art life

5 Reasons You Should Consider Yourself An Artist

| Whitt’s End Art

If over the course of your lifetime you are creating works of art but have still uttered this phrase, “Man I would love to be an artist.” It is time to Stop. I can say that because I have been in your shoes. I never took myself to be a serious enough creator to call myself an artist. I was what I’ll call a dabbler in the Arts. But one day it hit me, I am an artist. Here are the five reasons why this realization came to me.

1 I have created hundreds of art pieces and feel the urge to create more work of better quality. Art is no longer a hobby. It has become part of who I am.

2. My work looks good to me. There was a time I measured my work against others. Then I came to the realization. My work is not going to look like theirs because it comes from my heart. Sure I can learn from others but with the knowledge the final piece of art will have my creative twist.

3 I have art supplies out the wazoo. If you’re any kind of artist you know what I mean by this one. We artists seem to accumulate art creating materials. At times I feel like a art supply hoarder. I try a new medium and get supplies and then add them to a shelf in the art room.

4. I no longer need all the how to books I’ve bought over the years to try and learn just one more trick to become a true artist. Over the years I also relied on those books books to give me an idea of an art style. Now I create my art from pictures I take or get from free use sites and then put my own spin on them. The books are no longer needed.

And most importantly

5. My mindset changed. I no longer call myself, a dabbler. I am an artist. I create art my way and am proud of what I’ve created and continue to create. Even the pieces which don’t work out the way I wanted. I am still learning my craft. While I learn it is time to start sharing my art with the world. Oh yeah part of the sharing means taking the next step….selling your work.

#578 and 579, Two In Oil Pastel

| Whitt’s End Art

I like to you a number of different mediums. One of my favorites is old pastel. I have not used them a lot so all of my current renderings are experiments. These are the latest two, “Girls on the Beach, ” and “Red Flower.” The paintings are both done on 6×9 card stock.

Daily Drawing #271, Time is Flying By

| Whitt’s End Art

It is hard to believe how fast time flies anymore. It seems like only yesterday I started my self imposed drawing challenge and now it is almost the end of September. I must say I’ve enjoyed the process so far and look forward to drawing the last 94 drawings. The hardest part has been coming up with things to draw. By the grace of God I’ve made it this far and I know he will see me through till the end.

Daily Drawing #240, Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star

| Whitt’s End Art

Growing up the one thing I wanted to be most of all was a rock star. To stand on the stage belting out my songs to thousands of adoring fans. I had only two obstacles to overcome, I could sing that well and I never learned to play the guitar for lack of funding to buy one. As i grew the desire to be a rock star faded. As I now enter the fall portion of my life I fondly look back on the dream and wonder what if I had not given up on my dream so soon. Life is about dreams, some of which are attainable, others which we may never see but unless we try we will never know. Don’t give up on your dreams. Pray about them. Seek the Lord’s help and keep practicing because you never know.

 

 

 

Getting from Point A to Point B, Doodle #88

| Whitt’s End Art

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In our modern lives everything is all about transition, today’s prompt word.. It is figuring out before you take the first step how you’re going to get from Point A to Point B. Don’t get me wrong planning is good but there are times when we need to take off our logical caps and put on the caps of spontaneous creation. Art is one of those times.

When we art we need to be prepared to use transition not only in the creation of our drawings but also in when we apply color. My doodle for today is a tribute to Chuck Berry whose music was a true transition from the music of his early career. It is a simple outline drawing with some transition of color to give it a little pop.

Life is also filled with a lot of transitions.  I remember when I first went to high school as a ninth grader. I walked into this building filled with giant people. I had to transition from being the oldest class in the middle school to the new kids on the block. It wasn’t easy. There were a lot of freshman class pranks I had to endure, loves sought and and lost and ever changing friendships but I got through it and came out the other side a little wiser.

Life can be like those high school years. There are going to be times when we are going to go through transitions in our lives and if we are not careful we can be overcome by them. The key to working through transitions is remaining faithful and seeking help if necessary.

Life Goes Floating By, Doodle #80

| Whitt’s End Art

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When I was a kid the girl I hung with from down the street and I would spend a lot of time just lying in the grass watching the clouds floating through the sky. As we were laying there we always tried to attribute the shape of a cloud to a certain person or thing. I miss those simple days when life and the clouds seemed to float by at a snails pace.

I have discovered the older you get life and the clouds appear to float by as if driven by a swift wind. There is little time left in each day to lie around looking at the clouds trying to discover the hidden treasures in each shape. I also have a confession to make.  I still try to draw what Carla Sonheim calls Imaginary Animals where you look at a cloud, cracks in the sidewalk, stains or anything else and create an animal drawing. They are fun to do and infuse your creative juices with some new vigor.

I think as you grow older you need to hold onto your youthful attitude it will keep you feeling younger. The idea is to take the time to once again slow down the floating of life, enjoying the ride more by experiencing all life has to offer.

Motion Settled Down, Doodle #74

| Whitt’s End Art

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The prompt for today is to draw motion. Well on the surface it sounds like a simple challenge after all motion is everywhere. Look around you cars speeding down the highway, people running to and from. We are a nation on the move, at times to much on the move. There is an old adage, “Stop and smell the roses.”

I’ve often wondered where the saying comes from but no matter the meaning is obvious. We all need to take the time to stop what we’re doing and sit back and enjoy life. When was the last time you did nothing? If you’re like me I don’t like to sit still. I always feel like I have to be doing something but every so often I feel the need to stop and sit back and enjoy the moment or moments. Some of my past enjoyments include watching my kids create their own little worlds from nothing, watching the ocean roll and the people rollick in the surf and sitting on my grandma’s porch and watching the world around.

The main point of this whole ramble is the fact that God created all there is for our benefit and it is high time we take the time to enjoy the world in which we live. So strap on some head phones, go to your local park (if you’re an artist take along your drawing pad) and enjoy some time alone or with family. Oh yeah, I hope you enjoy today’s doodle “Motion Settled Down,”

 

Life is a Mystery, Doodle #61

| Whitt’s End Art

 

babyOn this auspicious day of March 2nd the prompt for the daily doodle is a mystery. No I mean the prompt was to draw something based on the word mystery.  I spent quite a few hours pondering this one.

The reason I chose the baby and the puppy was because to me life is a mystery. Science seeks to explain life away as a process but to me life is more than a process. It is a miracle wrapped up in a mystery which can only be answered by a faith in God.  I know there will be those who disagree but that is okay. I hope you enjoy my picture “A Girl and Her Dog.”

Daily Timeout for Art

| Whitt’s End Art

girl-with-flowers

The final theme for February was gold. I could have gone in a lot of directions with this one but instead I chose to go with a piece entitled “Golden Haired Girl and Her Flowers.” The piece is a simple one done in colored pencil.