There Will Be A Time For Gathering Green 18" by 24" mixed media on paper

Energy is palpable to me. The way it moves, the sources it comes from, and the impact it has on our minds, hearts, and spirits. I paint that flow of energy in my work and I sense it in quiet ways and huge ways. In the past year there has been a lot of energy percolating below the surface for where I am headed creatively and professionally in the coming year and I am excited to begin constructing the concepts of what that looks like in my painting and teaching worlds. 



#practicewhatipreach
If you follow me on Instagram or FB you might have noticed I have committed to getting in a daily 40 min quick study portrait to keep my creativity flowing and skills sharp. Some mornings I have to get up at 6, others, like today, have me painting in a hotel room in Denver just to stay committed. I.....love....the....process though and the more I show up and move the line the more I stay tapped in to that energy of what moves me creatively and what I want to express as a painter.  








For the next few days I will be in an out of galleries, taking notes, studying trends, and paying close attention to the energy of the art world in Denver and what fascinates me beyond measure. There is a lot to take in here, a lot to consider, but it is exciting to me to tap in to different geographical areas artistically through the lenses of color, pattern, line, and light. 

Teaching is also front and center on my heart this week so as I move through the city with visual interest I will also be unfolding a creative shift in what and how I offer for 2020. Creativity has given me the delivery mechanism to achieve amazing things in my personal and professional life and I want to shed a bit more light on how that process can help others as well. 



#crickets
Everyone struggles. When you see an artist share their journey through the lenses on social media it is easy to get a false sense that their lives are beautiful and packaged with matching color families and soft experiences of joy and light. Although that is part of the journey for many, the daily walk of a creative entrepreneur is one of long hours, hard work, and many times....crickets. You know what I mean when you have had a month of crickets after those long hours. Today I am holding space for everyone who is devoted to bringing creativity and their version of light into the world, especially if crickets seem to be singing loudly. Hang in there, keep going, I am standing over here in my new apron cheering you on and shooing the crickets away for all of us....



#thankyou
It never gets old hearing thank you and I am sure one to be grateful for all of you who have invested and engaged in my art journey for the past years. Thank you deeply for the trust and uplifting. September brings a packed month with two abstract workshops in Mobile and Oklahoma City and round that bend comes my online workshop in October, Aquamedia for Abstraction. In the meantime, my new assistant, Christopher Hill and I will be putting shiny bows on some new opportunities and creative offerings coming down the pike. 

Happy Creating Friends, 
Ardith