clouds

I saw a painting in a movie.
I was fascinated by it.
It was quite large and hung like a headboard over the main character's bed. 
7/8 of the painting was of clouds... with the last 1/8 being a vague green/brown field. 
It was so serene.  I thought it must be wonderful to wake up to those clouds everyday.
Then it occurred to me that I might be able to paint something like them that could inspire me everyday.

I bought the canvas-  months ago.  It is 4'x4'.
I studied the clouds even more than usual (I have always been in awe of God's ever-changing palette and sculptures in the sky).
It took me a while to get up the courage to start painting.  I wondered if I was going to be able to catch on the canvas what I saw in my mind.

Here is what I created...


"clouds" by Laura Gibbs

 I am pleased with it.
 
It is so hard to be objective as an artist... being so intimately involved with a work... having a vision of what "it" is supposed to look like, to convey...  Does it ellicit the same emotion in others as it does in me?
I imagine most artists deal with these thoughts and emotions.  Believe me when I say that I dont suppose to compare myself with the likes of Tchaikovsky, but I heard once that the Nutcracker was Tchaikovsky least favorite composition... yet it is beloved by the public - probably the most well know Ballet in the world.  What did he see (or should I say hear) in it that displeased him?  Which composition was HIS favorite- how do the masses respond to that one?
Art is subjective.  It can't be reduced to one word.  Can't be put in a box.  It affects us all differently.  I must deal with that.  

My "clouds" make me happy. 

why create art?

 Laura Wasilowski is a wonderful quilt artist....

We share more than just a first name.

I connect with and admire her creative, "off-the-beaten-path" aesthetic and sense of humor.

This is what she has to say about making "art".

intro to ART101

art  [ahrt]  –noun

1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

ART doesn't have to be a stuffy experience in a hushed fine art museum (although that is definitely a pleasure not to be missed in one's lifetime).  ART is what you make of it... your first pair of knitted (and noticeably uneven) socks... the skillfully painted sunsets of our Lord and Creator… the Fruit Loop and yarn necklace that your preschooler made and insists that you wear – to work… your grandmother’s Tiffany brooch that makes you smile from ear to ear with memories of her.  To me ART is that “thing” that is crafted and made (whether skillfully or not) with your hands that expresses who you are, how you feel, what you are passionate about- “what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance” to YOU.  All this to say, you should experience “art” everyday- something that lifts you up, reminds you that you were made in the image of The Creator,  gives you joy.  Find what that is for you… whether made by your hands or someone else’s … enjoy art everyday.