"With most of my normal activities extremely limited, I had to find new ways to enjoy being in quarantine"

Finding my way back to art

The pandemic shut down many things — stores, restaurants, movies and so many more of life’s little distractions.  It turns out all of those distractions were holding me back from a longtime love I’d neglected for far too long.

With most of my normal activities extremely limited, I had to find new ways to enjoy being in quarantine, which led me to begin ordering art supplies online so I could do a few basic creative projects at home. Back in the fall of 2019 I took a few pottery classes at Art Works Now, a local community art studio.  With the extra time that the pandemic afforded me, I decided to build on those experiences and signed up for the newly offered virtual classes at Art Works Now. Fully enjoying the small art community experience, I took other classes that further rekindled my interest in art.

Artwork by Monica Lyles. From left to right: "Flow with it", "I'm not alone", "Ripped Rainbows"

Of all the classes I took during my pre-collegiate education, classes that focused on art were my favorite. Back then my dream job was to be an artist, but concerns about the financial viability of that career path led me to a more stable, less creatively challenging option. Nevertheless, the pull of art persisted and I considered taking interior design classes or graphic art design courses, but quickly got discouraged with the long-term financial commitment of pursuing classes while working full-time.

Although I wasn’t creating art any longer, I still appreciated it and regularly went to museums to see the latest exhibits. I was excited about seeing up close the color combinations, techniques and details in each design. Seeing Van Gogh’s famous pictures in the National Gallery of Art Museum and the recent President Obama (Kehinde Wiley) and First Lady Michelle Obama (Amy Sherald) art exhibits were definitely a highlight for me. Needless to say, I could never fully get rid of my desire to absorb and/or create art, and would therefore frequently go to shops where I could paint pre-designed pottery pieces, and I'd also take small workshops at shops like Color Me Mine and Amazing Glaze to create mosaic tables.

"I like that art can be interpreted different ways because everyone sees beauty in their own way. There have been times when I have created a piece and someone will see water or something totally different than I intended."

Taking the Collage Creations, Sketch to Paint and Acrylic Landscape classes at Art Works Now since May 2020 has helped remind me what I enjoy so much about the artistic creative process. My favorite style is abstract designs, since I can create a piece and it can be interpreted many ways. Abstract art is defined as “art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors and textures.” I like that art can be interpreted different ways because everyone sees beauty in their own way. There have been times when I have created a piece and someone will see water or something totally different than I intended. I’ve begun exploring making art of actual things like landscapes, flowers or the ocean, but I really prefer the freedom of creating a design that can be interpreted by the viewer. When I create objects or scenes it is often very limiting to me so I tend to make more abstract art designs.

My materials and process

I’ve picked up numerous tips and tricks through experimentation and by communicating with experienced artists on Instagram about their favorite materials and even paint brands. Generally, I paint with acrylic paint and use various metallic pens for precision details. I usually use canvas paper or canvas boards to create the paintings (ranging in size of 10x10 to 16x20), but I have a commissioned art piece that I will create on a very large canvas (36x40). I enjoy painting with metallic paints because it gives a nice shine when you display them with the right lighting. One of the bigger challenges I’m working on now is experimenting with the various thicknesses of paints to see how they layer differently from one another.

While it is not part of my regular routine to listen to music when I paint, I have discovered that ocassionally it helps me express different ideas. For example when I created “I’m not Alone,” I was listening to Inspirational Praise music and when I created the "Calming Sun and Waves" collage, I was listening to Classical music.

"There is a scripture that talks about burying your talent (Matthew 25:14-30) and in the past I’ve always been afraid that I was doing that in some way by not using my passion and love of art creatively."

Music or not, I generally either sketch my idea before I start painting or sometimes I just create as I go along based on how the design is taking shape as I'm doing it. Often times I have color schemes in mind that I want to try out and will make a design based on those envisioned color combinations. I enjoy being intentional about how I’m placing different color combinations in my creations while I'm taking something from my heart and transferring it to the canvas. There’s something so relaxing in creating something from my heart, and it’s been very encouraging to hear people describe my art as peaceful, calming or vibrant.

"Calming Sun and Waves" by Monica Lyles.

My ultimate goal is to use the gift God has given me. There is a scripture that talks about burying your talent (Matthew 25:14-30) and in the past I’ve always been afraid that I was doing that in some way by not using my passion and love of art creatively.

A few months ago, I took the big step of sharing my artwork on Instagram (@greatdailycreativity). I’m new to sharing on social media and it’s been fun showing my art to people who don’t have a bias of being family and friends. Eventually, I began sharing my work on Facebook and was encouraged by requests from friends asking if I was planning on selling my art. The encouragement and affirmations has been an important part of my desire to continue to keep pursuing my creativity through art designs.

As an additional way to share my art, I’ve created a website — http://Monicacreatesdaily.com. My goal is to share my art as my way of sharing my gift from God with others. I’ve even already started to get requests for prints and commissioned art work, which is very exciting.