Why write an artist’s manifesto? As artists and creators, we continually step into the unknown, the terra incognita, and grapple with the perils of self doubt, fear, inner criticism, second guessing, procrastination, ennui and even resignation. An artist’s manifesto is a response to these perils of creating. I’m inspired by the structure and […]
The Artist’s Journey Book Review by Cheryl Wilson
Bold Strokes To Spark Creativity Cheryl Wilson @cherylwilsonart reviews The Artist’s Journey: Bold Strokes To Spark Creativity in her Instagram feed and IGTV. See the video below. View this post on Instagram The Artist’s Journey: Bold Strokes To Spark Creativity by Nancy Hillis January 27, 2019 Nancy Hillis, MD lives in Santa Cruz, California. […]
The Tyranny of Technique in Abstract Painting
As a teacher of abstract painting, I see recurring themes in artist’s struggles with their art. One of these is the sentiment: “I feel like my art doesn’t measure up to what I want it to be”. There are 4 big traps that artists face in their life cycle as artists. These are the places […]
The Artist’s Journey: Unfettered Self Expression in Art
The Artist’s Journey: A conversation between the spontaneous and the considered When creating an abstract painting, there’s an interaction between unfettered self expression and awareness of principles that scaffold and create visual engagement. It’s an ongoing dialogue and dance. If your art is purely about spontaneity the risk is a chaotic painting with little […]
The Artist’s Journey: Making The Journey Yours
Inside The Artist’s Journey Book: Personalizing Your Journey/Making The Journey Yours The artist’s journey is an inner journey. It’s about facing yourself and the inner perils of creating- and going ahead anyway. The Artist’s Journey book exhorts you to move closer and closer to your deepest self expression in your art and life. Artist Kathy Kimball […]
The Artist’s Journey: The Long Game
There’s a big game today in America- the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is an an American sports tradition associated with the consumption of vast amounts of junk fund and the wagering of staggering amounts of money. The GDP of some small countries pales in comparison. It’s a zero sum game. There’s a winner […]
The Artist’s Journey: Highlights From The Book Launch
Highlights from The Artist’s Journey book launch The Artist’s Journey Is An Inner Journey One of the lessons I’ve learned over the years in being an artist as well as working with artists in workshops and classes is that being an artist is ultimately an inner journey. While we learn concepts, principles and techniques, we find […]
The Artist’s Journey: Carpe Diem
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero -Horace, Odes (23 B.C.) I love this Latin aphorism from Horace’s Odes which translates to: “Seize the day, put very little trust in tomorrow”. Memento mori (remember you are mortal) is another phrase Horace used in relation to carpe diem to urge us to use the knowledge of our mortality […]
The Artist’s Journey: Celebrating Serendipity In Art & Life
Serendipity in Art & Life A painting must be free to wander. The best works are those that seem to simply happen. Michael Cutlip I love this quote by Michael Cutlip. Years ago, I was carving a marble sculpture, creating a hole through the piece that was emerging as an abstract heart, when the chisel […]
Living Your Artist’s Journey- Looking Forward, Looking Back
Living Your Artist’s Journey I’m Nancy Hillis of The Artist’s Journey and I’m so excited for the new year and also for the year we’ve had in 2018. I want to thank you for being here on the journey this year. Thank you for this year of living your artist’s journey. So many things have […]