Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Intuitive Art

As I told you a few weeks ago I ordered this book, and it has arrived.

As I have begun to skim through it, I realize I will use this particular book as a main reference when I need a kick in the pants to freshen up my work and my creativity. It is as good as I had hoped and more. Visit the blog associated with this book. Then take a look at the photographs taken at one of Dean Nimmer's workshops to give you an idea of some of the concepts delivered.

If you considered purchasing this book, I highly recommend you read the reviews and description at Amazon (no, I get nothing for this).

Now, talking about intuitive art, I have something to show you from one of the artist you know. Our friend, Andrea, over at CestAndrea has taken on painting various zodiacs from her own intuitive idea of what they mean. A lot of these paintings are based on women, and I personally find that quite appealing. This is the painting for my particular zodiac and she has hit the nail directly on the head with this one. Is that because Andrea and I have the same birthday? Thank you so much, Andrea, for this. You can purchase originals or copies of these paintings - see Andrea's blog for information and other zodiacs.

And do visit Andrea's blog(s) to see what else she is doing there in Paris.

So what do you do from your intuition? Do you think following your intuition is a positive or the best way to approach your art? Are you interested in this book? I look forward to hearing from each of you as you inspire me with every comment.

Thank You!

16 comments:

Lynette said...

Kim, I think intuition is an important part of creating and your new book sounds like a wonderful read. I just came from Andrea's blog and really enjoyed her latest post and photos, especially the lovely garden! A gorgeous painting of the zodiac sign too, now I have to go look mine up! :)

Andrea and Kim said...

Hi Lynette!

I have to agree with you about the importance of intuition in art. You do some pretty wonderful intuitive art yourself! The one you have up on your blog now is quite intuitive.

That Andrea is really something with those watercolors, isn't she? See if she has gotten to yours, yet! She has done quite a few, but just began working on them this year.

Thanks Lynette!

~Babs said...

Hi Kim,
Just ordered the book,,and another (on abstracts) so I could get free shipping, LOL!
Never too many books!

Loved the review on Amazon by the girl who's photo is on the cover!

Darling Zodiak paintings on Andrea's blog. Dang, I forgot to leave a comment! Will have to go back.

Thanks for the original 'heads up' on this Intuition book,,I'm sure I'll love it!

Andrea and Kim said...

Ohhh Babs!

What other book on abstracts? Sure, you have to get that free shipping. At least I do. What good is it if you don't?

Do you know that is how I found out about this book, in the first place. I happened on this girl's blog and saw where she had posed for this cover shot. She does some amazing art with found objects.

I thought you would like some of those paintings. I love the way she uses women so much...a few are more masculine, but mainly a woman's thang. :)

I think you will love the book, too.

Thanks Babs!

fiona long said...

Hi Kim,

The book sounds really inspirational! What a great find!

I think that an artist can become more intuitive as their experience of their materials and how a composition works grows. It's a great feeling, to paint intuitively. You can't get much better than that can you?

Sorry I haven't been around for a while. I've been phenomenally busy, lots of painting in time for my assessment on Friday. Eek!

Andrea and Kim said...

Hi Fiona! It is lovely to hear from you, but I completely understand why! So Friday is the magic day...let us know how it goes.

The more I look at this book, the more I realize how inspirational it is. You are right about how great it feels to paint intuitively, but it also takes someone who can honestly assess that intuition. No, in my opinion, too, you can't get much better than working from intuition. Sometimes when I think about it, I feel sad for those who cannot work from intuition...not only artists.

Thanks Fiona...I will be right there with you on Friday! Hang in there. You will do very well, I am sure.

Anonymous said...

Oh, thank you this post. The book looks like it will be very inspirational.

Andrea and Kim said...

You are very welcome, Annie-Liz. I am sure you will enjoy it very much.

Thank you for commenting here today. It is an honor to have you visit.

sukipoet said...

Hi Kim. How exciting to have new inspirational books to read. I'll check this out. I think I did already but have bought so many bks recently I didnt order it. I'll check it out again.

Coming from a scientific family who are very numbers oriented and fact oriented, I feel I had to retrain myself to hear and respond to my intuition. Although my mother is very intuitive and almost psychic at times so maybe we weren't as scientifically oriented as I think.

The saddest thing for me is when I look back and see I didnt follow my intuition in some instance or other.

Artwise, I think making paper is what really freed me up to tap into my intuition. For me it is almost totally an intuitive process to make the paper and then work with it to form a picture or whatever. I just do it with no plan, in the moment. Plus with all the water around you really feel flowing. If it doesnt come out the way you want you just rewet it and go again. Also, if a paper looks yucky you can save it. I always found a use for my handmade paper at some point and that which seemed yucky turned out to be wonderful. Curious. I'd like to hear more about your intuition thoughts as you continue to read.
Thanks for sharing.

Andrea and Kim said...

Hi Suki,

The more I look at this book, the better I like it. I think it is going to be one of those books which I carry around with me all the time. So I think it probably does deserve another look/see.

LOL, I also come from a very pragmatic, fact oriented background and many of my lifelong friends are also this way. I am married to a very structured, linear thinking corporate engineer, too. But since I was a little child, I could never make sense of a lot of what the people around me were saying. Of course, I didn't have facts to back me up, but I had feelings about it AND these people around me couldn't give me any answer to my questions, either. I suppose I made sense to them, but they couldn't prove it. I have been this way all my life much to the frustration of the people around me. LOL What has taken me a long time is admitting the value of valuing this ability. Clearly in most circles it is not a value. :)

Ah, I can sure see where paper-making could be freeing and a very intuitive process. Clearly there are lots of ways to use handmade papers...if they remain in their original form or not.

Okay, I will try to give some words to my thoughts/feelings as I work. It might take me a bit, but I will try.

Thanks Suki...and thanks for the challenge.

Unknown said...

Sweet Kim, I'm still struggling with a kind of "time-lag" or else I would have been able to get to my friends blogs regularly and sooner and come here and see that you again have posted one of your wonderfully generous posts.

You are a very special person, so curious and loving, thanks for posting my (your:) aries painting here:)

While creating things, I have always relied on my intuition so I am very curious what the book has to say about intuition. When do I most work "under" intuition... I guess it is when the right side of the brain, as they say, takes over.
When I begin to really draw what I see and not what I think I see. When I use my brush to colour my drawings without thinking, when it dives into the little colourpots without hesitation and when, at the end of the process, I look at what my hands, the brush and the pots have done and say, oh.

At times, this doesn't work. Then there is like a tension in my hand and head and the things I put onto the paper or fabric or whatever looks awkward. And I know that intuition wasn't at the rendezvous:), that the brain has made a mess of it.

I look forward to your thoughts about this book.

Have a wonderful day
Andrea

Andrea and Kim said...

Oh Andrea, you should not worry about this...you need to bask in the glow of your time away. Don't let the city get you going with incredible speed...let it know who is boss of Andrea and Co. :)

Well, of course I had to post that beautiful painting! I see it all the time and it always brings a smile to my face...it never fails me! You, my friend, should know all about curious and loving...go ahead and look in the mirror to see it!

I completely agree with you about using your intuition when you create. If you don't the ego of the brain takes over and tries to make a HUGE mess of things for you. One of the reasons I have always had to make art alone is because I need to have that kind of "quiet" to keep my head from taking over. When I was in college and taking drawing classes, I would have the greatest problem, because I couldn't get to the intuitive place where I needed to be at the time. I am the same way with open studios. I just do not work well with people watching me. Is that strange?

I hope to be able to show some of the results of what I learn from this particular book. We will see what happens. I will keep you informed. I have made several book purchases lately, so look for more suggestions. :)

Thanks so much, Andrea!

Anonymous said...

I think I might want this book. I'll check the bookstores. Do a thumb-through as I drink a latte.

Andrea and Kim said...

Hi Chewy,

Sounds like an idea. The author is from your neck-of-the-woods, too. I also recommend his web site and the blog for the book...you can get a great digital thumb though there, too.

Thanks for the comment.

San said...

I really like Andrea's zodiac paintings. I do believe they are intuitive.

And yes, I use my intuition--in artmaking and in making a life-- although sometimes I run into the problem of confusing wishful thinking, or even dread, with intuition. Long story.

Andrea and Kim said...

Hi San,

Yes, I also think these are quite intuitive, since Andrea puts her own twist on them. She also is gracious in expressing how she works which I also know to be very intuitive.

Oh, I can see the intuition in your art, San. I think we all run into the issue of confusing intuition with wishful thinking. However, when we can learn to separate the two, we can use the power of both! And I believe they both have a lot of power.

Thanks San!