Find Your Artistic Voice - A Book Review

 

Author, Artist, Illustrator Lisa Congdon describes the artist voice as a combination of style, skills, subject matter and choice of medium. It also reflects your personality, experiences and values.

I can tell you from experience that you do not "find your voice" over night. It took me years of experimenting, practicing and sending my art out into the world. My voice only became clear when I started making art nearly every day.

Congdon confirms my experience that your artistic voice is a journey, not a one time event. It is an evolution that changes as you change.

This book includes interviews with artists and also suggests strategies for developing your unique voice like...

• making art every day

• create personal challenges

• seek feedback from those you trust

• embrace solitude and mindfulness.

Although at my age I have a pretty good sense of my artistic voice, this book was a good confirmation and worth the read.

My Favorite Quote About Art

Girl Before a Mirror, Pablo Picasso, Paris 1932

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."

The quote about art washing away dust is widely attributed to Pablo Picasso and speaks to the transformative power of art. It suggests that whether creating art or viewing art, it can make us feel renewed, transform our spirit and offer a break from the mundane struggles of every day life.

Art, from this point of view, is a revitalizing power that offers fresh perspectives of the world. It lets us see things anew. It was Picasso's strong opinion that art is not just decorative but is necessary for spiritual and mental well-being.

 

A Very Cool Artist I Just Recently Discovered - Wifredo Lam 1902-1982

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City is exhibiting a major retrospective of Wifredo Lam's work called Wifredo Lam: When I Don't Sleep, I Dream 

The Jungle 1943

The Jungle is probably Lam's most famous work. It depicts figures that are part human, part animal and part plant in a sugarcane field. It is a statement about colonization and Afro-Cuban culture.

Wifredo Lam was born in Cuba and is known for his large scale paintings that blended modern aesthetics with Afro Cuban imagery, focusing on themes of social justice, spirituality and rebirth. Santerìa, a Cuban/African religion was a reoccurring theme. His heritage was a combination of Chinese, Spanish and African.

Untitled, 1938

In 1923 Lam left Cuba to study painting in Spain. Fifteen years later he moved to Paris with a letter of introduction to Pablo Picasso. Through Picasso he met other artists in Paris and his work began to move toward a more modern style, incorporating elements of Cubism and Surrealism.

"With regard to life, modern painting is a revolutionary activity... 
We need it in order to transform the world into a more humane place where mankind can live in liberty... We must accept these things with passion. It means that we must live imaginatively."

Zambezia, Zambezia 1950

Lam created the oil painting Zambezia, Zambezia in oil as a part of the Surrealist art movement.  The subject is part human and part mythical creature. One of the things I like about it is the combination of geometric and more organic lines. This piece is part of the Guggenheim collection in New York City.

The onset of World War II forced Lam to leave Paris in 1941 and returned to Cuba. At this point he further embraced his Cuban roots and included more flora and colors of Cuba as well as more symbolism from Santerìa. 

The Eternal Present (1944)

Lam painted The Eternal Present as a comment on the racial inequality and political corruption he found still in Cuba.

Wifredo Lam and Picasso, 1966

The MOMA exhibition features over 150 pieces and will run through March 28, 2026,

Still Singing. Still Creating. Still Protesting.

At the beginning of chapter one in Rollo May's classic book The Courage to Create, May asks...

"Shall we, as we feel our foundations shaking, withdraw in anxiety and panic?"

Once again 50 years later we are feeling our world turn upside down. Last month as I sat cutting paper up for my latest collage, I was asking myself why bother making art? I decided to get on a plane to the U.S. and march in a protest. As I marched with thousands of other baby boomers I thought we know how to do this. We have done this before. We are meant for these times.

The highlight of that protest was the presence of Joan Baez. She is 84 years old, still marching and still sharing her gifts in song. What an inspiration.

Since coming home I have been searching for what artists and writers are saying about creating during difficult times. I have started a collection of their thoughts to inspire me when the world feels like too much. Hope they inspire you as well.

Toni Morrison: "This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. That is how civilizations heal."

Vincent Van Gogh: "Art is to console those who are broken by life."

A collective of artists: "When people in power try to remove our humanity and our dignity, art and music provide a raison d'être. The simple act of making music in difficult times becomes an act of defiance and self-determination."

Dorthea Tanning, painter: "Art has always been the raft onto which we climb to save our sanity."

Shane Koyczan: "If your heart is broken, make art with the pieces."

Willie Nelson: "I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times."

Are you finding it difficult to create during these dark times?

Farmers Markets

 I have traveled a lot and there is one thing I always love to do no matter where I am - visit a farmers market.

Farmers Markets are so universal across generations and cultures. If you are in a large city like Paris or New York City, are in a small rural village or beach town, you can always find a farmers market to visit. It's such a familiar experience...

vendors displaying their goods

locals picking out produce for dinner

neighbors greeting neighbors

Many artists have painted farmers markets. I have often photographed them but have yet to paint one. It's on my paintings to do list.

Here are some farmers market paintings to inspire you. What is your creative version?

Henry Charles Bryant (1835-1915)

English

19th Century

Barbara Jaskiewicz

Polish

1957

Obès Faustin

Haitian

Okearts African Exhibitions

Armando Romanelli

Brazilian

Tom Hill (1829-1908)

American

Leora Wenger

American

Zana Bihiku

Carol Boudreau

George Rodrigue

Renaato Guttuso

Painting To Rain

Wassily Kandinsky, Landscape with Rain, 1913

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to my friend Evan about painting to music. He said he likes to paint to meditation music. I regularly meditate to music but have not listened to that music while painting.

One of my favorites is an album with only one song that is 55 minutes long. It is music to the rain...

I wonder while listening if I would be tempted to paint rain. I love this abstract piece by Kandinsky. What would your painting of rain look like?

Here are a few more artists' take on rain...

Edward Munch, Karl Johan in the Rain, 1891

Krishna Protects Gopis from the Rain, 18th century

J. M. W. Turner, Rain, Steam and Speed

Vincent van Gogh, Rain, 1889

Edgar Degas, Jockeys in the Rain, 1886

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Umbrellas, 1881-86

A Bridge

 

Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge, Claude Monet 1899

Our second exercise is to create an image of a bridge. You can draw it, paint it, collage it, whatever you want. It can be drawn to look like it is made out of steel, wood, or even a swinging rope bridge. You decide.

Monet's bridge over the water lilies is probably the most well known bridge in the world. A bridge is a wonderful subject. It also can be painted as a metaphor. For example, where are you leaving from? What are you leaving behind? Where and what are you going towards?

Are there any obstacles on the bridge that might make crossing it more difficult. Are you on the bridge or look at it from afar? Are other people on the bridge? What's underneath it? Do you have a history with this bridge?

Here are some more artist paintings of bridges to inspire you...

Path of Gold, Jonas Lie, 1914

Booklyn Bridge, NYC Angela Wakefield

Langlois Bridge at Arles, Vincent van Gogh, 1888

I am beginning a mixed media piece of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It has much history and meaning to me. I have photographed it many many times - on days with clear skies and a view to Alcatraz and on days where the fog has rolled in and you can barely see the car in front of you.

What bridge calls to you? Is it a bridge you know well, made of steel and wood or an imagined bridge?

Late Bloomers

"A late bloomer is right on time."

Clarissa Pinkola Estés

I was curious about other older men and women who started to paint later in life. I was a professional photographer for over 30 years but it wasn't until I moved to Mexico that I began to take abstract painting classes. My painting intensified during the pandemic and now I paint most every day.

Lines of Sight - Carmen Herrera

I recently discovered the abstract minimalist painter Carmen Herrera. One article I read said she could be the poster child for late bloomers.

Herrera was born in Cuba where she studied architecture in Havana. In 1948 she moved to Paris with her husband and then to New York. Although she had many abstract expressionist friends like Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, her work remained largely unknown. Several art historians suggest this is because she was both a woman and a Cuban. 

She continued to create work which was stashed away in her studio until her first small show at El Museo del Barrio in 1998. She did not sell her first painting until age 89. Herrera died in 2022 at age 106 but not before finally achieving international recognition.

On those days I think I might be too old to paint, I remember Carmen Herrera and others like Sally Gabori, Harriet Powers and Hilma af Klimt. More galleries are beginning to show older women's work. Artsy.net recently wrote an article headlined "Why Old Women Have Replaced Young Men as the Art World's Darlings."

The time has come for us "late bloomers."

I will be posting about more older artists. You can find them under the Late Bloomers label to the right.

Do You Listen to Music While You Paint?

 

Almost all of my artist friends say they listen to music while they paint. I never have. I kind of like the silence of painting in my garden. However I am just beginning to try it to see how it changes my experience and paintings.

Here are two playlists I have gathered...

Quiet Painting Music

Paint the Sky with Stars - Enya

Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson

Queen of the Slipstream - Van Morrison

A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum

Halleluja - K.D. Lang

Change the World - Eric Clapton

Crazy Mama - J.J. Cale

Gin and Juice - Andra Day

Perfect - Ed Sheehan

We Will Meet Once Again - Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

Who Will Comfort Me - Melody Gardot

Feeling Good - Nina Simone

Amazing - One Eskimo

You Send M - Rod Stewart

Sister Moon - Sting

Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman

I Only Have Eyes for You - The Flamingos

Seasons of Love - Rent

Painting For Energy

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

Cry to Me - Solomon Burke

Feeling Alright - Joe Crocker

Hand It Over - Kew' Mo'

Sing About It - The Wood Brothers

Climb Up On My Music - Rodriguez

Lovely Day - Bill Withers

Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations

Go Crazy - LeslieOdom, Jr.

Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins and Messina

Yes We Can Can - The Pointer Sisters

Dangerous Mood - B.B. King

Be OK - Ingrid Michaelson

Koop Island Blues - Koop featuring Ane Brun

Love Is Like A Heat Wave - Martha Reeves

The Girl Is Mine - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs

Every Breath You Take - The Police

We Will Rock You - Queen

Who Do You Love - Candye Kane

Shake Rattle and Roll - Joe Turner

I am working on two more lists - Classical Music and Latin Music. Watch for them soon.

Are You In It With All Your Heart?

 

Emotional Colors

 Create a series of boxes on a piece of paper or in your art journal. You are going to assign a color to each box. Then each color will be assigned an emotion.

I made 16 boxes and lined them up in a grid. Make as many boxes as you want. You can arrange them in a grid like I did or place them in a random design. 

To decide how many emotions you want, make a list of emotions you sometimes feel. You also can think in terms of "I feel..." (For example, I feel vibrant, I feel feminine.) Good "list of emotions" if you need help.

I also looked at my previous paintings and made a list of the colors I like to use most. I than assigned a color to each emotion on my list. 

Next I am going to fill each box with one color of acrylic paint. To keep the painted boxes clean, I outlined a few boxes at a time with artist tape.

Remember your boxes can be more abstract or even another shape. Don't worry too much about making them perfect. This is not a final piece of art but a practice exercise.

Fill in all of the boxes with your chosen colors. When all the boxes are filled remove the artist tape and let your page completely dry.

The middle of your journal can look a big grungy because of the journal stitching.

So I sometimes use a strip of wash tape to cover it up.

I can even use Washi Tape around the entire facing page.

I use the facing page to take notes and write down any thoughts I have about this exercise.

After the colors are completely dry I write one emotion in each box. I recommend that you use acrylic paints, gouache or watercolors for the boxes. They dry quicker than oil and it is so difficult to write on pastels.

Lake George Reflection.

 

Lake George Reflection

Oil on Canvas

I thought I was very familiar with Georgia o"Keeffe's paintings. Yet I had never seen this one before. I live  ½ block from a lake and have become very interested in lake art. 

Lake George Reflection was created from 1921-1922 and is owned by a private collector. Such a tranquil painting.

What would your creative version of a favorite lake be?

Artists Bucket List

Many people create bucket lists for places they want to go before they die. I decided I wanted to create an Artists Bucket List - artists whose work I want to see in person. Here they are...

1.  Faith Ringgold

2.  Frida Kahlo

3.  Robert Rauschenberg

4.  Gustav Klimt

5.  Mike Bernard

6.  Henri Matisse

7.  Elaine de Kooning

8.  Romare Bearden

9.  Claude Monet

10.Paul Klee 

It was interesting for me to see who is on my top ten list. Most of them did some mixed media, collage. The paintings of these artists tend to be colorful. Many are abstract and some tell a story. And two of the artists created a portrait of JFK.

Who would be on your Artists Bucket List?

 

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

When I decided to launch Artists Inspired, I knew what I wanted it to be. I knew I wanted it to be a place where I could turn to my artist friends and say "OMG, you have got to see this, hear this, read this."

Over the years I have read many books on art and creativity. And usually I end up feeling somewhat disappointed. Something's missing. I don't feel like reading the books over and over because I am so inspired. I am not jumping up and down yelling "Read this. Read this. Read this."

Maybe I don't need a library filled with books on creativity. Maybe one will do. And, I think I have found it... The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin. I just finished my third reading and it's bleeding yellow highlighter.

I had never heard of Rick Rubin until I saw him interviewed by Anderson Cooper on 60 minutes. Rubin is a well-known major success story in the music industry. He is a music executive and producer. He was named as Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People In the World.

During the 60 Minutes interview they discuss his just published book. I immediately downloaded it to my iPad and started reading. This is a book I will most likely read over and over again for the rest of my life.

The book begins with a quote from Robert Henri (1865-1929, American painter and teacher)."The object isn't to make art, it's to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable." 

Okay, I thought. That was a great start.

Rubin describes his books as 78 areas of thought. The first thought is Everyone is a Creator. He says, "Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It's our birthright... To live as an artist is a way of being in the world."

The second thought is called Tuning In. "Think of the universe as an eternal creative unfolding," he continues. "Trees blossom cells replicate. Rivers forge new tributaries. Every manifestation of this unfolding is doing its own work on behalf of the universe, each in its own way, true to its own creative impulse."

I was hooked. This book does not disappoint.

The Creative Act on Amazon - click here.

Dreaming City

 

Dreaming City (1921)

Paul Klee (1879 - 1940)

What would your creative version of a Dreaming City be?

You Can't Use Up Creativity

It's Hard Being an Artist,

Sometimes listening to some upbeat music helps.

One day when I was feeling a bit low, my niece Katie told me about a song from the Wood Brothers. I downloaded Sing About It and have been playing it and dancing around my kitchen ever since. It's a great mood booster. Thanks Katie.

Oh and if you like that one. Check out One More Day.

What songs do you listen to when you inspiration and to be lifted up?

I Will Not Lose Hope

"Hope" by GF Watts (1817 - 1904)

Many artists have created works about hope. Watts painted a female figure sitting on a globe. Besides the feeling of gloom, and being blindfolded, "Hope" puts her head close to her to a lyre to listen to music.

These are dark and difficult times. I am working on a hope image. It will include dancing and a river, two symbols I use often in my work.

What is your creative version of hope?