A Review

"When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable with God….to be vulnerable in spirit with others….we reach others easily. Gently. We open ourselves up to so much….to giving….to nurturing….to being still….to gratitude….to trust….and to faith. I imagine the magnitude of the lives you will touch with the art you will create. My prayer is that you become a vessel to reach and touch other's lives with your art….gently….but with passion. To say things that cannot be expressed through words!"

These words are from one of my favorite artists, Mindy Lacefield. I found it very touching and inspiring, just like her art (Mindy's website: www.timssally.com). Besides being a fabulous artist, Mindy Lacefield teaches many classes. Her class, "Paint Your Story," was the first on-line art class I had ever taken. I was somewhat skeptical about taking an art class online, but I was SO in love with her art....I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see how it would go. I kept wondering how everyone would "connect" or learn anything. This was not an art history class, but one that would teach techniques, etc. I could not have been happier with her class! I have now taken almost every class she has offered. It is very addictive, because I always have something to look forward to. Artistically, I had been stuck in a rut for quite awhile. I wanted to back into painting full time, but I just wasn't happy with what I was doing. I found a simple, new approach to my work. "Paint Your Story" found me at the right time, and I am hugely grateful.

The premise of Mindy's class is that you should paint from a seven-year-old's perspective, without judgement, just doing what you feel. That seems like a very easy thing to understand and do. If you really "get it," you know how liberating this concept is, and what it did for me was amazing. I went from conceiving a rough idea of what I wanted to paint, then drawing it out and worrying over "mistakes," or my inability to create exactly what I had in my head. Now I am creating in a completely different way. I start from an abstract, automatic and an intuitive process....then I flesh out what I see in the swirl of color, swatch of paper and so forth.

I believe Mindy lives her quote above; she is very generous with her time and talent. People of all levels of ability can find a really supportive art community. There are professional artists in the class and newbies, but everyone feels equal. You follow a video format that you may download and keep forever. You also have class access for at least a year. Depending on the class, there is a project once a day, or week or month. Mindy also helps the class members connect through a private Facebook group. Everyone is encouraged to share her work, talk and get to know each other. I have made some amazing connections with other artists I may never have come in contact with....people from all over the world. It feels very intimate and surprising. Mindy seems like the girl next door, charming, unassuming and fun. She makes you feel at home as soon as you hear her sweet Southern drawl.