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Tell me a little about yourself ...

7/28/2016

28 Comments

 
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Welcome to my first blog post! Well, my first blog post on this platform and my first in several years, at least. Today, I'm going to ... gulp ... tell you a little bit about myself and my art. Oh, and there's a giveaway at the end. (Yep, I went there.)

So ... I don't know about you, but the words "tell me a little about yourself" instill terror in my wee little heart. I mean ... seriously, how do you distill a person down to their essence in just a few words? It's not that I can't do it. I've written scores of bios, introductions and speeches for myself and others. I've a file of bios and artist statements on my computer that I can pull from on short notice.  But still, I momentarily freeze like a deer in the headlights when asked to say a few words about myself or sit myself down to revise a written bio. ​It can even be worse to have to respond to the words "tell me about your art."

How do I describe this magic thing I am and that I get to do? ​I've thought about it over my morning decaf and come up with three reasons behind my fear.

​(1) The first is that I want to describe myself and my art perfectly. I don't want it to just sound good, I want it to be bold and true ... I want the words to make me irresistible so that people applaud and share whatever I say like I'm Elizabeth Gilbert or Anne Lamott! Oh, and of course, they'll buy scores of paintings, too. So, perfection and expectations ... there's a pair, for you. If we add in comparison to others and how they describe themselves so brilliantly ... I think we've got the ego trifecta!

(2) The second reason is a matter of translation. My natural language is colour and not words. So when asked to talk about my art I'm translating from something free, made of joy and light ... and feeling and energy and newness to ... mere words, which are defined, bound by manmade rules and well accounted for in dictionaries and thesauruses. I love words, but they don't come from as deep and free a place as my art does. They are more difficult to herd, always wandering off and getting into things, going off on tangents that have to be deleted later ... or worse, just leaving you mid-sentence to stand frozen with your tongue tied.

​(3) A misunderstanding of what being a human being and an artist is is the third reason. We are not static beings. We change over time. Our work changes over time. We are forever works in progress, yet still perfectly imperfect in each moment. So as much as I strive to write the mother of all bios or artist statements, ones so fabulous I will never have to revise them again ... that's not going to happen.

​Despite these perfectly normal fears, or perhaps because of them, I keep on revising my bios and artist statements. I keep on talking about my work the best that I can ... and I tell myself that I get just a little better at it each time. I feel strongly that it is my responsibility as an artist to be seen and to use words to communicate. I can't get away with just shrugging, looking pained and saying "Oh well, my language is my art. You'll just get my paintings, eh?" Nope, 'not gonna happen.' Because, frankly, no one else is going to do it for me. No one else can. If I can't learn to describe my magic, how in the heck can someone else?

I did promise to actually tell you something about myself, so my most recent revised bio and a brief audio where I talk about my painting process - and grasp for the right pesky words! - follow.

Revised Bio
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Audio (3 min): Talking About My Painting Process


​​
​To close this inaugural post I'm offering a set of 4 art postcards to the winner of a random draw that will take place on Monday, August 1st at 12 noon Eastern Time. The images on the cards are of some of my personal favourites available in my shop, and shown at the top of this blog post. To be eligible for the draw, just tell me a little about yourself in a comment below. If for some reason I am unable to contact the winner within 24 hours of the draw, the art postcards will be awarded to a second name drawn. Good luck!
​
​If you have any questions or things you'd be interested in hearing about in future blog posts, let me know that, too.

​Until next time!

​PS I'm super excited to be bringing the August Collection of 4x24" paintings to you! The Collection will be released in the shop on my website on Tuesday, August 2nd at 12 noon Eastern Time.
​Follow me on Instagram at donnamulhollandstudio
28 Comments
Norina Morris
7/28/2016 11:22:02 am

I love your work, Donna! Looking forward to seeing the August collection!

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Donna link
7/28/2016 12:22:52 pm

Thanks Norina!

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Linda
7/28/2016 12:34:05 pm

"My natural language is colour and not words." I so identify with that! Also an abstract acrylics artist. I call myself the Color Junkie.

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Donna
7/28/2016 05:55:59 pm

I love it, Linda!

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Verla Goudy
7/28/2016 12:34:47 pm

I, too, am retired but have not moved on to full-time as an artist.
I work on watercolour, pen and ink sketches, hopefully on a daily basis. I enjoy participating in the workshops on different media and techniques that our Florida art league runs. Most importantly, I enjoy watching for your Facebook posts and now your blog.

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Donna
7/28/2016 05:57:16 pm

I love following you too, Verla! Thank you.❤️

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De wmsz
7/28/2016 01:06:53 pm

I love your style. I am still exploring to find mine. I love color. I am old enough i can spend without guilt (up to a point of course!) and am exploring various acrylic paint types and mediums. I am notvery good at drawing, so use texture and color to get my ideas across. Ther is a lot of 'what if' i do this, what will happen? The idea that i can just paint over stuff is my go to.

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Donna
7/28/2016 05:58:20 pm

I love your approach!

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Donna
7/28/2016 05:58:41 pm

... and thanks for the kind words!

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Ann Nemcosky link
7/28/2016 01:21:46 pm

Good job! Your blog/website looks fantastic! I like that it's all integrated and it showcases your work very well. And I wish I lived close enough to take one of your classes, it sounds like an adventure worth doing. As for me, I have been and am so many things, but mostly I paint.

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Donna
7/28/2016 05:59:18 pm

Thank you, Ann. I've loved your work for ages!

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Marie Anne Alexandre
7/28/2016 02:17:48 pm

It's lovely to see you evolve !!
I love the comment about art being an experience ❤ -- love love
Continued success !!

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Donna
7/28/2016 06:04:17 pm

Thank you so much Marie Anne!

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Chantal Leblanc link
7/28/2016 04:49:43 pm

I love it, very well done. I can relate to "I freeze like a deer in the headlights " ... Made me laugh but now I understand what I must look like when people ask me about my work... Congrats everything looks great !!!

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Donna
7/28/2016 06:00:54 pm

Thank you, Chantal! I love your Instagram account. ❤️

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Ellen Durkee
7/28/2016 06:00:34 pm

Hi Donna, I enjoy your work and love the things you post. Good for you starting a blog! I'm a writer and wanna be artist. (I do love to paint but sadly, real talent has escaped me in that area ) But I so love the work other do.

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Donna
7/28/2016 06:08:59 pm

Ellen, I admire your writing skills ... and believe you are an artist if you want to be ... it just takes practice to find your voice and style. ❤️?

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Arlene Holtz link
7/28/2016 06:01:15 pm

Well, for a set of postcards of your art - Yes! I'm all in! In spite of you knowing a lot about me, I'll start by saying that I am an admirer of your art, for sure.

I'm an artist too, and up until a little over a year ago, I painted representational art: landscapes, portraits, animals, etc. Then I got the abstract bug, and it has been a huge challenge to learn to paint this way. At first it seemed as if it would be easy, but it is not!! However, I am hooked on the sheer scope and depth that can be achieved from being free to paint my emotions via color, line, and shapes only. What a thrilling ride it has been, and I know I have lots more to learn

Congratulations on starting your blog - something I don't find very easy either!

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Donna
7/28/2016 06:10:09 pm

You express yourself so well, Arlene. Both with paint and in words. Thanks for the kind words! ❤️❤️❤️

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Cherol Ockrassa link
7/28/2016 06:48:36 pm

Hi Donna, I'm the kind of admirer who wouldn't pass up this chance.
About me: I call you friend. I'm awkward, nerdy, sarcastic, and artistic. I have a good command of language but fail to ever feel succinct with words alone. I'm not one to follow popular thought or definitions of big concepts. Instead I paint my angst, myself, and my own validation on a regular basis. I have an opinion about pretty much everything, and feel most comfortable painting them. I adore how bravely you charge on and how confidently you paint your courage and character on canvas. I adore following everything you do.
((Hugs)) Cherol

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Donna
7/28/2016 07:58:15 pm

Oooo ... so well said, Cherol. Love you! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Shauna link
7/28/2016 09:40:07 pm

Oh I laughed out loud where you talk about writing the mother of all bios/statements and never having to do one again! My dream...hahaha. I am always and forever a work in progress, just as my art evolves all the time, me too. Love your art and this website looks great! x

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Donna
7/29/2016 01:05:24 pm

Thanks Shauna!

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Sharon Dugas
7/29/2016 10:01:38 am

love your writing and your art...laughed at the "trifecta"...dealing with some of that myself...very insightful reasoning...you have pinpointed and clarified the struggle - that uncomfortable feeling I think all artists have when needing to verbalize instead of visualize...branding, marketing, selling ourselves...pride in our work...such foreign concepts bordering on something like a dark shadow from a HP movie..."that which shall not be named"...you have named it and described it to a tee...I will keep reading

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Donna
7/29/2016 01:06:57 pm

Haha ... "that which shall not be named" ... love it! Thanks for the kind words, Sharon.

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clare brennan
7/31/2016 08:40:19 pm

I love color...especially blue...i love friends who include me in good times and bad...i love being at the lake but i love the routine off fall when i can be devilish and honest and creative with my special friend .....who knows who she is....and i love love her art

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Donna link
8/1/2016 04:50:03 am

Thanks for the kind words. It will be September before we know it!

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Donna Mulholland link
8/1/2016 01:15:20 pm

I'm pleased to announce that the winner of the draw is Clare Brennan! Congratulations Clare and thank you to you all for commenting. :-)

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