There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been out and about and realized that you’re wearing completely the wrong clothing. The sun sneaks behind a cloud and the temperature seems to drop. Or the clouds move out and you realize that you’re thoroughly over-dressed. Occasionally I realize that my enjoyment or misery at the current moment is directly correlated to what I’m wearing. The right combination of clothes (gloves, sunglasses, hat, etc) can convert an uncomfortable, even risky scenario, into something tolerable or pleasant.
- This week’s artist is – Vincent Bal – whose Shadowology work I stumbled across and greatly enjoyed. After perusing his website, it looks like he does a lot more than doodle. Check out his instagram for more!
- Interested in rock painting? The Four Corners Gem and Mineral Club is hosting a painting party tonight (Wednesday) from 6:30-8. Here’s more info.
- Local artist Chandler Strange has some workshops scheduled this year. If you’re interested in botanical art, see what she has to offer.
- Juan Gris would have been 135 today.
- Two pieces of information – There will be an arts and crafts Spring into Summer fair at the Bayfield Old Middle School on April 30th, if you want to check it out. Secondly, they’re still looking for vendors, so if you’re interested, reach out to Kellie or Nanette.
- There’s live music scattered about town all week. See what’s available here.
- Do you varnish your acrylic paintings? Here is one opinion. Here is another opinion and here’s advice on building a spray booth.
- The Silverton Arts Festival has an open call for artists. Get more info here. Deadline is the 25th (that’s Friday).
- Want to sell more art? Here’s a guide to hosting studio visits.
- Don’t want an in-person studio visit. This guide to photographing (specifically so-flat paintings) might help you better represent your paintings online.
- Here’s a series of creative prompts. It’s targeted toward writers (because it’s made by a writer) but would also work for other types of art.
- You should check out these out of this world photographs.
- Want to write your future self a letter? Here’s one way to do so.
- This is one oil painter’s opinion on cleaning brushes.
- The Scrapbook Nook has a week full of classes and projects, if you’re looking for something creative to do. Call them to reserve your spot.
- Create Art & Tea has classes and workshops coming up. Check them out and reserve your spot here.
- It feels like we’ve been waiting for Sculpey to be available for a couple of years now. We grab what we can when we can and were thrilled when these new goodies arrived! We’ve got some liquid Sculpey and a variety of silicone molds currently on hand.
When thinking about the proper clothing for a particular scenario, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that it’s different for everyone. We all differ in our preferences and predispositions. Maybe I need a down coat where someone else is comfortable wearing shorts, or vice versa.
This applies to other aspects of life, too. Life circumstances can seem like emergencies or merely a bump in road – depending on whether we have stabilizing infrastructure in place. Having appropriate economic, interpersonal, psychological, physical situations can make life more tolerable and even enjoyable – and a lack in any area can alter circumstances dramatically.
It’s easy to look at someone else’s life and think what different choices we would make for them. We don’t see behind the scenes into what their thought processes, life circumstances, experiences and knowledge base are. Perhaps they just have different preferences than we do.
Just wanted to share some thoughts that have been rattling around my noggin. To pass along a reminder that when we look at someone’s outside we are only seeing the surface. Like an iceberg, only a small portion is visible above the surface – the vast majority of a person is hidden from sight.
Sometimes, what I need is a bit of quality time in my sketchbook. Maybe my brain is running wild and I need to write or doodle or create in some way to let it wander and wear itself out. I think creative pursuits are vital for everyone to undertake. I think that art makes the world a better place. As always, the world needs your art!
Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew