Fall Art Scene 2015

If it's October it's Fall Art Scene.

Twice a year the city of Rockford throws a big party in the name of art- hosted by the Rockford Arts Council. It's pretty wonderful. For two nights there's art at 36 sights throughout the city. Everyone's art is welcome, from the professional artist to the closet artists who just show their works once in awhile. (You know who you are. We love your work.) There is live music, free food and wine. It's like trick or treating for adults - and kids too- but this time you're going for eye candy. Lots of people come and the streets are filled with excitement as people scurry from venue to venue. It's quite the social event.

I am art City Hall with 
20 or so fellow artist. 
 Samantha, my daughter, is always there helping set up, sell and just have a good time. You'll catch her crocheting most of the time (although she is quite an accomplished artist herself). Sandy Conness shows up with her FREE sweet treats and delightful mouthfuls. This time she has brought apple-pear crisps, pumpkin squares, pineapple upside down cakes and brownies. This she does to advertise her company Sandy's Sweet Treats and to entice people to my table so I can talk them into signing up for my newsletter. This Art Scene is very special because my niece Heather Moon and her daughter Freyja are participating as well. Heather paints guitars. Just beautiful. And Freyja is there with her beautiful drawings as well. She is young, and it will be thrilling to watch this wild talent grow over the years.

So if you're in Rockford tonight make sure you come down for this wonderful event. You're sure to enjoy yourself.

Here's to Those Who Fire Our Dreams and Support Us Along the Way part 2

I wasn't crazy about Paulo Coelho's book The Alchemist 
 - it was alright. (I read it while I was making the decision to leave my job to pursue art full time.) But, I absolutely adore the introduction of the book. Have you read it?

Paulo Coelho's introduction to The Alchemist
... we all need to be aware of our personal calling. It's is God's blessing, it is the path that God chose for you here on Earth. Whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend. However, we don't all have the courage to confront our own dream.
Why?
There are four obstacles.

First; we were told from childhood onward that everything we want to do is impossible.

The second obstacle: love. We know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue our dream.

The third obstacle: fear of the defeats we will meet on the path.
     The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.
     Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly than suffering that is apparently        bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without noticing, eats away at our soul, until, one day, we are no longer able to free ourselves from the bitterness and it stays with us for the rest of our lives.

The fourth obstacle: the fear of realizing the dream for which we fought all our lives.
But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become the instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here.

For me this played out as:

"No one can make a living do art. My husband will financially be supporting me while I play with my art. (The kids will have to go without because I am not contributing to the family income.) And even if I could, my work isn't good enough. And even if I did make it as an artist I wouldn't deserve it anyway. There are a lot of better artists out there than me."

These obstetricals were big and it took a lot 
of support to work through them.
I started talking with a friend about my desire to paint full time and we started working on these obstacles bit by bit.

I had a boss retire about 8 years ago. I wanted to give him something personal as a thank you for all he had done for me. I did a pastel of him beside his horse and dog. When I presented it to him at his retirement party he opened it and showed it to the room. I later told my friend that I felt so exposed by this that I would have been more comfortable removing my shirt than allowing people to see my painting.

Wow! Now, I show anyone who's willing to look my work. I put it on the internet and beg people, "Hey come look at this." It took time and trust. I started by showing my friend what I was working on and she showed me her work. I went from feeling exposed to announcing that I would leave my job to paint daily with in a few years.

We all have those people in our lives that have been with us for so many years that they sometimes know us better than we know ourselves. They know our dreams and remind us of them when we stray. I have been blessed with such people who encouraged me along the way. They were honest enough to tell me when something wasn't good that I believed them when they said it was.

These people are life's cheerleaders. Sure you could get where you're going without them, but it would have taken a lot longer and it wouldn't have been as much fun. These people sing you your song when you've forgotten the words. Some of these people have been given to me by birth, some by marriage and some came to me as gifts in life long friends.

It was my husband who freed me from the second obstacle when he asked me just when did I plan on becoming the artist I always had dreamed about. Now, when I fall and worry about not contributing enough financially to the family, he always reminds me that this is a marathon, not a sprint. It will take time.

The third obstacle is becoming one of my favorite things about the art business. One day you're great, terrific! The next day you're on the ground level. It doesn't matter how this day goes... it will be different tomorrow. But through all the ups and downs I am learning to believe in myself. It's the lows that give me the drive to work harder, do more, get better.

When I am down there is always someone there to remind me of my dreams. I am blessed not only by the people who have traveled this journey with me - and lets face it- have far too much of my work hanging on their walls all in a loving effort to support me, but by the new people I meet who inspire me and challenge me.

 So here's to you Aunt Marj. Thanks for being the first artist I knew and for bringing art, photography and geneology into my world. A few months before she died she told my she was proud of my work and showed it to all her friends. That meant a lot to me.

Thanks to all of you who support me in person and on social media. You make the obstacles feel like speed bumps. I know how important you are. I hope that you find in me a cheerleader for yourself and your dreams as well.

Inspired by the Art on the Internet

"I wish I could paint like that."

I see so many incredibly talented people on the internet. I'm inspired by their technical skills and/or their creativity. I think, "I want to paint like that." or "I wish I thought of that." I have to stop myself and give myself a talking to. It goes something like this:

"You are on your own unique journey. You can copy someone else but what's the point? The world already has THAT person to do that art. There is only one you. What you have to say is unique and important. Be inspired, effected, challenged but make sure you're on your path."

We all change... evolve in our own ways. The internet is to inspire and possibly to push us to work harder, more often, get better. Our special signature is there inside of all of us, just give it the time it needs to grow. Use other artists work to change, to get better not to destroy that which is unique about your work.

Work in Progress

Lilies

Watercolor

11"x 17"

Ask Yourself This - What's Your Story?

Recently, a friend asked me to answer some questions about my art for a newspaper article. I thought the questions were interesting and revealing. Putting my thoughts into words helped me define what I feel and may have not had the words to say before.

From time to time, I will ask (and answer ) some of these and other questions. Please respond to them in the comments at the end of the post. I'd love to hear what you think. Feel free to write some of your own questions for me and others to answer. These posts will be called:

Ask Yourself This - What's Your Story?

We'll start from the beginning...

When did you start working in art?

      Art has been always been a part of my life. I have an older sister who supplied me with a lot of art materials including my first easel at age 7. Art saved me in grade school from always being the awkward kid. Alice Frisk and I were the best artists throughout grade school. In high school I became frustrated with my work – I wasn‘t able to express what I wanted to say and I walked away from it for a time. In college I was reintroduced to art when I took an entry level class my sophomore year. I soon realized I could stay on track for graduating with a psychology degree while taking all the art classes I wanted, so I did: life drawing, painting, printmaking and photography to name a few.

     I fell in love late my junior year and all I wanted to do was graduate and move home to be close to my then fiancee.  My husband, Mark has always been supportive of my art. He convinced his family to buy me the Cadillac of easels as a shower gift. I never believed one could support themselves with art. My art professors always talked about how hard it was going to be for us; working a full day and then coming home to one’s art at night. I found that even more difficult as I started having children.

As my children grew, I enjoyed taking art classes at the local colleges. I even taught a few myself at the local park district.  I always learned something in my classes but even better was to be in the environment with other artists and to have deadlines forcing me to complete work.

This went on for years. I’d always say, “When I grow up I’m going to be a painter.” Then one day, shortly after a birthday, my husband asked me at what age would I feel grown up enough to become that painter I always dreamed about. That was all it took to start the process of leaving my then 16 year position to do art full time. Early in 2013 Jill Rae Finally Art was on line and up and running. I left my job April 1^st of that year, an April fool? I think not. For me, it’s finally about the art – Finally Art.

A month later, my husband decided to take his own advice by leaving his job to rehab a 158 year old home in Rockton, Illinois. Needles to say our lives have been exciting ever since.

Be sure to leave your comments below.

 I can't wait to hear from you.

I'm getting ready for the Spring Art Scene this Friday as well as framing my two pieces for the Rockford Art Museum show. So I don't have a piece to post today although I can say I have been working on the cone flowers for Unforgettable Art on April 18th and the paining is questionable. Adding side panels of night and day may not tie into the painting as I wanted. (More updates to follow.)

Jeff Perry's Commencement Speech and Thoughts About Art

Last weekend we celebrated my daughter, Samantha's graduation from Illinois State University. She graduated with a degree in graphic arts. She the perfect blend of my husband's architectural talents along with my artistic talents. She's got the best of both of us.

I was delightfully surprised by how entertaining the two hour long graduation ceremony was. I guess that comes from being a school of the Arts. My own graduation was such a snoozer that I got up in the middle of it and told my parents to leave, promising to meet them back at my apartment. (But that was Liberal Arts and Sciences.)  ISU's speakers were sincere and interesting, the music was great, including a performance of the song Spring  Awakening, even the graduates names were pronounced in such a theatrical way, often including nicknames, that it was entertaining.

The commencement speaker, actor Jeff Perry of ABC's series Scandal was wonderful. He spoke about the graduates of the arts as being "built for doing dangerous and reckless things." I loved listening to the passion he has for the arts and the energy in the room as these young people were about to" explode on out of here." He spoke about his own life struggles and sprinkled his speech with several quotes, including one from Oscar Wilde, "Be Yourself- everyone else is  already taken."

 The quote that resonated  the most with me was from Martha Graham; dancer, choreographer, and teacher:

"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all of time. This expression is unique, and if you block it it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channels open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware, directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channels open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever, at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest, that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others."

At a time when I have so many other artists, visible on social media, to compare myself with this is comforting. It reminds me it doesn't matter how many "likes" one artist has or how many people follow your blog or even how many paintings you sell. What matters is that you evolve into your true self, you  morph into the artist you are meant be regardless of all that is going on around you. I am not suggesting that you do not be allow yourself to be affected by what's around you, "stay open to the channels", just don't "become" someone else that you are not. And it helps to know that the drive that pushes us forward always wanting  more, better, always challenging is a good thing not our enemy, embrace it.