Nicholas Wilton

Working in my SparkBook... 11 x 14

Working in my SparkBook. 11 x 14 mixed media. On Wednesday a group of artists of all levels are starting my brand new course called SPARK. Every one creates there own SparkBook. It is all about re finding what lights you and your art up. Click on the SPARK link in my profile to find out more. I am so excited to start.

I can clearly remember a time when just the idea of art-making was fraught with worries and concerns. It wasn't the fact that my work was so bad. It was me. Sometimes I was overly concerned about what others might think about my art. Sometimes I would compare myself to other artists. Based on externalities, these feelings started to get in the way of my ability to create freely. They began to take the joy out of art-making. It took a long time to realize my way around this ...issue. But eventually, I did. And this is the subject of today's video. After way too many years, I realized that what I was focusing on was not ever going to get my art to where I wanted it to be. So, I began to shift my focus from the external and started paying more attention to the internal. I started paying attention to the feelings I wanted to have when I made my art. What made me feel alive in my art-making? Where did I want to take my art? As I became more clear, those concerns based on imaginary externalities faded. And as they did, my art became stronger. The fun and joy I was beginning to find in my own art evened out the emotional roller coaster of my art-making. Looking back, it seems like such a simple solution. Of all the possible doors, the one worth opening is the one that leads back to ourselves. I love that idea. Do you sometimes feel distracted by external concerns? And if so, how do you quiet them? Let us know in the comments below. Helping artists discover or rediscover the door that returns them back to their Creative Path is one of the fastest, most powerful ways to ignite or reignite their art. Right now, a whole group of artists are about to begin a 21-day process to this discovery. It is called SPARK. It is a brand new online program that I have spent the last year creating. My favorite part is that all the art and experimentation is done in a sketchbook. By the end of the program, this will become your roadmap to take you to the kind of art that will bring you alive. And that can make all the difference in the world. Check it out. https://art2life.lpages.co/spark-2020/ We are leaving in just a couple of days. I hope you can join us. It is going to be amazing. Happy Sunday! Nicholas

Do you ever feel like you made the wrong decision? Upon looking back, it seems so obviously wrong. How could I make that decision? Well, that is what I am talking about today. If you want to be better able to choose what you want, especially regarding your art-making, it helps to have criteria. Knowing what constitutes a YES, and more importantly, a NO beforehand, can increase your correct choices. It is never that one decision that is particularly problematic but instead the... sum total of many slightly off judgments over time. It is almost more important for those who are just beginning their creative path to pay attention and to stay focused on all that inspires you. It is all about improving the batting average of your right decisions / how you spend your time, the kind of art materials you use, and even how you want to feel when making your art. These decisions matter. Especially in the beginning stages of the Creative Path. A small adjustment in your direction in the beginning, can in the end, take you to an entirely different destination. Starting tomorrow, Monday, October 19th, I am leading the free Creative Breadcrumb Challenge. It is a five-day challenge running next week that is all about clarifying your criteria for what is a yes and what is a no. I hope you can join us. Click the link below to join us. https://art2life.lpages.co/breadcrumbs-challenge/ What is your criteria for saying yes? Let us know in the comments below. I hope your Sunday in the studio is fun. Nicholas

Super grateful @julienestergallery for placing White Stripe 12 x 12 acrylic on wood panel

Join me as I meet with @sandrafeleart on her series, Tap Into Your Creativity, tomorrow, October 14th at 12:00pm CDT LIVE on Instagram. I will be selling this piece, "Blue Shape, during the call and 100% of the profits will go to Feeding America. I'll also be sharing what I'm working on, my process, materials and more. Hope to see you there!

Working on this commission today. It is inspired from a previous painting but will be hopefully better than from where it came. At a certain point it becomes its own painting. 40 x 72

Paradise 54 x 60 An earlier painting that connects to what I am making today.

I remember not feeling so good about the kind of art I was making. I thought it was because of my circumstances. I had all sorts of ideas about what was or was not possible for me. But years ago, I had a conversation with my father, Clifford Wilton, who changed all that. He said something to me that made me realize I was not thinking big enough and honestly imagining what I did want. Not just in my art, but my life, too. And that's what today's video is all about. If there i...s one thing I have learned from all of this, it has to do with remembering what you are genuinely after in your art. I become so busy with the day-to-day; it is easy to forget. Every year around this time, I take some time to reimagine what truly lights me up, not just in my art but my life, too. They are both, as I know you know, intertwined. To get someplace, we must first imagine it. And imagine it often. Let us know in the comments your strategy for staying current with all you desire in your art and life. We would love to know. This year I thought I would invite whoever wants to join me in my reimagining process. It is called the Creative Breadcrumbs Challenge. It is free, and it will walk you through the process I use to gain clarity, insight, and to fire up my art mojo. It starts in about a week on Monday, October 19th. Here is a link if you would like to join me. https://art2life.lpages.co/breadcrumbs-challenge/ Hope your Sunday is going great. Nicholas

Taking cues from my Sketchbook and staying focused on the feeling of making the work to make the work.

I used to hate competition. But now it doesn't bother me. I figured out that competition was so unpleasant because I was focusing too much on everyone else. I lost track of me in the process. Whether you are running a race, dancing, making art, or almost any kind of creative expression, it just doesn't help when you are not squarely in the driver's seat. In other words, the more you pay attention to your internal conversation instead of the noisier, external one, the more you...r art, or whatever you are making or doing, will feel like you. This little idea is what we are talking about today. Competition loses some of its edge when we shift our focus from them to us. It doesn’t really matter what anyone else is making. What matters most is what you are making. It is about your passion and involvement in the creation of your art. Let us know in the comments how you think about competition. In gratitude, Nicholas Wilton PS Click on the link below if you would like to attend the Art2Life International Exhibition opening ceremony. This Tuesday, Oct 6th at noon PDT, I will be opening the exhibition website, interviewing artists, and announcing the awards. https://art2life.lpages.co/2020-a2l-juried-exhibition-open/ I hope you can join us on this day of celebration.

My father, Clifford Wilton, would of been 90 today. Here is a small painting he made inspired by junker cars in rural junk yards. I wonder what kind of work he would be making today. I miss him.

Do you ever set goals for yourself to make art so many hours so many times a week? I used to do that, but I discovered that it rarely works out for me. So I changed my thinking. That is what this video is about today. I call this strategy, "Following the Pattern of Desire." This thinking means that I pay more attention to the pattern or sequence of making art, rather than how long I do the activity. If I only make art for 30 min, it is still a win because I upheld the patter...n I established for myself as a goal. It is a simple idea, but I feel it will get you more involved in your art without feeling bad about not hitting unrealistic goals. Today I make sure I follow the pattern and let go of how long I did the activity. This thinking helps me make considerable progress without guilt or shame. How do you maintain consistency in your art practice? Let us know in the comments! I am also super excited to announce a brand new upcoming program called Spark. It is a 21-day creative field trip. It is all about getting inspired, playing in our art, and discovering what brings us alive. The program is all done in a sketchbook! Sign up here to get on the waitlist for when it opens! https://art2life.lpages.co/spark-2020-waitlist/ We will be starting the program at the end of October, so get ready! Nicholas Wilton

Stratus 48 x 48 Looking at this painting today...this was made in 2014