New Painting, "Each Day I Return Anew"

16" x 20"

Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas

Available

To me, yoga has become a way of life over the past few years, and in many ways quite different than the life that I was accustomed to. This painting is a dedication to my daily practice. Yoga has empowered me to embrace life, which helps me be a more enriched wife and mother. Each day I arise before my household, sneak away to practice and I return to my family anew, refreshed, inspired, full of love and post-Savasana bliss that I try to carry throughout the day and impart on my children. 


 The reasons why we embark on the yogic path are different for everyone. Simply put, we could say that yoga guides us from a life of ignorance, selfishness and ultimate dissatisfaction into a ‘higher life’ – into a life that is lived with proper understanding of Universal laws and of the true nature of ourselves and the world around us – with the aim to bring greater meaning into an often otherwise aimless and frustrating existence, and to guide us along a path of evolution during our time here on this earth.

Yoga teaches us to know what the behavior is that will support a fruitful, spiritually advancing life, and helps us to perform the right actions, in the right manner, at the right time.  For these tools and knowledge I am grateful and inspired.

The kids and I were at the Dallas Museum of Art yesterday and I saw this quote on the wall in the Egyptian Artifact room. I snapped this picture while trying to explain to kiddos that the mummy and sarcophagus is not "yucky"...it's amazing. 

Love those wall quotes...it resounded with me on so many levels, and I feel struck a special chord with me as I had just finshed this painting and was searching for the meaning behind it.

New Painting, "I Was Made to Love You"

16" x 20"

Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas

Available, email utopiapkwyarts@yahoo.com for details

This life in our physical bodies is precious and fleeting. I have never felt whole until I became a wife and a mother. Having my beautiful family has taught me that my reason here on Earth is for them.  I was literally created to love them.  I tell my children this every day in the hopes that one day it will sink in, and maybe one distant day they will repeat those words to their own children.

So often the questions, "Why are we here?", "What does this life mean?" float through my head when I'm meditating. One thing I have come to realize is that life is about giving, about loving, and through this giving we receive everything we need.

Let your life be about giving--give of your virtue, give of your spirit, give of your heart.

What if there Were No More Art Galleries?

I loved this article so much! Inspired and motivated me out of this 

little slump I was in. There is always a way to move forward, 

but we must find it within ourselves.  

"What Lies Beneath"
24" x 36"
Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas
Avaialble,
Fine Art giclee Prints available here

What If There Were No MORE Art Galleries?

by BAANG AND BURNE on MAY 5, 2011 · in ART MARKETING, INSIDE THE MIND OF A GALLERIST

What if there were no art dealers, no “art reps”, and no commercial galleries to sell our work?

What if we summoned the courage to take full responsibility for our careers instead of placing our future in someone else’s hands?

What if we used our creative abilities to think up new and exciting ways to market our work?

What we embraced the very real fact that artists are entrepreneurs?

What if we stopped making excuses, and started making choices?

What if we worked harder at building relationships with people who have shown interest in our work?

What if we were less afraid to step into the spotlight and stopped hiding behind our work?

What if we stopped expecting our art to “speak for itself” and became the passionately vocal champions of our own work?

What if we stopped worrying about accumulating lines on our resume and focused our energy on building relationships with would-be collectors?

What if we told everyone we met that we are artists and confidently invited them to see our work?

What if we stopped blaming the economy?

What if instead of spending money on entry fees, we invested in marketing classes?

What if we stopped waiting for external approval?

What if we worried less about “the art world” and focused more on creating a productive and consistent studio practice?

What if we finished what we started?

What if we stopped searching for a quick fix?

What if we developed discipline?

What if we stopped treating out profession like a hobby?

What if we talked less about what we want to do, and skipped right to the actual “doing” part?

What if we stopped apologizing for being artists?

What if we asked for help when we needed it?

What if we stopped feeling afraid/ashamed/nervous about making money?

What if we learned to price our work in a way that doesn’t under-valued our skill and experience?

What if we stopped comparing ourselves to others?

What if we were less afraid?

What if we spent just as much time marketing our work as making our work?

What if we reached out to help other artists instead of seeing them as competition?

What if we stopped waiting to be rescued?

What if we rescued ourselves?

Thursday's Other Creative Soul: Frankie Garcia

As a creative person myself, it fascinates me to learn how other like-minded souls tick. Thanks for joining me today to get to know Artist, Creative Director and Arts Advocate Frankie Garcia III.  Frankie is dedicated to bringing unity to the Arts Community in Dallas.  Having had the pleasure to collaborate with him on a few projects, I can also attest that he's a genuine, likable person who also happens to be on top of his game.


Frankie recently partnered with Rising Gallery and they moved to 800 Jackson 75202 Downtown Dallas.  Their next exhibition is tomorrow... "between the mattress and the wall" from 7-10pm .  FGIIIArt will be hosting the ROSS vs ROSS closing reception May 10th 5-8pm.

Name/Location  

FGIIIArt 800 Jackson, Dallas 75202

Education  

self-taught

Current City/Hometown:
Dallas/ Oak Cliff


Tell me about your work. 

PAINTING - My style is abstract constructivism. I use numerous elements in my work: canvas, metals, wood, paper, mixed media, and an array of industrial hardware. My art work incorporates strong lines and bold colors with the use of geometric shapes and circles of union which work together to create my signature visual experience.

FGIIIArt - is an umbrella organization dedicated to bringing unity within the Dallas arts as well as instilling purpose and vision into the work of the individual artist.  FGIIIArt brings awareness to what is already taking place in our art community, everyday, within the various art collectives that already exist.  Without seeking membership, FGIIIArt strives to be a community hub which serves as an earpiece and mouthpiece for the artists in Dallas as a whole.  By providing education and guidance, pooling our collective resources, and stressing the need for community, FGIIIArt works to strengthen and empower the individual artists in OUR city.

Describe your normal day. 

I get up around 7am and workout... after workout, breakfast... I'm online from about 9-11am working FGIIIArt... then lunch... from 12-5pm I'm at Rising Gallery... then dinner... from about 8-midnight, I'm painting and on-line working FGIIIArt simultaneously... Monday-Friday.  lot's of coffee...

What would your *ideal* day be like?

painting and creating/building all day... reading/educating myself... staying healthy... if it paid the bills.

What are your passions?

painting, being an advocate for the arts, educating myself and giving back to my community 

What are your goals? 

someday have a working/living/studio/gallery space that influences/stimulates creative growth throughout my community

What are your creative influences?

The graffiti movement happening now... really, all things creative... I'm a huge history buff about Peggy Guggenheim’s abstract expressionist movement

Are there any other relevant experiences that shaped who you are today and what you do?

I once had the privilege to create works on canvas (7'x10') with children from the Boy's and Girl's Club... working with and watching those kids paint/draw with such ease... never stopping to consider or over analyze their next stroke stayed with me and permanently influenced my creative freedom.

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." 

Pablo Picasso

Is there anyone who you really look up to as an inspiration?

Willem de Kooning

What motivates you on a daily basis? 

Knowing that I'm very fortunate to be able to make a living with my creative abilities

Do you have a guilty pleasure that you can't miss out on to get you going?

I play hip hop music and lip sing/karaoke and dance while I paint... that's all I'm saying

What's your working style? Do you work for 12 hours straight nonstop, or do you take lots of breaks?

When I paint I have the music going and I'm in it... however long it takes to complete it... of course there's dry time... with my process sometimes dry time takes days... I usually know what I want the finished piece to reflect so I work it to achieve it with passion and excitement.

''I am a night painter, so when I come into the studio the next morning the delirium is over. I come into the studio very fearfully, I creep in to see what happened the night before. And the feeling is one of, "My God, did I do that?" 

Damien Hirst

What are your websites/social networking links?

FRANKIE GARCIA III

Artist - Creative Director - Arts Advocate

www.FGIIIArt.com

www.FGIIIArt.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/FGIIIArt

469.774.8936

RISING

www.RISINGgallery.com 800 Jackson Street

Dallas 75202

Sidebar: Frankie's auto-signature on his email ends with the following quote: 

Draw a line. Now...Live above it...Paint outside of it...Dance on the edge of it...and refuse to be Confined by it! LIVE OUT LOUD!!!  
How's that for inspiration?