“It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.” ― W.C. Fields My name is Arianne, and I’m a cookie burner.  I was labeled a cookie burner when I was in my teens, and haven’t been able to shake the title.  Later, when I was learning to drive, I ran over a snake in the road.  I could not live that down either.  My family continued to find humor in the incident year after year.  I thought this was particularly unfair.  Should I, an inexperienced driver, have swerved into the opposite lane to avoid a snake?  Besides, I contended to no avail, the snake was already dead. My protestations were useless.  I was a cookie burning snake killer. I don’t recall running over any more snakes, dead or alive, so the snake killer label seemed to fade away with time only to be revived at the occasional holiday get together. The cookie burner moniker, however, followed me around like a curse. Many items in the cookie or the general bakery item category suffered a similar fate when placed by me into the oven.     I know what you are thinking.  Yes, I did use a timer.  Inexplicably, the chiming signal did not register with me.  I was completely deaf to it.  I would swear it did not go off.  So suspicious did I become of timers and a wider timer conspiracy designed to make me look bad, that I discontinued use of them completely relying instead on my acute sense of smell to determine doneness.  This approach yielded similar results.  Cue the smoke alarm. To make matters worse, our smoke alarm doesn’t just emit the obnoxiously loud, ear-splittingly high-pitched whine.  It also says, “Fire! Fire! Fire!” in a decidedly accusatory, but urgently calming female voice.  Taking it personally,  I argue with it.  “Fire, fire, fire,” it says.  “It is not a fire,” I respond loudly so everyone in my home and also the neighboring houses can hear. Why do I burn all of these innocent bakery items, sacrificing perfectly delicious chocolate chip cookie dough, yeast rolls, and cornbread to incineration?  Well, I’d like to say I’m distracted with multi-tasking.  Often I’m talking on the phone while folding laundry, listening to a podcast, and stirring chocolate pudding on the stove all at the same time.  Distracted, sure.  But isn’t this the state of every single person who is using the kitchen these days?  Is it unreasonable to dream of myself wearing a pressed pink apron with hands pressed to my knees as I lean over to peer through the little window in the oven door patiently waiting for my cookies to reach the perfect golden state like a new parent gazing through the window at the hospital nursery at her baby with a state of confidence that says, “I just know you will come out all right.” No, such dreams are a waste of time.  I burn the cookies because an expectation was set for me years and years ago.  It was like the Emperor of Domestic Tranquility touched a scepter to my head and declared with certainty, “This girl will be a burner of cookies.”  I took the title to heart.  If that’s what everyone thought I was, it must be true.  I burned the darn cookies, because everyone, even me, expected it. Not so damaging to be a cookie burner, except to the cookies, but what if you are given the title of “stupid”, “lazy”, or “weakling”?  Labels can be very hard to remove once they are stuck on. Were you given a label, or did you give one to yourself?  Has it affected your life negatively? Take a moment to think about it.  Once you figure out your negative labels, make a concerted effort to cast them off and give yourself new labels of your choosing.  I’m hoping my kids will have a chance to decide on their own self given labels – ones like “good friend to those in need”, “girl who is good at math”, or maybe even "excellent cookie baker".  In the meantime, check out the song, "Hall of Fame" by The Script, which beautifully encourages rising above labels.

The Power of Immaturity

The Power of Immaturity

Arianne: Posted on Friday, March 25, 2016 5:11 PM

The Power of Immaturity "Look at the world with the child's eye - it is very beautiful"  -Kailash Satyarthi "You see a child play, and it is so close to seeing an artist paint, for in play a child says things without uttering a word. You can see how he solves his problems. You can also see what's wrong. Young children, especially, have enormous creativity, and whatever's in them rises to the surface in free play." - Erik Erikson When I was a child, I climbed trees, ran barefoot through the grass and rode my bicycle with no hands on the handlebars.  My job as a kid in the summer was to use my imagination to create fun and adventure and to enjoy every moment of my day.  Of course, life requires that we grow up and accept mature responsibilities, but I don't remember signing an agreement to relinquish all enjoyment of the simple pleasures of youth.  Sure, it would be difficult to achieve career advancement if you spent your afternoons building a pirate ship in your backyard out of spare pieces of lumber. However, behind even the most respectable facade, isn't there still a immature child waiting to come out and play?  We become parents or get to be a certain age and are expected to behave in a prescribed way, but you have to appreciate those that ignore the rules and somehow manage to squeeze a little more fun out of life.  My Dad was always someone I respected.  He was dependable, reliable, and generally predictable.  Though he spent most of his time in the corporate world doing serious work as a nuclear engineer, occasionally he did really silly things, usually at the prompting of my unconventional, free-spirited mom.  I remember him dressing up as a pirate for a treasure hunt and his spine tingling witch's cackle that terrified the neighborhood kids at Halloween. Now that he is gone, it is these things that are most remembered.   Every once in a while I meet someone who still retains the spirit of a child.  Sure, it is carefully hidden behind a calm, adult demeanor, but it occasionally seeps through in the twinkle of their eye, a silly joke, or a teasing gesture.  The child in me recognizes and responds to that spirit, and don't we all? Because we all secretly still want to run out of the office to play. I believe it is no coincidence that the elderly often begin to act in childish ways.  They are wise.  The years have taught them what is important.  Freed from the yoke of the responsibility of raising a family, earning a living, setting an example, they can return to the joy of youth. Their competitive spirit is revived with bingo and jigsaw puzzles, their childlike wonder and curiosity are sparked by travel, and liberated from self consciousness and the desire to impress, they say whatever they want. What is beautiful about being childlike?  It is a lack of preconceived judgments based on status, net worth, and lineage.  It is an open mindedness fueled by imaginative creativity.  A child can make a world out of three scraps of wood, a patch of dirt and a hand full of rocks. A child can dig to China and get wishes from fairies.  What if we brought some of these childish ways into our daily life?  How inspiring to entertain a bit of limitless thinking for a short time.   Buy a box of brand new crayons and draw an imaginary world, swing on the swings, sing a happy tune out loud, or ride your bike with no hands on the handlebars*.   *Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for any injuries that may occur should you actually try to ride a bike with no hands.

Finding Art in The Woods

Finding Art in The Woods

Arianne: Posted on Thursday, October 13, 2016 2:54 PM

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." - Khalil Gibran When I was young, our parents used to shoo us out of doors to play for hours on end.  I would explore the yard and nearby forest through all four seasons, collecting shiny golden brown acorns with jaunty caps, fresh green Spring tree buds, fallen blossoms wet with dew, seed pods to open like fortune cookies, and other gifts from Mother Nature to stock my "store".  My "store" was a mobile one, with objects categorized into departments and displayed in my rolling red wagon.  My older sisters were then coaxed into purchasing items from my fresh inventory, handing over tarnished pennies they found in the pockets of Dad's overcoats. Who says you can't make money from your art?  I must have grossed at least 25 cents. This habit of looking for treasures on my walks in the woods never left me.  As an adult, I often returned home with special found objects in my pockets to display on my windowsill or turn into works of art. Then when I became a mom, I taught my kids to walk through the world with curious minds and observant eyes looking for beauty and wonder along the way.  I was not surprised when, come laundry day, I would find my son's pockets filled to the brim with hickory nuts or hard red berries and once, black rubber pieces from the playground. Give it a try.  Take a walk and fill your empty pockets.  Display your finds on a windowsill or porch rail.  Arrange them in a pattern or create a little work of art.  If you have a moment check out these links to see beautiful art made from natural objects: Andy Goldsworthy & more Andy Goldsworthy.  Consider investing in a glue gun which makes it possible to attach your nature finds to all sorts of things.  Make your next walk in the woods a treasure hunt. If you make this a practice, you will never look at a patch of bark or acorn the same way again, and hopefully you will not walk without actually seeing. Have fun creating, Arianne   "There are always flowers for those who want to see them."  - Henri Matisse

The War of Art

The War of Art

Arianne: Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 9:22 AM

"An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one."  Charles Horton Cooley I am in the process of gathering all of my blog posts into book form, and I was trying to think of a title for the collection.  I am considering calling it, The War of Art, as a play on words on the ancient Chinese military book, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, which discusses military tactics and strategy.  This book has influenced businessmen, lawyers, and the military alike over the years, and, let's face it, choosing to pursue art as a business is a bit like voluntarily going to war.  When I say "art", I am referring to any creative pursuit that does not involve the 9-5 in an office. The path to success and victory will be a battle and there may be casualties along the way. I decided it might be fun to look at some of the most famous quotes in the book and see how they apply to the business of art. “Who wishes to fight must first count the cost.” If you have grown accustomed to a daily grande cinnamon dulce latte from Starbucks and dinner out with friends, you may not be ready for the sacrifices necessary in considering making a living in the arts.  One obvious cost of entering the War that is the business of art is monetary.  Most likely you will not get rich. Unless you have someone kind enough to help you keep a roof over your head, you’re going to give up some luxuries.  The other cost is your pride if you have any interest in "keeping up with the Joneses".  Hearing the starving artist comment for the hundredth time gets old. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” Who is your enemy as an artist?  Your own self-doubt magnified by the general doubt of the larger populace at the concept of artist as occupation. You will wake in the middle of the night wondering why in the world you are attempting this lifestyle.  Your family may ask you the same question on a daily basis.  Are you going to change the viewpoint of the world?  Are you going to conquer all self-doubt?  No.  Do not waste energy fighting it.  Accept it, and continue to create your art acknowledging the undercurrent of self-doubt as a layer of the deep waters we swim in.  If you struggle against it, you will surely drown. Charles Horton Cooley, the famous American sociologist, writes "we should develop a self-image that is more based on our own evaluations rather than how we believe others look at us." Read more about developing a strong self image in this article by by Joachim Vogt Isaksen. “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” I like this one a lot.  Stew quietly in your digestive juices, and then, when you feel properly inspired, create with a decisiveness and sureness of action that will force others to take notice.  Your audience cannot fail to notice the confidence with which you present your ideas or your work. “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” Time and again, I have learned that when it seems as if the bottom is about to fall out, a solution or a new project presents itself.  I don’t think this is luck.  I think that the anxiety caused by chaos causes us to think in ways we have not in the past.  It causes us to seek opportunities that were always available but invisible to us in the complacency of comfort.  Do not fear the low points, use them. “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.” If you feel like you have to work at your art, struggling to find the rhythm in the work, then you are probably overthinking it.  Great art comes from a state of flow, which is the opposite of conscious thought.  If you cannot find your flow, try meditation, sitting in silence, long solitary walks, or leisurely baths.  Stop struggling against your creativity and simply let it flow through you. “There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.” You have everything you need already within you.  The potential to create a masterpiece lies inside every one of us if we could first recognize that we have the necessary tools and learn not to fight ourselves.  Good luck in your battles.  May victory be yours. Happy creating, Arianne You can find more information on The Art of War here.

Grow Business by Planting Seeds

Grow Business by Planting Seeds

Arianne: Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2016 1:07 PM

"Dreams are the seeds of change. Nothing ever grows without a seed, and nothing ever changes without a dream." Debby Boone "From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow." Aeschylus There is a bumper crop of acorns this year.  Every corner of my yard is filled with heaps of brown nuts.  My neighbor hates it.  I see her in her yard daily muttering to herself, shaking her head, and trying to scoop them up into trash bins. I like the sound of them plunking to the ground from the high branches of the oak every time the wind blows. I like the happy abundance, the anxious overproduction, and the irrepressible urge to ensure the growth of lots of future seedlings.  I like that all of the trees seemingly whispered among themselves and decided to make an all out effort to fill the world with stately oaks.  If not carried off by the delighted squirrels, these acorns will root in the soft damp soil and grow. Autumn is also the time when our business year winds down and we take stock of our successes and failures and begin to make plans for the upcoming year.  It is a time to plant seeds for the promises of growth into the future.  What do you want to plant and sow?  Think of your seeds as hopes for the future.  Each little acorn holds the promise of a mighty oak as each of your seeds could grow in a wonderfully lucrative direction. With that in mind, here is my "Fall Planting Guide":    1. Look for fertile ground.  Much as an acorn dropped onto a concrete patio will fail to sprout, ideas shared with an unreceptive audience with ill timing will wither and die.  Do you research to determine where opportunity lies, who is receptive to your particular idea, when to approach those who might benefit from your service or product.  Use your search engine to research ideas before wasting energy on an idea which will not generate proper interest to allow for growth.   2.Scatter lots of seeds, and spread them far and wide.  It is better to test several good ideas rather than putting all of your resources into one, because you can't be certain which will take hold, root, and grow.  Plant lots of ideas by reaching out to as many people you can in as many places as possible.  Communicate your ideas far and wide with enthusiasm. 3. Provide the nourishment necessary to growth.  An acorn without sun and water will remain a hard brown acorn.  Hope, faith, determination and dogged perseverance are the nourishment of dreams.  It is not enough to have an idea, present it to the right person, and then sit back to see if it will grow.  You must continue to work on the idea, providing a foundation for growth. An acorn will not grow in a dark cave.  Continue to act, to promote, to share your excitement. So scatter your dream ideas far and wide in abundance like seeds of hope, because not every acorn will root and grow; the soil they fall into will not always be fertile.  You never know which dream will thrive and grow, so treat them all like oak trees in the making.  Happy Creating, Arianne

Courage and Admiration in Las Vegas

Courage and Admiration in Las Vegas

Arianne: Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 12:15 PM

“Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run, but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant.” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas “Buy the ticket, take the ride.” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas "Bees blew like cake-crumbs through the golden air, white butterflies like sugared wafers, and when it wasn't raining a diamond dust took over which veiled and yet magnified all things" — Laurie Lee (Cider With Rosie (Vintage Classics)) I went to Vegas for Thanksgiving.  If you're looking for salacious details of wild nights partying until dawn, you should probably skip to the next blog.  This is not that kind of story.  I brought two books with me to read on the long plane rides; Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Cider with Rosie.  The first seemed appropriate to the destination.  The second was a recommended classic. The booze and drug fueled voyage depicted in Fear and Loathing proved too much for me to handle after only a few pages, so I was heading to Sin City on a plane reading a quaint historical account of life on a rural farm in the English Countryside.  Picture me cozy in my window seat with my reading glasses perched on the bridge of my nose while the passengers in seats E and D got to know each other really well while drinking bourbon on the rocks and ended up joining the mile high club.  This is true and a longer story for another date. Anyway that's how my trip started.  Then when I arrived in Vegas and took my seat on the hotel transport shuttle, the driver gave us a speech about what to expect  that was more like a stand up routine.  "Cousins, you can drink anywhere, have sex anywhere, smoke a doobie, but do not jaywalk," is how it began.  See, that's the thing...Vegas is about excess.  It's about pushing the limits and not following the rules. Vegas is like a big playground for adults.  While you are there, you are like a child without parental supervision.  You can stay up as late as you want, drink and eat things you shouldn't, play games all day and night, and generally be irresponsible. What did I do?  I basically stayed on east coast time, so I was in bed by 9pm and up at 4:30am.  I limited my drinking, did a lot of walking, and cashed out if I started to lose money on the slot machines.  The wildest thing I did was order room service and spend too much money on the spa inspired quinoa cereal with soy milk and fresh fruit.  It was like the opposite of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Courage and Admiration in Las Vegas.  And you know what?  I had a really good time.   I don't believe you have to go to the extremes to enjoy yourself and create lasting memories.  Think back to some of your favorite experiences.  Were you drunk, risking your life, compromising your morals?  I'm not trying to preach here.  I like a glass or two of wine like most people.  I just believe that happiness and satisfaction are available in the most common and average moments.  If I believed in bucket lists, the type of thing I would add to my list would be more like playing an entire game of monopoly with my family rather than bungee jumping off the New River Gorge bridge, because the thrill and meaning of those extreme moments is short-lived and fleeting.  Just the other day, I was filled with warmth remembering having dance parties with my kids in the living room when they were little.  I also often recall being on a trip in Colorado and gazing up in awe at a sky full of stars. That memory is more meaningful than the horseback riding, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing we did there.   I loved my trip to Vegas.  I never had a hangover. I did not experiment with drugs, hook up with a stranger, or do shots.  I was exhilarated by all of the exciting sounds and sights which were so outside of my normal existence. In this setting full of glamour, tackiness, cigarette smoke, free drinks, extravagance, and vice, I was removed from all of my daily responsibilities and worries, and I found that refreshing. I rented a convertible and drove through the desert with the wind in my hair and then hiked solo through the forest and scrambled up rock formations to sit in complete silence and take in the landscape.  I walked the entire strip pulling my suitcase.  I sat in the casino at six in the morning sipping cappuccino and watching gamblers that had stayed up all night, I enjoyed winning $90 in a few minutes while bells and whistles sounded my victory. I ordered room service.  I slept in a comfy bed that was made for me each day. I walked through lobbies of marble, columns and painted ceilings.  When I returned home, the energy I had gathered from being away remained with me, and I brought the enthusiasm into my work and relationships.  Suddenly problems seemed surmountable.  It was like I had the enthusiasm of a child again.  Very early one morning on a run through the playground on the way to the greenway, I noticed the swings.  Giving into a sudden urge, I sat down and pushed off, swinging as high as I could and I felt weightless and that will lead me to my next blog... Viva Las Vegas!

Becoming Weightless

Becoming Weightless

Arianne: Posted on Monday, December 19, 2016 11:12 AM

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” ― Leonardo da Vinci “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” ― Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon When I was in Vegas last month I saw a Cirque de Soleil show and watched as acrobats soared through the air over my head on trapezes.I was transfixed by the weightless moments between the performer letting go of the swing and being grabbed out of the air by strong hands. I could imagine all too well that heady feeling of being suspended between the solid ground and the endless sky above.  If you hit the ground, you could die.  If you could fly up into space, you would be lost forever.   Leaving the show venue, I turned to my sister and said that I wished I could be an acrobat and fly through the air with the greatest of ease though I admitted I was too old to run off and join the circus.  I felt an uncanny familiarity with the sensation of flight and wasn't quite sure why it seemed like something I used to do.   A couple of days later, I remembered that my sisters and I used to play a game of our own invention we called statue.  I would place my hands in theirs and they would start turning in circles, faster and faster, swinging me around until my feet left the ground and the world faded into a dizzy blur.  It's impossible to hold your breath and scream at the same time, so all I could manage was a high pitched squeal.  Then when they could turn no faster and spin me no higher, they would just...let go!  For a moment, I was flying, weightless between the hard, unforgiving ground and the nothingness of space. It was exhilarating until I hit the ground and all of the air left my lungs.  I was supposed to stay in whatever position I landed like a statue, and my form would then be judged and given a score.  Upon reflection, obviously this game was just another poorly veiled attempt for my sisters to rid themselves of me. At that age, I had such an urge to fly like a bird above it all.  Since I lacked wings or anything else that would enable flight, I let my sisters spin me through the air risking great bodily injury.  And I climbed.  I scaled the tallest tree in the yard to the very top where the branches swayed in the breeze and were nearly too thin to handle my weight.  From that high vantage point, I looked down upon my neighborhood.  Everything appeared so much smaller and insignificant.  I could see how it was all connected. This is how it all would look to a bird in flight, I thought. Then when I was grown and had left childhood games behind, I took my kids to the climbing boulder in the nearby park, so they could see what it felt like to climb high above it all and look down upon the world too.  There we met a rare and unique individual by the name of Dimitri.  I can only imagine that he escaped from the circus.  He scrambled up the boulder with ease and leaped from the top, somersaulting through the air before landing on his feet.  He carried a sketchbook filled with charcoal sketches - smudgy scenes of distant cityscapes which were stunning in their originality.  I thought, this is what it is to be a true artist - this ability to leap into the air fearlessly without a net.  To draw with abandon, without thought of the outcome. On my plane ride home from Vegas, the Fasten Seat Belts light came on and we were warned by the pilot that we were in for turbulence.  Moments later the plane suddenly dropped and we were all momentarily suspended in air, prevented from hitting the ceiling by our tightly fastened seatbelt while cups of water hit the ceiling and rained down on us. It is frightening to fly without knowing where you will land or having a safety net.  I often think this is the problem with much of my art.  I cannot waste time on work that will not sell.  I support myself with my art and for that reason it is safe and careful for the most part.  I am like a balloon tethered to the ground, so it will not soar up into space.  To safely fly, you need hands available to catch you if you start to fall, or a seatbelt to hold you if you should fly too high.  If you have these things, thank your lucky stars.  If you don't, be careful. When I returned home safely from Vegas, I took a walk in the park, that same park where the kids climbed and Dimitri flipped through the air, and I saw the swings.  Moments later, I was soaring through the air.  At the top of my arc, I was weightless for a moment and felt incredibly free.  I do remember how to fly.

Hand Painted Murals vs. Computer Generated Wallpaper Murals and Wall Clings

I must admit that every time I see an ad for computer generated wall art pop up on my computer screen, my heart tightens a little.  I cringe and worry. These businesses specialize in mass produced wall clings and printed wallpaper murals, and they are making it more difficult for independent artists to make ends meet and stay in business.  Their ad pop ups nag me everywhere I go on the internet.   My advertising is almost all word of mouth.  It's hard to compete with them.  It does seem like an easy and convenient way to decorate your nursery, playroom, child's room without the hassle of finding and hiring a muralist, but there are a variety of benefits of hiring an artist to decorate your space.  

Why you should hire an artist, rather than buy wall murals and wall clings from the internet...

1.Guaranteed originality and one of a kind design   

Hiring an artist means you have commissioned a mural designed specifically for you.  A homeowner once asked me to the paint the wall of her newborn daughter's nursery with a replication of a beach landscape painted on canvas by her recently deceased grandmother. Another client asked me to paint her husband's fishing boat and her beagle into a mural scene.  You can't get this kind of individualized customization from wall clings or stock images.   You can be assured that the home or office down the street will not have the same artwork.  

2.The ability to customize  

Sure, the websites say wallpaper murals are customizable in terms of size but not like a handprinted mural.  They can "stretch to fit" their graphics on their computer screen but can they make a monkey's tail curve from one room to another or fill a awkward space above a dormer?  I can have birds fly out of your mural and appear in other areas of the room.  As part of a large mural project in a dentist's office, the client wanted small select elements from the main mural added to each treatment room.  I can do that in a way wall clings cannot. An artist can paint to fit your space, not just offer standard sizes or charge more for custom sizes. If ordered from a website, your mural comes to you in rolls that have to be spliced together accurately to create a scene.  

3. Durability  

A custom hand painted mural will basically be there as long as you want it to.  you don't have to worry about it peeling off or getting damaged.  When you are ready for a new design, you can just paint over it.

4. Saving in time and labor

No searching through pictures on a website is necessary if you are working with an artist.  I have had busy clients tell me they don't know what they want and don't have time to think about it.  They'll say maybe something beach related.  I email sketches and a quote to them several days later, they provide a minute or two of feedback, and then I show up to paint the following week.  They might spend 15 minutes working with me in advance of their ideas appearing on the wall.  That is less time than you would spend on a mural wallpaper website. The computer generated art businesses say the installation of their products is easy. Having never applied wall art, I can't refute this.  But I have put up wall paper before, and it is certainly not foolproof and does take time.  

5. Cost  

While the cost of mural work varies greatly, I can tell you that my quotes are competitive with the cost of mural wallpaper.  Remember, we artists are often in it for the love of it.  We would rather have a chance to paint a wall than not, so we are willing to work with your budget.  This does not mean you should take advantage of us.  We "starving artists" need to eat too and should be fairly compensated for our skilled work.  

6. Quality  

Most people can tell the difference between hand painted work and computer generated art.  You can see the quality in the sheen of the paint, the brushstrokes, and the depth of color.  Also, from what I've seen, wallpaper murals leave quite apparent seams on your wall. 

7. Enjoyment in the process of creation 

 It's fascinating and inspiring to watch art being created in front of your eyes.  Customers love to watch a hand painted scene unfold in front of them on the walls of your business.  I once had a teenager pull up a chair and watch silently as I worked on a mural in a daycare.  If I am working in a public place, people take photos of the work in progress and post to FaceBook.  If I'm working in a school, the children never fail to express authentic appreciation and gratitude.  If the artwork is in your home, your child will know that you had this artwork created specifically for them.  

8. Personal Satisfaction  

You can experience the personal satisfaction of supporting  the arts and small local business in your local community rather than adding to the profits of a huge anonymous business mass producing artwork. You can have the satisfaction of knowing you are doing your part to ensure that artists can continue to create art and be compensated for it.  If you are a business owner, your customers or clients can interact with the process and see the work being done.  This can also be a way to get press coverage.  Its a win-win.  You support local business and in return you get quality workmanship, increased interest, and accolades for supporting the arts.

So if you are considering art for your home or business, first consider hiring an artist. For more information about murals and custom art, visit Designs by Arianne. If you want to watch the process of a mural in progress from start to finish, visit Designs by Arianne on FaceBook, where a new project should be starting soon.  

Thanks for reading,

Arianne

How to Paint Like a Kid - The Key to Fearless Creativity

"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

Pablo Picasso

I sometimes have the pleasure of painting with groups of loud, energetic kids at Sociable Art birthday painting parties.  Cups of water get spilled, paint ends up in hair, and I have to raise my voice to be heard.  You might be surprised to know that I find this chaos refreshing and inspiring. Why? When was the last time you observed a kid under the age of ten painting?   Kids paint with reckless abandon.  They paint freely without expectation and without the inner critic judging their work.  Most of us have forgotten how to express ourselves in this way, but that doesn't mean we can't return to a state of carefree creativity.

Those of us who have weathered our share of years have become more cautious and unsure. We've all heard some criticism in our lives from ourselves and others. As a result, we've lost our creative confidence. We like having someone tell us exactly how to create our art step by step, so there is less room for error.  That is, after all, why we like Sip and Paint classes.  Unfortunately, by removing the room for error, we also remove the space for originality.  It's time to find that child inside you and recapture that wild, untamed spirit.  Your art can only benefit from this approach.

Below, I've listed seven general behaviors that I have observed during kids' painting events that differ from our adult approach to painting.  Next, it is your job to create a painting like a kid using these behaviors.

1. Kids don't listen.  I'm up there talking, and the kids are polite, but they are not doing what I am telling them to do. They don't take instruction well.  I say, "Paint the vase white."  They proceed to paint it whatever color they feel like painting it.  Their artistic instincts have not yet been tamed. Forget about what you were told, do it your way.

2. They break the rules. They use unconventional colors.  They mix them in unexpected ways.  They use brushes in unpredictable ways.  Leaves that were green on the example painting become blue on their canvas.  They mix orange and blue which results in a muddy brown, but somehow they make it work.  They just choose the color that speaks to them. Go on, be a rebel!

3. They have the benefit of not having been taught "how to do it".  Technique teaches us that there is a right way and a wrong way.  We get bogged down by technique.  Kids have not had their artistic instincts tampered with yet.  They will use paint and brushes in ways that you would never consider and in ways that an instructor would never suggest.  Forget what you've learned and trust your instincts.   

4. They paint fast. They don't take time to think. They just act.  They don't stop to plan.  There is none of the hesitation that comes with self-doubt.   if I expect an event to last an hour and a half, the kids will always be done in less than an hour. Try painting quickly without thinking.  For inspiration watch MarsupialPudding speed painting a night sky on YouTube.    Don't think, act!

5. They are Fearless. They don't worry about the outcome before painting a flower stem, they just do it.  If they don't like it, they just paint over it.  They are not afraid.  They make lots of mistakes.  They are comfortable with it.  To them, it is called learning. Be fearless.

6.  They don't imitate.  Their goal is to express themselves.  When this is your aim, you create original art.   For the most part, they still don't mind being different.  Unlike adults, they don't wish to create a carbon copy of my art.  After all, they see the subject differently, because they have not lost their artistic eye.  They see it with no preconceived notions of how it should be. Originate, don't imitate.  

7.  They don't judge themselves harshly.  When they are finished, they are generally happy with their work.  They did not enter the exercise with the kind of expectations that adults put on themselves.  No one has classified them yet as artistic or unartistic.  This is what Picasso meant when he said, "all children are artists".   Be your kindest critic.  Give yourself a break.

So go ahead and be fearless.  Paint like a kid.  I think you'll be pleased with the results as long as you silence that annoying inner critic.  If you are interested in the topic of children and creativity, you can find more interesting information on this page on the Family Education website.  

The painting on the left below was created by a nine year old using the painting to the right (created by me) as an example.  I like hers better:)

The Cost of Art - Why Paintings in Galleries are "So Expensive"

“Art is often valuable precisely because it isn't a sensible way to make money.”

Adam Davidson

I have a small house.  By the end of the year, my home studio (a.k.a. dining room) was overflowing with over one hundred paintings created for and at my Sociable Art events. Most of these paintings had been created in less than an hour and a half, and the subject matter was simple due to the time constraints of the classes and the limited experience of the guests. Because I had so many, had not invested much time in them, and had a pressing need to clear some space in my home, I offered them for sale at a festival for $15-$30.  A customer came into my booth and said, “Now, these are the kind of prices I can afford unlike in those galleries.”  She went on to ask me why they charged so much at the galleries.   Like many consumers who are not artists, she felt like the prices were exorbitantly high and arbitrarily assigned.  I'm not sure she understood that my paintings were only value priced because they were rapidly produced as display pieces for my events, not as finished works of art.  In way of explanation, here are some of the factors behind the seemingly high price tags you might see at a gallery.

1. It takes more time than you think to create a work of art. Art is usually not the product of a quick flash of inspiration that is then transferred quickly to a canvas as a finished masterpiece in a matter of hours.  On the contrary, a work of art is usually the culmination of hours, weeks, and sometimes years of rumination, sketches, study, trial and error, and failed efforts.  Unlike other occupations where the cost of the work is clear, it is impossible to tally up all of those hours and put a price per hour value on the work. Then consider that hours spent creating art, unless it has been commissioned by a patron, are a complete leap of faith.  An artist has no guarantee that someone will like the art enough to actually buy it.  The hours spent might end up being a complete waste of time and money. 
2. Art supplies are expensive. Quality paint, brushes, canvases, easels, and framing are expensive.  The canvas alone might easily cost the artist over $100.  Supply costs may eat up half the profit an artist potentially makes.  If the painting never sells, the artist takes a loss for the cost of that canvas and those supplies.  The profits from the canvases that do sell will also have to cover the cost of those that do not find a buyer. For an illuminating explanation of how one artists determines the price of a commissioned work of art, including time and supplies, check out this post from Red Bluff Gallery.
3. Artists often must pay sizable commissions in order to sell their work. Galleries charge a 50% commission on average. Even restaurants and coffee shops usually get a commission on every piece sold, so the artist only receives $500 from that $1000 painting you purchased at the gallery. For an explanation of the reasoning behind the gallery commissions, check out Red Dot Blog..
4. For every painting sold, there are many that don’t. An artist might spend a month or year creating paintings for a show.  They might create 20 paintings but only sell 6,  For all that time spent on each painting, they might only see a return on 30% of them.
5. If the artist is popular and in demand, the price of the work will rise. If an artist is one of the lucky and talented few to make a name for herself, there will be a cost passed on to the art consumer for the value of that reputation.  If a buzz has been created for a particular artist, his/her paintings will be in demand and thus command a higher price.  Just as you would pay more for a haircut from a skilled hairstylist with a popular reputation and renowned clientele, you will pay more to the artist with years of experience and a history of selling paintings to famous people.   Interestingly enough, the value of a painting is often determined by the renown and wealth of the previous owners according to the documentary, What Makes Art Valuable.

Artists are compelled to create art whether they make money or not, and most cannot manage to make a living doing what they love.  However, for some there is no other choice - the inspiration that lives within them must be expressed. So, the next time a painting in a gallery or on the wall of a restaurant speaks to you, touches something inside your soul, or would simply look lovely on your wall, I hope you will have a deeper understanding of the value.  If for no other reason, buy the art to support the artist, so they can continue to bring inspiration and beauty into the world.

Paintings Priced to Move!