The Creative Life - Barbara Trovillo

Artists are often asked what is their inspiration. The answer varies from one Creator to the next. I have always had a difficult time answering that question. Much of what I do is intuitive. I follow the crumbs on the path, so to speak. I have never spent much time thinking about it.    I can now say it is the Wonder of the Natural World that drives me. I live in a fairly remote place in the mountains of central Virginia, surrounded by woods, fields, and wildlife. Every day, I am discovering small wonders. My sister is also a nature lover. Yesterday, I [...]

Ha ha.....quite a build up, eh? Well, that's how I felt this week.   My New's Years Eve resolution was to arrange at least 6 places to show my work this year.   Last year was a wash. We were caught up in fixing and selling a rental property, then dealing with damage from surprise flooding here on Pleasant Hill where we live. I continued with my daily painting practice but could not manage arranging ways to get the work out into the public view.   I am determined to not let that happen again this year!   I am making good progress turning that resolve into reality. So [...]

Peaches in Bloom     I am currently possessed by an obsession.     Each year, I visit the orchard near me and make a painting of the trees when the blossoms have opened. The area in which this orchard is located is in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia. It is truly one of the most beautiful places you will ever see! The trees are so gracefully formed, their branches elegantly posed. There is an elusive beauty that I continue to try to capture.                                                [...]

"Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave."   Mary Tyler Moore     Recently, I found myself at a painting impasse. I was standing in front of a painting in progress, unsure which to reach for, a brush or a palette knife?  The problem was a conflict of style: What am I trying to achieve?   I started painting many years ago as a watercolorist. Upon the suggestion of a collector, I began working with oil. I loved the texture and vibrancy of the paint. For the next decade, I vacillated between the [...]

With February ending in a few days, I decided it would be helpful to me (and hopefully, interesting to you), to review the work I have created in this past season, November through February.    Done in early in November, Nice work with squeegee and palette knives.     The first piece in a "winter series". Bare trees, cold light. A limited palette. The sky is interesting.     More abstract with a limited palette of color used.     ** Quite abstract. A nice balance of cold blues and warm oranges.   Limited palette, mostly palette knife work.    ** Very intense winter light. Great sky, and texture. Definitely "needs" something. I will go back into this [...]

I have a confession to make. I am a bit of a commitment phobe. I am definitely a "Don't Fence Me In" kind of girl.    Now, though, I feel compelled to narrow my focus.    As a younger woman, I wanted to learn how to do EVERYTHING. When I discovered painting, I finally found the art form to which I was compelled to commit. That has not changed for me in the last 30 years!   As I have studied the business side of art, the importance of determining one's artistic niche has been stressed. Am I a portrait artist? No. Do I do still life? Yes, but [...]

      "The Difference between Ordinary and Extraordinary is Practice"     Vladimir Horowitz     About a year ago, I attended a workshop given by Mary Bentz Gilkerson. She is a very talented painter and an excellent coach.  Mary is a contemporary painter of the Low Country in South Carolina.  She paints beautiful landscapes of the marsh and the surrounding area. She has an impressive portfolio.  You can find her at https://www.(marygilkerson.com/)    One of the things she teaches is the need to find your "niche" and then, market that work to those looking for that particular subject or style. Of course, artists are always taught to develop [...]