The Painting Path

Linda Novick

Description

Discover the creativity that lies hidden within you—and express it!

“Painting—because it is such a flexible and adaptable form of art—gives us unparalleled freedom to express what we are feeling. Through colors, forms, lines, even fabrics, we can tap into our deepest emotions and thoughts; we can access our very source. Given this opportunity, we unburden our spirits and are freed to express ourselves.”
—from the Introduction

What can you learn about yourself through painting? How can a piece of artwork reflect your own personality, beliefs and values? How can touching brush to canvas help you portray something about yourself that is otherwise inexpressible?

Delve into these questions and more in this imaginative, creative resource. Professional artist and beloved teacher Linda Novick leads you on an exploration of the divine connection you can experience through art. Each chapter includes a simple yoga-inspired breathing and stretching exercise to focus your mind and refresh your body, along with an original art project that helps you explore a theme essential to both your creativity and your spirituality. Whether you’re a painting novice or an accomplished artist, no matter your faith and background, this engaging book has a place for you. Experience the joy of unbridled creativity!

Sujets

• Loisirs
• Loisirs créatifs et artistiques
• Loisirs créatifs et artistiques
• Art Plastique
• Arts plastiques
• Painting
• Crafts
• Hobbies

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 10 août 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781594734687
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Contents
Foreword
Introduction
1 REMEMBERING YOUR ARTIST SELF
Playful Experimentation with Oil Pastels
2 WHAT S REAL?
Looking beneath the Surface with Drawing
3 GETTING IN TOUCH
Discovering What We Really Want with Watercolors
4 YOUR CIRCLE OF POWER
Rediscovering Your Authentic Vision with Resist
5 STEPPING BACK
Cultivating Witness Consciousness Using Soft Pastels
6 STAYING FLEXIBLE
Practicing Improvisation with Liquefying Pastels
7 PURPOSEFUL DIRECTION
Practicing Beginner s Mind with Batik
8 UNCOVERING YOUR DREAMS
Discovering the Power of Images through Collage
9 BUT DOES IT LOOK LIKE ME?
Practicing Nonjudgment with Self-Portrait
10 LISTENING TO OUR INTUITION
Nurturing Courage through Oil Paints
11 THE STORIES WE TELL
Reinterpreting Our Lives through Painted Autobiography
Conclusion: The Painting Path Continues
Resources

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Foreword
I relocated to the Hudson Valley about thirty-five years ago. I was not too familiar with the large heroic landscapes of F. E. Church and the Hudson Valley School of Art. Their vision was almost too overwhelming. I then began to see and feel the beauty they captured. Still, there was something missing. I traveled around and began to see the small, intimate cities and towns of the Valley. Why wasn t someone working with these interesting buildings? There was always Charles Burchfield s American Scene paintings to turn to, but I wanted a more intimate voice. I am not usually a landscape painter, but I began to see possibilities.
I then saw a watercolor by Linda Novick and everything changed. Whenever there was an exhibition that included her work, I went to see it. I began to see Upstate New York through her eyes. I saw bridges and alleys, factories and old buildings come alive. It is hard to see things with a fresh vision when other influences are so strong. I did try to work on some of the images that presented themselves to me, but Linda had claim to them.
I then met her at sketch classes. I realized she was not only a painter, but she liked to draw too. I felt an instant respect and admiration. She was an admirer of my masters, Edgar Degas, John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla and many contemporary painters. We became fast friends, and I watched her vision grow and change over the years. I admired her discipline and dedication.
Many of her paintings are still in my head: empty streets that painter Edward Hopper would identify with, wonderful paintings of pool players at their game, a small Mexican painting I own and look at every day. Linda Novick s vision is so strong that I see certain streets and buildings through her eyes.
When I started to do yoga many years ago, I was immediately taken with the body, mind, and spiritual connection it provided, which is so similar to the connection we can feel through making art. It is no accident that Linda feels this too; to let go and let the muses in, is a worthy achievement. Linda is doing this with her painting and teaching. She is still growing as a person and painter.
Whenever I see Linda Novick, I smile. She is one of the lucky ones who has managed to make her art her life.
Richard Segalman Woodstock, New York
Introduction
In the forty-five years that I have been an artist and art teacher, I have found that people who express themselves by painting are pretty happy people. I know from my personal experience that when I am working on a painting I can hardly wait for the next day so I can return to it. If I m working on a batik, I can t wait to see how the last color I dyed has dried. If I m working on a pastel or oil painting, the first thing I do upon waking is run to my easel to see how it looks. Sometimes it looks much better than the day before, and sometimes an area needs improvement.
But whatever the state of my work that day, working on a painting makes me return to the excitement I felt as a young child when everything was an adventure and the world was a fresh and exciting place. When we are painting, there is so much to look forward to. While we have a work in progress, we have a passion, a goal-something that makes our heart sing!
I m not alone in this feeling. Often my art students, many of whom began painting as adults, have told me that taking up painting revolutionized their lives by helping them tap into inner resources and an inner creativity they never knew they had. But it s more than that. Many of them discover a depth of joy when painting that they never had before. Painting is a powerful tool that can help us to access our spirit.
In this book, you will be introduced to painting projects that will help you discover your spirituality and build a direct link to your creativity. We will inquire into the meaning of spirit and investigate our connection to it. In each chapter you will sample a different art project, beginning with a playful exploration of oil pastels and culminating in an autobiographical painting project that you will design and execute yourself using the techniques you will learn throughout the book.
The projects I have chosen are somewhat eclectic and are designed to progress from relatively simple to more challenging. But don t worry. This book is for everyone regardless of your level of experience with painting. If you are a complete novice, you can take the projects slowly as you enhance your skills. If you are already a painter, these projects will sharpen your skills, give you new ideas, and generally help you celebrate the act of painting even as you discover new ways it can nurture your spirit and transform your life.
WHY YOGA?
In addition to the art projects, each chapter includes a body-centered experience that is designed to help you flow more easily into each art exercise. These simple stretching and breathing exercises are inspired by the ancient practice of yoga, which incorporates breathing and movement to unify mind, body, and spirit. Through the practices of conscious breathing, gentle stretching, and massage, you will recharge your body and focus your mind and thereby experience renewed energy and clarity as you explore the art projects.
I have chosen these particular exercises for two reasons. First, you will find them accessible and easy to do whether or not you have had any experience with yoga movements. All our body-centered practices are designed to help you relax, develop concentration, and create open channels to creativity and greater self-expression. Second, each fits with the spiritual theme of the chapter and will help you prepare for the art project that follows it.
For example, in chapter 9, you will focus on looking at yourself without judgment. For the body-centered experience, you will massage your face with an attitude of curiosity and objectivity. By tenderly using your fingers to massage your face, you not only treat yourself gently, you also prepare yourself for the painting experience, which is to paint your portrait using a mirror. Having prepared yourself in this way, you can both release judgments you may have about your appearance and get to know yourself on a level deeper than the superficial view you get when you gaze into a mirror. This exercise will give you an entirely different perspective of your face, which can be expressed in the self-portrait you paint.
In some cases, I have also provided alternative methods for doing the exercises so that you can do them even if you have limited mobility. Feel free to pick and choose the exercises that call to you.
WHY PAINTING?
Spiritual discovery is a very personal journey for everyone and comes in different forms. Some people find themselves connecting to their spirituality when they are in a church, synagogue, mosque, or other places of worship, while others have transcendent experiences when they are in nature or in the presence of animals or children. Still others find a connection to their spirituality in sports, dancing, martial arts, or yoga. In this book you will discover how you can access your spirituality.
When we are young, we have a sense of the world that is vivid and transcendent, but many of us forget how to access that experience. Responsibilities and the fast pace of daily life often whisk us away from contemplative times alone and from activities that bring us peace and joy. Yoga slows our bodies down, and when our bodies relax, our minds are able to relax.
In this respect, painting has much in common with yoga. Painting is a very physical form of art, one filled with tactile sensations. If you re like me, there s nothing that you like better than squeezing out a brand new tube of cadmium red oil paint. As I watch the line of paint coil up, so vibrant and juicy, I just want to touch it. Painting, like yoga, has a way of centering us back into our bodies.
More than that, painting-because it is such a flexible and adaptable form of art-gives us unparalleled freedom to express what we are feeling. Through colors, forms, lines, even fabrics, we can tap into our deepest emotions and thoughts; we can access our very source. Given this opportunity, we unburden our spirits and are freed to express ourselves. Painting is an excellent way of tapping into our spirituality and nurturing our spiritual selves.
You will start with more simple painting exercises that will remind you of your connection to spirituality. You ll begin to feel a quickening and a sense of aliveness that you may not have felt in a long time. Even if you are an artist, the exercises presented here can rekindle the spark of passion that may be missing from your painting experiences. No matter what your level of experience, you will feel a spiritual connection with your first experiment in chapter 1.
Although many of my students come to painting later in life, I discovered it relatively early, and by the time I was sixteen, I was teaching art to a group of World W