Today I am sharing the one cool thing I learned in making this
painting.

It just might help you too.

It has to do with my favorite subject when talking about art making.
Differences.

When we experience things that are different from one another,
it makes us feel alive.

In art, “differences” can be expressed as different sizes, colors, values and
textures to name just a few.

But if things are too different they no longer relate.

And that is what happened in this recent painting.

In this painting, parts became so different that it felt disjointed.

The solution came by making the foreground and the background not more different,
but more similar.

We want our art to feel cohesive. We want it to feel like it all belongs in the same world. But we also want the tension of the differences.

Art making has a lot to do with balancing cohesion with contrasts.

We all express this differently and this, in the end, is what makes our art
feel like our own.

Do you consider this idea in your art? Let us know your thoughts in the
comments below.

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS Join the waitlist for our Free Art2Life Workshop which starts
February 14th, 2020. This year it is going to be better than ever…

JOIN THE FREE ART2LIFE WORKSHOP LIST

https://workshop.art2life.com/waitlist-cvp-2020

By the way, February 14th, 2020 is Valentine’s Day! So tell someone you love who loves art
to get on the waitlist too!

Making art can be hard. But finding time to make it is harder. This is the number one challenge that stops most artists from making steady progress.

I have especially been feeling this lately because of the holidays.

Both my daughters are in town. There are more year end parties as well as tons of people in town who I just want to see. Throw in 2 weeks of workshops in Mexico at the beginning of December and there you have it.

No window of time left to make art. Or is there?

Today’s video is all about how to get better at making art more consistently. Click on the video below to check it out.

In this video I go over 3 benefits of having little time to make art.

#1 The windows of available time can be small, especially for those of you just starting out. Like 10-20 min small! It is more about the pattern of repeatedly coming back to your art during the week that once established, will serve you and your art best.

#2 It is all about creating momentum in your practice by “stacking” the windows of time. Two to three short windows of making art, say 20 min each, 3x a week is WAY better than 1 hour once a week.

#3 Coming to your art in tiny windows of time means you will be coming in with a fresh perspective. And as a result, your art will come more easily, because you can be more objective. In short, you can see what you are making more clearly. It also helps to bring the outside world, the different experiences you have experienced, to your art. That is huge.

I love that, in a way, being busy and not having tons of time to make art actually can help make it better.

Is this true for you too?

Let us know in the comments below.

Happy Holidays!

Nicholas

PS We are already getting people on the waitlist for our Free Art2Life Workshop which starts February 14th, 2020. This year it is going to be better than ever…

JOIN THE FREE ART2LIFE WORKSHOP LIST

https://workshop.art2life.com/waitlist-cvp-2020

By the way, February 14th, 2020 is Valentine’s Day! So tell someone you love who also loves art to get on the waitlist too!

I am going to share something different today. I only explain during our 12 week
CVP program. It is an advanced concept but I will try and keep it simple.

OK here it is: In order for the viewer to really see and feel your art, it is helpful for you to
choose the one thing you want the viewer to see and feel. Sounds simple right?

In art making, the most powerful noticeable difference is value contrast.
And by that I mean that this is the place, in your art, where the difference between
lightness and darkness is greatest.

Many artists are not aware that value contrast is a super strong visual difference in our art.
So strong, in fact, that it can visually dominate the art.
So the the idea is this: If you want to highlight anything else, such as color for example,
then it is helpful to lessen the value contrast.

Have a look at this video and try to get what I am saying.

Vulnerability is that one ingredient.
The idea is that our art can become much stronger if we show primarily one thing.
To do this we have to get clear about what that is and then learn how to visually
showcase this one thing.

I have never tried to explain this in such an abbreviated way so I am curious if this is clear?

Do you get this idea? It is a game changer.
Let me know in the comments your thoughts and the takeaway from this idea.

Happy Holidays!

Nicholas

PS If you want to get on our waitlist for our Free Art2life Workshop that starts Feb 14th 2010 click here!
It is going to be amazing…

All the work I love has one thing in common.
It moves me.
It can even take my breath away.

But why?
Over the years, I have thought a lot about this.
Now I know it is because of one essential ingredient.

And this is what I am talking about in this week’s video.

Vulnerability is that one ingredient. When present in your art it moves people.

Remember that revealing more of yourself in your art, even if it is a little outside your
comfort zone, is a good thing.

It is not necessary to be perfect. In fact, that can be rather boring.
If you are truly learning and pushing yourself, it will always feel risky.
But that is what, in the end will make so engaging.

I like to use the word “wonder” as the bar to shoot for in my art.
Does this painting elicit wonder in me?
Does it show more of me than what I made before?

Remember, wonder is caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.
This is not created by looking outside of yourself. It is created by looking within.
To truly share this can feel vulnerable but its inclusion in your art can
make all the difference in the world.

I would love to know…

How much of “you” do you share your art?

Let us know in the comments below.

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS If you are new to Art2Life,
click on the link below to get my free Color Tips PDF.

This can help improve the color in your art.

Color Tips Download.

Hi there,

How can we learn to recognize and use our intuition when making art?

I believe intuition is the cornerstone of all powerful, authentic art.

But even so, it can be hard to not only recognize but to trust our intuition.

How do we know, what we intuitively know is right?

I couldn’t figure this out so I thought I would ask someone who might.

Jennie Oppenheimer has deep experience with intuition. She is the founder of Soulio,
a company that teaches people how to engage and utilize their intuition.

Join us and learn how you might better use your intuition to improve your art.

One way is to simply listen to what your art is telling you.

It seems so simple but it is something, until today, I never thought to do.

How do you use intuition in making your art?
Please leave below I hope your day is brilliant.

Nicholas

PS For info about Jennie Oppenheimer, her upcoming Soulio Workshops or private coaching,
visit www.soulio.org
Follow on Instagram @soulioprocess

PSS If you are new to Art2life, click on the link below to get my free Color Tips PDF.

This can help improve the color in your art.

Color Tips Download.

Hi there,

We are all familiar with the hard parts of being an artist.
But today, since this is a season of gratitude, I thought I would talk about
what I love about artists.

First off, I am so thankful I am one.
However, it is easier to recognize the characteristics I appreciate in my artistic
friends and community.

We are simply different.
And this week’s vlog is all about how. Watch the video below to have a look.

Of course there are a myriad of ways,
but a few stand out above all others.

Firstly, I love that artists are such sensitive human beings.
Artists feel the subtleties occurring around them, be it visible or not.
They feel and experience often what is missed or overlooked.
And then they go one step further and make what they feel, visible through their art.
I believe this is a big part of the role artists serve in the world.

Artists are also incredibly observant.
They see and notice more of the world than most.
Seeing what is obvious but also what is smaller and less noticeable too.
A billowy white cloud passing overhead is seen by many but very few notice it’s shadow passing
over the landscape too.

And then there is curiosity. This, above all else, is why I cherish being around creatives. They are always asking how or looking closer to discover why.
What would happen if I added this color here?
What is it about this spider web that stops me in my tracks?
Can I take a photo that captures this essence?

Curiosity is derived from wonder.
The same kind that a child feels when seeing a butterfly for the first time.
Artists have somehow held onto that wonder and curiosity longer than most.

I believe if we stay connected to these we will cherish, appreciate and in the end, be more mindful stewards of our all that surrounds us.

Becoming an artist simply has a lovely ripple effect in the world.

I am curious. What do you love about artists?

Let us know in the comments
below.

I hope the beginning of this holiday season finds you with
family and friends.

Enjoy this day.

Nicholas

PS Save the Date! February 14th, Valentines Day 2020!
This is the first day of the Art2life Free Workshop.
This year it is going to be better than ever.
There will be some surprises as well as a new series of live teachings.

It will all be happening in our Art2life Artists
Facebook Group.

If you would like to join this group of artists
would love to have you… click below.

THE ART2LIFE ARTISTS FACEBOOK GROUP

You are not going to want to miss this event…
It is going to be amazing.

PSS. To see my friend’s Adam Wolpert’s art check it out at
www.adamwolpert.com or his Instagram @adam_wolpert

Making art can be hard.
But sharing it with others sometimes can be even harder.

I think this is because, for some reason, we feel we
have to be perfect.

But this notion holds us back.
And it certainly can stop us from sharing.

Sharing, however,  is the very thing that can help improve our art.

In this week’s video, I will share the reasons why.

There are 3 ways that might help you overcome the resistance
to sharing your art.

The first is simply to just remember that you are just learning.
And learning in always rocky and uneven.
That is why it is called learning. If you can embrace this idea and
get comfortable with this fact, then so will everyone else.
Nobody cares, especially if you don’t. Your art is simply where it
is right now and that is perfectly ok.

Secondly, if you share your art, often there will be a response.
And sometimes, this feedback can shed a different light on your art.

Of course, always take feedback with a big grain of salt. Although, if
5 people say something similar, it sometimes can open your eyes to
seeing something new in your art. Feedback can help you add
objectivity in the process of your artmaking.

Thirdly, the habit of sharing invites reciprocity.
Putting your art out into the world is, in the end, an act of
generosity. You never know what or how someone will respond to
the gift of your art.

When we give first, often the response will surprise you. By sharing your art
you are offering people a little bit of wonder, surprise or even curiosity.

Wonder, surprise and curiosity are the very same feelings we need
to cultivate in the process of our art making.

How great is it that these very same emotions can result in the
sharing of our art?

Sharing is not just a huge win for others but for you too.

How do you share your art?

Let us know in the comments below.

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS If you are new to Art2life, click on the link below to get my free Color Tips PDF.

This can help improve the color in your art.

Color Tips Download.

Last Sunday, the extraordinary landscape painter,
Russell Chatham passed. He was a writer, avid fly fisherman, and naturalist.
But above all else, he was a painter.

He grew up in California painting the wild, untamed places of Northern California.
He developed his art in Montana and late in his life returned to West Marin, California.

It was here that I had the good fortune to visit with him.
I saw his magnificent paintings up close.
He taught me what refinement really looks like in art and that color and value can be used so sparingly, but still convey deep, soulful emotion.

Words cannot describe Russell’s art, nor the remarkable bumpy and circuitous road that
was his life.

I won’t soon forget the wonder of talking with Russell in his studio, surrounded by his art, listening to fishing stories, financial losses and gains,
celebrity collectors and everything that comes with a life dedicated and centered upon creating art.

Today, I thought I might share just a bit of one of those
Fall afternoon conversations I had, sitting with Russell in his studio in Inverness, California.
His art must be seen in person to appreciate, but maybe it is possible to get a
glimpse of this remarkable artist by listening to his words.

I am not quite sure what to say. I feel the loss of course,
but I also feel gratitude. Gratitude to have met Russell and see and feel
his art close up.

It is a privilege to become an artist. To have the good fortune,
the wherewithal to attempt to live in a way that makes you simply pay attention more than most.

Russell Chatham demonstrated what it actually looks like to be fully present in life,
and above all else, to be most fully alive.

He will be sorely missed.

Maybe his passing will galvanize, remind us of the vitality gained and the importance of
perseverance when it comes to the making of our own art.

I know this is the case for me.

Let me know your thoughts below..

Again, thank you for being here.

Nicholas

Yep. This is one of the biggest challenges most artists struggle with…
Starting your art again.
It is so easy to lose the rhythm of making art.

Sometimes it is a big life thing that gets in the way. It can even be a vacation.
What about that friend who comes, visits and stays for just a little too long?
That will do it.

Whatever the reason, it can just throw your practice off.
And then, what’s worse is it seems harder and harder to start the longer
you postpone.

I am not sure why this problem grows the longer one doesn’t deal with it but in this
week’s video I will be sharing with you my 3 tips for getting your art going again.

For those of you short on time or if you are really,
really needing to get back to your art right now,
I will give you the short version of my 3 tips below:

#1 The more you do, the more you do.

Remember this…the more you do (in art for sure) the more you do.
And unfortunately, the less you do the less you tend to do. In other words,
the snowball grows in size as it rolls down the hill.
Things just tend to grow and not in your favor.
This is why it is super important to keep the “habit” of at least going through the motions of
art making…even for 10 minutes.
I suggest breaking the pattern by just doing anything in the studio.
Even cleaning.
This will break the pattern of doing nothing.
It is better to re start that pattern, that habit,
even if it is only minutes a day.

#2 Little and Often.

The science on how we learn teaches us that we actually learn faster and more efficiently if we do shorter but more frequent intervals of an activity.
Surprisingly, it is more likely you will achieve more if you can work 30 minutes,
3x a week than waiting all week till you have 90 minutes on the weekend.
I love knowing this because all I have these days are tiny chunks of time!
It turns out this situation actually works in our favor!
So grab 20 minutes and get going!

#3 Don’t Start. Play instead.

When you are returning to your art, if it feels hard, make it easy.
Talk to the kindergartener version of yourself.
Invite them to play!
Notice what colors do and how fun it is to actually just put paint on a surface.
Begin with no agenda except to entertain yourself. Finding the wonder
in our art process is what will seduce you back.

The practice of art making sometimes needs a nudge to get it going again.
Know this happens to all of us.

What are some of the ways you jump start your art?
Let us know in the comments below.

I am in Phoenix today but kind of wishing I was in the studio.
Regardless of whether I am in the studio or not,
I always take time on Sunday to think about what I am making or want to be making.
Reading and commenting back with all of you is part of my art day too.
So thank you.

Have a great studio day if you are able to get there!

Nicholas

PS If you are new to Art2life,
click on the link below to get my free Color Tips PDF.

This can help improve the color in your art.

Color Tips Download.

Do you ever have the thought that maybe you can’t pull off making your art?
Or even worse, that you are not an artist after all?

I know I have.
I hear a lot about this challenge from other artists.

But you know what?
These limiting beliefs don’t have to occupy any space in your life.
They serve no purpose.
They certainly don’t help you make your art.

In today’s video I am going to share the 3 ideas that can help
eliminate the doubts that inevitably creep up on all of us
when pursuing our art.

I share 3 ideas that have helped me stay focused on making my art.
These can help keep the doubts at bay regarding your
creative potential, that naturally come up from time to time.

#1 You are original.

There are 7.7 Billion on Earth this year. You are completely different than all of them. Next year there will be 100 million more. Your originality actually is increasing every year. Your art, if it is truly a reflection of you, will reflect this originality.

#2 All art making is learned. Period

When we learn we generally go from worse to better. Doing things multiple times is how we progress. Never confuse the fact that you are simply learning with your creative capability. They are two different things. Learning, especially at the beginning, always looks messy.

#3 There is no such thing as talent

I have never met anyone that could not make original, strong art. All you need is desire, curiosity and to learn the basic art making information. Talent is not a magical gift given to some and not others. We all have the capacity to be extraordinarily creative. Talent, if there is such a thing, is given out in equal measure to all of us. Including you.

What are some of the limiting thoughts you have had?
How have you overcome them?

Let us know in the comments below. I have a feeling this is something we all have
experienced…

Hope today is a great day for you.

Nicholas

PS Today is my youngest daughter Hannah’s birthday! Many of you might have met her at
one of my workshops….

Happy Birthday, Hannah!!!

PSS If you are new to Art2life, click on the link below to get my free Color Tips PDF.

This can help improve the color in your art.

Color Tips Download.