Creative Musings

I’m teaching an in-person class at Petaluma Arts Center on Sunday, September 7—“From Mess to Masterpiece.” It’s a catchy name for a simple concept: any failed artwork can be saved and transformed. Every artist has experienced the frustration of a piece going awry. I’ve overworked and messed up my share of paintings! As long as I’m willing to let go of what I want it to look like, I can let it become something new. Click here to read more about the workshop. I first learned how to take risks...

When the world seems to be falling apart, making art can feel useless. What’s the point of painting, or writing a novel, or creating a song, when the government is doing what it’s doing, and the glaciers are melting, and the forests are burning, and we’re worried about money and health and loved ones? There are plenty of abstract answers: creativity is our human birthright, it’s a voice of hope in the darkness, etc. I can get intellectual and quote the studies on how art creates...

This week, I had the pleasure of visiting the studio of Franklin Williams. I’d only recently learned about his work. As it so happens, he lives just minutes from my house. It’s hard to describe what I experienced as I walked through the home he shares with Carol, his wife/partner/manager/best friend of 60+ years. It was like walking inside a work of art. Pieces were hung from floor to ceiling in a cacophony of color and pattern. The furniture was equally busy but complemented the art...

(Happy Birthday, Mom!) I just got my 4th tattoo completed. And like every tattoo, it tells a good story. The recent tattoo is named "Grace." It's the fourth "aspect" of my inner world that appeared when I was sorting out my fragmented parts. It's the part of me that forms a protective circle around the other three--Love, Faith, and Hope. The Monterrey cypress represents my move to (and love for) Northern California, and some of my scars form the branches. Grace is written on the blade because...

What is creativity? I like Eric Maisel’s definition: “Creativity is the fruit of deciding that you and your efforts matter. Once you decide to matter, you enter into a certain sort of generative self-relationship. Out of that self-relationship, a particular awareness state naturally arises, ideas are born, and the work of elaborating those ideas begins. “ For me, creativity comes from a deep need to be seen and heard. To be real, like the Velveteen Rabbit. And to interact with actual people...

A student of mine recently pointed out that I paint a lot of wings. And you know what, I’d never noticed it before! Birds, angels, butterflies, dragons. Wings are everywhere. "Bird Man," oil and digital painting Even my commercial work is full of them. Over the years I’ve designed a Pegasus-themed carousel; a hedge maze with a sphinx, phoenix, and griffin; a dragon rollercoaster. I’ve illustrated tons of birds and fairies. One of 27 book covers I've illustrated for Donna Andrews I often dream...

My partner and I spent the last week camping (glamping, really, in our Airstream) at the Yuba River. The sound of rushing water formed a constant backdrop. I could feel it washing away my cares and worries. It was also incredibly beautiful—which triggered my desire to capture that beauty, somehow, in paint. So I dusted off my old plein aire easel and gave it a shot. It's been a decade since I painted outdoors. I sure missed it. Quick oil "sketch" of the river It turned out that my recent book...

I describe my art as being driven by a strong sense of purpose. I teach other artists to find theirs. But what does that even mean? And is it always a good thing? I suppose it depends on the purpose. Consider Leni Riefenstahl and Jane Campion—both brilliant filmmakers (in different eras) whose movies evoke strong emotions. The first lent her talent to the Nazi agenda; the second retains ownership of her creative vision. Riefenstahl muscled her characters into propagandized stories; Campion...

I just taught a workshop on Creating a Signature Series, in which a group of artists worked out their concepts for a new body of work. Part of my motivation for the class was selfish: I'm honing my own idea for a series, and I wanted to see what would come out of a group workshop. It was a powerful, inspiring class. Everybody came away with a new series that they're excited to work on. Some even found the perfect title. I was blown away by their courage, inventiveness, and generosity of...