Comments on: Paint What You Love (And Ignore The NaySayers!) https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/ Info, opinion, and training on how to pastel with artist Gail Sibley BFA, MA Sun, 14 Jan 2024 01:21:12 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 By: Gail Sibley https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/#comment-56155 Sun, 14 Jan 2024 01:21:12 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=28295#comment-56155 In reply to Liz.

Liz I’m delighted your were “drawn” to comment because this post resonated with you. I’m glad you picked out this subtle distinction. It’s easy to get caught up in thinking we should paint what we love. As I shared in my post, I loved my parrots but I really wasn’t moved to paint them, certainly not in the same way that I felt about them!

]]> By: Liz https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/#comment-56145 Sat, 13 Jan 2024 01:22:44 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=28295#comment-56145 Hello Gail! I read all your blogs but I am drawn ( pardon the pun) to comment on this one, as it is truly resonating with me, especially the comment about the distinction between what you are drawn to paint and what you love. I can get very mixed up with this and think I should paint what I love ( e.g landscape) but you are pointing out that is different from what I love to paint ( e.g people doing interesting things in a landscape setting). Thank you so much for highlighting this subtle but important insight/ distinction.

]]> By: Gail Sibley https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/#comment-53897 Wed, 20 Sep 2023 02:02:51 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=28295#comment-53897 In reply to Vanessa Prohaska.

Hi Vanessa, thank you for your bubbly reply to my blog post! It sure made me smile. It’s good to discover the media you love to use…that can be half the challenge of painting lol!

]]> By: Vanessa Prohaska https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/#comment-53882 Tue, 19 Sep 2023 08:27:40 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=28295#comment-53882 In reply to Gail Sibley.

I’m new to this medium. I’m obsessed with the different pastels out there. Softs, oil, short, oh and the pigmentation !
Once I tried 3 different mediums , “to find my style” . Well I love watercolor, oil, and pastels! Birds , still life and landscapes with stormy or cloudy skies.
Anyways. I’m here. I love this blog , but I’ll be checking on it, when life allows me a few minutes to do so. Thank you!

]]> By: Gail Sibley https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/#comment-53789 Sun, 10 Sep 2023 22:01:16 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=28295#comment-53789 In reply to Lori Owen.

Oh my gosh Lori – such a great example! Thank you for sharing your own experience with the “shoulds” and your shrinking away from them.
Know what you love (as you do) and paint it!!

]]> By: Gail Sibley https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/#comment-53693 Wed, 06 Sep 2023 22:48:17 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=28295#comment-53693 In reply to Marsha Schauer.

Aww thanks Marsha – I do appreciate the kudos 🙂
And I’m glad the Vesuvius Ladies say “story!”

]]> By: Marsha Schauer https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/#comment-53691 Wed, 06 Sep 2023 13:34:13 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=28295#comment-53691 In reply to Gail Sibley.

Besides being an excellent artist, you are such a good writer. Wow for the Vesuvius ladies. What a story they tell.

]]> By: Lori Owen https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/#comment-53677 Tue, 05 Sep 2023 22:28:56 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=28295#comment-53677 LOVED this blog. My heart simply sings when I’m painting wildlife, birds and farm animals – nothing moves me more. I’ve been told that as a pastelist I “should” focus on landscapes (and have been given books to “help” me) – I can’t bear the thought, even though I love beautiful vistas – I just don’t want to paint them. I recently took a landscape workshop with an internationally renowned pastelist – not to work towards becoming a landscape painter, but to help me think through my supporting backgrounds more effectively. The workshop also reinforced to me that I truly have no interest in painting landscapes. I enjoy the works others do, but it’s not for me. So, I agree – paint what we each love!

]]> By: Gail Sibley https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/#comment-53570 Mon, 28 Aug 2023 18:03:29 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=28295#comment-53570 Thanks for sharing your own prisky painting adventure and the wonderful outcome. Brave indeed to present the work. And bravo to him and his family for seeing it positively! So great. Keep painting what attracts YOU. Your voice (and there's only ONE of you!) will come through loud and clear.]]> In reply to Pam Yule.

Oh my gosh Pam, thank you for commenting once again on a post – yay!! And wow! comment you did – THANK YOU for taking the time to respond so fully. I love the enthusiasm and passion coming through!!

Perfect imperfection I should have said. And I totally agree with you regarding our aging bodies. Yet our societies often make it hard to accept what we are and the nature beauty in aging. I think some of the appeal of painting these women was their complete comfort with their bodies! Thank you for your kind comments about the paintings 😁

Thanks for sharing your own prisky painting adventure and the wonderful outcome. Brave indeed to present the work. And bravo to him and his family for seeing it positively! So great.

Keep painting what attracts YOU. Your voice (and there’s only ONE of you!) will come through loud and clear.

]]> By: Gail Sibley https://www.howtopastel.com/2023/08/paint-what-you-love-and-ignore-the-naysayers/#comment-53569 Mon, 28 Aug 2023 17:55:50 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=28295#comment-53569 In reply to Lisa Rutledge.

I’m so glad to hear this post resonated with you Lisa! It’s so easy to stop ourselves from painting what we love by the number of excuses we can give ourselves. Thanks for sharing yours. And I hope you will smile and accept the challenge knowing you are attempting to express in art something you feel strongly about! Yeah!

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