Art-Making for Healing

"Bright Happy Apple" acrylic on paper, 5"x7"

by Cindy Mott McGarry

"Art is a constant agent of transformation and is indeed the soul's drive to health."

-Cathy Malchiodi

Art-making is a wonderful tool which can be used by anyone for the purpose of healing. Scientific studies have shown that art-making heals by altering a person's biology and outlook. The body biologically shifts from a state of stress to very relaxed. Emotionally, an attitude of fear changes to creative thinking and inspiration.

Inspiration - Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.

There is a huge connection between emotions and healing. Changing sad or negative emotions into happy ones creates a happy and healthy body, mind and spirit. Positive emotions have a positive effect on your whole being. If one can find what type of art-making inspires them in a positive way, then this can be a natural and lifelong aid in healing and staying healthy.

Expressive art in any form transforms art-makers and viewers. The subject matter can be as simple as a blade of grass because it is the unique expressive technique of the individual that is original and magnificent in itself. If a person or patient begins creating, finds it difficult to stop, believes she/he went to a different place mentally and felt lost in deep thought, then she/he has most likely found an artistic way to bring about healing.

I believe one way art-making can help a person out of a hopeless feeling or situation is to visualize their goals. This can be accomplished by using their imaginations to express their ideal situation with the use of art supplies. If self-doubt is present, then offering encouragement to see themselves differently (in a more positive light) can help with the whole process.

Heart, Brain to Body Activation

"Blue Morning Glories"  24"x30" oil on canvas

by Cindy Mott McGarry
Two originals Sold
Giclee prints available on My Website!

"The body achieves what the mind believes."

- Jim Evans

So many times I see a painting in my mind, get excited to begin painting, but yet the actual execution lingers ... What I have learned over the years is that it helps to be very inspired before committing to beginning and finishing a painting. Once I feel something pretty powerful it is easier to begin creating.

What gets me inspired are color combinations and how light plays on subjects. A quality photograph with clear value differentiation of an interesting composition can trigger the needed level of inspiration. Once I get my mind focusing on what is exciting about a vision, then the intensity of producing that vision gets stronger. It helps greatly to have the studio space ready for painting, otherwise I can get distracted and the clarity of shapes and colors might run right out of my mind! When using oil paints I loosely lay the dark colors down first ... then quickly lay the focal point in with the darkest dark and the lightest light!

I try to simplify the next phase of the process by sticking with similar values of different colors (medium to dark colors) in shadow areas and similar values of different colors (basically pastel colors) in brightly lit areas. Sometimes I also like to create disappearing lines with gentle blending and use stippling of light and dark in opposite areas to unify the painting.

Heart (Inspiration) + Brain (Imagination) = Body Activation (Hands Making Art)!

Have fun!

Dark Light Blend

Painting by Dominic Vignola, 12"x16" oil on canvas

As an artist, it is fun and challenging to take workshops every so often. Important tips can be learned from experienced artists that can stay with you for the rest of your career. Sometimes the instructor's voice comes into your conscious mind at just the right moment while painting. One of my favorite and most valuable landscape painting instructor tips came from Dominic Vignola.

Vignola repeated the words "Dark, Light, Blend" throughout his demonstrations of laying down dark oil paint, then laying down the light oil paint colors where desired, and then blending the two. It sounds almost too simple to work as well as it does. He knew how to do it very well. By contrasting the dark to light, and then blending, you achieve a unifying flow of the two which creates a whole image that shows light and shadow.

This simple tip comes into my mind during every painting I create now. Of course, there are many other questions and problem solving thoughts that come to mind, but this one is key, I think. An artist's unique style comes from all the choices made about which dark and light colors to blend and where and to what degree they are blended. Then, laying those last crisp lights in, by brushing or splattering, to draw the eye to a particular area, is like the sugar on top - that fun and intense final step!

It's very important to loosen up and break the rules, but remembering certain tips that help you achieve your visions will serve you well. Rock on and paint your hearts out!

Your Mind Power

"Imagination is your most powerful faculty.

Imagine what is lovely and of good report.

You are what you imagine yourself to be."

- Joseph Murphy, author of "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind"

"The Power of Your Subconscious Mind" is one of my favorite books. It teaches you how to use the powers within yourself to become who you wish to be. Quiet, relaxed meditation/prayer two or three times a day has a very powerful effect on your overall well being and your ability to accomplish goals.

When repetitious thoughts are systematically absorbed into the subconscious mind they become habitual. Thinking "I am _______" and "I have _______" as they exist in the present moment and visualizing yourself being and having what you want on a regular basis attracts what you want to come into your life. You will experience amazing changes if this technique is carried out daily.

One of the major and most important ways to utilize this power is to begin to catch negative thoughts that create doubt within your mind. Becoming more aware of your thoughts and changing them immediately whenever you hear any negative or fearful words in your head gives you more power and control over your life. This book can help you easily incorporate positive practices every day that will change your life for the better. You can overcome fears, doubts, anger and many other thoughts and emotions that keep you from reaching your full potential.

Cheers to happy, successful and peaceful thoughts for you!

Giving Full Attention

 "Durant Nature Trail, Raleigh, NC"

30"x24" oil on canvas painted by Cindy Mott McGarry

"You are where your attention takes you."

-Indian seer

When beginning a painting, the finished piece of work can seem almost unreachable. The "Fun" part of a painting (at least for me) finally comes after the basic composition, major shapes, angles, and under paintings have all been laid down. Many early shape and color plans in a multiple layered painting may change dramatically before feeling comfortable moving forward to the next step/layer/color ...  This is why it helps tremendously to be very aware of where your attention is taking you!

With certain styles of oil painting it is easy to get way ahead of yourself by laying in too many light colors first. The rich, thin, deep, dark colors need to be laid down on the canvas first for an impressionistic style of painting in order to make the following layers of medium and light colors much more striking and dimensional. When laying in the darks it is quite helpful to imagine what they will look like underneath all those alluring orange, pink, yellow, and white strokes of light. If your attention stays on creating that dark vibrancy of the under painting realm first, then the depth of the finished piece will appear much more alive!

A big reward for using your attention properly will be when you are finally free to swing that brush or use your fingers to get "Splashy, Sprinkly, and Loose" with those final layers of colorful light - and you can see where your attention has taken you!

Happy painting!

Below is an early darks under painting for the above Durant Nature Trail painting.

Painting in the Present Moment

A zoom-in of my oil painting, "Lavender Woods"

"The living moment is everything."
-D.H. Lawrence

Living in the present moment allows you to really "see" beauty, colors, and shapes. If you relax your mind and absorb calmly what is around you, then you feel much more alive, energized and connected with the world, yourself, and others. Focusing only on the present moment can create a much more open mind.

By experiencing each moment in a fresh and open way, your imagination is free to emerge and play. Only then, can your unique consciousness come alive. Everything becomes easier and more clear. Happiness and excitement about life itself cause a mental freedom and an openness that allow a flowing thought process. Connecting with present, new thoughts, and acting on them can make you feel like a child again with uninhibited creativity! 

It's all about mind over matter, right? With your hands acting as the instruments of your mind, you can automatically create whatever you want to build from pure consciousness thoughts and images!

Happy Valentine's Day!

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. - Proverbs

Here is a good example of "sprinkling"!

The painting on the left is a fast and colorful under painting of purple and blue flashy and splashy brush strokes. On top of that layer is a sprinkling of various colors to add more excitement to the overall piece.

The painting on the right is the next layer with a heart shape colored with a mixture of magenta and cobalt blue. White highlights and green for the focal point color give it more depth and interest. And, finally, more sprinkling of new and old colors to tie it all together!

Staying loose is key. Let it evolve into it's own being!

I used Winsor Newton (http://www.winsornewton.com/products/acrylic-colours/) acrylic paints for this painting.