I have been creating art since I was very small. Using things around my house and the beach near my home to create natural pieces of art I was very proud of. Being out in nature greatly inspired my art and expanded my vision. It also developed my resourcefulness. I created the series Thrive at 5 for everyone who wants to gain more confidence in their creativity and be inspired, like I was, to expand their style into the next level.
Creating with confidence not only takes inspiration but perseverance and the willingness to try new things that can take your art places you never thought it could go.
Tip #1 - Let's Ruffle Some Feathers
Place a feather in your paint. Use common everyday items to create more interesting shapes in your art – dried flowers or feathers can make interesting shapes in your art. For an added flare, take tweezers and drag the feather/flower just a bit to one side. The effect will really impress you. Take the feather out of your paint/medium slowly and drag to one side. Now you are thinking next level.
Tip #2 - Size Matters - No One Wants a Small Pizza
Check your size proportions. Use a handmade grid to draw each of your objects in the correct reference to one another. I sometimes use a light pencil grid on my canvas to keep my shapes coordinated with each other. I even incorporate these subtle lines into my design. Nothing is wasted and everything inspires.
"Art is a line around your thoughts" - Gustav Klimt
Tip #3 - A World of Wonder in 26 Characters
Do fun exercises like alphabet letters made into silly character shapes or beautiful flowers for each letter. Sometimes I did lighthearted exercises to reach a part of my brain that creates - simply. And out of that simple place, and a quiet wonder, came some of my best ideas. The letter "A" became a shelf for my soap to be displayed at a show. The letter "E" became an idea for a 3 piece river art background panel for a wall display. It is good to let the simple evolve into the great.
Tip #4 - Abstract - Imposing a Pattern on Experience
Make an abstract painting of 3 coordinating colors (like teal, light blue and dark blue). Make them random shapes around each other and on top of each other. Then step away from the piece, what do you see? Draw black lines on it in the areas of what you see like a bouquet of flowers or a puppy smiling with his eyes peeking out of a bush. Your abstract now has a subject, a focal point that draws you in and makes you smile. This exercise always lightened my mood and opened my mind to surprising ideas for my next great piece of art.
Tip #5 - Expand your Possibilities - Stretch Out
Make a vision board of easy to do art projects and then really difficult art ideas to stretch your skills. Even if you think you cannot possibly create that intricate piece that looks to you to be a mastery level idea, put it on your board. Look at it every day, imagine your hands moving across the canvas creating what you love. I promise, you will see results in your art that you never dreamed possible. It has helped me focus on the things I decided were important in my present season as well as the things I wanted to expand in my life going forward.
Creating Art with Confidence
These 5 tips opened up a new area for me and as I repeated these exercises, my art grew to a new level of excellence. I used them in times when I felt stuck and in times when my art flowed effortlessly. I hope this information blessed you today and was useful on your journey of creativity. Now let's see what you can create. Check out my website - theriverartist.com or my Facebook/Instagram page - Renee Rood Art for more tips.
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