How to Inflate Your Life Raft

Let me begin by saying that 2018 was the most challenging year of my life. Through a series of mind-expanding experiences and very difficult decisions, I made some big changes. The mind is a very flexible tool. A curious phenomenon takes place when we venture beyond our limitations. It's like pulling the cord on an inflatable life raft - once expanded it’s hard to shove it back into its original shape.

“Realism is not based on the way things are, but upon things as you see and feel them” – Charles Woodbury

Gallery One Seventeen, Hamilton Bermuda

View of Elbow Beach, Bermuda 11x14

The best gifts I've ever received have been questions I couldn’t dodge. Good questions are better than good answers, in that they give us purpose. I'll admit it, I’m a pleasure centered person, the fear of being uncomfortable is a very palpable thing. But my fear of failure is overshadowed by the realization that life is a gift, we have to make the most of it and not waste a moment. I took a leap of faith, chose the road less travelled and let the universe direct me with a trust in the knowledge that I’m not in the drivers seat as much as I'd like to believe.

“It’s easier to paint the angel’s feet in another’s masterwork than to discover where the angels live within yourself.” – Art and Fear

In many ways the creative process is a metaphor for life: it’s letting go of fear, trusting in our abilities, and accepting our “mistakes" with patience. It’s also about asking tough questions. It’s problem solving on a visual level and the reality that painting is not a mindless escape. It takes a highly evolved, series of mental maneuvers to create a great work. That being said, believing that every painting you make must be absolutely perfect is an unrealistic goal. You’re never going to achieve it, so you become too scared to even try. Instead of aiming for perfection, strive for every painting to teach you something and learn from your mistakes.

Hog Penny Pub, Bermuda 8x10

I spent a lot of time in Bermuda over the past year, teaching and painting.The most satisfying thing about teaching is that I get to help people step outside of their comfort zones and stray from their intellectual neighborhoods long enough to learn something new. The first challenge is to break down the psychological barrier that you must be born with the ability to draw or paint. Art is a universal language and it is so because it's the expression of the feelings of all men. The word ‘truth' is often used in the discussion of painting. It speaks of the creative process as a soulful act. The power of seeing the world in the most truthful of ways requires extraordinary intuition, an insight into subjects which are dark to ordinary vision. Creativity is about engaging with the world and awakening an emotion in ourselves and in the minds of others.

"Have no fear of perfection you'll never reach it" – Salvador Dali

One of the most talented artists I’ve had the pleasure to meet is Nancy Guzik (married to Richard Schmid, another huge influence). While painting together on a cold winter day in Brattleboro, Vermont she compared the process of painting to a horse race. It’s important to pace yourself; lay in a good foundation, maneuver through the painting with confidence and skill and hold back till the finish line is in sight. This resonated with me because as in life, I lack patience and want to get to the good stuff first. The creative process does not come easy, it takes real effort to move beyond mediocrity. As is the case with professional athletes, musicians and great artists, this “ease” comes from years of hard work and practice. Our ego wants it easy. In reality nothing worth doing ever is.

I hope you'll join me for a workshop in 2019. 

The next journey is a Brush with Portugal May 20-28th. 

Visit www.elicedrone.com for my workshop schedule in 2019

Bermuda Journal: Living life in reverse

“Most have two lives. The life we live, and the un-lived life within.

Between the two stands Resistance." ~ WH Murray

Bermuda Surf

This is a story about living life in reverse. After 35 years, countless adventures and living everywhere from Cannes to California, I’ve come full circle and find myself back on “de rock”. I’m speaking metaphorically about Bermuda. The island captured my heart the moment I flew over its azure waters and has held me in a magical embrace ever since. Fresh out of college, my first experience here was working in advertising. The tools of my trade were an e-xacto knife and a slide ruler rather than a paintbrush and palette. The opportunity to revisit Bermuda, to spend unfettered time exploring, painting and sharing what I’ve learned with others, has been a dream for some time. 

Firefly Cottage Devonshire

You are the traveler, you are the path, and you are the destination. Be careful never to lose the way to yourself. 

~ Shihab al-Din Yahya Suhrawardi

Sunrise North Shore Road, Bermuda

It’s been said that fear is the thief of dreams. Our weakness forms us even more than our strength. So my return is evidence that when you act from passion and commitment to an idea, then providence steps in. 

I owe a huge debt to my benefactor, Tom Butterfield, the founder of Masterworks Museum of Art. Mr. Butterfield had the vision to amass a collection of work from artists who for centuries found inspiration on this little gem in the Atlantic. The collection includes such luminaries as Winslow Homer, Georgia O’Keeffe, Marsden Hartley and Charles Demuth to name a few. https://www.bermudamasterworks.org

I have a mermaid soul…

The skies are ominous as I head out for an early morning of painting. Coming from Boston, I’m not very good at predicting the weather patterns here. Just as I set up, a massive front barrels through Hamilton Harbor. I think, “ok I can deal with this” and find cover under some palm trees. It all seems like an adventure until 30 minutes pass and my restless spirit gets the better of me. I climb onto my moped and ride through torrents of rain, sprays from passing cars add insult to injury and the water has managed to find places on my body that I didn’t know existed. 

My portable studio... painting at Devonshire Bay

Bermuda Plein Air Festival, Coral Beach

But it doesn’t matter because in spite of minor vexations, I keep having these serendipitous moments. The joy of getting lost on purpose is rewarded with spectacular views. I follow an unknown path and discover a jewel of scene. 

A big part of the experience is the people I meet while on location; an ex-marine shares with me his memories of Vietnam, the fishermen at Devonshire Dock with their strong Bermudian accents, good-natured banter and slang only a local can appreciate, bring a smile to my face. All are character studies, sketches for future paintings perhaps. 

"Snapper" cleaning fish at Devonshire Dock

The art of teaching…
Apart from my participation in the Plein Air Bermuda Festival, (thrilled to win an award for Best in Oils!) much of my time in Bermuda was spent teaching others the fundamentals of painting. I had the honor to work with truly gifted and giving people. Teaching ain’t easy and teaching art is even harder. First of all, talent is a myth. We aren’t born with talent, we develop skills over time through learning and practice.

My painting Coral Beach Club won Best in Oils

With Michael Harding, his wife and officials at City Hall Gallery

Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, 

and the architect of accomplishment.  

~ Zig Ziglar

Granaway Cottage

Genius is one percent inspiration and 

ninety-nine percent perspiration.

Many who’ve achieved greatness were failures in their youth. Einstein did so poorly in school that he nearly decided to drop out and sell life insurance. Steve Jobs was a college drop out. Deliberate practice produces a natural tendency. Love what you do and even on the worst days, try to remember that you gotta be able to stand being bad to paint anything good.

The Old Rectory, St. George's

Plein Air painters at Astwood Cove

The world of art is the place of the spirit’s freedom.

Hans Hofmann said “to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. The artists eye sees simply; making patterns of light and shadow, forming motifs. 

As the sun creeps over the horizon illuminating all, I find inspiration in the simple things I see along my morning walk. I prefer the grittiness of my North Shore neighborhood to the pristine beaches of the south shore. The patina of time-worn surfaces, tired and crumbling homes giving up and settling back to the earth. There is no end to the adventures we can have if we keep our eyes open.

Early Morning North Shore

The urge to capture and hold onto a memory of light is always present. I ride through the night and feel an exhilaration of being close to the earth. The smell of the sea, perfumed wind in my hair, tree frogs singing. I cherish my time here - knowing that sometimes you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

Classes & Workshops at Masterworks Museum of Art

I’ll be teaching weekly classes as well as a two-day landscape and figure workshop on island in 2018. To learn more about the program click the link below or visit my website: http://www.elicedrone.com 

http://www.royalgazette.com/lifestyle/article/20171120/brushing-up-on-classic-methods

Painting at Pink Beach

The Bermuda Plein Air Festival on ZBM News:

https://www.facebook.com/zbmnews9/videos/1464650883571304/

Musings on a winter day…

“Even the strongest blizzard begins with a single snowflake.”

- Sara Raasch

And so it is with painting; the first stroke on a blank canvas is like that single snowflake. The tabula rasa... the promise it holds, is built on the premise that all knowledge comes from experience or perception.

Art is the external expression of the intuition. As artists we are constructing an imagined thing. Each stroke building upon the last until form and content are in correct relation to each other and the idea is clearly expressed. 

"Mere copying of nature is not an expression of emotion. 

Raw emotion, without rules of academic correctness to govern its output, 

just produces nonsense. Great art, can only come when creativity

is tempered by taste, when the design is conscious, and when the form 

is uniquely suited to the ideas presented.” 

Shakespeare said that art is a mirror held up to nature. Yet if the making of art was limited to just copying, then nature would surely eclipse any effort of the artist. The artist's interpretive vision would be lost in the cold reflection and recording of external facts. Reality is obtained not by copying but by interpreting. Even in painting the portrait, the artist must fix in his mind the quality, the character, the very soul of the person before him.

The transcending of art above nature is an age old discussion. Aristotle with his idealistic view, was likely the first to claim that true art is an improvement upon nature and that man must be depicted not as he is but as he ought to be. Realists believed that only common depictions of life offered an enlightened view of reality. But even this belief doesn't destroy the presence of artistic quality in their work. An internal vision along with the external, skill of execution is required for all true Art.

"Seek first for absolute truth of value and color, 

and paint this truth in the simplest and most direct way.”

The mechanics of picture-making, require a mastery of the basic principles. There are no great secrets, simply a commitment to careful observation and mindful, sincere rendering. Painting is a fusion of the external; skill of execution and the internal; vision or intuition. It requires an understanding of who we are and who we are becoming. An unfolding of the mind with each new experience.

Mysticism teaches that everything in the physical world has a parallel in the spiritual. Baltus said; "A spiritual stroke, correctly placed is beyond calculation.” This belief resonates with me; it suggests that something outside of our unique experience and knowledge is at work. That the hand of the artist is guided by the mind as well as the spirit. 

As with snowflakes; we all have our unique experiences. But maybe the accumulation of human experience is like a blizzard, resulting in what Jung called the collective unconscious. When a painting transcends or inspires, perhaps it has struck that universal chord.

Quotes: Carolus Duran

References: Orestes A. Brownson

A Brush With Tuscany

Florence is timeless. The Italians have the perfect word to describe it... "insieme". Translated it means: ensemble, whole, all together. It's no wonder that Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance. Dante Alighieri, the father of the modern, Italian language was born here.

Etched into the cathedrals and ancient alleys are the voices of the past and present. Florence offers a movable feast for the eyes and the tongue, with a gelateria on nearly every corner. The city is a mecca for students with hundreds of international universities. 

I made a pilgrimage of my own to the Florence Academy, which is located along the Arno River. Founded by artist Daniel Graves, the Academy teaches drawing, painting and sculpture modeled on 19th century, classical traditions. Yes, Florence is an "all together" kind of place and the reason why I chose to teach a painting workshop in nearby Fiesole this June. 

 

If Florence is the cultural heart of Tuscany, Fiesole is the soul. I chose this location as our base for its beauty and serenity. The first recorded mention of the town dates to 283 BC, when known as Faesulae, it was conquered by the Romans. Why it was built here, is a really great story. Legend has it that the Greek god, Atlas founded Fiesole as the most beautiful, earthly location. It's name means "stands alone". It was Atlas’ son Italus who gave his name to Italy.

Pensione Bencista is a 14th century villa, perched on the hillside of Fiesole, offering sweeping views of Florence. There is an austere, old fashioned charm to the place with its simple breakfast, spartan rooms and resident dogs. 

The Swiss, Symbolist painter Arnold Bocklin once lived here and guests are greeted by a large bust of the artist in the foyer. The Villa is the perfect place to enjoy "dolce far niente"... the sweetness of doing nothing. Sheer indulgent relaxation and blissful laziness would be lovely except there are paintings to be painted!

The day before the workshop began, a few of us ventured off to find the Villa Palmerino, located just below the Bencista. As it turned out our timing was perfect. We were graciously treated to a tour by it’s current owner, Federico Parretti. The Villa has been in this family of artists for five generations.

It is here that John Singer Sargent painted the portrait of English poet, Violet Paget (Vernon Lee). Lee purchased the villa in 1889 where she regularly hosted such literati as Edith Wharton and Henry James, among others. When Paget died in 1935, artist Federigo Angeli, and his wife, painter and writer Carola Costa purchased the property. Their grandchildren, host and promote artistic events in the artistic community and at the Villa.

Our first afternoon began with a wonderful tour of the Etruscan ruins which date from the ancient roots of the region. Our tour guide was so amusing and informative. We joked that if not for the use of her hands she would've been rendered speechless! The view from the monastery of San Francesco on the crest of the hill is worth the trek. Although history surrounds you, Fiesole is not a preserved artifact of the past. It’s a modern Italian town with beautiful villas, delightful cafes and interesting shops.

Our workshop began on the terrace of the villa. We focused on making small, greyscale studies in an effort to understand the underlying composition. I stressed the need to avoid detail and line, instead massing in flat, abstract shapes of correct value. 

I showed how to mix clean color by painting a series of small studies. This practice helps to unify your paintings. Relating the major masses in terms of color and value  creates a forceful statement of color harmony, and helps to organize major planes of light. 

The ever changing light on the sweeping views below our villa, allowed for a variety of scenes. Here are things to keep in mind when painting atmospheric scenes:

1. Keep the value range limited to no more than 4 steps.

2. Since values are closer together, tonal value is less important than color. Consider the temperature of your light source, and push the opposite temperature in the shadows.

3. Make edges soft. Heavy, moisture-laden air, or veils of atmosphere, blurs the edges making everything appear soft, even in the focal point.

The next day we took the #7 bus down the hill into Florence for a morning of sketching at the Bargello Museum. This may not be the most famous museum, but it is one of my favorites. Less crowded than the Uffizi, the Bargello is one of the oldest buildings in Florence, dating back to 1255. Today, it houses hundreds of sculptures. Donatello's bronze David is physically delicate and remarkably effeminate. Visually, it is a stark contrast to Michelangelo’s heroic, marble of David.

There were two more days of painting on the Piazza Mino in Fiesole. We enjoyed long lunches at the great cafes. There is something to be said for those leisurely breaks that Europeans take at midday. I found that given the lateness of our evenings - it was imperative to nap after lunch. 

Joan, our tour organizer found some of the most enchanting places for dinner. I loved Le Cave di Maiano with it’s rustic menu, or Tullio a Montebeni with it’s tuscan steak and colorful proprietor. Both were tucked away in the surrounding forest, just minutes from our villa.

It’s midnight and a few of us have snuck outside to share a bottle of proseco on the terrace of the villa. Florence twinkles below like a blanket of earthly stars. Suddenly the chirping of a cell phone (who’s owner shall remain anonymous) breaks the quietude followed by a harsh admonishment from the proprietor Beatrice! In hushed tones we go back to our conversation, savoring every moment of our last night in paradise. 

A painting workshop is about finding enlightenment, learning new skills and making new friends. And although every adventure must come to an end, there’s always the next one to look forward to! 

Here’s what some participants had to say about "A Brush with Tuscany" Workshop:

Now that I'm back home, I just wanted to tell you I had the most wonderful time at your workshop. Not only are you full of knowledge with the unique ability to put it into words, full of talent and great ideas, but you are also a delight to be with! What a great trip! Sheila W.

Eli, a quick thank you for a great workshop week. Lots of fun and I learned a ton. Met some interesting people as well. Thanks for your patience and encouragement. Bob S.

I want to thank you all for joining us in Fiesole. You were a great group of people who got along so well, which doesn’t always happen!  Eli is the best teacher I’ve ever done a painting class with; I was stunned at her knowledge, clarity and teaching skills, all in that very casual, Eli-manner.  Joan Hill, Artful Journeys