Blog – Page 12 – Sherry Meidell

Artist on a Mission – With Full Purpose of Heart

October 21, 2020 4 Comments

5EA7A303-874D-47F9-ADAE-DD9FB028CDA5 — Morning Quiet 20” x 15” watercolor on paper.

In 3 Nephi 10:6 it talks about full purpose of heart, returning to God with full purpose of heart. I think that is the way we should paint, with full purpose of heart. When I look around this beautiful world at God‘s creations, I am surrounded by inspiration. Whether it is the quiet stillness of a morning at Lake Powell where the water mirrors the beauty surrounding it or an older gentleman in an English market making his way through the square with his cane, I’m surrounded by paintings.

When we paint with full purpose of heart, we think only on the painting. We don’t let worries or negative thoughts come into our brain. We know where we want to head and we go for it. Confidence shows in the painting. We don’t want fear and timidity to show up. We want the pure fun of putting paint on paper to shine out from the painting. Even though we know where we want to go, I get great satisfaction from seeing the magic that appears before my eyes as I paint. No one is more amazed than I with the outcome. Gods creations give me the inspiration and I give thanks to Him for eyes to see and hands to hold a paint brush.

30AC93DB-DEDA-4529-9480-420BE3B17329 — Painting in progress of man in front of a restaurant in England.

Artist on a Mission – Making Straightway On a Zigzagged Course

October 14, 2020 7 Comments

9566B56C-7297-4A57-89DC-460CBD069A9F — This little bear has been peeking in and out of a story.

This character has been growing in my imagination. I’ve worked with how this little bear should look. You have to dive into the work and get started before you can make any progress. Here is your goal and you start down that road and then there is a bend or a curve. You have to be open to the voice in your head that may say, what would happen if you tried this? But those ideas do not come until you’ve started the work.

Should the bow be in the middle of the bears head? What would happen if you put the bows on the end of her ears? What should she be wearing? It’s a zig zag course back and forth between the writing and the art. Many sketches are made in the sketch book to see what captures your eye and why and continually trying to make the sketch better.

But you have to start and you have to have enough faith and determination that you can keep going. You have to believe that the vision in your head can become a finished story somewhere at the end of your zig zagged journey.

69622906-866C-4461-B511-08EC430B9524 — New Watercolor Video Available on You Tube

“Using Masking Tape in Watercolor“ Here is the latest watercolor video that shows some nice ways to use masking tape in watercolor painting.

Artist on a Mission – On the Road

August 20, 2020 No Comments

6863A298-E4D0-49D1-A563-FE12EF698D7F — The Road to Emmaus

Sometimes while traveling through this life we don’t recognize the blessings that accompany us on the road. This is what happened to the two travelers on the road to Emmaus. Even though their hearts burned within, they didn’t realize who walked with them. It wasn’t until after the experience that their eyes were opened and they saw the great blessing they participated In.

It’s good to spend some time just looking on blessings that the Lord has blessed us with and just recognize when he walks the road with us. He is there wanting to bless and help us with our long suffering, brotherly kindness, and patience.

Dave and I were able to travel to the holy land years ago. I didn’t know what use the photos I took would have in the future. I was able to use two of the photos as the background for this painting. I could remember the heat on the land and the color of the dust on my feet. It added to this painting. This painting is watercolor and collage with a varnish finish so it can be framed without glass. Art blesses the lives of those who view it. Some times with a smile. Some times with a lifting of our souls. Some times with seeing things we wouldn’t have seen any other way.

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Artist on a Mission – A Demo, A Podcast and a Video

August 6, 2020 No Comments

720FCE2E-B91B-45CC-876C-5436B33E2994 — Demo for Utah Watercolor Society

I love thIs quote from the book Art & Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland: “Look at your work and it tells you how it is when you hold back or when you embrace. When you are lazy, your art is lazy; when you hold back, it holds back; when you hesitate, it stands there staring, hands in its pockets. But when you commit, it comes on like blazes.”

The confidence you feel when making your painting, translates and shows up in your finished product. So if you start thinking more about your audience instead of your painting, it will show up in your painting. If you are more worried about the finished product instead of finding joy in your process, it will show up in your finished painting.

It’s freeing to sketch right on your watercolor paper and dive into the painting. It gives you a different feeling from the making of a value study, color study and being so worried about the finished drawing. But it is good to do a bit of thinking before you start. I think there is a place for both methods and both results.

You can find the recording of my live demo on painting faces on the Utah Watercolor Society Facebook Page.
You can find my comments along with 23 other illustrators on Giuseppe Castellano’s Podcast The Illustration Deprtment Episode 57—our 1-year Anniversary Episode.

You can find my demo on painting a white flower here on You tube
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Artist on a Mission – Life Well Lived

July 14, 2020 No Comments

F03C10F3-B0FE-4836-A284-245EF68DE52D — Life Well Lived

It’s nice to know a bit about the person you’re painting. I know this guy well. After all I beat him in a leg wrestle when he was 14 and I was dating his brother. When he came home quite sick from his mission for his church, skinny and as thin as can be, everybody cried except his grandfather who said, “You’re looking good boy.”

He brought his teenage daughter to my house so she could learn how to make French bread. He was opinionated and funny. He was someone you could banter with. He cared about life and his family so much that he withstood all odds and lived life. He would not give up and he hung onto life as long as he could. Life is a beautiful gift. There is joy and beauty all around us. There is great beauty and joy in the relationships we have with others. Take joy in those moments.

Artist on a Mission -Noah’s Ark

July 2, 2020 1 Comment

D81E424F-3C3C-4482-9A39-E2F90E10B5A9 — Noah’s Ark by Sherry Meidell

I love to see a project go from beginning spark of an idea to a completed project. It takes a great amount of faith, courage and perseverance. You have to believe in yourself and the project enough to see the completed project in your head and then move in that direction. Robert Wright had that sort of vision and moved to complete the idea in an amazing fashion. He envisioned a flood museum in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Becky Hartvigsen and I where delighted to get to know Robert and his wife while they shared their historic home with us in Nauvoo, Illinois. We were in Nauvoo for a Gallery Show at Havenlight Gallery. One of the great things about creating art is the people that come in to your life. Robert talked about a flood museum in Nauvoo while we were there and now it’s a reality.

If you are in the area of Nauvoo, Illinois and would like a good experience for you and your family, you can check it out. Check their website for times and safety concerns for the visit. You can check out a video by Mark MacDonald who does “Illinois Stories” for the local PBS Station at the link below.

B1DCDDD4-6F19-4099-AA30-6FCB5C4260A6 — “The Stones Would Immediately Cry Out” Like 19:40

As soon as “The Stones Would Immediately Cry Out” is framed, it will be on its way to be exhibited in The Flood Museum The inspiration for this painting was the Easter Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was not hard to envision the pure joy of the people as they waved their palm fronds. You can see the painting and purchase the Noah’s Ark prints at the museum.

President Nelson

Illinois Stories – The Flood Museum Video

The Flood Museum

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