I clearly remember meeting artist Paul Treasure @PaulTreasurePaintings https://www.instagram.com/paultreasurepaintings/?hl=en
when we participated as fellow artists in a fabulous Art Exhibition for Highfield Highreach @highfieldandbrookham where I am Head of Art. Paul is a well established and admired artist who paints beautiful and expressive landscapes and seascapes often in thick oil paint and using a palette knife. Think yummy colours and textures-even Paul's palette is a work of art!
I was feeling nervous about my first official experience exhibiting my work here in the UK. I had so many questions and still do-I have so much to learn in terms of finding my own voice as an emerging artist. Paul's advice was so sage, simple and sound, he said:
"Olga, paint what YOU want to paint and do it with JOY! If you don't paint with joy, that will come through in your work."
An absolute gemstone of advice. Thank you, Paul!
Coast 1 by Paul Treasure
Similarly, I recently had a lovely conversation with Halima Washington-Dixon @hwdixonart https://www.instagram.com/hwdixonart/?hl=en Halima is California girl originally and is now living in Suffolk. She is an impasto oil painter and her joyful paintings feature still life and landscapes. Halima also wisely and so kindly offered this advice:
"Paint what comes naturally to you. What are you most drawn to? What evokes JOY and expression in you?"
Garden Joy by H W Dixon
Both Halima and Paul have been so generous with their advice and I am so grateful. They both used the word JOY in their advice. J O Y - a mere three letter word which packs a lot of power and which is very meaningful to me at the moment....
You see, a tradition myself and two of my dearest friends from Teacher's College have is that every new year we choose our WOW word-our WORD OF WISDOM. We call upon our own word and each others' whenever we feel the need to - like a little hidden secret power! My word for 2021 is JOY!
This past year of living in these Covid times has taught me to enjoy small pleasures and wins-that perfect cup of coffee, that ray of sunlight, sharing a smile with a stranger, being truthful, speaking with other artists and finding my own inner artist. I wish you every JOY!
I include Ganonoque Birches here which SOLD two years ago but was one of those paintings which I painted from memory of this beautiful region in Ontario and which was one of those breakthrough paintings for me....I feel a future blog coming on about pivotal paintings! Let me know if you'd like to meet, chat, share all things art! I am passionate about community and connection.
