Jessica's portrait

I’ve been having terrible insomnia lately and complain bitterly to all who will listen but there is an upside; you get time to think that is unplugged, focused, and reflective. Last night I tried to decide what I would put in a letter to my own kids, nephews, nieces and all those who are of an age where they’re trying to decide what to do with their lives. My big epiphany was that self-knowledge is primary. The more you know yourself, the more you can decipher what you really like to do more than anything else (I love skateboarding, I love drumming, I love math). The more you know yourself, the more you understand your temperament (I hate being told what to do, I love managing others, I want to include being creative in my career). And lastly, I would tell those kids to know that if you have a passionate interest, what you don’t know, you can learn. You love movies now and may not have a clue how the film industry works but you can learn it.


When I came out of college, my minor in art taught me nothing about the industry I wanted to go into nor did it teach me many drawing skills. I felt I couldn’t be a graphic artist because I couldn’t draw very well. Now I know different. You can learn it.

Jessica’s Portrait was painted Sunday on the last day of a four day portrait workshop. I know it’s not great but I also know that with lots of practice, I’ll get much better. Be aggressive about learning and you will be amazed at where you’ll go.

See my paintings now on Face Book at Face Book Joanne Shellan Fine Art and on my website Joanne Shellan Fine Art

Kirkland Arts Center

There are times in life we are given something so important that we need to continually pay homage to the source of that knowledge. I believe in honoring those origins. Although I've done art all my life, I first learned to paint at the Kirkland Arts Center. My first class was with a terrific teacher, Carol Stretcher Jones, who taught watercolor in a way that made you feel you could probably do it. What a feeling! Falling in love with painting was as easy as falling off a log. Painting is now the core and passion of my life. So now the Kirkland Arts Center is a place that I like to support. I give with money and I give with art. This painting will be auctioned off at their auction called Redux which takes place in October. The theme this year is architecture so it made sense to me to honor the cool old building that now houses our own local arts center. Stay connected to what powers your life.

http://www.joanneshellan.com/
www.facebook.com/JoanneShellanFineArt

The Road Less Taken

We were sitting on top of the world--at least that's what it felt like. When Dave lent us his house in Winthrop, Washington for a painting weekend, we had no idea what an incredible house we would be staying at and what a view we would be spend all our waking hours savoring. We just got home last night so today as I stood before my easel, I still carried with me the wonderful feelings of unhurried solitude, dry, warm air, and the vastness of uncluttered spaces. This painting, still wet as I write, is going to be auctioned off a local art store (www.bellevueartandframe.com) and the proceeds will benefit local schools. Feelings that artists carry inside them come out in their work and if they’re lucky and produce good work, those feelings translate to the viewer. That is always my intent.



Find me on Face Book now too at Joanne Shellan Fine Ar
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joanne-Shellan-Fine-Art/138562789499178?ref=ts

or my website http://www.joanneshellan.com/