DrennArt...the Oil Painting Adventures of Lorrie Drennan

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Barn and Field...................oil painting

I have been enjoying my journey with my newfound philosophies and mindsets. (see last three posts) This particular painting is a "paintover" which always makes for amazing texture and depth. I love how this turned out. Hope you do too.If you know anyone that is looking for a nice 30x40 barn painting send them my way.

Friday, August 12, 2016

Progress from Flora Bowley Bloom True Boot Camp.....oil painting, inspiration

I am thoroughly enjoying my exploration of the Flora Bowley Bloom True Boot Camp and simultaneous reading of the War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I think it is just the inspiration and encouragement that I needed to do some things that I knew I needed to do all along......even if only subconsciously.

I am finding as I read and experience these things that they are open to my own interpretation and therefore, sometimes, I think my own feelings deep inside bubble to the top and I find I am interjecting thoughts of my own as I interpret the words of others. It is a very validating experience when you find your own thoughts sometimes slip effortlessly into the train of thought of the author.

Some major themes that I see developing from both sources (and from my own deep well of un-thought-out thoughts) are:
I need to paint for the sake of painting and NOT what I think others will like or want to buy.
I need to STOP comparing myself to others or doing things that I think I am expected to do.
I need to remember to have fun and experiment.

And with that in mind I decided to paint what I wanted to paint this week. Not because I thought it would be a popular mainstream subject, or that I thought it would sell well at my next show, but

BECAUSE I WANTED TO.

Hence the above octopus painting. I fell in love with the photograph when my DIL, Heather, took it when we were visiting the Estuarium on Dauphin Island in July. I instantly wanted to paint it. So, this week I did. Don't know if it will sell, but it makes me happy.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Bloom True Boot Camp as it applies to me....(and you, perhaps)

You may not be able to tell what this photo depicts, but it is a message to myself written on my bathroom mirror with lipstick. It says:

"Do Small Things with Great Love"

It is part of a quote from Mother Teresa. The entire quote says "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."

Why is it written on my mirror, you may ask. As I mentioned in my last post I am taking the Flora Bowley Bloom True Boot Camp 30-day online program.

The first day's message encourages us to "INVITE THE SACRED". I have incorporated this message into my own situation to mean this:

I need to ask for God's help (and with that how can I do anything BUT succeed?)
I need to remain open to the everyday magic that happens around me
I need to remind myself to focus on things that are important to me (hence the mirror message.)

I think that these ideas and goals can be useful in any career or lifestyle. So feel free to jump on the bandwagon and create your own "New Beginnings".

New Beginnings....Art Inspiration

Hello folks. It's time for new beginnings. I have come to an impasse in my art career.

I looked up impasse do be sure I was using the correct word and spelling. (don't want to appear ignorant on the internet and all) One of the examples of how to use it in a sentence was...

"She had come to an impasse in her career".

I thinks it's a sign. It could have said "He". It didn't. It used almost the exact words I had used.

It was meant for me.

Here's the deal...I have sort of outgrown my own style. I want to improve, progress, and expand my way of painting. But I don't want to change it too much, because there are those that like my style. (and I sincerely love each and every one of you!)

But I don't want to stagnate. I want to continue to loosen up, which has always been one of my goals. And I want to incorporate some new colors or more of some of the colors that I already use. I have some color schemes in my mind, but when I start to paint I fall back on the same predictable color groups that I have used in the past.

I see pieces that are painted by others that are of the style or "looseness" that I want to incorporate. And I see paintings that use the colors that I have in my mind. But when I try to emulate these other artists the work comes out too literal. It looks too much like their work and not MY work.

I want to break out of my mold a little....but not too much.

I want to borrow ideas from other artists...but not too much.

So after much thought and consultation with others, here's what I have decided to do.

I am reading a book called the War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It addresses the fine art of procrastination and how to avoid it in a creative career. I am thoroughly enjoying this book. Thanks Ellen Langford.

I have also enrolled in an online program by artist Flora Bowley. It is called Bloom True Boot Camp. Her art is amazing, but what most interests me is her process and approach to creating art. It is a 30-day program and I plan to post what I am doing and getting from this process.

You may find it interesting to see the inner struggles that some of us artists go through. But even if you aren't into angst, hopefully some interesting art will happen along the way.

Here's to new beginnings!

Friday, April 22, 2016

Ole Miss Grove, Landmarks.....oil paintings

Scenes of the Grove on a busy tailgating day.

This one is called "New Kid in Town". I did one similar to this last year and I found the one khaki tent to be amusing in among all the red, white and blue ones. I thought it was obviously a freshman family that had not had time to buy their new tent yet.

This is a tiny (comparatively speaking) version of a commission that I did last year. The first one was 24" x 48". This one is 8"x 16".

This is another small version of a commission. The commission was 36" x 36". This one is 8" x 8".

If you are in the neighborhood stop in and see me at the Double Decker Festival tomorrow from 10-5. I will be in the spot that I have had for the last three years....right in front of Old Venice Pizza.