A learning life

My life as an artist is not simply about painting the canvas.  If it was just about that I could do so hiding in my studio and producing painting after painting for no reason other than personal satisfaction.  Humans are a social species, and that includes sharing who we are with the rest of the world.   Once you show your paintings in your community and get some positive feedback, the ball starts rolling.  You accumulate followers and they in turn expect you to produce more paintings.  As a growing artist you then want to expand your circle of followers. 

Today's instant communication technology is a tool that can't be ignored.  Therefore I am now in the process of further expanding my knowledge of Facebook posting, Blogging, Instagram... to name just a few.  It is a chore indeed because my artist brain is much more comfortable homing in on the right side.  However, life is not only about remaining where you are the most comfortable.  Personal growth accelerates when you step out of your comfort zone, time after time.

Udemy is one online site that provides a good selection of courses dealing with promoting yourself using the internet and becoming part of a large group of similar artists.  Sitting at my laptop, hour after hour, my notebook in hand I write down the highlights and key points of interest so that I can successfully post on a regular basis.   I am more then ready to move forward and to step into the online world.

Expand your knowledge on a daily basis and become the best that you can be.

Shirley Rose Cockburn
CockburnStudio©
 

491 Northern Landscape 12-15

Shirley Rose Cockburn
Northern Ontario Landscape Artist
491 Northern Landscape 12-15 - $150CDN + shipping
11"x14" - Acrylic
Masonite - Framed (black)
CockburnStudio©
Prints available on www.etsy.com/CockburnStudio

This is one of my views of our northern landscape.  When I sit in front of my easel to work on a landscape I sometimes feel inadequate in my ability to portray this amazing environment.  Our surroundings are vast, complex in  nature, yet I cannot seem to paint it in much detail.  To me simplicity of the landscape pays tribute to its driving force in teaching us how to live life to its fullest, that we will gain more with the simple things that this world has to offer.

Painting as a way of life

Painting for me is a way of life, my life.  Whether I am working in my studio at home, my sunroom in Temagami, Ontario where I work six months out of the year, at the cottage, plein air...  I can get lost in the bubble of the painting process.  I become one with the brush and the paint.  For the limited time I spend in front of my easel nothing else that is going on in the world is a significant part of who I am.  I cherish that time because of what I accomplish, the freedom of being in a singular frame of mind, and in a somewhat meditative state.  I thank the universe for the opportunity

510 Black Bear Head 15

Shirley Rose Cockburn
Northern Ontario Canada
510 Black Bear Head 15 - SOLD
20"x16" - Acrylic
Canvas (painted on the sides)
Limited Edition prints available on www.etsy.com/CockburnStudio

I wanted to expand my subject matter from the landscape to animals living within this environment.  The black bear was a good choice for me because of its strong presence in the north.  My yearning for simplicity carried itself from my soul through my brush and onto my canvas.  And, I was pleased.  I look at this bear painting and feel an unexplainable connection, which is why I am happy that its new owner is a good friend of mine who felt the same connection.