New Paintings for a New Season

New Paintings for a New Season

The Autumn season has inspired many artists for centuries, and I must admit that as cliche as it is to say, the Fall season is one of the most magical seasons to watch. So I can say that creating new paintings for a new season is always exciting. I just love how Nature transforms itself into a blanket of colors!  The contrast of bright yellows to rust and oranges to reds is breathtaking!

Painting en plein air is irresistible. Setting up my brush and paints as I find arresting landscapes to paint is easy to do along the Blue Ridge Park Way. There are so many  beautiful spots around the Asheville hiking trails, waterfalls and gorgeous vistas, too. I am ready to create new paintings for a new season such as this especially since our lives have been wrapped with the new normal due to this pandemic.

The hike to Rainbow Falls is moderate but it can be challenging for a less seasoned hiker. It can be so rewarding when you reach the peak and see the spectacular grand finale. I gasped at the first sight of its grandeur…the majestic Rainbow Falls. Then as you hike up higher you will find smaller waterfalls cascading down the rocks and foliage around it. My hubby and I just sat there for hours enjoying the sight of this powerful rush of water from this awesome mountain.

I felt joy and was glad as I finished my paintings.  Painting with mixed media again is exciting! I love to express all the different textures, the sounds and the sweet smell of the forest. Moreover, fall evokes and symbolizes the beauty of life’s seasons and transformation. I hope that art can help all of us find a new focus and perspective during these challenging times. May we pause, reflect and find rest in the process as we embrace our own seasons.

View my new works online : https://cynthiallanesartist.com/portfolio-items/plein-air/

https://www.romanticasheville.com/rainbow_falls.htm

New Paintings for a New Season2023-08-25T09:37:49-04:00

Finding Inspiration As An Artist

layers of colors of sunset or sunrise over the Blue Ridge Mtns

The colors of the sky speaks to me

Finding Inspiration As An Artist: Just Begin!

Everyone needs inspiration. Whoever we are and whatever we are doing we need something to prod us along. I wake up in the morning with many things in my head, like is there anything new for me today and my cup of coffee! Finding inspiration as an artist is where we begin to express our hearts and minds. I believe that overcoming these hurdles are what makes a creative journey worthwhile!

Staring at a blank paper or canvas can be the most intimidating part as I start to paint and it begs the question: How do you find inspiration when you don’t feel inspired?

To reckon with this first and difficult step, we need to JUST DO IT and decide to JUST BEGIN! Procrastinating will never help get us inspired and believe me, I have a million excuses.  So I might begin sketching, composing with geometric shapes and sizes.  Or arranging and re arranging what may be possibilities.  And oftentimes playing with a few color studies serves as a jumpstart. So follow your heart. Because there are no mistakes where to start.

Don’t Beat Yourself When You Can’t Find A Spark! Keep Going!

I take a break and leave my studio. Then I take a walk in our woodsy neighborhood. I call it my Inspiration Walk.  I become more attuned to what is around me.  As a plein aire painter I try to be more adventurous as I discover new shapes, colors, and textures in the landscape. Then I take photos of scenes and objects which sparks my heart. As a result I find that  all I need is a spark, or a nudge. So the rest is now expressing an adventure through this journey. And yes your muse abound  everywhere.

I am so blessed to live here in North Carolina with its wondrous landscape and the Blue Ridge mountains. However, there are days I can still feel uninspired and stale!  I am sure we all go through this season. I shake this off by simply doing something else, like cleaning my studio, or browsing through my photo references. Or even just going out to eat in a restaurant I have never been to.

sunset drama

A spark of inspiration: Sundown at the Blue Ridge Mountains

During one of our weekend hikes with my hubby, I took a photo of an arresting sunset at the top of Max Patch. And then I forgot all about it. One wintery, snowy day, I could not paint outdoors.  So, I browsed through my photographs and voila, an inspiration came over me. I knew I wanted to paint this scene which I entitled “Land of the Sky”.

Recommended reading for inspirational tips!

Nature’s Inspiration: Visit my watercolor paintings: https://cynthiallanesartist.com/portfolio-items/plein-air/

When God sends His inspiration, it comes to us with such miraculous power that we are able to ‘arise from the dead” and do the impossible.  The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we “get up and get going.” God does not give us overcoming life – he gives us life as we overcome.”   By Oswald Chambers

Blogpost 3: March 17, 2020

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Finding Inspiration As An Artist2020-03-17T20:34:32-04:00

My First Blog! December 2, 2019

Hello Art Lovers and Friends!

Welcome to my new website and blog!  It has been a long process revising and recreating my presence on the World Wide Web.  I am excited to share my new works from Windy Porch Studios here in beautiful Asheville, N.C. and my desire is to connect with all of you like-minded, creative souls, and those who love and support the arts and artists.

In these blog posts, I will be discussing a wide range of topics beneficial and relevant to artists, art lovers, and art collectors.  I will also be referencing and providing links to sites that I find interesting to my readers, and updating my web site with new art works as they are developed.

I feel this is all a new beginning. Moving from California to North Carolina was a big change but from West Coast to East Coast was another change. Not without its challenges but now we live up on a hill overlooking the Pisgah mountain range, with lots of evergreens, foliage and a view of the sunsets and sunrises. Truly a refreshing source of subject matter for my painting — but bugs are everywhere! And wildlife too but not all of them are bad. Ladybugs and leaves dominate the garden and the porch in autumn. Summer evenings we have fireflies which I love. But not the mosquitoes. Oh well, I realized we live in a temperate rain forest. The birds wake us up in the morning. I must have seen over 20 species of these adorable creatures! The cardinals are my favorite. They perch on the dogwood tree just across our bedroom window. Sunday mornings we watch the deer nibble on some of our plants. Seems like they love to visit on Sunday mornings. And yes there was Teddy Bear one afternoon who toppled down the bird house to enjoy the bird seeds. The pros and cons of living in the midst of Nature. We are thirty minutes away from downtown Asheville so we often visit the galleries to view incredible art. Blue Spiral, Haen, Momentum galleries are some of my favorites and the River Arts District are always a treat.  Another favorite past time is dining at Asheville restaurants for the eclectic and farm-to-table good eats.  The Asheville chefs have a knack to elevate any recipe. For one, I love the Kimchi fries at the White Labs brewery and restaurant. Yum! It’s a another Asheville fusion of Asian and American cuisine. Oops,  this is an art blog but I can’t stop talking about food!

I am looking forward to exploring the terrain of North Carolina with its luscious, enchanting beauty  as it continues  to inspire me, and open my heart and soul to new visions.

In my website, there is contact info for those who wish to reach out and engage with me and other readers.  But most of all, enjoy the journey with me. I am happy to connect, or chat via social media or even a visit to my studio!

Here are a few of my activity highlights:

Color Your Heart Painting Social is a group I started here at my Asheville home studio (Windy Porch Studios) to bring together art enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who love to dabble with paint and brush while enjoying social interaction and making new connections and friendships.  I enjoy sharing my studio and artistic skills with others as part of my intention to  connect with the local community!  My studio is open most weekdays and weekends for two-hour sessions. Join us at Windy Porch Studios for creative time, snacks and refreshments, and ample gab! I will post regular updates on my new schedules.

I have joined outdoor paint-outs with these fun groups: Asheville Plein Air Artists and Preserving a Picturesque America who meet on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays at selected scenic locations of Western North Carolina. During wintertime, they have indoor sketching sessions at selected coffee shops/restaurants. I have joined many of their events and met wonderful, talented artists. I enjoy the camaraderie and sometimes an exchange of thoughts on art and life. It is a real treat to paint plein aire amidst Asheville’s gorgeous landscape. All types of artistic media are welcome to join for its weekly painting sessions. It is free!

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Asheville Art Museum

Attending the opening of the newly renovated Asheville Art Museum.  Visiting the museum was a truly inspirational walk.

art lab pix-72

Inspired after the museum visit. Back to my studio with my favorite tools.

a visit at Asheville museum of Art

Enjoying the Asheville Art Museum at downtown Asheville. It will remain as a great landmark for generations to come.

My First Blog! December 2, 20192023-08-05T13:19:23-04:00