On being an artist

 

A great painter will know a great deal about how he did it, but still he will say, 'How did I do it?' The real artist's work is a surprise to himself (Robert Henri)

Robert Henri was an American artist and teacher who wrote this over a hundred years ago. Most of his teaching was by post. His students would mail their work to him and he would reply with his comments and encouragement. He kept records of all this correspondence over the years and they are collated in his famous book 'The Art Spirit'

The artist and creativity coach Peter Moolan-Feroze recently wrote on Linkedin, about how on one of his creativity workshops (I'm sure on most), his business students had entered another world, one  of absorption as they painted, a kind of empty timeless space where creativity flowed though into their group paintings; images emerging as if by magic which surprised them and made them feel happy.

This painting of mine above, is a good example of the meaning of Robert Henri's comment.

 I'd been simply musing in my studio, listening to music and fiddling about mindlessly, and this painting, which I'd painted six months ago, caught my eye, I took it off the wall and sat it on my lap and decided to read it like a story. 

 If you look to the top, a bit to the right , you'll see a man, maybe an angel, in a blue cave being discovered or even rescued by a white dog. And it shocked me to realise that I have been for ages mourning for my dog Bessie who died some years back. And I have yearned to have another one. I have tried helping out in kennels to compensate, but it breaks my heart to see such sadness in their eyes

Then at the bottom middle of the painting, you'll see a bunch of colour shapes which my artist friend in Santiago, Mariana Fassnidge describes as follows

'I don't know what you will make of my very first impression of this painting....it is about your childhood (left at the bottom I see a child standing back to me and holding a string of kites, colours, happiness...and behind that lovely world something black and strong is covering the blue sky'.

I honestly cannot recall painting an angel and a dog, and nor of being, until now, conscious of  the images which Mariana sees.

And I don't know where all these possible stories and ingredients come from when they are gifted to artists. So, in the meantime I can decide it is from a Muse, or some Greek God of Creativity, or the Universe, pouring stories and images into our unconscious minds, probably as we sleep.

I'm sure that this ia a phenomenon which all artists, painters, writers, poets, etc experience often, if not always; soaking it all up and running with it; manifesting it in some form or other and putting it together out there into life.

Painting as story telling

 Lighting the Dark

Michael

michaeleldridgestudio.com

Walking back to childhood

But I know that, when I paint, time stops, and I travel to a place that is not this planet; I dance on the winds of the Universe'

Kreeg Zeuas

Lovely that.

I told a story to our group of artists last weekend about when I ran a photography workshop in the west of England. And when one participant, an eminent photographer, had guffawed at my request for the group to go out and only take photos of things that asked them to. He was waiting for me when I returned to the studio with anger in his eyes but I got in first and asked 'How old were you when your parents told you not to waste your time playing but to get back to your studies and learn?

Were you maybe seven years old?

He burst into tears and sobbed.

As did a lady sitting next to me in my art group this week.

So, there it is. We have to track back and find (it is never really lost) the child within us.

michaeleldridgestudio.com

 

August heat, thoughts and invitations

The morning finds me at our local beach doing my Ci Kung. It's 07.00 and warming up fast and soon hitting 40C, they say, by midday

One of the reasons I don't hold workshops in August here in Le Marche, is because of the extreme heat throughout the Province, and the added danger in being out in the sun at high altitudes at Cittadella our mountain retreat in the Sibillini National Park

And this summer it's exceptional and going for a cool morning swim is my way of coping and I'm on my way home within an hour where my studio is bearable with AC and all,

Those of you who practice Ci Kung or Tai chi, would know that it is not just a physical exercise but also a way of awakening the entire body of a morning, the heart and brain in particular- It is also a time to practice right breathing and to open all the senses; all these things together clearing the mind of clutter.

It is how we begin our mornings at my workshops and I am daily reminded of the words of the American teacher and painter Robert Henri 120 years ago

'The object isn't to make art

it's to be in that wonderful state

which makes art inevitable'

So we make art, of course we do, but, if I teach anything at all, it is what it is to be an artist, and how to arrive at this state.

You could say, 'I simply light the blue touch paper, and then sit back and watch.

And you're probably thinking 'Sounds pretty easy to me'

And sometimes it is and sometimes it's not

It depends

It depends on how deeply inside a person's mental cupboard the creative child has been locked.

A child which is beseeching to be released.

There, I've  already said to much

Best advice?

Join my next workshop at Cittadella in September 😀

It's Italy

It's when the mountain storms begin and when the streams and waterfalls gush with water again

It's where the landscape is breathtakingly beautiful

Where Silvio, the owner, and his staff are such kind people and treat us as family

Where we go on visits locally everyday, to hot pools, waterfalls, to Sanctuaries

Where we work in our outdoor studio on afternoons

Where we delight in tasting the very best traditional Italy food and wine.

And (most importantly) where we create exceptinal art, in an atmospere of freedom and fun.

You can read lots more about me on my website

Where you'll find my my blogs, paintings and podcasts.

Here is a painting created by Raquel Ferrer and myself , on a one2one a couple of weeks back, as a present to Silvio for his kindness,

And here is a recommendation by Raquel recalling the experience

'Thank you Michael for sharing these days with me, showing me how to create a powerful bubble - choosing what to bring and let in, and what to leave out - And thank you for introducing me to the world of Chi Kung and so much more.
I enjoyed playing in colours and giving myself full permission to be an artist. I have found my fun mindfulness - I can stay focused, and I can completely forget about the external world and noise when I paint - and I love it!'

Details

Next workshop dates September 5 to 11

Cost of workshop E190

Cost of accomodation at Cittadella from B&B to half board E35 to E75  per day (depending on whether share or single option).

Number in group limited to 12

Contact Michael for any questions you may have; micermice@gmail.com, 

Tel. whatsapp +39 3283535358

My very best wishes and I hope very much you can join us in September

Michael

An extraordinary experience

 Last night I was sitting in my garden at midnight watching a thunderstorm's uncertainty of direction in the eastern sky; whether to head our way or not. It was hugging the coastline, and probably drawn to the sea and unloading the rain we so desperately need here. Our cats were rolling around and bouncing onto one another expecting to be rained upon and soaked so that they could be dried afterwards (their favourite funtrip)

All this after a dinner party, illustrated by the lightning, with friends from Australia and Padova.

And this only five days before the night of the shooting stars, stelle cadente, or San Lorenzo and a celebration, a fiesta in town.

Do you believe in serendipity?

Say you do!

Flashes of light in the darkness

Just two months back I found myself trying to photograph fireflies at nightime, first with an iPhone (unsuccesful) and then with my old Nikon (equally so, but got a few pics before falling into a ditch)

And this is where the serendipity kicked in.

I googled how to photograph fireflies and got

A TED talk about fireflies (fascinating)

And a link to a group called Fireflies; (see below) and to a lady named Raquel Ferrer, whom I saw had already signed up to a one2one creativity session with me here down in Le Marche, Italy.

Which we did together just a week ago. at our retreat in Cittadella.......and.......well......it was just great. 

Explain!

Well, you know that feeling you get when there are just five gaps left on a jigsaw, and you swiftly put four in and you see that you're missing just one piece?

And then you rush around in panic searching everywhere for two days, under carpets, under sofas, inside cupboard drawers …. and then you find it in the puzzle box just lying there looking at you.

And you joyously click it into place. It's that feeling.

And then... A couple of days after our one2one at Cittadella, Raquel sent me this testimonial on Linked in about our time together

An Extraordinary Experience.

Surprise.
Acceptance.
Resilience.
Letting Go.
Breathing In.
Kindness.
Self-awareness.
Bravery.
Honesty.
Fun.
Laughs.
Breakfasts.
Cappuccinos.
Pasta, pasta and more pasta :)
Antipasti & melon.
Ginger.
Naps.
Compassion.
Risks.
New Projects.

Life.
Nature.
Discovery.
Chaos.
Joy.
Art.
Painting.
Playfulness.

Some time off in Italy, reflecting and creating from nature. Building harmony within and thinking about how important structure and freedom are for some of us.

Thank you Michael Eldridge for sharing these days with me, showing me how to create a powerful bubble - choosing what to bring and let in, and what to leave out - And thank you for introducing me to the world of Chi Kung and so much more.

I enjoyed playing in colors and giving myself full permission to be an artist. I have found my fun mindfulness - I can stay focused, and I can completely forget about the external world and noise when I paint - and I love it!

Now, this post is complete.

Those are my words!

G R A C I E M I L L E ! :) :) :)

And this is the painting we did together on the final day of our one2one

So, this is really a blog about serendipity and kindness and crosswords, but also about all the wonderful things that are out there once we unclutter our minds and enter the clear and fabulous river of creativity

Michael,

For info about workshops in Italy and One2Ones..

michaeleldridgestudio.com

Or contact micermice@gmail.com

tel; +39 3283535358

The weather forecast

 

As a kid, I was fascinated by meteorology.

I would catch a tube to the met office, just off Tottenham Court Road and just hang around peering at weather charts and would never miss the evening forecast at five to six.

And so it continues to this day. Currently I'm following the climatic fortunes of a friend who is on holiday in Iceland and warn him when to wear ear muffs when the Arctic air blasts in from the Pole.

Still awake?

OK, now after a balmy, sunny beach time meeting near Pedaso, followed by dinner at a Chalet restaurant with my Art friends, I couldn't help but notice the signs in the sky and sea of a serious change in the weather. This I mentioned to my friends, but they blanked out (I know the look).

And sure enough, the very place where we were sitting was whacked by a tempest the following day, yesterday. The coastline was blanketed with an ice storm and severe damage and and we, further inland, had torrential rain with part of our road washed away.

So, you may ask, why this obsession?

Answer is, I don't know. Closest I can get by explanation, is that nature is in control and I prefer this to the wreckage wrought by human beings. And did you see that photo in this morning's Guardian of a young girl with her head in her hands sitting on the stump of a three hundred year old oak tree, cut down to make way for a new road? A tragedy. No wonder the planet gets angry with us and blasts us in it's fury?

Anyway, the painting above was painted a few days ago and in its simple way is an image of the above mentioned storm. Most of my work now is about weather, forests, rivers etc, and I often foresee things which happen days, sometimes weeks before they occur. I suppose it's being in tune in some mysterious way.

I'm running a couple of art/Nature workshops art/Natureworkshops in early September in the Sibillini mountains here in Le Marche. It's a time when the storms begin, after the heat of August, and they are amazing to experience then rocking the landscape about. 

Be great if you can come along

Michael; micermice@gmail.com

Warmer nights for lady fireflies

 

The female fireflies are not visible at night because they are dark in colour, and anyway, it has been too cool for them to emerge from wherever they hide during the day. And so, the males with their flashing lights don't bother to fly out either. But today temperatures will rise to 27C and we can expect a super display and  I'll be out there to to film it, I promise.

And you know, whatever Nature offers us, in the forests, by the rushing streams, watching and listening to birds, and fellow creatures; breathing the air swept down from mountain peaks, it is she who lifts us to that state of absorption where our art and creativity become inevitable.

And we become one with nature, because at our most human, this is what we must truly aspire to.

My Art and Nature workshops in the Sibillini National Park in Italy recommence in September, and you can find out more and how to book a place, on my website below or email me at micermice@gmail.com

www.michaeleldridgestudio.com

The fireflies are returning!

 

I was working late in my studio yesterday evening and it was dark when I got home and walked to open the front door. At this moment there was a bright flash in front of me and I took it to be from a car driving on a hill above the house. But the flashing light whizzed over my head and I knew it was a first arrival welcoming me to a month of wonder. Yes, the fireflies have arrived, and day by day now they will multiply in number and we will all be in the thrall of their magic, taken away and invited to dance with them and be enriched by this powerful connection with nature.They are like little silent messengers, becoming us, beseeching us, to return to the garden of Life

And all those precious memories come flooding back of the years I have lived in Italy; always in the countryside, in the clean air of the Adriatic where I live now, or in the mountains of the Sibillini Park, where I spent many years.

Memories of walking with friends and with my animals through woods and forests, seeing the reflection of their lights in the dark eyes of my dog Bessie as she is jumped amongst them barking with happiness.

Tonight when I am home I will venture out to the bottom of the garden where they gather and dance about, and I will attempt to photograph or video their performance an add it to this blog

If you are interested in joining one of Michael's Art and Nature weekends in Italy, you can contact him at micermice@gmail.com

More info on his site michaeleldridgestudio.com