Five steps to try and achieve Flow in the creative process.

According to MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, Flow is a state in which one is immersed in an experience that is rewarding in and of itself, a state in which we are one with the experience, in which "action and awareness are merged".

1. Have art supplies organized and easily accessible.Before sitting down to make art getting the area around you conducive to flow is and important first step.

I have found that if I have that paints organized and easily accessible I can stay focused on the task and the creative process. Also laying out the supplies in the same way each time helps me make my surroundings part of the intuitive process of creation.

2. Learn to stay focused on that task for as long as possible. This takes practice. You need to start your task and keep focusing on it for as long as you can.

When I drift or become distracted, I bring my focus back to the task at hand.. When I can keep my focus on that task, with little distractions, I sometimes can lose myself in Flow.

3. Turn off TV, Internet and laundry No multi-tasking it is impossible to get immersed in the task.

If I am trying to do more than just create. The laundry, the dog, the phone, the email have to wait.

4. Positive energy force. Focusing on positive growth and goals and staying in the moment will give you focus.

I continually work on quieting my inner voice - that tape is real old and real tired.

5. Make the creativity a challenge but not over whelming. A task should be challenging enough to require your full concentration but not so overwhelming that you are not able to loose myself in it.

Blue Selizer Bottle by Dennis Crayon

Grandma's China by Dennis Crayon

Grandma's China  8x10 by Dennis Crayon Oil on Canvas

In the beginning of the spring I finished two paintings that I sold thought Zoll Studios. One of the paintings was of 3 coffee cups that was part of my mother’s set of good china. The china is a family heirloom, which was handed down from my grandmother to my mother. It was in my house when I was growing up and was only used on special occasions. There was a china closet in the dinning room and it would always rattled when someone came down the stairs.

I wanted to get the gold high lights as strong as I possibly could.

Merry Go Round

Merry Go Around 8x8 by Dennis Crayon Oil on Panel
If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

For this tromp l'oeil painting I started with a sepia under painting using a mixture of black, burnt umber and white. The mixture of black and burnt umber was about 50 percent each then I added the white accordingly to the value needed. I made sure that there were no hard edges in the sepia areas so that there would be a high contrast between the bright colors of the merry ground’s horse and the soft edge of the background. When this layer was dry I painted over the top with the bright “candy” colors that you see in carnivals. Lastly I worked with the contour and shading of the horse’s mouth in order to fool the eye and play with the illusion of the head popping off the page. The masking tape also helps with the illusion of the colored layer tape on the top of the sepia layer.

I had captured this image last year when the carnival came on Northern Virginia and up until now was not sure would be the best way using the image. I wanted to give a nostalgic feeling to the painting by using the sepia color under painting technique.