The Art of Thinking Differently
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A frame says a lot about a piece of art. We form judgment immediately. An artwork encased in an ornate golden frame with its title on a little plaque underneath informs us that this is a museum-worthy piece, regardless of what’s on the canvas. There are hundreds of stories about unframed masterpieces by famous artists selling for pennies in thrift shops and yard sales. Or fakes being sold to museums when properly mounted and framed.
The right frame complements the aesthetic of our paintings in a way that adds glamour to our artwork. When displaying our artwork the frame matters - color, finish, craftsmanship, decorations, dings, scrapes, and scratches all speak volumes of how highly we regard our art.
Many competitions, galleries, and shows will even send artwork back if the frame has any imperfections. Since judges and viewers form opinions within the first three seconds of looking at your display, the right frame will help to hold their attention a few seconds longer.
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I have a painting I purchased for $25 in a consignment shop that’s been hanging in a back bedroom in my house for about 8 years. I’ve always hated the shiny white frame which did nothing to complement the beautiful green leaves and flowers.
The other day I decided that this painting might look good over my bed if I changed the frame. It’s a huge artwork so rather than buy a new frame for it, I laid it on a table and repainted the frame myself.
When I finished I had a whole new appreciation for the art. The darker, textured frame makes the colors warmer and more inviting. I was curious and decided to investigate the artist (Amanda Richardson) and discovered that nothing in this work was painted, it was done by hand dying, cutting, and collaging tiny bits of silk into a highly detailed image of a garden.
Similar works by this artist sell for about $7,500!
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Reframing this artwork made me think about what else I might be undervaluing because of its packaging. Where else might I have framed my thinking too early?
A frame around your thinking determines the behaviors you are permitted in any particular situation.
Reframing is changing your interpretation of a situation. So, if I believe that I can never become a “real” artist then I will give up early. I will not produce bad work and persevere throughout the learning process. Reframing my belief that I am unworthy into a belief that I am on the right path and I have work to do to grow gives me more energy to engage with this difficult challenge.
Byron Katie says “it is the mind’s job to be right” and as protection, we naturally focus on the negative, worst-case scenario. She created a series of four questions that she calls “The Work” to help us reframe limiting thoughts and beliefs.
The questions are:
- Is it true?
- Can you absolutely know it's true?
- How do you react when you believe that thought?
- Who would you be without the thought?
To regularly practice reframing takes a concerted effort, but one that allows for tremendous rewards. As you consider the way you feel when you believe your thoughts notice how your inner perspective and emotions change as you reframe them.
When we reframe the way we think…it can change the course of our lives.
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A frame is a window that does not actually show the outside world. Anything you see through your frame is actually a reflection of what is going on within you.
Seeing yourself as a victim in a world too damaged, too hopeless, too poor, etc. can be reframed by reversing the thought from the problem to the benefit or goal you seek.
My teacher keeps correcting me, so I must be a lousy student’ can become ‘Wow, great! she probably sees a lot of good things in me because she gives me so much attention!’
“Why is this happening to me” can be reframed as “What is this circumstance here to teach me?” As we shift our thinking about each situation, notice the change in emotional tone and the meaning that we give to our life circumstances.
When my kids were small I was advised to reframe my requests of them from the negative to the positive. “Don’t spill” lands differently than “please carry this carefully”. It took a really long time before this shift in thinking felt natural. By pausing to reflect on the behavior I hoped to elicit from my children and my students, I found there were many times it was actually better to say nothing at all. Imagine how empowered you might have felt being told to “color slowly and carefully”, versus the resentment “don’t color outside the lines” engenders.
You can reframe your artist’s block from stuckness into an opportunity for more research, reflection, and learning. The downtime can become a waypoint for gathering energy and renewing focus before resuming your progress toward your ultimate goals.
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By making the ordinary seem absurd humor can be used to reframe your feelings and your perspective on your progress. Consider the classic campaign reframe by the then 72-year-old Ronald Reagan “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”
Or the Japanese art of Kintsugi which reframes broken cups and pots into something even more precious and valuable. Each crack in a broken cup is mended with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. As a philosophy, Kintsugi reframes breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.
Having permission to re-frame my thinking at any time is enlivening to me and a common artistic practice. I often look at my framed artwork and ask myself “what if…” What if I made the background darker? What if I added another tree? The fact that my art is framed and hanging on the wall does not mean I am done reframing my thinking. This is usually followed by taking my art out of the frame, again and again, to re-work it when I know what to do next.
I had a teacher who once told me to never throw out my old artwork. He said it was important to keep it so I can become aware of how much I’ve learned since I created it. What seemed impossible to see a few years ago is obvious when I look back at my artwork now.
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As we step into a fresh new year, pause to think about your framing.
Look at your artwork and notice if you are displaying it to its full advantage.
Reflect on your thoughts and beliefs. Consider if any of them might benefit from examination using Byron Katie’s four questions.
As 2023 unfolds look for opportunities to reframe your experiences from “why me?” to “what is this here to teach me?” and “how can I change my thinking about this?”.
Reframing is not a denial that the challenge we have been dealt is a difficult one. Even though our circumstances may be fraught with hardship, we can learn to trust the cycles of life.
Our life comes in cycles of planting the seeds of expansion, growing them, harvesting them, followed by dissatisfaction/destruction/decay to ready the soil for new seeds, and then resting before the start of the next expansion cycle.
Through an understanding and trust of this transformative process, we can reframe periods of decline, whether they last for minutes or months, into preparation for new periods of vibrancy.
Reframing our lives in this way, we are less likely to be possessed by ongoing moods of pessimism, hopelessness, or resentment. Our prevailing attitude becomes one that is more optimistic and excited about what is coming next.
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My wish for you in this coming year is that you flourish and grow in exciting new ways. That joy becomes your constant companion.
I am always here to help in reframing your beliefs about your artistic talents and abilities. I am honored to assist you in finding more satisfaction, more fun, and more connection through your art.
My newest venture is "Painting Joy" a three-day watercolor workshop. Designed especially for artistic women in the third stage of life who are dissatisfied with their artwork and want to have more fun and connect with themselves and others. In this three-day watercolor workshop, we experiment with visual cues that inspire joy, discover personal symbols that resonate, and provide clues for ways to bring more effervescence into our life and art.
I would very much appreciate your help in locating venues to host this workshop in 2023 and 2024.
Please reach out to me, I welcome the opportunity for connection, collaboration, and conversation.
With Light and Delight
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P.S. If you didn't get the chance to download your free gift from me: Here is my "Inner Artist Inspiration Package" - a series of illustrated quotes in watercolor based on flower photos taken by family and friends.
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3 Day Watercolor Workshop
San Pablo Community Hall in Marathon, Florida
January 18-20, 2023
9 am to 4 pm
We are here to flourish, to see rainbows and to paint them, to be tickled and enthralled, to even eat a second sprinkled cupcake if we choose.
- Do you overthink and overcomplicate your art?
- Maybe you feel like painting is too difficult and too time-consuming for you.
- Maybe you’ve been painting for a while and would like to add more exuberance and aliveness to your work,
- Maybe you have been feeling stuck and uninspired
- or maybe you’ve never even picked up a paintbrush before.
Either way, I promise to inspire & support you while you awaken your creativity and develop a more unique personal style.
This three-day workshop, Painting Joy, will energize you and lift your spirits. You will have the opportunity to connect with a supportive community of artists sharing inspiration and fun. A few simple watercolor and composition techniques will make creating vibrant, lighthearted paintings easy.
Together we will practice drawing more attention to your artwork using placement and contrast and eliciting a positive emotional response from your viewers using shape, color, and texture. Using a combination of three primary colors, you will create an array of harmonic color and value combinations. And, you will uncover uplifting personal stories and symbols to provide you with inspiration for ways to bring more effervescence into your life and your art.
My idea for this workshop came from the book “Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness” by Ingrid Fetell Lee. She identifies nine aspects of the power of joy; ENERGY, ABUNDANCE, FREEDOM, HARMONY, PLAY, SURPRISE, TRANSCENDENCE, MAGIC, CELEBRATION, and RENEWAL. Each of these 9 aspects uses particular shapes, textures, and colors to perform its magic and by the end of this workshop, you will be able to employ each of them in ways that make your art more fun and inspiring to create and own. This book changed how I think about my art and it could change you too.
By the end of this workshop you will:
- Understand how to repeat and vary shape, color, pattern and texture to invoke positive emotions.
- Understand how to mix three primary colors to obtain an array of beautiful harmonic color mixes
- Know where to place your focal point and how to use contrast to draw attention to it.
- Gain confidence in using your watercolor tools and supplies
- Create a library of inspiring personal symbols and stories to draw from
- Shift your mindset
- Feel Energized
- Feel more freedom to create
- Create some amazing art
Ready to get started? All you need is an open heart and an open mind. I will provide a complete list of supplies, exercises, worksheets, and demonstrations to make learning fun and easy.
Cost is $250 for members and $350 for non-members
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Featured Artist
Art Night at the Burrie
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1st Place Non-Signature
Gold Coast Watercolor Society
Members Show
Sugar Sand Park Community Center
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Burgau Beach Hotel
Western Algarve
June 17 - 25, 2023
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My Portugal Women’s Art Retreat is Here!
Save the dates of June 17 - 25, 2023 when I will be bringing you to the town of Burgau in the Portuguese Algarve.
Burgau is a small fishing village on a pristine beach near the Costa Vicentina National Park.
The Western Coast is considered to be the least spoiled, least touristy and most scenic part of the Algarve. It’s made up of rugged cliffs, a national park, and numerous small, often empty, and incredibly beautiful beaches.
From our comfortable base in Burgau we will explore nearby villages, the caves and cliffs as well as a famous pottery studio.
There will be daily painting time, optional early morning yoga and meditation as well as delicious food, great company and conversation.
Please let me know if you would like to attend as spots are limited.
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Painting Joy
Created especially for artistic women in the third stage of life who are dissatisfied with their artwork and want to have more fun and connect with themselves and others. In this three-day watercolor workshop, we experiment with visual cues that inspire joy, discover personal symbols that resonate, and provide clues for ways to bring more effervescence into our life and art.
Can you recommend any venues that might be interested in hosting this workshop in 2023 or 2024?
I would very much appreciate your help in getting more bookings.
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Private Art Retreats
A personalized experience, full of art and discovery, for those who….
- are traveling alone, or with a couple of friends
- would like a much more flexible, and free experience, and lots of fun, too, tailored exactly to your needs, interests, and experience level
- may want to combine painting with organized discovery trips and tours and really get to know the ‘real’ South Florida
- would like to book in for a shorter or longer time than most workshops
- don’t want to have to bring a mountain of supplies in their luggage
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Private Lessons and Events | |
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Master Classes for High School Students |
Private, highly personalized classes in mastery for artistically-minded US & international students virtually on Zoom or in person at my home.
If you have a student who is a visual thinker, willing to push the boundaries of their own work, and serious about improving their options for college, I want to hear from you! Schedule a time to discuss how I can collaborate with you to build a portfolio that will give your student the greatest chance for success.
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Art Workshops, Critiques & Presentations |
Invite me to present or lead a workshop for your school, club, or guild.
I can customize a program for your event or present my skills programs on composition, color theory, drawing faces, coordinating light/shadow or understanding the cues for depth. I am available for judging, confidence-building critiques and recorded tutorials.
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Improve Your Artist Statement |
If you would like to delve more deeply into your own inner questions and clarify your thoughts as you create an artist statement for your website, a gallery show, a sponsor, or another project, please reach out, and let’s talk. I have helped many students write compelling statements for AP Art, college applications, and competitions.
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Sketchbook Prompt:
Find an old painting or drawing that you were unable to finish in the past. Come up with a new idea for it, which might even include painting over all or part of it, or cutting it up and re-arranging it. Feel free to improvise and play with the image until you have a new design you like better.
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Please contact me if you are interested in adding any of the paintings below to your collection.
I will deliver if you live within a 2-hour drive and if you live further away, I will give you a reasonable price for shipping.
Venmo, CashApp, PayPal and Zelle are welcomed.
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Title: Joyride
Media: Watercolor on Waterford
Size: 22" x 22" Unframed, 28" x 28" framed
Price: $1300.00
Frame: Gold Frame with a 3" mat
This painting is a part of my new series "Mermaid Memories. These paintings include childhood memories like the pink jeep my dad owned when I was a kid. The mermaid's tail is painted with iridescent paint.
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Title: Floating with Friends
Media: Watercolor on Waterford
Size: 22" x 15" unframed, 29"x 22" framed
Price:$1200
Frame: Gold frame with 3" Mat
This painting is a part of my new series "Mermaid Memories. These paintings include childhood memories like the pink jeep my dad owned when I was a kid. The mermaid's tail is painted with iridescent paint.
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Title: "Award Winning" Apple Pie
Media: Watercolor on Arches
Size: 22" x 30" unframed, 29" x 36" framed
Price:$900
Frame: Gold frame with 3" mat
The inspiration for this painting came from a Carl Sagan quote, "In order to make an apple pie from scratch, first you must create the entire universe"
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Title: Enigma
Media: Mixed Media
Size: 22" x 22"
Price: $750
Frame: Gallery Wrapped Canvas Gold Edge
This painting revealed an inner presence to me when I was trying to create an abstract painting featuring veiling and texture.
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