Isolation or not, life goes on, art gets created

How to paint apple blossoms in watercolor

Creativity drives life in isolation

I think I’ve seen thousands of articles by now where somebody says how bad they feel about isolation and how they have lost the sparkle of creativity and inspiration. Well, maybe they didn’t have any creative ideas already before the pandemic because as I see it, creativity keeps flowing and life goes on no matter what. Especially during isolation, we are more creative with everything, aren’t we? There is also so much advice what to do. Sometimes, I feel like everybody wants to give me some advice. The truth is our situations are so different that what works for that particular person, is often meaningless for me. We are all smart now, and we should be aware what works best for us. I personally prefer reading more about experiences.

Switching tasks

Generally speaking, I’ll do what I have intended anyway, or I won’t engage in what I believe is a pointless action. I don’t really need encouragement or push: when the time is right, everything will happen. I’ve been painting here and there, just as I always do. The weather has turned very spring-like, therefore, I’ve been busy with garden works: digging soil, removing waste. I didn’t have the right mood to publish anything, – heavy physical work can be very tiring. My idea was to continue with the series I just started and share drawings, but I ended up working on a few watercolors which were started probably 4 or 5 years ago. I had reference drawings, but none of them seemed to be exactly of these paintings, therefore, I just worked from imagination.

Isolation art, apple blossoms
Watercolor painting of apple blossoms, I am trying to show the size in my studio corner.

Painting progress with steps

I found this painting with light washes on the background and just one watercolor paint layer on apple blossoms and buds. Normally, the first step means to transfer the drawing onto watercolor painting, adjust it and make sure there are no strong pencil lines. After that, we start adding watercolor paint as we see fit. I usually add the first layer of paint on areas with the potentially strongest values.

Supply shortages

The first months of spring season always feel like a new beginning, a fresh breath. Except this year, we are again in a complete lockdown in Ontario, just like the year before. That doesn’t affect what I do too much, but there is a shortage of supplies. When I was at the art store last time, shelves were very empty. My favorite brands were pretty much absent, that included colors which are used more frequently for acrylic painting: artist grade Titanium white, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Golden Ochre, Carmine Red, different shades of yellow were not available. I use preferably Lamp black, that wasn’t available either. I ordered paints online once and the waiting was 6 weeks, therefore, I’m not doing that again.

Apple blossoms, watercolor painting
This is the ready watercolor painting of apple blossoms. Its size is 15.5 x 20.5 in or 39 x 51 cm I hope your device shows correct colors and contrast because they differ from device to device.

Accepted into spring art show “Roots of art”

I just received an email notification that my paintings have been accepted into a virtual annual art show. Before pandemic, this was a live, real, very busy and well-attended art show. The show is local and that fits me well. Since I hope more traffic will come toward my website, I’ll need to spend more hours updating everything. It’s a time-consuming task and requires attention, therefore, that is my priority for a while. Including portfolio would be difficult because of all media options I use and various subjects. There is so much art in each category! I have currently 3 pages which display my available art. Acrylic paintings need the quickest update, however.

Inese’s original watercolor paintings

Inese’s original acrylic paintings

Special featured art, originals

You are very welcome to check out and see the progress of these pages.

As always, have a look at greeting cards, puzzles, coffee mugs, notebooks and  art prints with numerous  framing options:

Thanks for reading, stopping by and leaving a comment if you have time! Have great springtime!

Personalized creativity

Spring flower paintings

Personalized creativity eventually becomes our style. Creating is learning, and learning means living more intense and enjoying something new every day, our personal way.

We create us

Any creation involves saying something about us. That’s how we are telling others what our point of view is. True creativity is never copying and reproducing, but taking an idea which lives in our imagination or was just born in our mind and bringing it to life.

Reproducing versus creating

I regret seeing how plenty of art instruction is meant to teach not principles, techniques and understanding, but to reproduce a popular concept or successful image which everybody is painting or drawing. We have numerous back-lit landscapes, starry nights, tree projections in the sky, human eyes and lips. A painting subject which is already so much worn down.

Personalized creativity

Creativity is great not because we can do things that other artists have done, but because we can create everything exactly as we want, as we have intended and imagined, and it becomes our personalized creativity.

If you can draw, you can draw anything.

We can use any subject and make it our own.

If you can paint, you can paint anything.

We can use any color and make it the most important color for us or the viewer.

We have endless opportunities to express ourselves.

Learning is an ongoing activity, and it’s erroneous to assume somebody knows everything about everything. Experiment is the best teacher of all: how do we know if we never try?

The helpful mistakes

Mistakes and errors are an essential part of the learning process. It’s silly to be afraid of mistakes and do nothing. Perfectionism most likely lives inside many minds, however, but that doesn’t mean anything less than perfect has no value.

The circle of knowledge

Imagine that everything you know is within a circle. As you grow older and become smarter, the circle grows and widens, too. However, the interesting thing is that the more we know, the longer becomes the line that borders the unknown space which surrounds the circle which contains our knowledge. That’s why we just keep finding out things that we were not aware of. That is also the reason for asking more questions and finding more answers.

Creative exploration

Exploration with pencil, brush and color goes a long way. There is no end to it. The more we have learnt, the more we become aware of things we still have no idea about. It makes sense to make your style very personal from the very beginning. You do not want to be the second if you can be the first one. Therefore, copying art is not a good practice. You would not copy somebody else’s poem or song? Would you? The same is true about art.

Some of my recent watercolor paintings:

Art blog articles versus photo blogs

I have been on and off from blogging due to personal matters, but, hopefully, I will manage to post something more during the upcoming months. Painting takes much longer than to write an article, a short poem or to snap a photo. I sometimes spend months on a single painting. I could post progress images, but when I have the momentum, I do not want to interrupt it. Sketches and drawings might take just a few hours. However, such photos need to be edited and adjusted to be visible.

Personalized creativity

Slow spring

Spring is slow in Southern Ontario, but the first blooms are already in buds. and I saw a few crocuses showing their lovely colors outside. Their colors were bright and intense. Spring rewards us with intense colors and fresh air. There is always 1 hour or a bit more to spend with beauty and colors. It isn’t even that hard to find that hour.

Part of my art for sale:  Available paintings

My artistic products on Fine Art America, and you can view them in 3 D, rotate and turn upside down, etc.:

Decorate with beautiful art for spring season!

Stick to your plan and pay attention to reference

Acrylic painting, flowers

Having a plan, sticking to it

Sticking to a plan is a key also in painting. Whatever we are doing, we need some kind of a draft in our head or some plan which we keep in mind. However, it is easier said than done. That especially refers to beginners in art. I have noticed that most people want to draw or paint without any plan and without any thinking.

Elements of a painting

Perhaps, when starting out, it is hard to know what parts or matters we should pay most attention to. There are lots of simple things which make the subject look multi-dimensional. By far, those are not only darker and stronger values. Strongly emphasized edges or absence thereof, strong dark areas behind the lighter ones also contribute significantly to the spatial perception, not to mention color if it is used.

Things to do and not to do

I was told that the darkest dark should meet the lightest light when I started painting about 50 years ago. It can be tough to implement, especially without real reference, when we have only a photography or a sketch. I am personally not excited about patterns which repeat in a regular rhythm such as petals or trees along the path, blooms on a branch and similar things which we unintentionally place on our canvas when there is no firm plan or sketch.

Acrylic painting, spring magnolia
Pink spring magnolia blossoms is an acrylic painting on 20 x 16 in or 51 x 41 cm canvas, Spring mood, light colors and feeling.

Reference is a guide

Why am I saying: pay attention to reference? Because most people don’t do that. When we are just beginning the painting, they would have a look at the reference image or set-up. After a while, I notice nobody looks any more at the reference. You have to! The only exception is when it is a completely abstract work which has been drafted in one’s imagination or when we paint from memory.

Painting or drawing from memory

Painting from memory takes practice, and beginning artists cannot handle that too well. Reference or value drawing (if you have created such) has all the answers: where to use dark color, where to make strong edge, where to wash out edges to lose them, where to place highlights and what exactly the shape of something is.

Preferred brushes

Knowing what values go where is extremely important, much more important than what brush to use. However, talking about brushes: always use the ones which you feel comfortable with and which suit the size of the area you are working on. Very simple. We can use no brush at all, but sponge or palette knife, that is a matter of preference and choice.

Try no rules, but use principles

I know how some art instructors want to make rules about everything. There are no rules in the use of tools. It is very obvious that using a very wide brush for tiny spot is simply difficult and vice versa. I know a lot of artists who create the entire painting with just one brush. I do that sometimes, too.

Acrylic painting, pink rose
Pink rose, acrylic painting on canvas, 20 x 16 in or 51 x 41 cm, this painting is also a demonstration artwork for art class.

Real versus photo

So, the conclusion is: do not change things around dramatically or completely when the work is halfway through and always keep an eye on the reference. If something does not work at all, it is better to start over again. That’s why it is so rewarding to paint from real subjects, live is live and photo is just a photo. Live comes with smell, touch, very visible shape and very noticeable values.

Purple pansies, acrylic painting
Lovely purple pansy faces, acrylic painting on 20 x 16 in canvas. Bold color, large flowers

No pressure

Do not put pressure on yourself and painting: there are moments when we need to stop and make a decision about the next step. Paintings and drawings really hate when they are not treated with due respect. It is much better to allow everything to develop in a natural way. For illustration, I have attached the recent flower paintings. There are many more, but they just need finalizing touches. You know: painting is never done, right?

Please accept these lovely flowers

Flowers are nature’s mysterious beauty that is so easy to reach, to enjoy and to give as a gift.

Where do flowers come from?

From happiness.

How did they get their fragrance?

From love.

How can they be so beautiful?

God allowed them to use any color and any shape to remind us

Beauty is timeless but lasts for a short while.

I hope all moms received plenty of flowers today. They are a thing of extraordinary beauty, and they can say everything without words, just like art.

I also hope you are showing your love to your mom while there is still time enough, and you are not too late with your “I love you mom!”

It is so easy to love a small child; it takes more than superficial attraction to love genuinely very old people. To understand them and to appreciate, and to be grateful they are with us. Moms of people who belong to my generation are getting close to 90.

Thankfully, my mom is still doing lots of good things, sewing and gardening, not to mention small daily stuff like dishwashing, or cleaning. She loves flowers, so I sent her some, although, the Ocean is between us, that cannot stop us from exchanging some words on the phone or over Skype. The distance has the ability to make things clearer and more valuable. Simple words can get a new meaning.

Well, I was not very productive recently, but I have made some watercolors for cards, something unsophisticated, but sincere.

Spring daffodils, watercolor painting
Pen and watercolor, Spring daffodils painting 12 x 12 in or 30.5 x 30.5 cm

 

Happy Mother’s Day to every mom, grandmother and great grandmother! I hope your kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren are blessings to you.

Watercolor painting, pansies
Smiley purple pansy faces, pen and watercolor wash

 

Please accept these lovely flowers as a small thank you for everything you are to my every single day!

Watercolor painting, pink tulips
For soft and gentle flowers, all shades of pink is probably my favorite choice

Beauty never ends, flowers will live as long as we do and they will keep inspiring us. Always.

To praise the divine, to overcome the dullness of routine

Roses, watercolor paintings by Inese Poga

Stagnation and routine, and divine inspiration

Routine and stagnation go hand in hand. I also believe that talk solves nothing. I am deeply convinced that too many “everything is fine” statements can actually cause harm. When our intentions remain only as to-do-lists, there is no result. There is huge gap between the real action and intent. Therefore, we need the divine inspiration to interrupt our routine.

Life is fair, humans – not always

We often hear that life is not fair. Well, life as such is fair and fine. It is us, humans, who make things unfair and unfavorable for others. We should know: if we win, somebody else loses. When we are at loss, somebody has won the big prize. Therefore, I wish there was much less pretending that everything is fine and much more doing in order it was like that. While total equality isn’t possible for very many reasons, we can at least try to measure up to the ones at the top.

Rose for my mom
The dearest rose of all, the rose for my mom

What is the divine in our daily life?

For me, praising the divine does not mean unstoppably talking about it. That means bringing the beauty to people and making them understand how little, in fact, we need to experience the most valuable things on this Earth. There would be much less suffering if one day we had opened our eyes and started calling things their correct names. Becoming realistic is not a bad start. making regular things divine is something we all can do.

Floral art by Inese Poga
Colors and shapes of flowers will blow you away

Losing time due to routine

The daily routine is absorbing plenty of time and taking away lots of energy. People who are not rich have to deal with chores whether they are happy with that or not.  Even though, I could do so many useful and exciting things instead of cleaning up and washing dishes or cooking, that is not going to change. I am efficient, and I have prevention system in place: to avoid general cleaning, I do not allow any dirt or messes to accumulate. I spend 12 hours or more a day quite often on medical writing. That is the job I make my living with. but I hope earning my living with art at some point.

Watercolor painting, divine inspiration
Poppies, simple and divine

Health condition as an energy drainer

Spring art: bird's nest watercolor
Birds with nest, they take care of everything without being afraid of failure

Love to divine within simple things

I have inherited love to the nature and all Gods creations from my great grandparents, grandparents and my parents. I strongly believe that family either makes one creative and resourceful or completely ignores this necessity by not appreciating the great experiences and benefits creativity has to offer, although, this does not always mean any financial benefits. I am genuinely thankful I have all skills and knowledge to dress myself,  design my clothes and outfits, to grow my own garden plants , flowers and vegetables, to cook fantastic meals with little efforts, to decorate my living space and create all necessary items for that and so on and so forth.

Watercolor paintings by Inese Poga
Butterflies and apple blossoms, just the right things for sunny mood

Necessity to be active

This is all because of my family. Somebody might call me workaholic, but I hate simply sitting around and doing nothing. I cannot recall any single episode of my childhood or earlier years when I had to admit I was bored. I was always busy. Trying to make something from nothing. That is a great way to, a great way to live since I am seeing some opportunity just about everywhere.

Floral art by Inese Poga
Rose and apple blossoms, spring is here

Flowers: the divine aspect in daily life

I am sending flowers to my mom every time whenever there is some important day or some celebration because I know she appreciates and loves them. We are far away, the Ocean is between us, but we can talk on Skype. My husband gives me flowers on every occasion, not only when there’s a celebration or birthday, but just for pleasure, as well. I have always fresh flowers around me, many are potted. I believe he does this because he knows how I am talking to plants and how much I enjoy them. They respond with adorable blooms and never-ending beauty.

Apple blossoms, watercolor by Inese Poga
Apple blossoms for spring

Teaching is a duty

I feel that my duty is to teach other people to enjoy things which are not that costly, but rather a true source of happiness, pleasure and satisfaction. It would be tough going through life without art and beauty. The importance of brain fitness is completely ignored, but I am trying to make everybody aware how this can be achieved with simple sketching and drawing on a daily basis. If one can escape the age related dementia and loss of brain functionality just doing some visual art exercises, why don’t they do that? That’s a good question because physical body is always put first and mental and spiritual well-being is supposed to occur automatically which is absolutely and totally wrong.

New greeting card images

I hope I’m doing my part and creating art you enjoy. To me, this means praising the divine every single moment not only in words, but with doing.

Art collections by Inese Poga

Enjoy and possibly purchase!