Enrich Your Life--Be an Artist!

About the Book

This book is intended to remind you of what’s missing in this 21st Century, where “progress” is mandatory. Winning a multi-million dollar lottery is considered the answer to one’s wildest dreams. Oh what joy to have all that money to spend! They want to “have it all,” now that they can afford it. But what happens when they have it all? Is their life enriched? The sad reality is that the more they have to spend, the poorer they are. The race to be the envy of the “beautiful people of the world”—to have the finest home, a garage full of expensive cars, and other things that money can buy takes up all their time and attention. There is a detour around that traffic jam—through the countryside, where wide vistas, spectacular sunrises and sunsets can make you realize what really matters—things that cost nothing, but are sure to enrich your life. One way to accomplish this is to become an artist. “I can’t even draw a straight line,” you say. The ability to draw a straight line is undesirable. You don’t need a course in anatomy, architecture or landscaping to become an artist. As you learn, your awareness of everyday surroundings heightens. Little things you never noticed before fascinate you. You’ll marvel at the intricate design nature has created in the blossom of the most inconspicuous weed, let alone its showiest flowers. You’ll begin to feel more alive, a part of this wondrous creation, and expressing your feelings will come naturally. It’s like learning to ride a bike, or drive a car. Once you learn how, you don’t have to think about how to go about it. It’s second nature! I have chosen the medium of watercolor, primarily because it reminds me of a child running in a field, trying to get his kite in the air. Watercolor loves to run and play—let it! That’s when the most exciting blends of color and unexpected designs happen. In this book I have outlined the basics, including eighteen exercises to get you going. You’ll learn how to: .....Get all five senses involved. .....Sketch—plan a painting. .....Mix colors—learn how many combinations are possible from a few tubes of paint. .....Understand the sky—its constantly moving, ever changing atmosphere; how clouds have distinct shapes and sizes, continuously on the move, ever changing, much like the sea. .....Understand the land—characterized by what’s growing on it as well as under it. .....Understand rocks—how to show their weight in relation to size; their stability, the weathering they have faced. .....Understand trees—Like human beings, they have their own posture, attitude, and personality. .....Understand water—how it is both a mirror (in the distance) and transparent (in the foreground) showing what’s underneath. How much like the sky it is, constantly in motion as currents of air, or whatever sits in it or at its shore ripples its surface. .....Understand the ocean—how waves break on the beach, crash against rocks, cliffs and other objects. .....Understand buildings and other structures, the need for their foundations to be considered. You don’t paint the trim before you’ve built your house. .....Understand that everything has an “attitude” of its own. We realize human beings are unique; their individuality does not stop with their fingerprints—but we’re not alone in that respect. The tiniest flower tilts its head in a unique way. No two snowflakes are alike, nor are grains of sand; a single piece of popped corn has its own design. The list could go on and on, but sufficient ideas have been expressed that hopefully should convince you that understanding whatever you are trying to depict goes a long way toward knowing how to paint it. Come with me on this “Road to Expressionism.” It will enrich your life—guaranteed.

About the Author

Julie Abreau’s formal art instruction began at Wayne University in Detroit, Michigan, studying figure drawing. In California, she became active in art associations, stimulating her interest in painting. After experimenting with various mediums, she became enamored with watercolor, traveling in workshops throughout the world conducted by well-known watercolorists. Since 1992, she has taught watercolor, utilizing techniques learned from her instructors, flavored with her own philosophy on the benefits and joys of painting. Her students urged her to write this book. Hopefully, it will be of inspiration to them, as well as anyone interested in enriching their life.