Saturday, April 7, 2012

SOLD-A Little Help from my Friends

7x9
Titled this because my painting buddy john clayton was rubbing off on me on this one, when he was down here. he helped me push past my comfort level in color. thanks john for your influence and help. had a blast painting with you!

today i want to discuss a little talked about subject in the artistic realm, and thats  your muse. a muse is commonly referred to as some impish pixie that makes you want to paint, play music, write and create (in general)
your muse is very important to the process. have you ever had a spell where you just didnt want to create anything. some use the word inspiration, as in "i had no inspiration". i know what they mean but you must remember the old adage "painting (writing or whatever) is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" this is certainly true if what you create also feeds you and puts gas in your car. i think working everyday at your craft is what gives your muse something to work with. and travel to places that your muse loves. for me thats key west. i love key west for several reasons, a million really. its a creative town. my muse works overtime here. i want to paint. i want to play music, also to think about life in a far different way than i do in northern latitudes for some reason. the tropics 
have a way of reminding you to cheer in unison with people nearby when the sun goes down. when's the last time you cheered the end of a beautiful day? appreciate the little things that make life, well, life.
 it reminds you to take a nap in the middle of the day, when its so hot. and without guilt because you know you'll need the energy for the nighttime (day part two) that happens after another breathlessly beautiful sunset. down here you are constantly running into poets. musicians, artists, writers, and their overactive muses. a menagerie of eclectic "characters" assemble here, in this judgement free zone and can ranges from the buttondown polo shirt crowd to barefoot, shaggy haired, beachbum types all attending the event. also noticed that signs telling you not to do things are an oddity here. probably because it wouldnt do any good! its the 21st century version of the wild west pretty much.
i said all this to say. if you have a hard time getting your muse to help you out, take him/her/it to a place where there are thousands and thousands of other muses running amuck. yours is bound to get excited and start giving you words, music, paintings galore.  
but for me right now....its getting hot and its past my naptime!
then gotta get up and paint that golden hour painting ive been wanting to do for weeks. go muse!


Shell Motif #2
SOLD



3 comments:

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

Well said.
Next season, I'm going to make a plan to come to KW and paint with you Mike.

Klinger Studios said...

Love the lively palette and looseness of "A Little Help.." And thanks for the muse musing - I know exactly whan you mean. Yellow Springs, OH sounds a lot like KW but alas it's not the tropics. My goal is to find both - the sooner the better! (I bet real estate there is through the roof!?) -C.

Marla said...

Beautiful painting! And I think you've written a poem here, thanks for the inspiration.