Creativity is the access to the center of the soul. When I paint, I connect with my feelings and let the canvas and the paint interact with them to develop into the creation of expression. I have no idea what is going to be exposed in this process. To get into the space, I set up my canvas and paint. Then I turn on the music and go into meditation. As I proceed in this process, I see no right […]
Up until recently, I painted whatever I wanted to paint, whenever I wanted to paint it. Inspiration for me has never been an issue. All I have to do is look outside my window at all the glory of nature and I am off and running. I love the process of putting paint to canvas, and I feel a strong connection to each and every one of my paintings. I always sense that I have left a piece of my […]
Fusionart is the merging of opposites. We take our internal extremes and coax them into a single artistic purpose. As an artist, one is charged with the responsibility of creating. The process is one of letting the power flow through you and not blocking the creativity. As we paint, the brush, the canvas and the spirit lead the way. When your mind is in charge, you try to make something happen. Therein lies the difficulty; you are trying to force […]
The Universe is a Fusionartist. From the beginning of time, the Universe imbued the Earth with color. Every tree, every flower, every animal and rock has hue and shade to distinguish it. Can you imagine if the world had been created without color? It is as though the Universe realized that mankind would respond creatively to all the colors in nature. When I look at a tree and see the movement of the leaves, I am always impressed with how […]
At the August Fusionart retreat, I had the most fun painting that I can ever remember. My old friend Mehrdad and I spent the day just playing. Free from structure and restrictions, we painted without trying to make anything happen. We were creating the process of creating. The work just flowed, and the fun and laughter abounded. Mehrdad and I talked so much that I was afraid Rassouli, our teacher, was going to through us out of the class. When […]
Maybe Bonnie should call the class “Anyone Can Teach!” I wasn’t sure how to prepare for the class, and this got me to thinking about how I approach painting and how I have developed my process over time. Here’s what I figured out about myself: Early in my career, I had a lot to learn. I studied with Rassouli and Fusionart and learned the things I needed to know. Now I am at the point in my art where the […]
This painting is the collaboration of two old friends who were surprised to discover that they shared a passion for art. I have known Mehrdad Dabbagh for 18 years, but in a completely different context – the world of business. I really did not know Mehrdad’s spirit until I met him in one of Rassouli’s classes three years ago. No one can describe the expression on his face when he first saw me in the art class. It was like […]
My fellow Fusionartist Diane Bulgatz painted this thought-provoking and serenely engaging work. It is called “The Quest”. I was looking at Diane’s painting this week and was struck by the fact that it captures my own recent journeys of the soul. My quest has been one of letting go. This week my life has been a case study in letting go of the past. I had a garage sale and sold off numerous old, unwanted items. Why I had felt […]
There are times when I just don’t feel like painting. I don’t know what to paint, and I lack the energy to commit creation to canvas. These times can last from a day to two months. My mind starts to wonder if I have lost the desire or the talent to paint. My mentor, Rassouli, says that I am building up bewilderment. It feels like a teakettle. You don’t sense much happening as it simmers along on the stove. Then […]
The process of creating is not exact. Art occurs in its own time. When you create something, you begin to fall in love with it before it ever exists. The creative process; the thinking, the experimentation, the starting over – all these are part of the joy of artistic endeavor. Sometimes inspiration comes fast and sometimes it comes slow. The trick is to not impose your own expectations on the result. As an artist, you are merely the vehicle for […]