are all artists capable of living a life that brings more magic and brightness to the ordinary. Each day is our blank canvas to paint however we want. Let's choose to use our pretty china every day, arrange fresh flowers, light candles, prepare that gourmet dish, plant the biggest garden we can. Life is so precious we must take the utmost care of every detail and bring artful beauty into our lives.

"The greatest art is to shape the quality of the day" Henry David Thoreau.

Why Grown-Ups Still Need Fairy Tales

Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality, it’s a way of understanding it. Lloyd Alexander

The most exciting thing about fairy tales is not just magic or make-believe or stories for little children. It is the life lessons we as adults can learn from them. Reading these stories makes us better people. They can inspire us how to survive in today's world. Values are much needed in our culture; fairy tales can help us understand, recognize, and implement these. We can look at our own lives, search within and discover insights to help deal with more complex problems on a deeper level.

Point Of View

Like Alice, we need to open the doors to our closed perceptions and stop looking just through the keyhole. That view is narrow and so limited. Grow as a person, learn new things about our world. Knowledge is possibility.

Alice in Wonderland

My new series of Fairy Tale Paintings will be an inspiration to find the beauty around you. Give you or a loved one hope when you most need it. Present a more positive outlook on problem-solving and add some magic to your life.

Want to listen to more reasons why grown-ups need fairy tales. Click here

Just a note to sign up here for 25 Days Of Minis at to see my entire collection of 12x12 Fairy Tale paintings. This starts on December 1st, with the bonus of 53 additional amazing artists all displaying one work of art each day till December 25th. This is the perfect gift.

Painted River Studios, 413 Aetna Drive, Corbin City NJ 08270, USA

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