Author Archives: joanngilles

I was reading a blurb about Franz Hals and was struck by this sentence: “His brave and painterly brushwork marked the evolution of 17th century portraiture, and it was very admired by the Impressionist painters.” Quite a statement considering the … Continue reading →

Remaining creative when embarking on an artistic endeavor requires staying open to possibilities.  At the same time, making a strong statement requires some sense of purpose, a direction, an idea, an inspiration.  But there is danger in being so committed to … Continue reading →

  How we look at, how we occupy and how we move through place has relevance whether or not we pay attention to it. Think about walking past concrete compared to walking past a line of trees, or the shifting shadow of … Continue reading →

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”  Eric Fromm The exercises we did last week were designed to help let go of certanties, to suggest a new, unexpected path, to “unstick”  creative impulse.  It was interesting to see the way different people … Continue reading →

We all get stuck. Whether working on a single piece or trying to move forward in our work as a whole, we have all experienced that sense of inertia when longing to be creative but not knowing which way to turn.  That’s … Continue reading →

“As I emerged from the porch of Santa Croce, I was seized with a fierce palpitation of the heart; the wellspring of life was dried up within me, and I walked in constant fear of falling to the ground.” These … Continue reading →

Yesterday I had lunch with a lovely friend who is in the midst of a life and death battle that cannot be won. In describing hers and her husband’s schooling with this greatest-of-all life’s lesson she spoke with gratitude about … Continue reading →

Last night’s dream was so wonderful and exciting that when Maggie pawed my face at 6:00AM and Otis said the coffee was ready I willed myself back to sleep despite my long to-do list.  In my dream I was chosen … Continue reading →

“The feel of the sun on your face or the rain on your back, the rough and smooth textures of the land, the color of the sky at morning and sunset, the fragrance of the plants blooming in season, the … Continue reading →

Landscapes—whose are your favorites—Turner’s? Van Gogh’s? Monet’s? Bierstadt’s? Diebenkorn’s?  Can you picture the paintings done by each one of these artists simply by reading their name? Landscapes can evolve from a multiple of sources.  They do not need to be … Continue reading →