 Travels Through Time, 12"x12," acrylic on wooden panel, © Lynn Goldstein As the year comes to a close, I have been reflecting on all the wonderful things that have inspired me artistically and personally. Our lives and our art-making are intertwined without doubt.. This past year has been filled with creative growth as I prepared for my solo exhibition at The Zebra Gallery in Easton, Maryland. I have always found that the more that I paint, the more inspired I become to try new approaches and think outside my own box.  Leaf Constellations, 12"x12," acrylic on wooden panel, © Lynn Goldstein I was again fortunate to travel far and wide. Travel is a sure way to find inspiration because we are in a place that is so very different from our usual surroundings. Don’t believe me? Take a look at some of my images from travels in 2025. I started the year in Singapore and will be ending it in New Zealand (where I look forward to having my socks blown off in landscape lovers paradise). In between, I was fortunate enough to visit Austria, with its stunning museums and historical sights, and also was able to return to Italy to paint with students from both coasts of the US.  The blue light was riveting bouncing of the leaves and trunks of these trees in the world- famous airport in Singapore.  This photograph, of an unremarkable metal fence was spotted in Italy. I love the colorful stickers placed on the fence as "decoration."  This marble wall caught my eye in Vienna, Austria. I was glad that my husband had to run to get our tickets, and I had time to take multiple photos of the beautiful organic shapes. Can't you see this as an abstract painting? Teaching is also inspiring for me. I love to see what my students do with the information that I share with them. It was particularly fun to share new exercises aimed at helping my students loosen up and feel freer in their work. I intend to share more of that type of thing with my students into 2026 and beyond.  Me with my students after working on experimental art practices. I am looking forward to more teaching in 2026. Making changes to my color palette was the highlight of my painting experience this year. I finally made peace with pink, and that change alone has made me look at my use of color in a new and exciting way. When you shy away from a specific color the other colors that you choose to utilize are affected by the absence. Intuitively I knew this, but I had yet to put it into practice. I am excited to see what 2026 will bring in terms of more color explorations.  Courageous Perseverance, 12"x12," acrylic on wood, © Lynn Goldstein I am looking forward to a solo exhibition in November of 2026 and will be working on a new body of paintings with that in mind. I am going to be continuing to teach and provide demonstrations in the coming year, a highlight will be my workshop in Venice, Italy in October. It's not too early to sign up for that here. All this will be punctuated by even more travel, and I will share it all with you. I couldn’t be more grateful to those of you who have taken a class/workshop with me, purchased my art, or simply engaged with art in some way. I love welcoming visitors to my studio, and I hope to see you in 2026.
0 Comments
As the year wraps up, I’ve been thinking a lot about inspiration, the kind that sneaks up on you while you’re working, teaching, or staring suspiciously at that one stubborn area of the painting that refuses to work. Lately, one color has been doing a lot of sneaking: blue. Blue shows up in my paintings whether I invite it or not. It’s grounding, vast, familiar, and mysterious. And as it turns out, blue has a history just as layered as the paint on my painting surfaces. So today, I’m diving into the history of the color blue, its symbolism, its meaning, and why humans (apparently) can’t get enough of it. If you love blue, art, or mildly fun art history facts, this one’s for you. Blue Didn’t Have a Name (Seriously) One of my favorite facts about blue is that early cultures didn’t have a word for blue at all. Not one. Ancient Greek texts describe the sky as “bronze.” The ocean? “Wine dark.” Some researchers believe people simply didn’t notice blue until they had a name for it. I feel better already, if ancient poets couldn’t identify blue, I won’t beat myself up for misplacing my phone multiple times a day. The First True Blue: Egyptians Were Ahead of Everyone The Egyptians created the first synthetic blue pigment around 2200 BCE — appropriately named “Egyptian blue.” They used it on jewelry, murals, and statues, proving once again that they were very committed to coordinating their aesthetic. Using quartz/sand and copper-glaze, they made this vivid blue long before someone casually said “paint it sky-blue.” To put it another way: if they could see one of my modern acrylic blues, say Liquitex Brilliant Blue for example, they might have thought, “good grief, how did she make that?” This Egyptian Blue pigment was so luminous that modern scientists can still detect it in microscopic traces thousands of years later. The material was special and valued. Here’s one example:  Blue Faience Saucer and Stand (c.1400-1325 BC), Walters Art Museum Blue as luxury and decoration Later, in Europe, pigment made from lapis lazuli (ultramarine) was so expensive it was like wearing jewelry. Painters reserved it for the most important bits of a painting. Decoratively, cobalt-blue glazed porcelain became popular across Asia and Europe: the crisp white background + ultra-blue pattern combo.  Ming dynasty Xuande-period blue-and-white vase, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lapis Lazuli: The Pigment Worth More Than Gold Move on to the Renaissance, where blue becomes the luxury color. The prized pigment ultramarine, made by grinding lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, was more valuable than gold. Artists used it sparingly, often reserving it for the Virgin Mary’s robes, partly for symbolism and partly to avoid going bankrupt. An interesting story that I found out while visiting the Sistine Chapel was that the Pope didn't provide Michelangelo with ultramarine when the Sistine Chapel ceiling was started because the Pope wasn't sure that the artist's work was worth all that expensive pigment. As you view the ceiling, you will see that the blue changes from one side of the ceiling to the other. This is because the Pope was impressed and supplied Michelangelo with the more expensive pigment to complete the project. This period marks the beginning of blue symbolism, blue meaning “divine,” “pure,” and “serious business.” My own relationship with blue has no real symbolic meaning at this point, but I appreciate the history. Why Humans Universally Love Blue Unlike other colors (looking at you, orange), blue is consistently ranked as the world’s favorite color. Interior designers adore it. Corporate branding teams worship it. My students reach for it before anything else. There’s a reason: Blue is trustworthy, calming, and timeless. In psychology, blue is associated with serenity, clarity, order. And in interior spaces, blue is a decorator’s magic trick — instantly pulling a room together. Here's one of my paintings in an interior featuring blue which shows you how calming the room appears when painted a serene blue color.  Blue in My Artwork (Where It Sneaks In Every Time) In my own abstract and landscape-inspired paintings, blue shows up like an uninvited guest who ends up being the life of the party. Whether I’m inspired by mountains, water, or weathered walls, blue has a way of anchoring the painting. Even when I’m working intuitively, which is most of the time, the color pulls me back to calm, openness, and that feeling of vast possibility. (Also: if you ever want to get lost in a painting, blue will help.)  Rhythms of the Forest, 47"x23.5," acrylic on canvas, ©Lynn Goldstein  Hide & Seek, 24"x24," acrylic on wood, © Lynn Goldstein From Ancient Pigments to Modern Studios The fascinating thing about the history of blue is how it winds through every era:
Egyptian blue on tomb walls and artifacts. Ultramarine in Renaissance masterpieces. Prussian blue in Japanese woodblocks. Indigo in textiles. Blue LED lights in our phones (less poetic, but historically relevant). And now, blue lives on in my work, textured, layered, sometimes bold, sometimes barely there. It’s a color with deep roots and endless possibilities. If you’d like to see how blue appears in my latest paintings, head on over to my Newest Art page right here on this website. Orange has always been one of my favorite colors to use in my artwork. It’s warm, bold, and full of energy. Unlike pink (a color I once resisted but later made peace with), orange has felt like home to me, and an anchor in many of my paintings.  Historically, orange has held a fascinating place in art and culture. Before the 16th century, there wasn’t even a distinct word for it in English. Artists and writers referred to it as “yellow-red.” The color gained its modern name from the fruit, which had made its way from Asia to Europe through trade routes. Once the fruit became familiar, the color took on the name we know today. Artists through the ages have turned to it to capture both the vibrancy of the world around them and the emotional depth within. Take Frederic Leighton’s masterpiece Flaming June, painted in 1895. The glowing folds of silk practically radiate light, showing just how powerful orange can be in evoking passion and serenity at once.  Flaming June by Frederic Leighton, 1895 Leighton’s Flaming June may be the most iconic celebration of orange in art history. The folds of silk practically glow, reminding us how this color radiates both passion and serenity. Vincent Van Gogh also made orange central to his palette, often pairing it with yellows and deep blues. Looking at his self-portraits, I’ve often thought it’s no accident, his warm skin tones were flattered by the very colors he used most in his paintings. My theory is that we are drawn to the colors that look good on us, both in life and in art.  Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh, 1817, Metropolitan Museum of Art Van Gogh often surrounded himself with warm colors like orange and yellow. It was as a result of looking at Van Gogh's color palettes that I came to believe that we gravitate to colors that look good on us when we wear them. Orange continues to inspire contemporary artists too. Mark Rothko, for example, stripped the color down to its essence. In works like Orange and Yellow, he created glowing fields that pulse with intensity yet offer a meditative calm.  Mark Rothko — No. 13 (White, Red on Yellow), 1958, Metropolitan Museum of Art This is a more modern abstract expressionist work. The band of orange/yellow and the way the color fields glow, is powerful. Rothko's luminous canvases show how orange can hold both intensity and quiet contemplation.” For me, orange has always been about balance. Its vibrancy commands attention, yet it can also feel grounding. Whether in a fiery sunset, a field in autumn, or a swath of paint across a canvas, orange never fails to stir something in me. Orange is obviously one of my favorite colors.
What is your fave? Let me know in the comments.  La Toilette de Venus by Francois Boucher 1751—A quintessential example of Rococo elegance and pink-toned lushness. Pink has always been more than just “light red.” In the 18th century, it was the height of fashion in Europe—worn by both men and women of the aristocracy and celebrated in the Rococo paintings of artists like François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard. In those works, pink suggested elegance, playfulness, and even seduction. By the 19th and 20th centuries, pink became increasingly tied to femininity, innocence, and childhood—especially after World War II, when marketing in the United States cemented “pink for girls” as a cultural norm. Artists, however, have always pushed past those limits. Matisse used vibrant pinks structurally, Georgia O’Keeffe explored its sensuality, and Andy Warhol turned hot pink into a symbol of consumerism and pop culture. Today, artists like Yayoi Kusama and Mickalene Thomas use pink in bold, challenging ways, sometimes playful, sometimes confrontational.  Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol-- Warhol’s bold hot-pink treatments of this iconic figure showcase how pink became pop-culture shorthand, switching from delicate to daring . I’ve noticed that for much of my career, I avoided pink. Maybe I subconsciously bought into its clichés. About a year ago, I decided to challenge myself to “make peace with pink.” That choice opened new doors in my studio. I’ve found ways to let pink bring warmth, tension, and even quiet strength into my paintings. It’s been a surprising and rewarding experiment, and one I’ll continue exploring. Here are some examples of my most recent work where I have incorporated the color pink without any avoidance. I have conquered my "fear" of pink. Now, I need to think of another color that doesn't show up much in my art!   Courageous Perseverance, 12"x12," acrylic on wood, © Lynn Goldstein, Available December 2026  "Travels Through Time," 12"x12," acrylic on wood, © Lynn Goldstein. Available December 2025
 Korean Sea Pine at the Spirited Garden in Jeju Island, South Korea Having just returned from South Korea and Japan, I have been asked what inspired me the most from our trip. You may find it surprising given all the gorgeous temples, vibrant city architecture, and beautiful people that I found one of my greatest inspirations in a garden on Jeju Island. When we were informed by our tour guide that we would be visiting a garden, I gave it little thought. After all, I've had the good fortune to see some truly magnificent gardens. I had looked forward to it, but I had no clue how this location would affect me. As it turns out, we were visiting The Spirited Garden. A world famous site that was started in 1968 by one man with a vision.  The sculptural quality of this dead tree is beautiful at the Spirited Garden Bum Young Sun was 29 when he decided to make a garden out of a desolate area of scrub and volcanic stone. I was moved to tears by the masterpiece of tranquility and beauty that he crafted with his own hands. While walking around some 400 trees, mostly bonsai (known as bunjae in Korean), I was captivated by the twisting branches and the sense of calm that swept over me. I kept thinking that I wish that I could meet the creator of this wonderland so that I could express my gratitude. As if by magic, this elderly man appeared. I was astonished to see Bum Young Sun tending to one of his beloved trees while donning his distinctive tattered straw sun hat. Although I didn't want to disturb him, he appeared to be just as intrigued by me as I was by him.  You may see Bum Young Sun in the distance lovingly caring for his trees You see, he enjoys having guests from all around the world visit his garden. I didn't want to break his concentration. The garden has a meditative quality and he looked as if he was in deep thought. But as I passed, he turned to face me and looked at me with the gentlest eyes, and greeted me. After asking me where I was from, he seemed pleased with my response. He thanked me after I expressed my gratitude for his garden. In fact, we thanked one another repeatedly. It was a wonderful encounter that I didn't expect and for which I am truly grateful.  A beautiful combination of an azalea and evergreen Future paintings will undoubtedly feature some of his trees prominently. In fact, I'm already thinking about a series. The thing that most impressed me, though, was the commitment that this one modest man had to producing something of incredible beauty to be shared with the world. What was the last thing that truly inspired you? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to know about it.  Just Below the Surface, 12"x12," acrylic on panel, © Lynn Goldstein $550. See more about this painting here We were staying up late into the night, probably knowing that the morning would come all that much sooner if we went to sleep. You see, my son was leaving for college the next day, and both of us were feeling anxious about the changes that were coming our way. To quell his concerns, he asked me all kinds of questions. One question was easy for me to answer. "Mom, what was your least favorite thing about college?" I hated critiques. What in the world changed for me? First, let me explain. Critiques were brutal when I was in college. My professors didn't seem to understand the concept of constructive criticism. In retrospect, perhaps they were trying to toughen us up, or maybe trying to weed us out of the program. If I had let them, they would have crushed my spirit into the ground. Instead, I vowed that should I ever teach, I would not emulate them, and I never have! When I critique other artist's work, I first make an effort to understand what that person is trying to say with their art, and we go from there. I approach any critique based on where each artist is in their journey, and find areas that can improve the work quickly. In other words, I critique in the way that I prefer receiving help with my own work. Good critiques have improved my work ten-fold. Good critiques are one of the best ways to improve your art. Here are 6 reasons why: 1. Making art is a solitary endeavor. We can get stuck in our own heads. Showing our work to others can help us to see our work differently. 2. Fresh eyes bring fresh perspective. 3. Someone who is good at critiquing work can help guide us by showing us work by others that may have a similar aesthetic. We can then study that work to improve our own. 4. Someone who understands the principles of strong art can help us to improve important aspects of our work. 5. If in a group, we can see how our work is perceived by others, and practice talking about our work as a result of looking at it more closely. Others may find aspects of our work that was never considered. 6. We can also see how other artists solve problems and potentially borrow those solutions in our own work. Here's what students have said about my critiques: She has taught me so much, including how to develop good composition and a focal point, but, above all, she has given me confidence in my own abilities. ~L. Miller I have taken classes with other art instructors so have experienced a variety of styles and personalities. Some have not offered any specific content, so I felt I wasn't learning anything. Other teachers have been talented themselves but impatient with students' lack of expertise and therefore extremely harsh in their criticism. In contrast, Lynn offers an upbeat, positive approach which encourages students to work at their level and to stretch themselves as they are ready. ~M. Norman My online critique group will be starting on Tuesday, February 1, and I would love to have you join us.
There are only 2 spaces left! Want to join us? Click the button below.  A Strong Balance, 12"x12," Acrylic on panel, ©Lynn Goldstein, buying information here. There is a reason that the expression, working outside your comfort zone, makes you feel challenged, and maybe a little uncomfortable. However, there are compelling reasons to take a break from what is safe in life, and also in your art-making practice. Here are simple ways to jump-start your creativity by doing something new. 1. Change it up and feel more alive. The same-old-same-old that we have all faced during this pandemic has been tough on us all. If we take the time to consider how we can alter our everyday routine, we will inevitably feel more excited, and creativity will be sparked from the experience. As an example, if you usually walk around your neighborhood, you may want to go to a local park to see something new to you. I know that when I make an alteration as simple as that, the difference in the landscape is enough to inspire and uplift me. Here are some pics from a recent walk. Something as simple as the change of seasons can inspire. 2. Use colors that you don't usually use in your art. I tend to use a similar palette of colors frequently. It was time to shake things up a bit. So, I made the painting that you see above. I didn't even put paint colors that I usually use out on my palette. Didn't want to have any temptation to slip back into my comfort zone. It felt weird, to say the least, but I am very happy with the end result. It's so different from the colors that I ordinarily embrace, and using these colors made me think differently, and I had a great time doing it. Not an artist? Well, you could try to wear a color that you rarely would wear. Not a big commitment if it's only a scarf or gloves.  This piece, "We've Got Rhythm," by Delna Dastur is on view at the "(Not) Strictly Painting" exhibition at the McLean Project for the Arts until November 13. If you are in the Washington, DC area it's well worth a visit to the gallery to see this show! 3. Look at artwork by artists with whom you are unfamiliar. We tend to become comfortable with artists whose work we have seen repeatedly. I am thinking of work by Van Gogh and Monet as examples of artists whose work have been seen over and over again . The next time you are fortunate enough to visit a museum or gallery, take a closer look at work that is different. Jot down the name of the artist and look at more of their art online. This will enrich your life and could inform your art work in ways that surprise and delight you.
Do you challenge yourself to do different things in your life and art? I'd love to hear about it. Let me know in the comments below.  Fleeting Memory, 12"x12," Acrylic on Panel, ©Lynn Goldstein, click here to see more information on this painting. ,Entering juried exhibitions can be time-consuming and expensive.
I rarely enter these art shows, but once in a great while a show interests me, and I jump in. If you are considering entering a juried art exhibition, my advice is to think long and hard before committing. Understand the pros and cons, and what you may get out of the experience prior to making the leap. Be sure to research the judge. If you are not impressed with the judge's credentials, hold off. Here are five reasons that I may choose to enter a juried show. If you enter juried exhibitions, let me know the reasons you do so in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you. 1. I know that by being accepted, I may become a signature member of an art organization to which I want to belong. This was the case when I was accepted into three national juried exhibitions hosted by the Pastel Society of America. As a result of those acceptances, I am now a signature member of that illustrious group. I wanted the signature designation because I enjoy teaching. This honor helps potential students know that I am serious about the work that I do and have been accepted by peers. 2. I want a different audience to view my work. This may be online or in person. In either case, try to ascertain how many people may see your work. If this is a reason to enter a show, be sure that the organization sponsoring the show does a good job advertising and marketing? If not, reconsider entering. 3. I want my work to come to the attention of the curator of the show. This is self-explanatory. 4. The show is in a prestigious location as when I exhibited my work at the Smithsonian in 2015 and 2017. See that work here and here. 5. I am exploring a new style of work and I want confirmation that my direction is sound. 6. There are hefty prize incentives. I have been fortunate to be awarded some amazing prizes, and that is always welcome. Sometimes the prizes are art supplies and sometimes the prize is strictly monetary. Since I have been working on a new series, I was interested in seeing how it would be received. So, I decided to enter the Art2Life International Juried Exhibition. To my surprise and delight, my work was accepted. I knew that this would be a very competitive show. As it turns out, there were approximately 4,500 pieces of art entered and only 50 selected. Perhaps if I had known those odds, I wouldn't have entered, but I am surely glad that I did!  Among the Grasses, 30"x30," Oil on panel, ©Lynn Goldstein, more info here Sometimes a painting is completed in what feels like minutes. The art seems to simply drip off my brushes almost fully formed. When this happens I feel as if I have been handed a gift from the gods. More often, a painting takes bloody forever, which makes me wonder how I ever thought that I could do this thing called art-making. The piece may sit for days, weeks, and months before I bring it to the finish line. The painting above is an example of a painting that took forever, and went through many iterations. Check out the way it used to look before I altered it below. What does this have to do with advice from Smokey Robinson? Read on.... My love of music led me to a terrific book entitled, Smokey Robinson: Grateful and Blessed, narrated by the great songwriter himself. What joyful listening! I highly recommend it. I was riveted hearing Mr. Robinson discuss his creative process, and was particularly interested when he said that it took five years to come up with the lyrics for Cruisin,' while it took five minutes to write the words to Shop Around. Hearing this, I realized that if someone as creative and impressive as Smokey Robinson can take his time writing the words to a song, then, by golly, I will simply embrace the time that it takes for me to complete a painting no matter how long the process lasts! So, the advice I received from Smokey Robinson? He didn't say this, but I am going to extrapolate from his experience to relax into the process and enjoy the ride. Hope this helps you if you are a fellow artist. If you are not an artist, I hope what I have written helps you to understand part of the creative process.  Among the Grasses, progress being made. I kept looking at this in a thumbnail view and I didn't like the tree on the right. Changes had to be made.  Among the Grasses before I made changes
 Go Bold, 12"x12," oil on panel, © Lynn Goldstein, $600 see more about this piece here. While having a conversation with one of my closest friends, she mentioned that she never had one of those amazing teachers that impacted and inspired her throughout her life. That got me thinking. Did I have an inspiring teacher? The answer is yes, I did. I had a few of them. One was Mr. Rose, my dance instructor for eight years. He taught me the joy and artistry of movement, something that was apparently hardwired into my DNA. I loved the discipline of ballet, and I bring that training into my art-making practice to this day. I had another dance instructor during my years in college. Unfortunately, I can't recall his name, but I remember something that he said to me as if it were yesterday. I try my best to bring his words to the forefront of my mind when I am experimenting with my art, and making what seems like a colossal mess. Here's what he had to say: When you are dancing and you make a mistake, you tend to make a face that broadcasts your error. Don't do that. Just keep on dancing. The audience will never know." Lately, I have been experimenting in my work. I have been using acrylic, working on abstracts, and making lots of mistakes. Mistakes are a great way to learn. I am not making any negative faces anymore either, and I am continuing to keep on dancing. Well, at least my brushes are dancing.... So, if you are also making mistakes, simply keep on dancing! You will learn a lot, you will grow, and the audience will never know. Do you have any great words of wisdom from an inspirational teacher? Would you be willing to share? I would love to read them in the comments below.  The Soul Knows, 12"x12," Acrylic on panel, © Lynn Goldstein, $600
This painting is one of the abstract pieces that I have been working on in acrylic. I love this one! |
|
