My favorite old scrubby brush
was getting too splintery to hold..
so I wrapped it in painter’s tape
and went back to work.
Painter’s Tape and the Art of Being Frugal
artistic process
Embracing Bliss and the Art of Painting Slow
.
I spend a lot of time on my paintings.
The days and hours
slip seamlessly into
weeks, months
and years.
Time ceases to exist
as I linger over every inch of the canvas
retracing lines
adding layer after layer
of color…
lovingly,
in my state of bliss.
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I don’t fundraise off my blog, use Patreon or ask for donations. If you would like to help support The Secret Kingdom, and brighten my day – please buy a book.
Thank you!
The Creative Process and the Art of Watching Paint Dry
.
When I paint,
I spend a lot of time staring at my work.
It is an essential part of the artistic process.
Leaning back in my chair
I contemplate every line..
Examining shape, color and shadow
exploring possibilities.
I could do this for hours..
just sitting here
watching paint dry.
.
.
.
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If you would like to help support this blog, and brighten my day – please buy a book.
Thank you!
Raw Umber and the Art of Saying Goodbye
Goodbye,
my beloved tube of Raw Umber.
I will see you again
in the rough bark of trees,
in the shadowy corners of secret rooms..
dark and deep.
I will see you again
on the tip of my brush
and at the start of every painting..
when we meet again
like old friends.
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If you would like to help support this blog, and brighten my day – please buy a book.
Thank you!
Runaway Trains and the Art of Breaking the Spell
I get carried away when I paint..
This is not always a good thing.
Doing detail work
with a ragged paintbrush..
stuck in the zone
and unable to stop.
I am a runaway train heading for disaster.
“Stop!” I shout,
attempting to startle myself out of my trance.
Sometimes it works..
sometimes, it doesn’t.
The other night, in desperation
I whipped the glasses off my face and threw them at my table.
Hard to keep painting when you can’t see.
.
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If you would like to help support this blog, and brighten my day – please buy a book. Thank you!
Childhood Memories and the Art of Painted Playgrounds
“The Legacy of Mildred’s Basement” by Michele Bledsoe
When I was a child
my favorite place to play was in my grandmother’s basement.
I would stay down there
for hours on end.
That was so many years ago.
All gone now,
along with my beloved grandma..
but not really.
I still go there
when I paint.
Drawing and the Art of Self-Reproach
Why are you looking at me like that?
I’ve been away too long..
Hopefully the next little creature I draw
won’t cringe when he sees me.
Unexpected Gifts and the Art of Resurrecting Bees
My husband gave me a wondrous gift the other day..
a dead carpenter bee he found in the yard.
He knows me so well.
This beautiful
black-velvety little creature
and his single coppery wing..
will live again
in my paintings.
Gerbils, Churches and the Art of Laughter
An actual conversation that took place
between my husband and I while we were painting:
Richard: “Does that look like a church?”
Michele: “It looks like a gerbil wearing a hat.”
SIX HANDS AND THE ART OF FOLLOWING YOUR BRUSH
When I paint
I put a blob of raw umber on my palette
and start drawing on the canvas.
I don’t stop to think about what I’m doing
I go wherever my paintbrush takes me.
Often it leads me into difficult territory..
Not away from it.
Hands are hard,
yet the creature that ended up on my canvas
has six of them.
So I struggle.
I fight.
I am committed to the end.
Dedicated to the direction of my gift
and the heart that guides me..
I will never give up.
Don’t avoid the hard stuff.
That’s how you grow.
Excerpt from Painting, Passion and the Art of Life by Michele Bledsoe
