Designated Doodler

I’ve seen a lot as a part-time paint instructor and assistant. And I’ve learned a lot having minored in art at TCU. So I will now proceed to share with you little kernels of my artistic wisdom. Prepare yourself. 1) Over-thinking ruins everything If you’re sitting in front of (or hovering over) your canvas, direly afraid of messing up; you will mess up. Art is instinctual and emotional (unless you are working in a geometric, grid-like or mathematical way). And therefore you must think first with your heart and then with your head (if at all). The less of a crap you give – the better your painting will be. You shouldn’t take things too seriously – even if you mess up. There has been many a time where my screw-ups turned into the best part of my painting. As a painting and art instructor I’ve noticed that it’s when people “lose themselves” in the painting and stop worrying about it so much that they create something great. 2) Acrylic vs. Oil If you...

The following are things I like/snippets of my life: Me about to teach class. What we painted... Two tiny paintings I did A creepy dude I drew (above) and a painting I did of Pittsburgh (below)    My story stats. I was pretty happy breaking 8k in one month. FUNNIES: Did I mention that I'm getting published again? Give you a hint...it's something I wrote that involves my cat, Sweetie. So apparently I missed my calling :P I took a Suits quiz to see what kind of lawyer I'd be. And while Louis is TERRIBLE and I don't agree with the last four words, it was a pretty good quiz.  Suits, Mike and Harvey, I'm going down with this ship

I decided to accept this writing prompt and my love letter (well, poem really) will be to Frederick Leighton's "Flaming June," oil, c. 1895. Liquid gold Drips off every curve Every delicate fold Rest your heavy head My tired nymph Or are you a naiad? Classicism is safe here Sleep sweet dreams dear And in the depths of rest Have no fear The Oleander suggests death But there is only life here They don't take you seriously Perhaps they have yet to see There is more to you than the promotion of travel Or the vain strive for deep meaning Or delicate detail You are real  But just a dream You are more And yet remain  as simple as what is seen And in your simplicity Lies the making of complexity The brink of thought Just out of reach Trying to grasp some Scheme or theme That lies just past the mind As if a recollection Of a fleeting dream