"New Sky" is a painting I created in 2013, using acrylic on canvas, with the penguins illustrated on watercolor paper and glued onto the painted surface. To date, it's perhaps my most popular artwork. But few people know the story behind it, and what I've learned from this creative process. So here's a short blog post sharing this story.
In the middle of 2013, I was a member of an art group called Heartspace, founded and led by art therapist Joanna Tan. The group met almost every Saturday from 9am to 1pm to create art, share about our artwork and reflect upon the stuff behind it. The sessions were held in an art studio at a Catholic church, but it was open to all, and some of the regulars themselves were not Catholic. I loved the inclusiveness of this group, and that it brought people together through their love for creative expression and spiritual exploration. However, because I'm so not a morning person, the times I did show up were very few and far between.
One day however, I made an effort to get up early, gather my art materials (materials are provided at the studio but I like using my own stuff since I'm used to them), and took the 15-minute bus ride to the church. (Now that I think about it, it really wasn't much of a hassle for me to be there, which goes to show how lazy I am!) When I attend such sessions, I tend to approach the process with a blank slate mentality and allow things to just unfold according to some greater higher cosmic creative power. After a brief welcome and introduction by Joanna, we had 2 hours to create, then the last 45 minutes would be when we gathered to share about our creation.
I had no images in mind, so I browsed the photos in my iPad. I tend to collect photos that inspire me whenever I come across them, like through Facebook, Instagram, sometimes during my Google searches for reference images. That morning, it was this photo of a beautiful sunset that got my attention, and I honestly don't remember where I got it from so I'm not able to credit it to the photographer at this time. (If this photo belongs to you, let me know so I can link it back to you!)
Such a beautiful picture right?!
To me it's of a sunrise, the creation of a new sky, a clean slate, a brand new day, a fresh beginning. It evokes in me feelings of freedom, joy, and adventure, that anything is possible. I really wanted to recreate this, and as a self-taught artist who hadn't taken lessons on painting, I knew it was going to be a challenge. But nevertheless, since this sunrise makes me feel like anything is possible, here was my opportunity to attempt something outside of my artistic capabilities and comfort zone.
It took... a long while.. I did what I could in the 2 hours at Heartspace, but after that at home, I worked on this for perhaps a total of 10-15 hours over a few days. It was really outside of my comfort zone and abilities, as most of my painted works up to this moment were much simpler (as you can see in the paintings from my first solo exhibition a few months earlier). Secondly, this canvas was 18 x 24 inches and much larger than what I'm used to. So I struggled through this painting, getting discouraged by how unlike the photo it looked, and distracted by easier works, TV shows and Facebook stalking. I wanted to give up so many times, and finally I had to accept that I can only do the best I can, and even if it looks nothing at all like the photograph, as long as I'm happy with the result, it was complete. Strangely though, even when I declared that my sunrise was finished, it didn't look or feel finished to me. It was as if something was missing.
(Oops.. I don't have a picture of the sunrise painting without the penguins.. So, um, just use your imagination and keep reading..)
If you've seen the artworks from my first solo exhibition, you'll know that they tell a story of penguins who live in the clouds, fly across the sky, and pursue the things they are passionate about. After that exhibition, which was held in February 2013, I was working on my first children's book illustration project, and hadn't really done much painting for a while. So when mid 2013 came around and I picked up a canvas and paintbrushes again, I thought maybe it was time to create something else, something new, perhaps without penguins. Initially I had expected this sunrise painting to take me in a different direction, but as I stared at it, I had a hunch that perhaps the new beginning I needed wouldn't completely deviate from what I'd done before.
So I took out my watercolor paper, drew and colored 3 flying penguins, cut them out, and blu-tacked them on the sunrise just to have a look. And to my surprise, with the addition of these 3 penguins, the painting was and felt complete. That was when I realized that my little sky penguins weren't really going anywhere else just yet, that it was just the beginning, and there were many more of them to come.
Such freedom can be scary sometimes, because when possibilities are endless, you may not know where to begin, or even which direction to face. So here's a few things I've learned from this creative process that may help:
1. If you don't know where to begin, find a place to start.
I didn't know what I was going to paint that day at Heartspace. The idea that artists are always inspired is a myth. Most of the time, inspiration comes only when you go looking for it. Similarly in life, we sometimes have no answers, or too many options, and we get stuck and don't know what's next. As such it's always a good idea to keep a collection of images, quotes, writing, videos, books -- anything, really! -- that can inspire, prompt or remind you when you're uncertain of where to go.
2. When you've started and get overwhelmed or discouraged, work on it one small part at a time, and keep going.
Sometimes the direction we take may require certain skills or knowledge that we don't have, or we may get discouraged by the immense gap between where we're at and our destination. Keep going. Find a way to work at it one small portion at a time. Get help if you can. As a wise friend recently said to me, you can go as fast or as slow as you want, but the important thing is, you have to keep moving.
3. Learn to trust your gut when something doesn't "feel" right.
Call it intuition, or a weird feeling, or psychic or whatever.. if something doesn't feel right, pause and figure out exactly what that is. Try something different. Approach things from another angle. Don't discount anything until you find your answer. And trust that you will know when you've found it.
4. Practice, and practice consistently.
Good things come unexpectedly, and usually when you put in the time to do the necessary work. When it comes to art, doing the work means showing up consistently and creating, even when you don't feel like it, even when uninspired. When it comes to intentionally living your life, you need to consistently take time to be with yourself and connect to yourself. Now that I think back to it, I should have made it a point to attend those Heartspace sessions regularly, as a means to consistently create and express myself through art.
So what are you creating for your life today?
"New Sky" (2013) is still available at S$750.00. Chat with me at penguingirlart@gmail.com if you would like to take it home!
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