19 Apr

Posted at 10:04h in Sin categoría by

 

Ideas for art come to me…

  • When I run
  • When seeing live theatre (I miss it soooo much!)
  • While reading poetry
  • When traveling…even a small road trip
  • Leafing through design magazines
  • Walking through outdoor markets
  • While listening to music
  • When listening to my girls playing their music or painting beside me
  • When I am in nature…whether it’s my backyard garden, walking my dog, or hiking some mountain trail. Doesn’t matter where…nature inspires.

 

Then sometimes it’s just discovering what moves me aesthetically around my studio. I’ll start organizing and decluttering, and placing vignettes together…candles, brushes, pieces of fabric, pieces of art.

And then…

“oh I like this color combo…hmmm graphic shapes with fresh flowers…or a Domino Magazine cover with a messy abstract next to it. Now I want to paint an indigo and peach abstract…something imperfect but perfectly electric in color. Yes, let’s do that.”

There are times where I’m more strategic in my planning a painting. But these days I’m going with the flow…and saying yes to what comes through intuitively.

What inspires you? Where do you get inspired?

When do you feel inspiration?

 

Read more on the Blog

12 Apr

Posted at 13:46h in Sin categoría by

 

I was listening to a podcast…Tim Ferriss (of The Tim Ferriss Show) interviewing Seth Godin.

Something Seth said really resonated with me. He said…

“You can’t let the world erect boundaries for yourself.”

YOU must be the one to do this, so that you don’t feel the overwhelm of falling behind in your life.

There is most DEFINITELY a correlation between the time in my life where I was drowning in overwhelm and not prioritizing what was integral for me to be the best version of myself.

What is integral for me is having personal discipline for stuff that’s ESSENTIAL to my mental and physical health.

Over the past 4 years I took serious inventory of my life. I looked at how I was spending my time, and thought about how I would like to be spending my time. There was a disconnect and I knew that I had to make changes to have the things I really love in my life.

Since then I’ve given up drinking alcohol and crappy tv. I deleted Facebook on my phone. I prioritize working out and eating healthy because it makes me feel happy. I’m a pleasure seeker with an addictive personality, which makes it THAT much more important that I adhere to my own “rules”. I can attest that living this way has opened up more possibility and room in my life for everything that I truly desire.  I found peace and clarity in shutting out the distractions and self-sabotage. My business grew, my art practice flourished and my relationships with my husband and kids deepened.

Make more time for the things that matter.

Light up your brain, move your body and nourish yourself with doing something that you KNOW you’ve been putting off. Stop waiting for permission from someone else to achieve your goals. YOU decide what matters.

And ask yourself this…

How can you clear time in your day to prioritize what’s important to you?

What can you give up to live your best life?

 

05 Apr

Posted at 11:38h in Sin categoría by

 

When I first started painting regularly in my adult life

I was 30 years old.

 

My toddler was potty training and my infant had yet to try solids. There was little time in the day to do anything other than watch my kids.

So,  I started at night. ⠀

Every night I’d put them to bed and tip toe down to the living room and look at the list of things I wrote in my journal…

“ideas of things to paint”.

First thing I painted was a picture of my babies. Next, my dog, Molly. Then some pretty tea cups from my mom. And on and on.

It was my creative outlet, my refuge from changing diapers, and a full body and soul grab at the former artistic pre-mom life of my youth. I had no intention to start a business or be a professional artist. I think my only intention then, was to try and feel a little more like me again. Motherhood is a whole bag of wonder and worry and this was my zen time.
⠀
I didn’t know it then but picking up that paintbrush 10 years ago changed my life.

Painting IS me.

It was me as a kid and it’s me now.

If there’s something you want to do in your life, whether it’s getting in great shape, finally learning Spanish, playing guitar, writing a book, becoming a watercolor painter…Just START.

Like right now…Today.

Start practicing and learning and do it every day. Do it for the process of learning and getting better. As Marie Forleo says,

“Clarity comes from action, not thought.”

So get going…

Someday you will look back at this time and think why didn’t I do this sooner?

It brings you joy and quite possibly the life of your dreams. I know art did this for me.

I’d love to know…what is one thing you would like to make a regular practice in your life?

Is it writing, painting, learning a new language? Let me know in the comments and write it in your calendar today.

 

 

02 Feb

Posted at 18:38h in abstract, art, art studio, contemporary art, Modern Art, Sin categoría by

in the studio

Lately I’ve been feeling a shift coming on…a need to deep dive into abstraction.

Some things I’m playing around with in the studio…staining my canvases in washes of watercolor…more intuitive painting. When painting large in the past, I’ve painted small mockups first, then translated it to a large canvas later. Now I am throwing and pouring water and painting straight on the big canvases. Allowing what will happen to happen. This is where the magic lies…in the experimentation. Each happy accident informing the next. A conversation with the painting itself and its becoming. What does it want to be?

I’m doing my best to get out of the way and allow the painting and the relationship between my intuition and the alchemical reaction of the paint drive the journey and inform my next move. It’s the way I began painting abstract when I first returned to it a decade ago.

I’m returning to this way of painting because it’s the essential stuff that pulls me to the studio. The possibility of what will happen. The potential breakthrough in technique or found texture.

I’m happy to return to basics, even taking a painting class this week and checking out some painting and color mixing books at the library.

After pouring so much energy into building my art business, and doing commissions and client work, it feels really right to be drawn into the studio. I want to push my practice and discover new territory.

This shift I’ve been feeling isn’t without pain. Change is hard. It’s hard to head into the unknown. How will my paintings evolve? What will the next series explore? How can my work evolve while still being recognizably mine?

Some culture consumption this week to foster this shift…

Reading M Train…the always brilliant stream of consciousness writing by Patti Smith forces me to ask deeper questions, and always be observing.

Listening to Ryan Holiday’s Stillness is the Key on audible…learning this stoic philosophy on stillness, meditation, breathing and letting go. It’s a pep talk on how to sloooow down. These days with three children, any method of self care that also helps hack time is GOLD.

I’m studying the techniques of Helen Frankenthaler and trying to achieve a freer execution on canvas…loosening up.

I’m excited, (a little scared), and ready for a change.

 

16 Jan

Posted at 17:21h in abstract, art, art journal, contemporary art, creative, interior design, mary gaspar art, Minted, painting, Uncategorized, watercolor by

Hello friends and Happy New Year! The latest Minted Art Challenge calls for pieces of art that are 18 x 24 inches or larger, to be blown up to Minted’s newest large format size of 48 x 70 inches! I naturally wanted to get in on this fun, as a lot of my clients ask for HUGE paintings. My Plant Cell series looks particularly beautiful blown up large. These are the nine pieces I entered. Voting is now open…Please vote here if you get the chance! Thank you!

29 Feb

Posted at 22:25h in art, artist, artist mom, botanical, collaboration, creative community, decorating, drawing, feathers, mary gaspar art, mini paintings, succulents, watercolor, west elm by

My pop up shop this past Saturday was great fun! Several original watercolors and many prints sold. Thanks to everyone who came on out!

And West Elm invited me back! What a lovely company to support local artists. So. Much. Fun. Will keep you posted on my next one! Happy Leap Day friends!

 

20 Feb

Posted at 20:52h in acrylic, art, botanical, botanical paintings, contemporary art, feathers, flowers, illustration, interior design, mary gaspar art, mini paintings, watercolor, west elm by

Hello friends! It is bright and sunny in Chicago…57 degrees today! Feels like Spring…but I know better;)

I have fun news to share! I will be doing an artist pop-up shop at my local West Elm at Old Orchard in Skokie, Illinois next Saturday, February 27th from 12-4pm. I will be selling prints, stationary and originals on paper and canvas! Here is a peak at what I’ve been working on to sell at the shop…

Gotta love that West Elm supports local artists:) Please come on by!

08 Jan

Posted at 19:09h in abstract, art, art studio, art supplies, artist mom, black and white, contemporary art, etsy, etsy artist, feathers, home art studio, illustration, living with art, mary gaspar art, new painting, new years, watercolor by

Hello friends…it’s been a while. Lots of changes since I last posted in Spring. I have a new little girl…Violet! She is the sweetest baby and we are all in love. Juggling life with three kiddos under 7 has been a little hectic to say the least…both lovely and overwhelming at the same time. The big girls are in school now most of the day and the baby is on a regular nap schedule. So here I am showing up…to do the work and push my little art business forward. My Art goals for 2016 include cleaning up my website so stay tuned! Also, I have been revamping my home studio and am loving it! Here’s a little peak into the space and what I’ve been working on lately. Happy New Year everyone. May 2016 bring us all fresh perspective!

A corner of my Art Studio

Once my husband’s home office desk…now my art desk!

A little shelf I picked up from Target to house my supplies in mason jars. Also…odds and ends that inspire me:)

I am, very much at the moment, into the simplicity of Black and White watercolor.

Abstracts and Feathers!