Art & Training Like An Olympic Athlete

I am very excited to get to the studio and paint this week every day by 2:30pm. It means getting up and being at work at 6am. Last week was my first week with this new schedule. Getting up early was really tough. My stomach was queasy all week but I just think about the Olympics athletes that have gone for the gold for it these past few weeks and I am inspired.

In my former life, I taught aerobics. I loved it, especially when I reached a point where felt amazingly strong. Initially, it was tough. The first week of training I felt queasy all week. But I kept pushing through that stage and in less than a month, I could teach classes without getting winded and in two months, I was totally in shape.

I only have one life. My life's goal is creating a fantastically successful, extraordinary art career. In order to create anything fantastically successful and extraordinary, I have to train like an Olympic athlete.

Wine Bottle Label

Look what's going to be a wine bottle label! Very exciting.

Julia Clifford - Artist - Clifford Creation

Time Producing Art

Finding time to produce art is a challenge when you work full time in a "day" job. I struggle with making the time to create. With an eye on being a fantastically successful artist and business owner, I am on a new journey though where producing art is now a priority, a second job if you will, with set studio hours (2:30pm - 6:30pm weekdays and 10am - 4pm most Saturdays.)

There is an adjustment period as this time commitment means I have to get to my "day" job at 6am so I can be off and at the studio by 2:30pm.

I started this work schedule this week and on my first day I had to come home and take a nap. Still, I know my body will adjust and now I am on the road to producing my next new body of work. Life can't get much better than that! I will keep you posted on my progress!

Periwinkle is coming! Periwinkle is coming!

Last summer we opened a small shop called Periwinkle. Periwinkle is below our studio spaces right across the alley from the Farmers Market. We opened our shop on Saturday's right along with the Farmers Market. It was a blast. I painted in the alley. Marybeth worked the shop and greeted all the customers. Harmony and Marybeth had the vision and colors. Wow!

Harmony found a pillow with great words and exactly the colors we talked about. We call them Marybeth colors as she uses them regularly in her art. Beautiful!

Periwinkle. Come and visit our shop this summer! Its right across the alley in downtown Bellingham. See you there!

Colors Sit On Grass

This was a fun painting to paint. I started out with colors everywhere. Then tree shapes began to emerge. The sky came third and the light sage green grass was last. Random and playful.

Harmony's Work - Studio Mate

Harmony is the third person that shares the igallery. Her work (seen here) is bold, with brilliant colors, textures, words, symbols (literal and figurative) collage. Right now Harmony is creating a healing arts space downstairs, assisting Marleen in opening a raw food cafe next to the main gallery, showcasing Marybeth and my work in the main gallery, working on her artwork and working on her other two locations. She and her husband Loren own three buildings in the core of downtown, all of which incorporates the arts in some fashion or another and I am VERY lucky to be a part of it all.

Inspiration in Spring

This scene in my sweethearts orchard is an image of inspiration for me. I love that spring moment the day before the leaves on the trees burst open. You almost see the leaf buds vibrate. Is the vibration caused by their excitement of breaking free and opening up to the sun? (That's a fun idea for a children's book!)

Clifford Creations - Art by Julia Clifford

This Weeks igallery Tour Wrap-up

This spring at the igallery, we are planning "April Showers Bring May Flowers". After three months of creating new work, the igallery embraces new images in a delightful evening with friends, patrons and art lovers galore.

The igallery Tour Part III

More of the tour of the igallery. All the work you see is hand produced.

Clifford Creations - Art by Julia Clifford

My Studio Mate

The tour of the igallery continues with my large painting of a single apple tree in front on a group of large evergreens. Marybeth's work surrounds the large painting.

Marybeth is one of my studio mates. She loves quotes that resonate with her and her life experiences. She produces work that is very complicated. She hand paints paper, cuts out, reduces, paints some more, floats pieces on top of other pieces, collects letters and crafts it into magic. The picture below is a hand made greeting card. Big (Me) and little (Marybeth) and oh so fun.

The igallery Tour Continues

A little bit of my work "Orhcard In Spring" and a little bit of Marybeth's work. Marybeth loves letters and wonderful quotes as you will see this week during the igallery tour.

The igallery is located at 1107 N State Street in Bellingham and is open on Saturdays and Gallery Walks.

The igallery Tour

Periwinkle is the showcase for work produced by three artist that share studios located in the igallery building (1107 N State Street in downtown Bellingham WA). The building also has healing arts and workshops downstairs and a new raw food restaurant opening soon. (I tasted some...Marleen the chef is REALLY REALLY good!)

Marybeth Vital produces colorful cutout multimedia magic, hand painted, hand done amazing work! Harmony Kellogg, creator of an artist and healer dream space, produces multimedia delicious paintings. And I paint color!

This week we tour the igallery.


Clifford Creations - Art by Julia Clifford

Painting Hollyhocks

This painting "Hollyhocks" is about half way done. This time, I am trying something new by painting the last few layers in oil right on top of an acrylic paint. I have heard of other artist doing this mixed media but haven't tried it myself until last night.

You can paint oil on acrylic but you cannot paint acrylic on oil. The oily surface just doesn't allow the acrylic paint to adhere. I'll keep you posted on how the experiment goes.

Thanks so much Marybeth for taking these photos!!!

Clifford Creations - Art by Julia Clifford

The Poppie - A Fave

The poppy flower is one of my favorite flowers to paint. They slip into paintings even when I may not intend them to such as in "Garden Illuminated" below. These were the last flowers to appear and they are the sweet sweet frosting on a yummy cake. After these flowers appeared, I knew the painting was complete.

Clifford Creations - Artwork by Julia Clifford

Painting Sunflowers & Light

This painting "Sunflowers & Light" I took from memory. Last summer I planted some so I can study their personalities closer. The group of sunflowers I grew seem constantly to be talking to each other. This is where children illustration and story come to play.

Clifford Creations - Art by Julia Clifford

Painting - Memory or Photograph

Most of the time, I paint from memory or from a feeling. The image of the evergreens below is a great example. It's the view I see looking out of my sweethearts kitchen window. With apple blossoms, I used a photograph like the one above. Below on the easel is the end result.

Clifford Creations - Art by Julia Clifford

Painting Multimedia

Painting in multimedia for me starts out with layers of paper placed abstractly and secured to a wood panel using matte medium. The paper is covered completely. Pastels come next again sealed with matte medium. Then layers of acrylic paint thinned with matte medium. The texture of the paper adds mystery to the piece.

Clifford Creations - Art by Julia Clifford

Painting Inspirations

My sweetheart has an orchard right outside his dining room window. Over 30 trees grace the field and inspire me winter, spring, summer and fall. I can't help but be inspired!

It's great fun to see where the artwork I produce finally comes to rest. Here, Norm and Megan show their Orchard paintings hanging in their dining room.