This is a season in which God is preparing His Bride to move forward. It is also the season for a "Push." For some, it's a gentle nudge, for others it's a strong "Push." Perhaps He is pushing you to make a change. 

Our world today is in spiritual and intellectual bondage because as Christians we didn't know that it is our responsibility to unlock the chains. When you unlock your chains of bondage, the Glory of God comes; the Glory of God falls and follows you around wherever you go.

As I prepare for each painting, I hear the Father God instruct me to paint a particular painting, but it's up to me to do the research, the working of the composition, and the color theory. God sends the assignment; we must follow His leading and complete His instructions.

If this is your season to "Push", then PUSH. Stay focused on your assignment from the Father, for every good gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).

Until Next Time,
P. Elliott

   I love the change of seasons. Yes, I really do! It's always color that draws me to my subjects, but color can often complicate things. That's why I always start by simplifying them. Just as each season has its own color scheme in every part of the country, your painting will have its own color scheme too. The painting to the left is my latest floral. I love the colors and it truly looks good in my kitchen area of my country home. I paint for pleasure. Isn't that the way it should be?
    When you decide to paint a floral, landscape, or something else, how do you decide what colors to use? What layout or perspective are you trying to create in your painting ? Just like we have a change of seasons, there are many ways to set up your painting. First, I may take days, even weeks, thinking and mediatating on the particuliar painting that I want to create. I may see a barn in a pasture with hay stacked all around that barn and a horse eating his weight in hay. I like what I see, but many times I have to rearrange what I am viewing. I change the arrangement of the painting to bring balance in what I am wanting to create. I believe a painting should tell a story with its color, hue, layout, and perspective so that it will bring pleasure to the eye of the beholder. I like lots of value and contrast within each painting. The ability to see relationships in color, temperature and value is critical. The next step I approach is to refine the image by comparing one area to another within that painting. It may be just what I need to give my art greater energy and clarity. I like to think that most of my paintings are based on direct visual perception and emotion. I try not to reason while painting, but let the creative emotions flow. I take a break from the painting, step back and walk around the studio checking the painting from different viewpoints. This helps me to see hopefully what others may see. Let's keep painting!

     When I see a painting I created even a few years ago, my first instinct is to take it out of its frame and change a few things. I typically leave it alone, but often I stop to think about how the painting can be improved. I know if I didn't change and experiment as I do, my paintings would look like they did years ago.
     But there's little chance of that, since I continually find something new - be it technique or subject - to add to my acrylic and oil repertorire. For starters, I may increase the difficulty of my subject matter by adding detail. I also challenge myself by experimenting with tubes of different paint colors. I work transparently or opaquely, depending on the look I want for my subject. For a more free, spontaneous look, I will paint transparently, using my colors mixed only with liquid. If I'm after greater depth, detail and realism, I will work opaquely. Whether I'm painting transparently or opaquely, I begin my process by covering an entire canvas with a transparent wash of color. This helps direct the picture. Then I lay in large areas of color from top to bottom. From there, I work toward smaller shapes of color. My final step is adding detail, and lots of it! Change is hard. But if you try challenging yourself, you will find it improves your work and enjoyment of creativity. So get out those paints, brushes, and a canvas and let's get started!

Happy "Independence Day"! This is the day in America that we celebrate our freedom. I'm celebrating my freedom as an American, growing up in a free country where I am allowed to make my choices of who I want to be and where I choose to serve others. I thank God for my freedom in America, but I also thank God for my freedom in Christ. Without Him, I really am not free.
I am thankful for the artistic freedom God has given me to express my personality and the time and space of my growing up years. I value my freedom in developing my art business, setting my own schedule and priorizing each project before me. As an artist, creativity seems to run rampant in my mind, therefore, I must make wise decisions of when  and what to create for my next  painting. I try not to side-step from my schedule. In order to accomplish my goals, I must stay with the plan - the business plan - that brings me to another level in my work.
As an artist, it's a real joy to create in my studio, but it is also such pleasure when teaching or demostrating new thoughts and challenges of different mediums. I love Genesis Heat-Set oils. I also love Grumbacher acrylics. Sometimes, I am tied between which do I choose today? It is a wonderful challenge to have as I begin anew.  Enjoy your "fourth" of July...enjoy your whole month!

Blogging was a perfect opportunity for me to share my knowledge and my art with other artists and art enthusiasts… and to give back to my art  community.”

I have found that it’s good practice to look back at your old artwork, to see how much you’ve improved and hopefully give yourself an inspirational boost. I saw a great idea recently on  artbizblog.com which suggests posting significant milestones from your art  career on your Facebook timeline. I will begin to do that so you will want to search for my Facebook/rejoicefineart/peggyteague to catch all the new paintings that are coming forth. This is a great time to be alive and allow your creativity to flow from the very depths of your soul knowing that every idea does not come from you but the One who lives within you. It is because of Him, Jesus Christ, that I move forward, reach higher, press on to greater things, and hopefully bless others in a greater measure.

If you are enjoying this blog, please go to my contact page and email me your comments. I'd love to hear from you!