Watercolor Conversations with Cara Brown

Another episode exploring the challenge of time and attention for our creative work in our lives.  I take the "both-and" point of view in debates.  We do need to corral ourselves to get to our studios, *and* there are natural rhythms that directs all of life on earth.  What if we learn to really pay attention to ourselves and follow our inner direction?This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Trusting your own rhythm"  on March 1, 2017, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/march-1-2017-trusting-rhythm/" if you'd like to read what I wrote, and see the chart I made of my productivity!Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

This is a calendar time-specific episode, though the ideas are applicable for any time in life.  I wrote a journal entry in the spring of 2016 when I was in a place of sorrow that coinsided with Holy Week - between Palm Sunday and Easter.  I drew upon something I'd learned about a day that isn't talked about - Easter Saturday - for solace and for the reminder, the permission to honor my time of grief.   Having a creative practice is a form of the light of love that can transform our suffering.  My original writing, and a the painting I had just finished that was meaningful for me - to this time - can be found here:  https://https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/march-22-2016-easter-saturday.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

What is beauty - how is it part of life on earth?  And most importantly what is its impact on us - and does it matter?  These are the questions I ponder and muse upon in this episode.  The story of the restorative weekend that I told  in this epsode  came from this post: https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/my-art-and-process/august-16-2016-just-make-beauty.  It's where you can see a little photo collage in bright summer color - and read the whole story.  Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

I took inspiration from something that Martha Graham famously said.  Humans can be blessed by a certain unrest, by an inner disturbance, of sorts, that causes us to take action to make stuff happen in the world.  It had me clean up my studio, and it keeps me making one new piece of art after the next.  It also causes us to do all kinds of things, like tending to some aspect of brokenness in our beautiful world.   This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Blessed Unrest"  on September 27, 2017, which is here: https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/september-27-2017-blessed-unrest/,  if you'd like to read what I wrote and see a photo of my cleaned-up home studio.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

I'm here to support and encourage each of us to follow our own breadcrumbs towards our art.  There are strong opinions about whether or not making art based on photos ought to be done.  As with all aspects of art-making whether or not to use photos is up to each of us.  This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Photos or life - we get to decide"  on February 9, 2016, which is here: https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/february-9-2016-photos-life-get-decide,  if you'd like to read what I wrote and see some photos that give a peek into my Photoshop editing process.It was also inspired by a journal entry at the same time as I recorded this episode, where I show a few of my early paintings along with their reference images. https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/my-art-and-process/paintings-and-the-images-they-came-out-of-november-14-2023Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

I'm trying something different with this episode.  I thought I'd offer some "how it works" insights I have about the very basics of watercolor - the water!  There isn't a journal post from my website to point you to with the same general message.  Though some of the ideas that I share I first wrote about in a post on painting "fuzzy backgrounds" on June 14, 2017. https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/june-14-2017-learning-paint-fuzzy/I hope you enjoy!Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

Focusing - in order to get stuff done - is more natural for some of us than others.  In this episode I take a look at how this is and offer a point of view for those of us who lack the natural abiltiy to easily shut out the world - and the gift in this way of being.This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "When it's hard to focus"  on July 12, 2017, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/july-12-2017-hard-focus/" if you'd like to read what I wrote.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

The story behind the environment that has been created through gathering with watercolor artists and students  over these past dozen years - and how surrounding ourselves with this kind of support impacts the art we make.This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Like Potatoes on Mars"  on April 12, 2016, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/april-12-2016-like-potatoes-mars/" if you'd like to read what I wrote.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

Examining the "why" that has us do whatever we do is an interesting and potenitally powerful exercise.  I look at this idea with regard to what drives my/our painting efforts - with a little Henry Miller thrown in for fun and inspiration!This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Why make art?"  on March 29, 2017, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/march-29-2017-why-make-art" if you'd like to read what I wrote.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

In this episode I explore the relationship between our inner and outer rooms - that is the space inside that holds aspects of ourselves - especially our creative parts - and the places outside where we actually do our creating.  It's about creating and claiming space for what we are called to do.This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "A room of one's own"  on September 20, 2017, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/september-20-2017-room-ones/" if you'd like to read what I wrote and see photos of Sue's studio.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

I am a let's-get-personal-kind-of-person.  I am oriented subjectively - in pretty much all aspects of my life - but this is especially so in my art-making life.  In this episode I make the case for giving ourselves the permission to get as personal as we are so inclined in the how and what of our art.  This is the only way we can really speak with our visual voice.This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Painting the truth"  on March 15, 2017, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/march-15-2017-getting-personal/" if you'd like to read what I wrote and see the images that I refer to.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

Two incidents, two days in a row had me go looking for something I'd written, and wisdom I'd shared from other sources, that reminded me of the full story behind the protestations that arose in me from each of these two interactions.  This one has to do with whether or not we intentionally imbue our creations with messages, emotions, etc - and ultimately simply appreciating the magic of how our art is received by others.All of this was in a post that I published under the title "Painting the truth"  on May 17, 2017, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/may-17-2017-painting-truth/" if you'd like to read what I wrote - and to see the paintings that I refer to in this episode.  Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

It's been a busy, distracted and chaotic-feeling year so far. And I've not been painting much at all!  I went searching through my posts for inspiration and wisdom that *I* needed to hear in this moment to get re-connected with my painting-self.  I need a reminder of how it can be when painting is a heart-centered devotion, rather than something to check off the list.I found the reminder in a post that I published under the title "Fine tuning my promise to paint every day"  on March 8, 2016, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/march-8-2016-fine-tuning-my-promise-to-paint-every-day" if you'd like to read what I wrote.  Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

The illusion of light in our paintings is a magical thing.  Using just contrast of and dark and the subtleties of relative lights and darks in between, we can create a world.  In this episode, hear how in response to a short question, I came up with the four aspects of how it is that I (at least) create worlds of light in my paintings. Includes ideas from a post orignally published under the same title "Painting the Light" on May 31, 2017 which can be found  here:  https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/may-31-2017-painting-light/ This page includes photos of example paintings  and it's where you can read what I originally wrote.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

Color!  It's such a *deal* for those of us who make art.  It can variously be an obsession,  a challenge, a tool -  as well as a source of fear and/or curiosity.  I posit that each of us has some kind of relationship with it.   I myself am a self-professed color nerd and daily appreciator of it in my life.   In this episode I explore at least two aspects of color - our personal and unique relationship with it and the realities of working with it in the real world, in the process of making art.  Includes ideas from a post orignally published under the same title "The Two Faces of Color" on June 17, 2017 which can be found  here:  https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/june-7-2017-two-faces-color/  This page includes photos of example paintings  and it's where you can read what I originally wrote.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

Yes! We are related to our creations - our paintings for those of us who paint.  I outline some of the stages in these relationships in an amusing - but true - way.  And, I explore the practice and the value of the standard art critique - and how much it honors these relationships.Includes ideas from a post orignally published under the title "Our love affairs with our paintings" on August 30, 2016 here:  http://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/august-30-2016-love-affairs-paintings/ where you can see photos of example paintings  and read what I wrote.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

How I came to understand just what kind of artist I am - and let go of any idea that I'm not a real artist - for all those who are journalist-artists too!Orignally published under the title "I am a journalist!" on September 15, 2015 here:  http://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/september-15-2015-i-am-a-journalist/ where you can see photos and read what I wrote.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

Hear about the role that work and the energy to do work plays out in our lives and art-making - and learn a word in Croatian!Orignally published under the title "Renewing my Appreciation for Work" on March 17, 2015 here:  http://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/march-17-2015-renewing-my-appreciation-for-work/Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing

What I've come to believe about painting, learning, pursuing a creative endeavor - a little longer episode, with a couple of personal anecdotes.Originally published on my website under "About My Teaching"  here:  http://http://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/about/my-teaching/Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing

How inner and outer criticism plays in our creating - and in our relationships.  Orignally published under the title "On the way to Hallelujah" on October 28, 2014 here:  http://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/october-28-2014-on-the-way-to-hallelujahwhich includes pictures!Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing