How to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

I have recently become a regular contributor for Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, a fantastic business blog for entrepreneurs. My first contribution was a tip on how to get your creative juices flowing. There are 20 tips in all (mine is #20). Have a look HERE.

You might want to browse the rest of their blog as well. They have some really useful information available.

Music Part II

Speaking of music, I got thinking the other day (always dangerous) about my childhood love of music. Isn't it funny how our childhood shapes the rest of our lives? Anyway, my mom told me that she used to play a tape of children's songs for me. She said that I would sit on the couch and listen to it over and over and over. Well, that got me thinking of the impact of music in our lives, and the kinds of music that we listen to.

So the next thing I do is pull out the trusty old keyboard and plug it in, determined to instigate an hour of music time into my daily schedule. My hour of music time was instantly taken over by my children. They had music time and I had a good laugh. They sat at my keyboard and pushed keys and buttons, laughing and giggling at all the funny noises it could make. Then they found the beat button and started bobbing their heads and dancing.

Eventually my baby had to go take a nap, and when she did, I got my music time. I haven't played the piano in so long that I was afraid I had lost it. It only took a few runs through a children's song (one of the same songs that I used to listen to) before I felt like I hadn't completely lost my abilities. Then I started to sing along to the music. I am not a good singer by any stretch of the imagination, but regardless of that fact, I love to do it. My three year old was playing with the shoes by the door (she likes to try them all on). After I had played all the verses to one of my favorite songs, I heard her little voice come at me from around the corner,

"One more time, Mom."

"What?" I asked, a little unsure of what she wanted.

"I need that one more time."

So I played and sang the song again for her, inwardly smiling and hoping that an hour of music every day would benefit more than just me.

Joseph Smith - The Final Take

Joseph Smith - $800.00
Oil on Canvas - 12 x 16
Copyright 2011 Dena McMurdie Studios

If you have been following my blog for the past several months (or years) you will remember that I have been working on a portrait of Joseph Smith. Actually, my plan was to do a series of three portraits, but we'll cross that bridge later.

This was a terribly difficult project to work on, because I had no living Joseph to sit in front of me and model. So I had to make do with his death mask, other artist's portraits of him, a clay bust I fashioned myself, and photographs of both my husband and the husband of a friend of mine. It was quite the trip. Once I had all my reference material collected, I set to work on getting a drawing done. Getting the drawing just right took much longer than I had anticipated. But once it was completed to a point where I felt that it resembled my subject accurately, I transferred it to canvas and got started painting. My first try at this painting was interesting. I was really happy as it started out, then as the painting progressed, I could tell that it wasn't going in the direction that I wanted it to. I continued to work on it for several days to see if I could still make it work. I couldn't.

I finally scraped off the excess paint on my canvas and primed it with gesso. I now have a blank white canvas that represents attempt #1.

And so I began attempt #2. In between attempts at Joseph, I painted this portrait of my husband in a traditional golfing outfit. During that experience, I realized that I had been using the wrong color of yellow to get the proper flesh tones that I wanted. So I started over on my Joseph project with a new canvas. I transferred the drawing, toned the canvas, and started painting. Once again, it started off well, and I was excited that the flesh tones seemed to be working out much better with my new yellow. Once again, as the painting progressed, I became less and less happy with it. This time, I didn't let the paint get completely dry. As soon as I knew that I wouldn't be keeping this painting, I once again scraped off all my hard work and gessoed over the evidence.

I now have a second white canvas that represents attempt #2.

I was so frustrated after my second attempt that I didn't touch my brushes for a week or two. During that time, I spent some time reading the Joseph Smith History and pondering over his personality. I came to realize that the Joseph was a simple man, and the gospel that he restored is a simple one. Why was I trying to include a bunch of unnecessary information (color and flesh tones for example) when a simpler, monochromatic color scheme would serve my purpose and suit the subject better? The vision in my mind suddenly became quite clear. In my mind's eye the color was eliminated from the painting, and I could see precisely how it should look.

With my new found vision for the painting, and the excitement that comes with it, I had to wait patiently until I could seize an opportunity to try the third attempt. My three year old decided to take a nap (hallelujah!). As soon as it was quiet, I raced to get started. I painted it, wiped it off, and painted it again. I kept painting and wiping until the image on the canvas matched the image in my head. I LOVE it when that happens! You can see the finished painting at the top of this post. (Insert sigh of relief here.) Now that image will stop haunting me and I can move on to the next one that is festering in that little noggin of mine.

Music

Song - 11 x 14
Oil on Canvas Panel
Copyright 2011 Dena McMurdie

Just the other day I was sitting in church with my little family, my 18 month old baby on my lap. When the choir got up to sing a musical number, my baby started to sway in time to the music. Before long, she began to sing as well. I found it quite darling, and got my husband's attention so that he could enjoy the moment with me. What I didn't know was that several other people were enjoying our moment too. We got multiple comments from people that were sitting near us about how adorable our baby was.

I have always loved music. I took several years of piano lessons while I was growing up and even though I don't play very well, I do enjoy playing. Pulling sensitive and emotional notes from a piano is a difficult yet rewarding thing to accomplish.

Music is an interesting thing. It has the power to move people and to touch their hearts and minds in a way that just isn't possible in any other method. Have you ever been inspired by a song? Have you ever heard a piece of music that made you want to be a better person? I have. There are times when I get caught up in the feeling of the song and I start to sway without knowing it. Sometimes I close my eyes and let the music wash over me, pulling me to a better place. It is always a little sad when the song ends and I have to come back to reality.

A few years ago, I was listening to the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If you have never listened to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, you should. Words fail me when I try to describe that choir. As I listened to the rise and fall of the harmonized voices of the large choir, I felt the desire to somehow paint the song they were singing. I didn't know if it were possible, but I wanted to try. The abstract painting above, "Song" is the product. I don't often create abstract artwork, but every now and then, an abstract concept is the perfect medium to express my message.

Family Photos

Last weekend we had our family pictures taken. We went out to Alviso Marina County Park and a very talented photographer and friend of mine took our photographs. We were so happy with the results! She is a fantastic photographer of families and little children. She kept our kids entertained and smiling the entire time. If you live in the Bay Area, you will definitely want to check her out. Her website is www.christinabrunk.com

A Blast From the Past

Take a little walk down memory lane with me today. It's fun to get nostalgic and look back on art created by a much younger me. ;)

During high school, I worked with a new father. Shortly after I graduated, I started work on this drawing of him and his baby. I got to the point that you see here and had to quit when I moved down the States to start college. It sat in my high school portfolio for several years until the baby showed up in my mom's school classroom (Grade Five, or for the Americans reading this, Fifth Grade). My mom recognized the boy's name and asked him who his parents are. She then called me to see if I still had this drawing, and if I would be willing to give it to the family so that they could enjoy it. After all, it has been sitting in my high school portfolio, stuck between my painting of a blue jay and a copy of a National Geographic Magazine. I didn't see the point in keeping it, so while my parents were here visiting, we fashioned a cardboard tube to transport it back to Canada.

My mom located the boy's parents and let them know about the drawing. They were overjoyed to receive it! They were very touched that we went through so much trouble to get the piece to them. As for me, I am just happy that it is finally with it's rightful owner.