I took just one painting class in college — oil painting. I loved it, but had more fun working in clay, and spent many semesters up to my elbows in “mud.”

Years after graduating, when I decided to paint again, I dug out my old oils. They still held magic.

Back then, I was working full time as Creative Services Director, and got up to paint before going to work. That gave me 20–45 min. of painting time about three times a week.

Each day I took a photo of my painting in progress. I liked seeing the painting develop, and knew that I could “blow it” with my next brush stroke. I figured if I had a record of what it looked like when I liked it, I could get back to that stage.

Opaque oil paints are “forgiving” because you can always paint over a passage you don’t like.

Watercolors are transparent, so there’s really “no going back”. Instead we continually move forward, adjusting our plans to make use of any perceived mistakes along the way.

I still take photos of my paintings in progress. I like to see the evolution of paintings — and so do my students.

I am both a “fast” and a “slow” painter. My motto is:
“Get in, Get Out, Step Back, Repeat…”

Basically this means that each brush stroke is done quickly, decisively, courageously … and then I STOP, step back, and look to see what’s happening with the painting.

If I know what to do next, I continue on with this “Get in, Get Out, Step Back, Repeat…” method.

Sometimes there’s a long pause between brush strokes. Sometimes it’s because I don’t know what to do next. Sometimes it’s because there is something else that must be done (dinner anyone?).

Most of my paintings take weeks to complete. Even when I think a painting is finished, I put it away for a day or two so that the next time I look at it I have “fresh eyes”.

This is one reason I like to have many paintings in progress at one time. I can easily switch from one to another if I get stuck.

My students long to see me finish a painting in class. Sigh. They want to know how to know when a painting is finished.

Alas, this is a subjective matter.

Robert Genn, a revered master painter from Canada once wrote: “it is better to under paint by 10% than to over paint by 1%.”

Keep painting. The more you do it, the better you get, and the easier it will be to know when your painting is finished.

It’s an unsatisfying answer, yet true.

Have you ever felt as though “negative” vibes surround you? 

Do you wonder why all the news you hear is “bad”? Why even call it news, why not call it “only bad news,” which is what it seems to be.

It isn’t always easy to stay positive in a world that seems to celebrate the negative. But that’s “the work.”

A “Power of Positivity” article in “Live Happy” magazine, proposes that the reason we hear so much negative information is that people who feel badly also feel a strong need to verbalize. 

Those who feel good don’t feel the need to share their feelings.

In a weird sort of way it makes sense that we don’t share our happy times more readily.

We’re taught not to boast or to “get a big head”; and everyone knows a big ego is a “bad” thing. 

Perhaps we all compare ourselves too readily to everyone else. When we commiserate with someone else’s woes we might feel better about our own lives. 

Conversely, if we share our good fortune with others, does it make them feel worse about their circumstances?

What an awful, yet plausible thought!

If we did verbalize our good feelings and happy happenstance more often, would good feelings spread?

The aphorism, “a rising tide lifts all boats,” suggests this would happen.

When we share our joys with others, they are supposed to feel happy for us, and realize that good fortune can happen to them too.

With this in mind, I’ve come up with new words for sharing good news. These new words can be a happier version of “commiserate.” What do you think, which are your favorites?

Co-Joyable, Co-Joyate, Co-Joyfully
Co-Gladify, Co-Gladly, Co-Gladuate
Co-Happify, Co-Happiness, Co-Happulate
Co-Celebrate (suggested on FB)
Co-Cheerify (suggested on FB)

Let’s stay “Open at the Top” and let other fun new word combinations come to us to help us spread joy.

Rather than back-handedly lifting others up by sharing our misery with them, let’s lift them up by sharing our happy times and happy stories.

When we share our happiness with others, we increase the happiness all around us. 

Now go out there and Co-Happify the world! — Or Co-Cheerify or Co-Celebrate if you prefer ☺

Making art changes your brain. Changing your brain changes your life.

Painting, like meditation, can relax your mind. When your mind rests, new ideas and insights arise, and you become more aware of your inner and outer world.

With this awareness, you can cut through the bombardment of imagery we face daily, and truly SEE the world more clearly.

I often tell my students that “we look at the world all of the time, but we don’t really SEE it until we take the time to paint it.”

Everyone is born a creator. 

Do you remember spending hours as a child learning and growing through observation, experimentation, and play?

The older you get, have you spent less time playing, watching, or experimenting? 

Maybe you have begun to think you know all you need to know to “get the job done”, or that you have figured out what life “is all about”.

This is known as having a fixed mindset. These thoughts might not be true. 

Recently I read an article that scientists discovered that it is a fact — that making art actually changes our brain for the better. 

In a 10-week study of 28 men and women ages 62–70 it was found that the brains of those who took a hands-on art class showed “significant improvement in psychological resilience” (stress resistance). 

Those who participated in art appreciation, with no hands-on creative aspect, showed no improvement.

The hands-on art class group showed evidence of improved “effective interaction” between regions of the brain used to process introspection, self-monitoring, memory, and emotional recognition of others. 

According to research, interaction in that area of the brain declines with age. Creating visual art has the potential to reverse this deterioration. (Details can be found at www.plosone.org).

Scientists made these discoveries, but I like to check to see if they are true for you and me. So I’ve created my Hide-N-Seek Watercolor class to test these ideas out.

Would you like to try using art to change your brain? 

Would you like something to touch your soul and give you something new to look forward to each day?

Maybe you would like a new spark of energy in your life.

What if you could have fun painting with watercolor while exploring yourself and your world through color, shape, and texture?

Please join me, and others who want to do the same, in one of my playful, Lotus Aqua Art Escapes being held on Oahu this year. 

Transform your life and energy in “paradise”, safely surrounded by people of like mind and energy. 

You can take the two-day class on one of the following dates this year: 
April 18 & 19, 2015
May 23 & 24, 2015
Oct 17 & 18, 2015
Nov 14 & 15, 2015

Together we will paint the flowers and sea life of Hawaii from 10am-4pm each day, with a break for lunch. We will also take a short walk to the Waikiki Aquarium to get to know the flowers along the way and the sea life in our waters.
 
If you want to take the workshop, please email me at: Patrice@artofaloha.com

On January 29th I took my car in for a quick service appointment.

While waiting, I read an article about the American Small Business Championship Contest hosted by the Service Core of Retired Executives (SCORE), with financial support from Sam's Club. Winners would receive a $1,000 gift card to Sam’s Club and a year of free mentoring from SCORE.

To enter, I was to answer the question: “What sacrifice have I made to help my business succeed?”

This is what I wrote:

What an odd question! A better question would be, “what have I gained as a result of helping my business succeed?” I have gained an appreciation of the amount of tenacity, focus, and perseverance needed to run a successful business. I have lost a few friends as the result of cutting back on my free time, but what I lost in numbers, I have gained in quality — both quality of time and friends. Both are invaluable. I sacrificed home ownership and a steady paycheck when I began my business. I have gained flexibility, increased appreciation of my customer base, and increased awareness of the importance of budgeting both time and money. I have gained so many loyal customers from around the world because of my new location so far from my home state of Wisconsin. I sacrificed my life of mediocrity for the opportunity to grow my art, and myself into a world-class quality art business, reaching a worldwide art market. In doing so, I am uplifting those I reach through my art, my words, and by teaching my art process to those who want to add more positive creativity and joy to their lives.

The words flowed easily and quickly and I felt GREAT!

When my car was ready, I took the Likelike Hwy to Sunshine Arts Gallery. About halfway over the mountains, I saw a two-foot tall animal on the shoulder of the road with its back to me. It was light brown, had two small pointy ears, and was standing up straight (erect). I didn’t know what it was.

Imagine my surprise when, as I passed it (at 50 mph), I looked into the rear view mirror to see a small “kangaroo”!

What? Kangaroos do NOT live here! Not even at the zoo! I was excited and a little freaked out. What was it doing here? Was it okay? How did it get here?

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When I arrived at the gallery, I called the Humane Society to tell them what I had seen, “You might think I’m crazy, but I just saw a little kangaroo on the side of the Likelike Hwy.”

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The woman on the phone graciously replied: “You’re not crazy. You saw a wallaby. About 100 years ago, before it was illegal to import them, a private zoo in the Kalihi Valley had wallabies in it. They either escaped or were let loose. Because the wallabies have adapted to our climate, there are so few of them, and they are very shy and rarely even seen, we have allowed them to continue to live on the island.”

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I felt as though I had “won the lottery”! If you had told me Unicorns live here, I wouldn’t have been more surprised.

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I also felt as though the wallaby was a “sign.” Perhaps it meant that I was “on the right track,” that I was “living right,” that it was my “lucky day,” or maybe that it was a really good idea for me to enter the American Small Business Championship contest!

My wallaby sighting and the ASBC contest might not be related to one another, but they will forever be linked in my mind. Because you see, I did win the contest.

I was named one of 102 American Small Business Champions!

Two small businesses from each state and the District of Columbia were chosen to receive the gift card and mentorship. I intend to make the most of this opportunity.

I will be watching for wallabies whenever I’m on the Likelike Hwy! The real wallabies are not as colorful as my “Lucky Rainbow Wallaby”, but they truly are even more adorable.