Inspiration doesn’t always come easily. But you can start a habit of making time for your art each day; at least 15 minutes is recommended, preferably at the same time daily. Listen to your intuition and pay attention to the time of day when you feel the most inclined to paint, draw, study, or engage in any other artful activity. Fortunately, I know my window–the evening. Each day around dusk I’m able to just turn it on like a switch…to draw, to write, to dance, it doesn’t even matter how I’m expressing myself. There’s something magical about the sun going down each day as the earth cools itself in shadow. Everything is different. Nothing matters. Everything matters.
Another thing I love about the evening: contrast. The lighting of all that we see changes, the sky reveals stars that have been hidden from our view and our minds as we go about our daily errands, oblivious, because we can be. As the sky takes its light with the turn of the earth, we turn on our artificial lights and see things in a new way. Shadows prevail as nocturnal animals become active. Romance and danger seem impossible to avoid, and everyone seems a little more casual. It’s easier to have fun at parties that are held at night, I think. The day has passed and it’s a time to celebrate life, thankful that we’ve enjoyed yet another day.
The Café Terrace at Night (oil on canvas, 31.8×25.7) by Vincent van Gogh
I also think that some things are more beautiful at night; the light from electricity, the moon, candles and campfires, give a soft glow to everyone and everything within reach. Artists have striven to paint this light for centuries. If you’d like to portray the night landscape in a painting, let Brian Keeler show you how in this new DVD from ArtistsNetwork.tv: Oil Painting Techniques: Night Landscape. It features composition and perspective lessons on elements such as snow, trees, grasses, distant land and buildings.
Find your best time for art and make an appointment with yourself. Don’t let another day go by without putting your art first.
Wishing you a peaceful evening,
Cherie
P.S.
When is your favorite/best time to create? In the comment section below, share how you make time for art.
Free download: Oil Painting Tips for Beginners from The Artist’s Magazine’s Mediapedia: Oils
Free article: Quick and Easy Oil Painting Techniques for Beginners: Oil Painting Techniques You Can Try Today by Courtney Jordan, Online Editor
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