Teachers

       

Teachers come to us when the “student” is ready.  We are all students -- students in life and in art and in love.  Life is a learning experience.

And art, like golf or music or dancing, is always a learning experience.  Sometimes the message comes from a book or a movie or a song.  And, sometimes, the teacher is yourself.

When I reach a place where I am not sure how to get the result on the canvas that I want, I sit down and go back through my older paintings and see what I love about them.  Often times, I am amazed at the painting and wonder -- HOW DID I DO THAT?????

This is one of those paintings!!!!

"On The Rocks"

12 x 12, Oil on Board

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Betty White

Betty White -- who doesn’t love her??????  And, at 89, this is a woman who is still bringing laughter and love to our world.  You can see the joy on her face and she is rocking and rolling and having a great time!

She is having more fun in her life and she is one of the hottest celebrities out there.  People are drawn to her laughter and her great sense of humor.  She has spent most of her life in front of cameras acting and being “silly” and it has made her a STAR!


And isn't it grand that age is just that -- a number!

As artists, it is our “job” to emote feelings in our paintings -- in order to bring joy and happiness, and perhaps even laughter to our work, we must be in that frame of mind when we paint! That is when the basics and the techniques that we have learned are solid and we just Let Go and Paint from our hearts!

Your Art is your expression in this world -- so what is your Art saying? 

"Sunny Days"

11 x 14 Oil on Board

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

This painting is from my newest series of beach paintings from Laguna Beach.  As the sun starts to set, the light gets warmer and it sparkles across the water!  I love that!

Have Fun!

Today is a great day to just LET GO!  Just paint for yourself.

Paint for the sheer joy of it!

And Just Have FUN!

"Morning Tea"

7 x 5, Oil on Board

This is another one of my "coffee table" series paintings -- I do have FUN painting them!  

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Christmas Time

There are memories of our childhood that stay with us forever when we think of Christmas and it’s magic.   I think that the fantasies of Christmas should live in our hearts all year long -- the joy, the gifts, the family parties, and the giving -- whether it’s gifts or just time being together -- it’s Christmas -- again.

My childhood Christmases were always filled with wonder and the sparkle of the season -- including the snow.  I love the candles in the window and the Christmas lights and the smells of the Christmas tree that fills the house with joy!

This painting is a reminder of days from our childhood when snow was fun to play in and we didn’t truly feel the cold!

This painting is available in a fine art giclee from the Wright Gallery in Cape Porpoise, Maine.

"Christmas Time"

20 x 16 Oil on Board

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

      

The Art of Giving

The holidays are here again -- how wonderful it is to share time with your family.  Families are our core and they love us for who we are -- there is no better love than that!

So before you get carried away with the holiday rush, take a few minutes and be grateful for all that you have right now, and remember the people who don’t seem to have as much.

There are lots of homeless people here in the United States that could use some of our help -- the smallest of even a smile will bring them joy!   Volunteer to help out at a shelter or bring some food to a needy family  -- they can always use those clothes in your closet that you never wear!  It feels great to give!

And it starts with today -- give a smile to everyone you meet!

"A Story For My Brother" (study)

9 x 12 Oil on Board

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

The Art of Learning

There is always something new to learn!  I saw a public bus that had been painted white driving down the street yesterday and the sign on the front said -- “Driver Training”.  I thought -- wow -- that’s how you learn to drive a public bus.

In art -- there is always something new to learn - and it could seem as difficult as learning to safely drive a public bus.  And perhaps it is!

Without learning we do not grow -- and sometimes this can be challenging and scary -- yet, we have to walk through that door with our hearts and minds wide open and let go!

We can all get stuck in doing things over and over the same way -- and that’s safe and comfortable -- so today -- try something new -- a new brush, a new technique or a new color!  Be Bold -- Be Daring -- Be Magnificent!

And remember -- Have Fun!

Today -- take a few minutes and pray for the people of Haiti who survived their earthquake -- all of those people who are still living in makeshift tents in “Tent City” -- and now a huge rain storm is headed there way -- pray that they find comfort and a dry place to be,  and that there are no mud slides and no cholera!  

And, then, remember how fortunate we are here in the United States with our warm houses and our “creature comforts”.

Thank you for being in my life.

"Buckets"

12 x 12, Oil on Board

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Impressionists

Talent is a God-given gift -- how you use it is your gift back to the planet!

"Afternoon Tea"  30 x 30  Oil on Canvas

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Finding Inspiration

I want to paint everything -- well, almost everything.  Every where I look I see paintings -- I have ideas flashing in my mind all of the time -- it’s amazing!    And perhaps I am a little ADD or is it ADHD -- these ideas keep me excited about the next painting.

I keep a sketch book beside me (or near by) at all times so that I can quickly sketch out my vision or write it out -- less I forget!  Often times these notes develop into a new series.  The next step is to plan a photo shoot, find a model or set up a still life and get started!

You never know when an inspiration will come -- or where it will come from - be ready, be open and keep that child in you ready for anything!  

Look at the world through loving eyes that find beauty all around you.

"Lazy Afternoon" 5 x 7 Oil on Board

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Creative Painting

While on her TV Cooking  Show, Julia Childs attempted to flip a crepe and half of it landed on the stove -- she laughed it off and then said “I didn’t have the courage I needed the way I should have”... and then mumbled ...... “practice”!  Her joy in cooking didn’t let her stop trying new things -- even in front of a TV camera, including boning a duck!

When you are paintings,  you can run into some snarls -- some places where you are not sure how to get that “look” that you are after -- these are learning lessons.   For oil painters, it can be simply wiped out --  hence, I love the oils!  

The courage to see it through -- to go for that look you are after and not settle for anything less teaches you to grow as an artist.   How do you mix those greys to create the flow of water on the beach?   And, sometimes it is just better to start over and begin anew.   The more you paint the same series, the more confidence you get and then you are ready to  move on to the next series.  In life we are all growing and learning and it is so important to keep learning and trying new techniques and ideas so that you are challenged and your are pushing yourself to be your very BEST!

JUST PAINT! -- a friend of mine said that to me so very long ago -- Leonard -- Just Paint!

Who knows what magic will appear on that canvas -- have the courage to be who you are and to paint with total abandon.  And then, your painting might just be saying YUM!!!

And, by the way, Meryl Streep certainly deserves an Oscar for her performance as Julia Child -- she became her -- as always, she is an amazing actress!

"As The Sun Sets"  30 x 30  Oil on Canvas

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Learning The Basics

There is magnificence in all of us -- some of us are musicians, cooks, engineers, actors, doctors, scientists and some of us are artists -- In his book, "Double Your Income Doing What You Love", Raymond Aaron states: “we all have the capacity to be superstars”!  Finding what you love to do is what your life is all about -- and once you do discover that part of you -- that’s when the superstar inside us shines!!!!

If you have watched the movie “Julie and Julia” , you will see that Julia Childs didn’t know how to dice onions when she started taking lessons at Cordon Blue in Paris -- she had tried other avenues and then finally found cooking -- in fact, she wanted to cook so bad that in the scene where she practiced dicing onions and is standing in front of a mountain of diced onions -- she was determined to learn how to be a great “cook”!  And she went beyond her own expectations!

Art, like every endeavor, has many basic techniques to learn to create the magic on a canvas -- learning to see the values of light and color are basics that one must master.  You can learn more about painting techniques and impressionist techniques from my new videos coming out next month.  And once you have learned the basics, then you can create your own style.

Cooking is like painting -- you have to use your imagination.  And that is when you find yourself in your art!

"Summer" (study) 12 x 12 Oil on Board

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Going Green

Are you “Green”????  With all that is going on today on this planet -- oil spills being the worst disaster for our oceans, 42,000 gallons per day spilling into our seas -- air pollution, mining disasters -- we have to make sure that our paints and solvents used in the studio are disposed of properly (each city has special days when they collect the solvents).   It is important to have   good ventilation or a door or window open to keep the air that you are breathing as clean as could be!

I just heard yesterday that Phoenix is the most polluted city -- yikes -- and I live here -- not happy with that!  However, my studio and I are as “green” as green could be -- I use Walnut Oil made by Graham for blocking in my paintings.  This oil is a natural product and I love how it makes my paints flow and I also know that I am using a “green” product.  For years I have been using a select-a-size paper towel to make sure that I am only using a small portion of the towel each time I reach for them.  Now I am using the Viva select-a-size paper towels that are also very soft -- my twin sister turned me on to this product! 

And I do put green paint on my canvases -- of course, mixed with other colors -- I love colors!  

We all need to contribute to keeping our planet healthy!  Please pray that they can figure out a way to save our ocean and the Gulf Coast from this oil spill!  And what about the fish and other sea creatures?

This is a small study entitled "Twilight" 8 x 10 Oil on Ampersand Board.

Impressionist Moments

Life is Magical!  Each day brings us so many opportunities to share our gifts -- the gift of love, the gift of sharing, the gift of tenderness, a smile, and a hug is always great!

I have been doing a lot of incredible photos of children in late afternoon light in my back yard -- I am so excited to be creating magic!  Children bring joy and happiness to our world.

Find the child within and let that person come out and play today!  And experience the magic of life!

"Spring's Magic"  12 x 9  Oil on Board

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com