Art, The Antidote for Life Experiences -

As an artist, you may find yourself in situations that are challenging to say the least, don’t give up! Persist through and change that experience for the better – you never know what good will come out of it.

As an example, just before creating the Dream Series, I had just received severe criticism about my art that was filled with suggestions to ‘give up’ because I was just not good enough.

I had, up till that point, used photographs and either created the painting exactly as it was or embellished it with a fantasy background and added finishing touches to enhance and highlight the painting. Sometimes I would get inspired and create original ideas such as the Rainbow Series and other works.

When the Dream Series was born, I had just spent two months receiving deflating remarks about myself and works, having my ideas discounted, was advised to change but the new change struck down and all this by a person that I had counted as a ‘friend.’ To say the least, we parted ways.

It left me rather emotional with a feeling that it wasn’t fair. Most of all I was determined to succeed despite it all. One of her favorite things to tell me was that I wasn’t a real artist – when I knew that to not be true because of the responses from viewers of my artworks.

Perhaps I should mention that when I create a painting, I decide what communication I want to get across to the viewer. I really work this out. Then make it a part of the painting. Almost always a viewer of my art will say what it is that I wanted to get across. The greatest ‘pay’ an artist can receive is the response that was intended. Therefore, I did have some self-certainty about what I created even from my beginning works.

One morning, I took a painting that I intended to create in a totally different manner and painted over it a wonderful peaceful blue. And in a very peaceful state, listening to classical music (Mozart), I created Midnight at The Sea of Dreams with simple brush strokes but it seemed as if a whole world of thoughts and dreams automatically happened within this painting. Somehow it included motion.

I say somehow because, just like a poem can pour out of the poet to the pen in an instant, that is how this painting poured out of me via a paintbrush and onto the canvas.

Within a day, I created Dawn at The Sea of Dreams and soon followed that with more paintings for this series. Each view of this series of paintings seems to change making it very interesting.

To get others responses, I brought this painting to my dear friend and mentor Ralph E. Grimes and he thought at first view – eh, nothing special. I said, yes, I know – but please keep it for a day or so, it grows on you. He did so, and when I arrived the next day, he said “OHHH, this painting is magnificent, please leave it with me longer.” This painting spent almost two months with Ralphie and each time I visited he would speak to me about the new things that he saw in it!

What a wonderful proof of what I had wanted to convey with my art!

And, I took a very ugly scene and created beauty in its stead. You can, too!

As a person in The Arts, you have the power and imagination to take whatever life dishes out and create an antidote for it!

ILIA