Being present is a valuable skill while making art

I am learning to listen to a painting as it's coming to life.

Before shot: paintings in progress. The one at bottom right has always looked like a heart to me. See below for the updated state of each one.

Where do I go from here? I’ve been more patient with these four panels than I think I have ever been with any of my works in progress, maybe ever. I really like parts of them, and have been spending time just being with them, moving my own biases out of the way so that I can SEE them, and see where to go from here.

Each of these panels is 10” x 10” x 7/8”. They are wood, and when finished will have painted edges (probably gold but we shall see…), and be wired and ready to hang.

But. I’ve got work to do yet. Even though I’m calling these ‘recent’, I started them in 2022 when I still lived in Portland OR. I’d been wanting to paint on panels for a while now, so I bought some wood panels to start.

Rearranged before shot. The bottom left one is starting to look like a secret opening, or golden cave of some kind.

The updated paintings as of today in my studio.

I’ve lightened this piece up quite a bit, without changing much about the composition. It felt too heavy and dark to me. I love the blues and reds together in this one. Working title: ‘The Heart Knows’

I’ve decided to emphasize that golden doorway image a bit. Working title: ‘Invitation’

This piece reminds me of the Tower card, something is about to topple. It’s on shaky ground, and there’s a lot of unsettled energy. Working title: ‘Unsettled’

There’s definitely a being in this one, some kind of angel, or helper. Working title: ‘Once You See It’

I’m working on titles too, and have my current ideas under each piece, though some of those will very likely change.

There’s more to do with these pieces, they don’t feel complete to me yet. What I’m having for myself with this series is patience, observation, and seeing. Instead of rushing in to do something, I’m allowing the paintings to communicate with me. This is one of the things I’m working on in my painting practice, whether in my painting journal, or on canvas.

Experimenting in my painting journals, and learning a lot with those. This has helped me make better, or more conscious, choices in my paintings. In trying to stay out of my own way, I am exercising a lot more patience than I often do.

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Making Art With Spirit podcast - new episodes

Being the artist I am in present time

My love of color

Experimenting to find the magic

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Fine Art Prints of my work can be found at Fine Art America

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Featured painting of the week

‘Everything Changes in a Day’ is a mixed media painting on paper. Materials include gouache, colored pencils, and ink.

‘Everything Changes in a Day’, ©Kris Cahill, 2021. 9” x 12”, mixed water media on paper. Unframed. $125.00. Find it here in my shop.

‘Everything Changes In A Day’ is directly inspired by Inauguration Day 2021, in the United States of America, as everything did indeed change in one day. The energy that came into being with the new leadership in the U.S. was a very different one than the one that unwillingly left. As we have learned since then, we came very close to a different, unhappier outcome.

This piece celebrates change and how it happens quickly. One day things may look a certain way, and suddenly a shift happens. Sometimes the change that comes is welcome, sometimes not. The truth is that things are going to change, whether we like it or not. The question is, are we willing to work in a positive way to see the change we want to see?

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