Patience Derived From Paintings and Portraiture

Painting a portrait has its moments. Seriously. It takes focus, endurance, committment and most importantly patience.

Of course this is also true for anything worthwhile. However, when depicting an image that is meant to convey a true likeness of a person or persons-- it can be a real challenge.

It seems that pre-conceived ideas of how things should be doesn't necessarily match the way things actually are. I have learned this lesson many times.



This is where discipline has to rule supreme. Many times I am struck with the impulse to simply abandon the work and quit. It just ain't workin' for me. That's the easy way out. However, it is precisely at those moments where I have learned from experience to just dig my heels in deep and stay the course. The work will be finished no matter what sort of alterations or efforts are required.



Yeah.


Easier said than done.


Whether it be for a piece of art, an interpersonal relationship, or especially in a business setting, it is tough to marshall your forces in order to "keep on keeping on". It is also tough to abandon my natural prejudices and faulty paradigms based on whatever limited experience I may have.



Yet, it is wise to do so with an open mind.






Having a natural bias on how I think things should be positioned within a painting is costly (in countless hours... How do I know that?). Just surrendering to the process and truthfully depicting the images as they are rather than how I believe they should be is a time and stress saving simplification.













The picture will reveal itself if you are patient. If you stay true to the original image it will emerge. Patience brother patience. I have come to believe that talent plays a relatively minor role in all accomplishments. Whether it be in the arts, athletics or indeed even business-- it is persistence, accurate self appraisal, and most importantly patience that is the most crucial component in ensuring success.












It's a human trait to want to abandon something if it is creating frustration, if it is getting too tough-- or it just ain't workin' the way we want it to.







I guess that's what being a grown up entails-- seeing something through to its completion. Man that takes patience...

Here's the really cool part though: If the final result (which happens more often than I care to admit) is a failure or it sucks, then I hopefully will have learned something and will come back stronger, wiser, and more resourceful.

Patience is a virtue.

Simple and Tasteful

Now that the festive season is upon us in full swing it is time to entertain guests, attend get-togethers, be merry, –and of course- eat with wild abandon. Anyone who has even a nodding acquaintance with me will assert that I’m always up for the eating part. Needless to say, food preparation is an integral part of the festivities…
This daunting task for those that are unfamiliar with the stove and kitchen need not be so cumbersome.

Take comfort. Simplicity rules supreme.

I believe cooking is very much like painting or playing music. It is an art that is most effective with greater universal appeal whenever the fundamental basics are adhered to.

Here’s a basic dish that can prepared without much fanfare and indeed even made with leftovers:

Chop up some fresh green onions, a clove of garlic, and one green pepper into bite sized pieces. Pour this with a little extra virgin olive oil into a non stick pan and slightly heat on the stove.

Grab a few slices of pre-roasted pork loin roast and place in the pan after the green peppers have been sautéed for a few minutes...

Once the meat is heated up, grab some fresh basil (preferably still attached to the roots!) and chop up to place on top of the meat.

Turn off the heat and sprinkle on some sea salt. The flavours of the meat, peppers, onions, garlic, and a touch of basil will combine perfectly for a dish that will have your guests asking for more during and after the holiday season. It’s just that simple.

Randy Couture Is Simply Amazing

Man. I watched the Couture vs Vera matchup last nite on Spike. Wow.

Regardless of the somewhat controversial judges decision-- Wow.

Dude is over 46 years old!

Randy Couture is simply amazing.

He is intelligent, articulate, a thorough gentleman, and one hell of an incredible athlete.

Oh yeah... did I mention that he is 46 years old?

The fact that he is a legitmate competitor in the sport of elite and world class MMA is impressive enough.

He is an excellent ambassador for the sport of mixed martial arts.

It just goes to show that if you work hard, maintain self discipline, take care of yourself, and show genuine respect for yourself and others, you can achieve great heights in whatever it is that you want to accomplish.

Well done Randy!

The Importance of Friendships

Like iron sharpens iron- so does a good man sharpen another good man.

This simple paraphrasing from King Solomon's Proverbs contains a great deal of truth.

Last night I went out for a coffee with a couple of really good friends. Typical guy talk ensued as good natured ribbing and obvious observations were voiced with loud macho bravado.

Perhaps all men are prone to maintain the maturity of a seventeen old - we just mask it well (or so we think! hahaha)...

Here's the thing though:

The importance of having a good friend that you respect, admire and trust, cannot be over-emphasized.

A true friend will keep you accountable, give honest and sincere feedback, and accept you for who you are without the harsh judgement (or maybe with the harsh judgement if appropriate).

I strongly believe that I am less prone to make foolish choices and/or engage in questionable behaviour that would clash with the values I have come to appreciate, the more I maintain and connect with true friends.

Just like how a garden must be tended to with diligence and dedication over a considerable amount of time, so too are friendships.

"Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation." That's what George Washington said. He was right. In addition, he said that everybody can't be your friend either... "Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. "

Painting: A Metaphor For Life.

Geez. What a cheezy blog title.











But it is true.

I have been a painter for most of my life.


From childhood scribblings on the wall to the self indulgent and admittedly pretentious commissions on canvas (ego is a bad thing-- I wish I had a "Simon Cowell" or "Chef Ramsay" -like-critic overlooking my constant endeavours and properly putting me in my place. I don't mean to be self deprecating but a harsh and honest reality check will sharpen the skill set and temper the soul).



Whenever I start a piece, I ALWAYS have preconceived notions and prejudices as to how the image SHOULD look like as opposed to how it ACTUALLY looks like.



What?


What I mean is that I have
notions as to where the eyes of the image should be placed, what proportions should be employed with the body of the model, how the spatial relationship of the background comes in to play etc.


When I rely exclusively on my own ideas the painting invariably comes across as a distorted image.

The same holds true for other matters-- such as life itself.

Whenever I am challenged with a setback, disappointment, or even a dispute, my first reaction is to bombard the challenge with my willpower in order to make things conform as to how I think things SHOULD be.

This results usually in an equally distorted outcome. Just like the painting.



There are well known practices that artists use when portraying an image. For example, holding the piece up to a mirror which magically reveals imperfections, turning the piece upside down for an unbiased look from another angle, and even leaving the work alone for a couple days to renew your perception on the work with a fresh set of eyes.

These tips are great suggestions in how I should approach other issues...





Perhaps in holding up the mirror to myself, so to speak, I get an honest reflection as to how my role needs to be adjusted. Turning things upside down and revisiting the challenge from another angle may provide a clearer and larger view of what needs to be done. Leaving something be for a couple of days before addressing an issue will usually refresh and enhance a balanced point of view.








Yeah.

Cheezy analogy.


But it does work.





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Empathy Instilled Via A Margarine Container...

WHAT?

Last week I sprained my back.

Ouch.

Here's the thing though -- I wasn't doing anything exciting in the actual "spraining" part of this experience.

I wasn't at a rodeo. I wasn't grappling in a ju-jitsu competition. I wasn't skydiving. I wasn't doing anything remotely macho or devil may care.

I wasn't even... well... enough said.

I was reaching for a container of margarine in the blasted refrigerator for my morning toast.
Simply bending over to grab the appropriate combination of poly unsaturated fats to lubricate my dark toasted rye bread reduced me to a spasmodic crying little school girl in the fetal position on the kitchen floor.

What a drag man.

Thankfully, after consulting with my Dr. we found it wasn't a herniated disk. It was just a severely pinched nerve causing severe muscle spasms.

Like most men (according to my wife) I am a big baby.

Simple tasks such as shaving or washing my face were out of the question. And I was pretty enthusiastic about the inevitable whining that had to accompany my dilemma.

Lotsa ibuprofen too.

Eventually, with the aid of a walking cane, I was able to run a couple of errands outside my home. The funny thing is, when people see you with a cane they will let you bud in front of them at the coffee shop, the grocery store and wherever else you seem to be. My evil side thought of carrying a retractable cane for situations where I may be pressed for time to take advantage of this perk.

Not cool.

It occurred to me that the elderly and the physically challenged deal with these sort of challenges on a regular basis day by day.

Empathy. Compassion. Patience.

I felt all of these very strongly.

Very grateful for that confounded margarine container.