The Case for Beauty

I take a bit of a departure in this episode.  I share my thoughts about a poem called "Mameen" by David Whyte.  When I first read it, this poem reflected for me the remarkable life of my friend Vicki - Dr. Victoria Bentley - and the courage and freedom she lived inside.  Vicki passed away recently, which brought this poem back to me again.  I'm sharing it with you, in memory and appreciation of my dear friend who accompanied me in the early stages of painting, showing my work and teaching.  I'm not sure how Life in Full Color would have come to be without her.  I will be forever grateful.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

I share the outcome of this past summer's 92 Days of Watercolor and a project I embarked upon to paint more loosely.  I was inspired by a long-ago painting that came back to me.  The idea came to me that I could paint eleven more paintings in a similar style and make a mini calendar out of them.  When I recorded this I had only painted four of them and was uncertain about the outcome.  I finished the paintings and put together a small calendar I call "Momentos."  You can see - and purchase for yourself if you like - on my website:  https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/2026-mini-calendar/.The painting that I found so hard ended up the October image.  Here are the other two paintings I mentioned:Blue Door:  https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/gallery-other-flowers/blue-door-2/Returning:  https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/gallery-available-originals/returning/Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

In this episode I share how I find continued value in the way Iain McGilchrist's book The Master and His Emissary reframed my understanding of our left and right brains - not only as it applies to our creative process and working with our craft, but how it can guide us in how we work with artificial intelligence.  No doubt it will be a major aspect of our future.    My original post that inspired this is here:  https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/journal/art-life-stories/january-19-2016-left-and-right-brain-not-what-we-thought/I tell of  a painting and its evolution, which you can see here:  https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/journal/art-life-stories/january-5-2016-the-story-of-a-painting-and-a-video/Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

In this - a little bit longer episode - I share the story behind writing my interpretation of The Beatitudes - eight ancient teachings -  for those of us who dare to create.  My wish is to support us in creating with our singular vision and voice.  Then, I share each of the eight Beatitudes.It's a combination of three consecutive journal entries, the first of which I called Supremely Blessed.  https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/journal/art-life-stories/april-26-2017-supreme-blessings/.  You can see the painting I called Beatitude here too.The teachings themselves start at minute 7:50, if you'd like to jump right there.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

Doing all this myself, this was bound to happen.  A big silent space ended up right in the middle.  It's now fixed.  I'm sharing this one again, with a short intro and update on an interaction I had with the mailman that I mentioned in the original episode.  I felt the need to hear this message today. Here it is on the top of the stack in case you want to hear it - or hear it again - too.  This is a calendar time-specific episode, though the ideas are applicable for any time in life.  I wrote a journal entry in the spring of 2016 when I was in a place of sorrow that coinsided with Holy Week - between Palm Sunday and Easter.  I drew upon something I'd learned about a day that isn't talked about - Easter Saturday - for solace and for the reminder, the permission to honor my time of grief.   Having a creative practice is a form of the light of love that can transform our suffering.  My original writing, and a the painting I had just finished that was meaningful for me - to this time - can be found here:  https://https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/march-22-2016-easter-saturday.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

Here's an art-making-oriented episode - a practical one. I'm sharing my thoughts on how it is that I decide the form of my paintings - my process of composing a painting.  I don't follow rules, I don't even think too much.  It's a felt thing.  In case reflecting on my process is helpful, here it is!There's no post on my (now new!) website about this. And, you can go there to see all the results of my composing paintings over the years!www.lifeinfullcolor.comThe "round" painting I've done is here:  https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/gallery-available-originals/eternal/

We get crucial life-fuel from what lights us up.  I am here to say that doing what brings us alive is worth the effort to carve out time for.  This episode was inspired by a recent experience where I felt this kind of energy - and it reminded me of a journal post I wrote in April of 2016.  https://lifeinfullcolor.com/journal/art-life-stories/april-5-2016-brings-us-alive/Here you'll find my words and the photos of Lenore, Sue and I - and the beauty in the gardens of Filoli that took our breath from us.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.  Very soon (after putting this episode out there) this will be a whole NEW site!!!! When it does launch I will put the links here to the two paintings that I reference in this episode.  My current site won't let me link to one specific painting - part of why it's being replaced! 

I get really practical in this episode.  I share with you the very best way to start out your watercolor experience - as well a great exercise if you've been painting forever and what is in all those tubes is still somewhat a mystery.Get Intimate with Color is a workshop I teach - and there is one coming up on January 25-26 - in person, in the studio in Novato, CA.  If you are local, or able to come to the Bay Area then, I invite you to join in and do the exercise with me in real life!Happy painting everyone!Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

A recording I made in the swirl of uncertainty that so many of us humans are feeling at this time.  Speaking for myself - I'm compelled to know - to understand, to be able to predict what will happen.  It's a comfort.  In this episode I take a look at the flip side - the wisdom in being in the place of "I don't know."I reference a journal post from September of 2016.  You can read what  wrote here:https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/july-26-2016-wisdom-not-knowing/ICara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

I just discovered a recording I made - and then in the swirl of my life this past summer, I completely forgotten about.  It was late one night and I was in the car with the dog, while waiting at the emergency. I was prompted to share it here after reading a Facebook post from my dear friend Betsy Graziani Fasbinder about the lifecycle of butterflies. Just before recording I read about an aspect of this creature's makeup that I found fascinating - and applicable to human unfolding:  imaginal cells.  This episode stands on its own without a journal post on my website.  However, I came across one whose ideas are adjacent to those I talk about here.  It seems nature has similar processes that impact life and life cycles.  "Destruction Before Creation" can be read here:  https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/june-28-2016-destruction-creation.Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.