10,000 hours of painting

I am currently reading an interesting book about success.  One could apply it to business, or sports, or art, or anything you want to be good at really.  The name of the book is Outliers by Malcom Gladwell and it is based on the premise that to be really successful at any one thing, it takes practicing it 10,000 hours.   It's daunting to imagine painting for 10,000 hours.  I often feel robbed of my art time, now that I have to work 40 hours a week.  There was a season in my life when I only worked part time and I had so many more hours in my week to spend painting.  But even working full time, I can still find precious art hours to invest each week.  My plan is to just be thankful for the hours I have already spent painting, and build from there without stressing about it. Even if I start on a canvas and gesso the whole thing over to start again, according to this book, it is time never wasted.  The hours were spent practicing... so they do matter.  They make a difference, and they count.  So I continue to paint. 

“Practice isn't the thing you do when you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good.” 
― Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success

Spring Cleaning

Studio
Mixed Media Collage
on Canvas
36" x 12"
UNAVAILABLE

I cleaned my art studio.  Then I decided I needed a colorful sign that said STUDIO and to make it, I messed up my studio.  The sign is finished, but the studio is still a mess.  I love my sign and my mess.  I'm working on a four painting series of trees right now.  Stay tuned for those photos soon. 

Dripping Autumn

Dripping Autumn
Acrylic and Acrylic Collage on Canvas
20" x 24"
by Cheryl Harris White
$75.00

I'm in love with autumn, and since today is officially the first day of fall, I'm celebrating it by posting this new painting.  I used thick, stripes of texture on the background and it reminded me of rain.  I liked placing the tree off center so we could focus on some of the other colors on the horizon and shadow on the ground more.  The tree, dropping some of it's leaves, looks to me like it is dripping with color, so that is how this painting got it's name.  

Art Journal and 1000 gifts 921 - 940

In March, I'll be posting some of my favorite art journal pages.  To do these, I use pretty much anything on hand...watercolor, oil pastels, collage, stickers, stencils, stamping, marker, colored pencils.  For me, a journal page is inspired by something I am learning or studying, usually from the Bible, but sometimes just a poem or even a quote or thought that is meaningful to me.  It is a creative outlet combining journaling with a visual image or reminder of what is impacting to me, what I am praying about, or struggling with.  There are lots of blogs and websites devoted strictly to art journals and I found most of them inspiring.  I think anyone can benefit from keeping some form of a journal,  I just prefer to do mine visually.  So, just for March, I'll be sharing some photos of a few of my recent art journal efforts.

Art Journal Page

Mixed Media

by Cheryl Harris White

The background is a combination of water color crayon and blue and brown paper.  I dipped my foot in red paint and stepped on the page and accidentally splattered a bit.  Then I decided I liked the red spatters and did more on purpose.  I really liked adding the road at the bottom.  It was a sticker I found in my old scrapbooking supplies.  The center is a picture of Vincent Van Gogh's Japanese Bridge in the Rain 1887.  This page encouraged me to start something big, even though at first it seemed overwhelming.

My list of 1000 Gifts continued...

Friday, March 2nd, 2011  

921) Duke back after his long trip away

922) Last lunch with my Dad before he drove back home

923) High five with an 86 year old hand and mine

924) Art journaling with my daughter

925) Shivering through the first scrimmage of the baseball season 

926) The look on my baseball son's face after playing
927) Surprise visits

928) Sharing my art with others

929) A job so close to my home

930) The smell of spring starting in my backyard

931) Helping my dad tape up his car window

932) Getting to eat chocolate without a migraine

933) The absence of constant pain

934) A sky full of red

935) Sitting outside on a bench in the middle of a beautiful day watching Titus

936) Bulbs

937) Birds singing

938) Just enough being more than enough

939) Decent report cards

940) Seeing life as a journey

Aspens for the Olsons Finshed

I loved finishing up these bright Aspen trees.  Ready for hanging in their new home for my friends the Olsons.  

Aspens for The Olsons (final)
by Cheryl Harris White
18" x 24" each (3 panels)
Acrylic

Upcoming Art Class

Two examples of work we will be doing in my upcoming 

4 week Art Class starting this Wednesday!... Not too late to register.  

Class will meet for 4 Wednesday evenings in July at Crossroads Bible Church in Oak  

Class Time 7:00pm to 8:00pm each Wednesday in July

Class Fee is $20.00 per person. Contact CBC to sign up

Wednesday Schedule 6:00pm — Fellowship dinner served in café; donations accepted to cover food cost 6:45pm — Dinner wraps up / clean-up 7:00pm — Classes start 8:30pm — Classes end Childcare is provided (nursery-5th grade) by reservation for a $35 fee for one child, $50 max per family.

Contact CBC 

Phone 972.355.3343    

Email      

Office Hours 8:30am to 5:30pm (M-Th)

Address  8101 Justin Road Double Oak, TX 75077

Crossroads is located at the southwestern corner of FM 407/Justin Road and Chinn Chapel Rd. There are two entrances: one on 407, west of Chinn Chapel, and one on Chinn Chapel.

Abstract Tree II

Abstract Tree II
by Cheryl Harris White
Acrylic Collage on Canvas
18" x 18"
$75.00

"I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do."-   Willa Cather (1873-1947), O Pioneers 1913  

Last Supper Progression Day FIVE

Judas is in the house!  Finally... I wanted him to look like he was sneaking out about to go betray Jesus.  I wasn't sure when I began what color I wanted him to be, but I knew I didn't want red on him, and he needed to look different from the others.


Yesterday I posted John 13:1-9 but look at verse 10.... 


¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

but look at verse 10.... when I read that, I knew how I wanted to paint Judas.  He's over in the left corner, back to the group and looking off the opposite direction of the flowing water.  

Last Supper Progression Day 5
Almost finished...
More to come !

Last Supper Progression Day TWO

Last Supper Day TWO
by Cheryl Harris White
Acrylic on Canvas
30" x 24"

I had to adjust my original design a bit because the only large canvas I had was a bit different shape.  I may go back an try this on several connecting panels later.  Today I focused on getting the background done and added lots of bright colors to make it start to look like a stained glass window.  I have the beginnings of a few of the 12 disciples and the head of Christ so far.  


This was my palate for today's work. More to come...tomorrow!