Hello to those following my blog! After people complained that they were not getting my posts, I did some investigating, consulted with someone who knows more than I do about computers (the field is vast), and finally discovered that I have been putting my blog onto a static page and not making “posts” that would actually get sent to people. Oh.
So I will post my blog entries to date, starting from its inception this April. I’ll send them every week or so until I catch up with the present; I don’t want anyone to feel overwhelmed with emails! Just skip them if it seems like too much to read.
Welcome to my blog. (finally)
April 10, 2014
Finally, finally, finally I am actually starting a real blog! I have been inspired by participating in Kat Sloma’s “Liberate Your Art” project. Kat is a photographer in Oregon, and she has been organizing this event for years, but this is the first time I have participated. What fun! You make five postcards of your art (I took photos and taped them to card stock), then mail those with postage and self-addressed mailing labels to Kat. She (with the help of twenty of her best friends, I hope!) mixes them, and sends them out again, so that each participant gets half a dozen postcards over a period of three weeks, five from various artists and one from Kat.
Kat asks that you include a message of encouragement on your postcard, so lucky me, I got six messages of encouragement! And this happened during Vermont’s Mud Season, when we need all the encouragement we can get. The timing could not have been better. For three weeks, I happily looked forward to the mail on Mondays and Thursdays, knowing there would be something other than bills and junk mail.
Making art can be an isolating undertaking. I have the good fortune of frequently painting in the company of an artist friend or two, and it makes a huge difference to have the company of someone else engaged in the creative process, even if we are mostly silent while painting. In addition, I am new enough at art to need regular feedback, and my painting companions have been generous with it. As we have gotten more comfortable together, our comments have been less tentative (“You may disagree, but….”) and more forthright (“I think you should put some red here!”). We trust that we are each perfectly capable of disagreeing. The artistic vision belongs to the artist, and there is no arguing with that. In my experience, it’s awfully hard to improve at something unless you have someone else occasionally telling you what you did right and where to correct course. I am grateful that I have that.
A foot of snowpack still here in north central Vermont. But the first of my snowdrops are blooming (where I strategically planted them next to the foundation of the house), so hope is in the air. I hope you enjoy my blog!
marciahillart 
Marcia, thank you. I love your creative energy and work. Brene Brown, a shame researcher, says that everyone who has learned to manage shame so it doesn’t manage them has a creative outlet. Without creativity in our lives we are more vulnerable to shutting down out of shame.
Your a good model for me to find creativity in my life.
This is great and your art is wonderful. I love the postcard idea!
I love postcards, as you know – which used to be the cheapest, most amusing way to communicate with those far away – and even though it isn’t anymore, I still am very fond of them. Anyway, all by way of saying I love this idea of the artists postcards. How cool. David Smith, a very good painter who lives in Plainfield, has been sending his painting postcards from the Florida Keys by way of FACEBOOk, and they’ve been a pleasure to see. I can’t figure out how I sign up for your blog, however.
Hi, Michele! When you first come onto my website, you will see a small button
labelled “follow” in the lower right corner. Depending on your computer, it might not even be on the actual web page. Click on that. Hope it works for you!
Marcia
Ah, did it.
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You got some beautiful cards in the mail!
Lovely to meet you through the swap and Happy Easter from England x
beautiful cards you received, I have most of the same ones as you, and one of those is mine!
Nice collection of cards. Enjoyed this swap very much and the blog hop, so much good art!
Those are so pretty. It’s a fun event.
This was my second year to participate. Great selection of cards you received. I’m enjoying the Blog Hop — seeing even more of the marvelous cards that were sent. Looking forward to 2015!
this was fun wasn’t it! Hope to see you in next year’s swap:)
You got some wonderful cards this year.
I got one of yours Marcia. I love it. http://krismcneilphotography.com/2014/04/16/art-liberated/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Looks like we got a couple of the same pieces. Lucky us! See you next time. xo
Love the cards you received…so beautiful! I can’t wait until next time!! See you then!
It is so much fun seeing all the art that was liberated! You got a great set.
Your landscapes are terrific! And I LOVE your sunflowers and the tulip! Sure do hope to see you in the swap next year! Happy creating, and learning to you!
Postcards and blog looking great!
So interesting about what the next steps are. Yes, who knew one could learn this and learn more. I am touched? impressed? moved? all of these by your sharing, your learning.
Hello Marcia
I have just read your essay in ‘Retiring but not shy’ and found it so inspiring! I am about to turn 61, and have 5 more years of full time employment, so retirement is in my mind and I am preparing for it emotionally and financially (the latter more difficult!). I have ideas of what I would like to do and how I would like my retirement to be. I, too, have rediscovered art and found a studio where I can learn and enjoy the encouragement of other artists. At present, my enthusiasm far exceeds my ability. I live in South Africa.
Hi, Linda — I wish you well in your retirement. It’s a huge life change, and an amazing thing to “own” your life in a way that most of us have not since preschool. As to art, I will pass along the advice given to me, which is to just keep doing it. And I would add that art is meant to be shared, so put it out into the world even if it’s scary. Best of luck!
How cool to hear from someone in South Africa – gee and wow – I would add that I’m impressed that Marcia started with a group of herself and two other women doing painting and that, I think, helped a lot at the beginning. Yes? No? Anyway, I’m following her lead and have two writing groups – being pre-retired, myself.
Yes, it helped HUGELY to have a small group for company and critique and encouragement. More about that in another blog!