Painting From Life

It is amazing how much more energy there is in a painting when you paint from life!  

The best way to paint is from life -- the colors, the form, the essence of what you are painting is right in front of you -- and.... you paint faster -- there is no doubt about it.  I am honored when I have the opportunity to paint a model in my studio or in my yard, and I find that the energy that goes into the painting is so exciting and I can paint so much faster when someone is watching!  Why is that?  

So what am I doing with all of those long hours that I am putting into my other canvases?  

I have vowed (once again) to paint from life and draw from life at least once a week.

I did this little study in my studio to practice for my Painting Demonstration held at Arizona Art Supply on Saturday.  This is a 20 x 16 and I only had thirty minutes to paint it!

And voila!  

"Study for Painting Demonstration"

20 x 16

Oil on Canvas

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Happy Last Day of Summer

Here’s to the last day of Summer!   And a day to remember all of the beautiful moments spent with family and friends -- times on the beach are always special times for me.

I love Summer!

"Time With My Friend"

20 x 20 Oil on Board

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Finding Joy

When was the last time that you felt pure “JOY” -- just for being you -- and for the gifts in your life????

It seems that our news is filled with “negatives” of all kinds and it feels so scary! And that negativity is proliferated by everyone still talking about what isn’t working in our world, instead of focusing on what is working!

So, how do we find that joy and happiness that we seek and how do we put it into our work?  

Before I walk into my studio, I “sparkle up” by putting on a little make up, spraying my Cashmere Mist by Donna Karan and fixing my hair -- then I start feeling “joy” and thinking great thoughts (with affirmations), and as I stretch and get ready to paint, I see in my mind what I want to create.   I put on great music and I only let “good” come into the studio with me -- my studio is a special place to me -- I love it!!!!  And, I love creating.  Then, I let the magic begin.

I will be doing more blogs on finding joy and happiness -- I truly feel that we all need to rediscover these feelings in our lives.

One can only imagine what a great world it will be when we all FEEL Love!

"Joy"

28 x 28 Oil on Linen

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Painting Commissions

Painting commissions can be challenging and exciting and certainly they make you grow as a painter.  The challenge is to create a painting that meets your clients needs and also one that you like!

I have been working on commissions all summer long and have just completed two major ones with one more to go -- each painting was indeed a creative challenge and I have to remind myself that I am the creator and that it is my painting -- the end result is that I want the collector to be HAPPY!  And, of course, I want them to love it -- it has my name on it and that is the reason that I paint -- to make people happy.

When you listen to your clients -- they will tell you what they are looking for.  I take copious notes and ask lots of questions and get as many photos as I can from them.  Usually people have a vision of what they want in their minds and it is up to me to recreate that vision on my canvas.

I will be writing more on this process here on the blog and on my web site -- in the meantime, here is a photo of the first commission that the clients loved and they gave it as a gift to their children for their fortieth birthdays and they also loved it - so I got lots of great phone calls and emails and it made my heart sing with joy!  That is the feeling that you want to have when you finish a commission and the great energy that it brings puts a huge SMILE on your face.

Here's to commissions!

"We Love Maine"

24 x 30 Oil on Linen

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Let your paintings soar!

Can you imagine how many times Peter Gabriel has sung “Love To Be Loved”, which he wrote himself, or Mick Jaggar’s song with the Rolling Stones, “Satisfaction”?  Songs that we know by heart and that we sing.  And each time they perform their songs they put all of themselves into their music -- 300% each and every time!  And that is why their music resonates in our hearts and minds -- the passion behind the music is what touches us -- otherwise it would just be notes.  The feeling and the body language are what we crave and take home with us.

Music has been around forever -- it certainly has grown into an amazing industry and it is also all about the sound, the dancing, the videos and the lights!!!!  We have taken it to another level.

Humans need to express themselves!

And, art -- has also been around forever!  It has grown into its own industry and is such a part of all of us -- everywhere we turn, there is art.  As artists, when we put 300% of us into our work, it shows, and is remembered.  Practice makes us better artists.  Letting go and painting with passion is what brings out the paintings that are remembered forever!

Paint with passion -- with music in your soul and let your art spirit soar!

"Love"

7 x 5 Oil on Board

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Give the World Your Love

Love is all there is -- when you love what you do, you become a success!  When ou love your art, it shows !  Artists are guided by our inner visions -- we love to dream!

Today, dream big, love big -- smile and the world will smile back.

Are you smiling today?  Are you giving love today?

"My Special Place"

10 x 8, Oil on Linen

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com

Books

I have a lot of incredible art books -- lots of first editions and lots of signed by the artists books -- and I love them.  I love looking at the paintings in the books and learning from them and most enjoying them.  I love the smell of books -- each one has its own unique aroma!

As I am planning to move, I know that I have to “glean” down the size of my book collection -- I do have a lot of large books and they are way toooooo heavy to move -- before I sell or give away a book, I look at it and remember why I bought it.  As I was looking through one of my books on Monet, (I have a lot of his books), I found a painting that truly caught my eye -- it is entitled “The Cliffs At Etreat” 1885 -- what a painting - what color and depth -- I was enraptured and pictured him painting it so many years ago.  And, as I was looking at this painting, I learned more and more about color.  He was such a master of color. 

 One of my favorite paintings of his is “The Boat At Giverny” which uses so many beautiful greys to capture a peaceful moment on the water.  Every time I look at this painting, I learn something new.

Books do serve us -- they teach us, they give us entertainment and they do bring joy to our lives -- I love books.  When you get in a slump, or need to learn something new or just want to read, pick up a book -- they have been around for centuries -- and they are so amazing. 

 Here’s to loving books!

"My Summer Place" (study)

10 x 8 Oil on Linen

DianeLeonard.com

Diane@DianeLeonard.com