Creative Flow

Have you ever really looked at a painting? I mean, stared at it until you see beyond the surface? I've looked at Rembrandt's The Night Watch many, many times. On the surface, it looks like a scene of a bunch of guys posing—a classic scene of men being heroic. In about 1639, 18 civil soldiers, led by Captain Franz Banninck Cocq (in black), pooled their money to commission their own portrait—unaware that they'd live eternally in one of the most famous paintings in the world. Now squint at it....

35 steps: that's how far it is from the couch to the door of my studio. I never counted them before. Until last Monday. Every morning, I sit in the same spot on our couch. Meditation, tea, prayers with my partner. It's a good start…until I pick up my phone. Then I'm off to the races. News, emails, puzzles, tasks. Time leaks away like money at the casino, and next thing I know, the day is half gone and I'm more behind than ever. It's created a block in my creativity. But last weekend, I had an...

Last week, I gave an informal talk to some friends at the Mary Blair exhibit at Napa Valley Museum of Art in Yountville. I did some deeper research to prepare for the event. All I really knew about Blair was that she'd designed "It's a Small World" at Disneyland—which makes sense because I was an Imagineer, and that was my main lens for a long time. What I discovered gave me so much respect for her as an artist and a woman. I didn't realize what an amazing legacy she'd built. She was one of...

Last night, my friends Dan and Howard took me to a wonderful variety performance in Occidental, the kind of strange and wonderful event that could only occur in West Marin County. It was called the Chautauqua Revue, "a variety show inspired by vaudeville, circus, traditional Chautauquas, and storytelling." The host Wysteria McBrylcream presented everything from a skit depicting star-bellied sneetches to a fifth-generation circus performer juggling and spinning ropes and pins. It was a magical...

In college, I decided I wanted to make a living doing art—as a profession, not a hobby or a side gig. That meant I'd have to produce work either for the art market or for the commercial world. I chose the commercial world. I spent the next few decades designing theme parks, movie props, products, and toys; illustrating books and covers, presentations, and ads; and painting Disney characters in famous artworks (over 200 by now!). This was how learned that artists are laborers. We work with our...

On Friday August 28, we had to let go of our dear Rudy. He was almost 19 years old! He had a long and happy life. Rudy in his youth Rudy, short for Rudolph Valentino, was the son of a champion Himalayan show cat, Maximus. I first met him in 2013, when I met his mother, Marylou. I've been his second mother since 2014. We lost his younger brother Leo in 2021, right around the time my brother was dying. It was a tough time. These magnificent cats were both so handsome, fluffy, and gentle, it was...

Short email today--because I spent the whole day struggling with a drawing I FINALLY did a rendering of Phoebe Rose! I used conte crayons which are waxy, which makes it harder to blend with charcoal. Maybe you don't even notice, but it kind of drove me nuts. I couldn't get the right texture on the paper. What took so long is that I filmed myself doing it. Then it took me forever to edit and post to my new YouTube channel. This is why I've resisted YouTube for years. I feel like such a...

Some of my students are learning to paint later in life. They were interested in art early on, but partners, careers, kids, health got in the way, and they had to put it aside. Now that the kids are grown and they've saved enough to retire, they can spend their free time creating. One of these students recently expressed regret that it had taken her this long to get going. Time feels fleeting. Is there enough of it left? Will her skills ever catch up to her vision? It took me about fifteen...

I've watched enough students improve to know that ANYONE can learn to draw better. It always amazes me. It's all about seeing the world the way an artist does. We don't just see a cat--we see shapes, angles, lighting. Everything is in relationship to everything else. Our dear cat Leo, who died a few years ago. He used to sit like this all the time! To keep it simple, you start with the gesture. It conveys attitude, movement. I learned that from animators at Imagineering. You attach shapes to...