Kwan writes: “To tell the truth, when I paint most likely I paint landscape. When I do landscapes, I do abstract landscapes. Like my Chinese brush painting, my landscapes are constructed by colors and brushwork. It means to be pure fiction or fantasy related forms. Quite often, I finish a landscape by adding a small human figure in it. This has become my signature almost. The human figure fits into the abstract picture and brings back memories of this real world. Like magic, the painting would turn from nothing to something that really makes sense. The forms in the creation then are recognizable and can be identified. All kind(s) of elements in nature then emerge on the paper. Each painting has a world of its own."

This is a painting of the seashore at Point Loma, San Diego overlooking the Pacific Ocean. One day we took a short walk down from the Light House to have a closer look at the ocean waves. Standing near by the waves surged and hit against the black rocks along the shoreline. It made the punching noise each time. The wind was blowing hard and cold, none the less the view was great and gave me a lasting impression.

ABOUT MARY TODD BEAM'S VIDEO WORKSHOP:

"Excellent!...Your video is great! I find myself using many of your artistic magic in my art."--Bob H., Syracuse, NY

"Fabulous! Instuitive! Inspiring! You are a delightful person and teacher. I loved the spilled black gesso paint & your reaction!"--Pamela K.

"Wow! This will be a valuable teaching and learning tool for me."--Amy E., Bedford, TX

"Just great! In fact it was wonderful & so informative."--Lu D. Tojoyo, Canada

"It is excellent video...Feels almost like you're at home with me. Excellent teaching too!"--Martha R, Roanoke, VA

IN STOCK: Mary Todd Beam / Susan Bourdet / Betty Carr / Janie Gildow / Hugh Greer / Polly Hammett / Claudine Hellmuth / George James / Kwan Jung / Jan Kunz / Mark Mehaffey / Leo Monahan / Judy Morris / Craig Nelson / Arleta Pech / Ann Pember / Penny Soto

UPCOMING ARTISTS: Carrie Burns Brown / Cheng-Khee Chee / Sean Dye / Terry Isaac / Martha Saudek / Ted Nuttall

Mary Todd Beam says one ingredient of art is to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. In this film Mary finds artistic subject matter in an everyday garage sale. She shows you how to look for good design, how to balance out design elements, simplify your subject, unify your painting and make it our own using painting skills, in contrast to drawing skills. You will learn how to progress from a simple line drawing to texturing a surface, layering transparent and opaque fluid acrylics and add line work on top. Catch Mary’s light hearted enthusiasm for the process and discover more of your creative self!

Mary Todd Beam is a two-time American Watercolor Society Gold medal winning artist, popular teacher and author of 'Celebrate Your Creative Self.' She helps her students break down old barriers to creativity, experiment with new materials, all while enjoying the process. (Approx. 72 min. VHS + a few DVD's in clear plastic covers are still available.)

WARNING: This video has freed up many artists to relax, loosen up and enjoy painting in new ways. It is NOT one of her symbolic painting workshops.

It is a rare artist who doesn’t, at some point, experience creative block. It can be incredibly frustrating if not worse. I think it comes from a variety of sources, not the least of which is the occasional sense of self doubt about our abilities. I thought you might be interested to see how the different artist’s handle the dreaded CB. Here are a few:

JUDY MORRIS staves off the block by always leaving something on her drawing board ready to go for the next day’s work.

CLAUDINE HELLMUTH strives to keep her art and creative process fun. If CB comes her way, she jumps into texturing backgrounds until one ‘calls out’ to her.

CHENG-KHEE CHEE has a well established reserve of resource materials, sketches and studies he has accumulated over the years. He says it is like money in the bank.

JAN KUNZ also has resource materials in the form of well organized photographs. She pours over them until one catches her eye. New ways of blending background into foreground or a design idea makes photos passed over before suddenly look interesting.

CRAIG NELSON said he has so many commissions and teaching demands he doesn’t have time to have CB.

MARY TODD BEAM has her own resource book that contains ideas, words and phrases she has collected for just such a CB occasion. She also has unresolved paintings stacked around her studio waiting for a fresh eye to see a resolution.

Generally, the artists say it is important to keep one’s art fresh and interesting. Attending museums and galleries, trying new techniques and materials all help keep the CB at bay. As CLAUDINE HELLMUTH says, “Make fun stuff!” I’d say, “Keep making stuff, fun.”

Cheers, Lynn

If you are unsatisfied with any purchase from our website, for any reason, just return it within 10 days and we will refund 100% of your purchase price (not including s&h). We will always replace any defective Creative Catalyst Video or DVD free of charge, no matter where you purchased it. - Jim & Lynn Powers -