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" When it rains – look for the rainbows – when it’s dark, look for the stars. "
I adore this humble yet mindful little quote. Looking on the bright side of things is about finding the resilience to see the possibilities when others see the worst. The opportunities in situations others find soul crushing. That is why I have been painting Umbrella girls. They became my symbol of hope when all was hope had been lost.
When all Hope is Lost
My husband had nearly died, we lost everything we had worked so hard for, and even found ourselves with a newborn having to exit under the worst possible circumstances. WE had to sell everything we owned. My art studio, Johns tools, A bunch of our art, and even many of the larger kids toys then would not fit in the trailer we could afford too rent. I remember this lady who was hired to help us sell our things letting her kids drive around in my son and daughters Barbie cars that their grandmother had gotten them one particularly magical Christmas two years before. Play all over the castle my mom and I had handpainted for my eldest. Screaming its MINE No its MINE while I tried to hide my tears and keep my kids from seeing their toys vanish. We had worked hard, been good kind people and we had lost. I had though we had past that stage where a series of events could level us. But as many of you know it can happen to anyone. I left with my photo's, the documents and the family heirlooms we had been entrusted with. I had my husband thankfully still alive but still very ill and depressed.
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
Helen Keller
So I ended up driving the 4,090.6 km to Houston , nursing my two month old, all the way back to Texas. I am the girl who never gave up. Who rode a 12 hand high pony to national recognition against full grown horses and adults. I am NOT giving up on this road. I plotted a course and made us get the geocaching stuff out. We looked at all the tourist stops, cached all kinds of adventures and found our way back to Texas almost like my family. Almost like myself.
All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my Angel mother.
Abraham Lincoln
BUT I have no paint !!! I have no canvases and really I am heart broken. But I am not willing to give up.I don’t even know why I was so determined. But I expect it’s those things that keep mothers going. My husband and my kids and needing to show them that things were going to be OK. I honestly was it a time in my life I didn’t know If I would ever paint again. Was I ready to start over.?! But as I got back into the swing of things at the request of my mother. Many of you know how she got me into painting parties as a way to get me out of the house. I started bringing the paint home and the canvas’s home. And just like it’s always been my art was there for me to see me through my hardest times. There were owls and sunflowers by van Gogh.
I can't just make a song people can dance in a club to... it still has to be real.
Mary J. Blige
And I managed to get a 30 x 40 canvas that was gifted to me so that I could sell a painting. I mean that’s what I know....Art. So I just took all that feeling and hurt and fear and I matched it up with my results and determination to see a better future. And I painted my first girl in the rain. And we hung it on the wall. People LOVED her. Two very important things happened I realized I could not sell her and I realized we needed to have a lesson on it. So I did an umbrella girl tight skirt good figure to tone streaky background for the rain. And not to be funny but she made a splash . See because she came from something real, something authentic , honest , and true it’s spoke to people who saw her!
Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life.
John Updike
Because they been through the rain to and they wanted to see rainbows and they wanted to see stars. As you know since this is become a huge trend and I’m really honored to of been a small part of creating it. Back in 2011 and 2012 there would have been no way to know that owls and Umbrella Girls would be so huge.
The way that owls and girls in the rain came from such a real place in me it’s how we should be as artists. But for me that first painting was the seminal moment when I remembered who I was. By now I have a collection of girls in the rain. Lessons and designs. My original girl ended up being gifted to woman I met name Sharron. She had survived a terrible assault and being set on fire as a young woman. She had seen her son murdered in front of her. Yet she was one of the strongest most hopeful people I ever met. And when she would look at that paining she would say that’s me. That’s how I got through. And I knew the paining had to be hers. I want her to have that in her life. And that’s how artists Are We generally see more than the money or the likes and follows. Because they’re real stories behind our art. What I paint is true for me even when it seems like a simple trend.
There is this lesson in the rain and in the dark. You have to make a decision about who you are in relationship to these things. Was I the perspective of possibility? When people paint my girls in the rain I’m hoping that some of what I got out of that journey, some of what it took me to survive and see through and find my positive future gets into them. Everything I do is so much more than my YouTube channel or my Instagram account or my Facebook. It’s real. The rain is real. But the umbrella is real to. This wasn’t just a streaky background I had put in a corridor of light to show the possible Future.
I think a lot about what happens to people that paint with me and the images I put in front of them in if I’m going to be leaving them stronger emotionally? More than that to Tutorial to me I guess it’s a lighthouse. All these paintings even after I’m gone will be in the world helping some other person back to her personal power. Some family Back into health and Joy
I’ve learned some things about myself. I’m tougher than I knew. I can face the storm and everything that comes for me and I will find the rainbow at the end of it. But even more than that I want to help other people behind me find that path through their personal storm. So when you do one of my tutorials know this is more than painting. This is more than views or legs or social media. This is you and me having a conversation about how strong you can be. About that you can get through your personal storm and find your rainbow at the end of it. I want to thank everyone of you for your time and your courage.
Here is a quick table to cross reference aspect ratio to make it easier when you want to scale up your work. Aspect Ratio refers to the size ratio of the top to the side in 'parts'. So in 3:4 Aspect, it is 3 top parts to 4 side parts or 3" by 4". For more information check out ASPECT RATIOS on WIKIPEDIA
Entries need to be through the above link . This is how we can track your entries and reach you if you win
Comment under this Blog posting but through our entry form so we know you did :)
3 Winners will be chosen
Prize: The Art Sherpa Contest Prize Pack Valued at $79.35 USD.
Winners announced on the 14th at the LIVE SHOW on The Art Sherpa’s YouTube channel.
The announced winners will be contacted after the live show on the 14th via the email they used on theartsherpa.com, they will have 72 hours to respond to the email before another winner will be chosen.
Why are you having a contest?
Our Friends at Silver Brush Limited said they wanted to help us celebrate having 200 thousand subscribers on YouTube, Sherpa said “OMG YES QUEEN, Can we give away brushes?”, Silver Brush Limited said, “How about 3 special brush packs, AND we will ship Globally!”... and that's how they came to be our sponsors for this giveaway.
Normally you’d only be able to get these brushes via open stock. Silver Brush Limited put together this special contest prize pack, how awesome is that!?!
Steam punk is an amazing art style! This painting has a project for how to create the patina for the background. A how to Draw the girl in that was LIVE on fb. We covered her in two awesome body types. BUT due to enthusiasm to create designs that are even more inclusive I went ahead and made her in 3 body types for the traceable. It is important that in a personal creative Process we create work that has a positive reflection of our world. A positive reflection of who we are and the people we love. I would encourage you to take advantage of the Hair and Skin quests as well at the 3 trace-ables so that you can create a painting that feels personal. Paint yourself into your steampunk fantasy.
When I tell people I am an artist they look at me as if I said I am a Wizard for a career path. In fact for years I dropped artist and said stay at home mom. Which still was received with more acceptance and respect than Artist. But I am out of the game closet and wearing my paint and smock proudly. Yes I am an Artist. My imagination is what I will be using to pay my light bill this month and no I will not be imagining the lights on. It is interesting how what you do and who you are can affect people. After all its not like I drug them out of their job and asked them to also be an Artist with me. We are not a cult we are a Culture! In fact artist, writers,chefs, and Musicians are what give us any sense of culture. In creation we are part of the divine and are therefore a little magical...scary. Perhaps our bare open honestly in the face of social convention is just to daring. Either way I am only daring to be myself.
I have been wanting to paint this story for a long time. A lone man walks a set of tracks in a storm on a journey to unknown parts. I expect to add lightning to the painting and love showing some new methods
So we started our Art conversation about Artist Trading cards. Are you ready to swap? Get your little painting on?
Here is some info and of course your reference photo.
Learn about how make Artist Trading Cards !! Artist trading cards are part of the amazing world of Small format art. They Can be any media and a great way to collect art. Sometimes Called ATC's and if for sale ACEO's. This type of fun art has few Rules and lots of benefits to its creators. I will talk about methods, demo and ATC and even invite you into the exciting world of Swaps. Materials and links and amazon affiliate Links below Blank cards : http://amzn.to/2kFdX8F Ultra Pro 3" X 4" Super Clear Premium Toploader 25ct: http://amzn.to/2jN1i4e Magnifier Jewelry Visor Opitcal Glass Binocular Magnifie: http://amzn.to/2kdSuTq Strathmore Artist Trading Cards 2 1/2 in. x 3 1/2 in. 400 series Acrylic Pack 10 cards: http://amzn.to/2l4Y9wS Strathmore Artist Trading Cards 2 1/2 in. x 3 1/2 in. Assorted Pack 12 cards: http://amzn.to/2l596hN SLEEVES: http://amzn.to/2jPfULB Strathmore Art Trading Card Frame : http://amzn.to/2l5jrdA
ATC artist Trading cards~ for trade Art Cards, Editions and Originals" (ACEOs)~ for sale To join www.theartsherpa.com Contact Alan Smith is running the this months community run Sherpette Swap run I am very excited to announce the February Sherpa ATC Swap! Now that we have one month under our belt, many of us are feeling a little more confident as to how the ATC swap works. For any Sherpettes who are new to the ATC Swap, ATC’s can be a wonderful opportunity for artists to refine their skills by painting in miniature, experiment with different artistic mediums, find inspiration in the artwork friends have sent you, and uplift the spirit of other art friends by providing a bright spot in their day when an ATC is discovered in the mail.
SHERPETTE SWAP (Community ATC Swap)
As always, each ATC should be a handmade (not printed from a computer) piece of art and follow a few simple rules:
1. The dimensions must be 2.5 by 3.5 inches (so they fit in baseball card sleeves) 2. Must be done on cardstock or slightly harder (some use rice/cereal boxes) 3. Include your ARTSHERPA.COM NAME and MONTH/YEAR OF THE SWAP on the back of the ATC (for thank you’s) 4. Most Importantly ... HAVE FUN!
***The Sherpette ATC is currently a community run artist trading card swap, The ART Sherpa and her team are not responsible for the ATC swaps, please send any questions or concerns regarding the sherpette Artist Trading Card Swap to Alan Smith at AlansArtAdventures@gmail.com.
We wanted to say congratulations to the winner of the Ball Room Girls painting!@rebeccainspired was our winner! She loved the the kraken dress the best, now she can enjoy them all! Thanks to everyone who participated in this, we had so much fun we plan on doing this again very soon!
To Enter: Leave a comment below of your favorite Dress from the Ballroom Giveaway.
Check rules and guidelines as some restrictions apply.
This is not sponsored or affiliated with Facebook in anyway. This is an Art Sherpa Giveaway The official Rules: The painting completed during the LIVE event on facebook will be given away to one lucky winner. Winner will be notified and must respond with confirmation within 48 hours of notification if the win. If they do not respond another winner will be selected. Contest is open Contiguous United States residents ages 18+ Entry Dates are Dec 30th 12pm noon 2016 to Jan 2nd 12pm noon 2017 CST. Winner will be selected randomly.
To members of our global art community we will be sure and have another giveaway that is open outside of the USA soon. We had shipping limitations this time but hope to do more give-aways to our peeps globally too so keep watching for future events
