Natalie didn't like the movie, either.

Natalie - graphite on paper - TSL

My sweet husband and I stay so very busy that when we get a day to chill that is precisely what we do.  We go nowhere.  Yesterday, after a relaxing day and fabulous dinner cooked by Chef D. (husband) we retired to the sofa to watch a movie he chose, a cowboy movie which turned out to consist of innocent families terrorized and eventually murdered; this went on the duration of the movie, horrible.  Because we have so little time together I wanted to stay in the same room but not watch the movie, so I grabbed my computer and a drawing pad and opted to draw Natalie Portman from a compilation of photos I found on the internet.  Though I tried not to watch the movie, I heard the movie, and the emotional roller coaster of its theme came through in my drawing.  This drawing is a perfect example why I prefer beautiful music and no distractions while painting, beauty begets beauty, angst begets angst.  Our emotions will come through in our work, as artists and as individuals as well.  Clearly, Natalie can attest to that.
I have been considering that what separates us in life and in the arts is our individual strengths and flaws which enable each person to bring something UNIQUE to the table. If we were all perfectly rendered we'd be robots. Keeping the life in your art is imperative, after all that is what separates the great works of art, not how perfectly rendered a piece is, but how well it exudes the soul of its creator.

Have a Little Faith in Your Work

 

 

I encourage everyone who puts their work "out there" in the world to not be discouraged.  Truly understand that just because one individual turns down your book, your play, your research, your song, your design, your performance, etc. doesn't mean it isn't good; if something isn't right for someone it probably isn't, but it may be perfectly good for someone else. 

The above painting, Sorbet, is the only painting that didn't make it through a review in a gallery selling my work.  I took it to another gallery and it sold straight away and has since been one of the most written about abstractions of mine on the web.  Just remember, everything is subjective to the moment, keep doing what you love, and godspeed.

 

Compilation photo credits to Anita - Girl with a Serious Dream, and Elise Bergman