Stone Soup

Stone Soup

The artists' masterclass that I have been taking online includes art challenges to complete as part of the course. Every few days, we are asked to submit a piece of our art that responds to something we have gained from the class. The second class had more practical tips for me and this stage of my art business. 

16" x 20"

Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on panel

Ready to frame

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Part of the class discussion had to do with training and practice - becoming a skilled artist. It made me think back to when I started pursuing abstract painting regularly. One thing that really boosted my skill was participating in online painting challenges. Not only did I practice daily with my tools, paint, and knowledge, but I had feedback from artists who had been painting longer than I had who could move me further along the path. 

Stone Soup returned to some of the first concepts I was developing using transparent paints, mediums and textures, and techniques including layering and adding/subtracting color in particular areas of the work. It revisits the concepts of focal point, composition, and color to communicate the idea behind the painting. This painting kind of looked back at earlier paintings, and came together quickly and easily, and it was a lot of fun to paint. I really enjoy the luminous color, the textures, and just the fun in this work!

Another part of the class teaching concerns business and life scheduling, and the principles are familiar to me, but I needed to hear them again. For example, the 'big rocks' principle goes something like this: If you have a jar, and you want to fit a pile of sand, a bunch of pebbles, and several big rocks in, what happens if you start with the sand? By the time the sand and pebbles are in the jar, the big rocks won't all fit. So start with the big rocks first. Then fit the pebbles in around them. Then pour in the sand. And guess what? You can probably even still fit more in if you want to - you can pour water in there to fill up all of the space. The obvious tie in is that I need to schedule the important, big priorities first, and then fit the lesser things around them.

This principle is a Biblical one that I find summed up in this verse: Matthew 6: 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. I have been reading in Matthew this month, and I feel like I am watching Jesus as He walks and talks with His disciples. "Hearing Him" say this to His disciples reminds me - may I put HIM first, and then all of the other pebbles and sand and water in my soup will fit just fine.