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“Taking Pause"
“Night Falls on the Homestead with a Shimmer from Above”
�Tom Hlas 2018. All rights reserved.
Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 12” x 12”
Sometimes I wonder about things. All kinds of things.
I wonder about the state of the world and if it’ll survive.
I wonder about my current project, my last project, my next project.
I wonder about the many paths I took to get where I am today.
I wonder if other people wonder.
It’s a luxury just to sit and wonder.
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"Do More"
“Over There: Three”
�Tom Hlas 2016. All rights reserved.
Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 12” x 12”
What do you do that’s important to you?
Is it opening your home and sharing good times with family and friends?
Is it waking early in the morning to greet the sunrise or close the day with a beautiful sunset?
Is it spending time with those less fortunate than you or with one who’s having a down day yet who seems to have every advantage in life?
Is it working hard, yet working smart, in order to provide for those in your care?
Or is it taking some “me time” so you have the physical, mental and spiritual energy needed to attend to all that comes your way each day?
Whatever it is, do more of that — and don’t be surprised if the number of things important to you increases along the way.
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"Give Me that Sense of Wonder"
“Through the Clouds”
�Tom Hlas 2018. All rights reserved.
Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 12” x 12”
I find curious people interesting.
You know who they are.�
They’re the ones that aren’t bored with life. They ask what if, they’re filled with wonder, they listen, they’re willing to be wrong and ready to take a chance to do something new. They’re simply fun to be around and they challenge me to step up to the plate rather than fall short of myself.
And here’s the good news: It’s not too late to recall and reinstate the curiosity we naturally had as children if we’ve lost it along the way.
I find that news encouraging�—�all is not lost.
___________
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.
Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up.”
― Stephen Hawking (1942-2018)
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“Dream Big"
“Wings of Thought”
�Tom Hlas 2018. All rights reserved.
Mixed Media on Paper, 7-1/2” x 6”
If you had a magic wand to wave and with it could get anything and everything you wanted out of life, what would you want?
I was asked that very question a few days ago and I have to admit I was stymied.
At first I thought answers would come easily and quickly: everyone knows what they want, right?
But if you let the question simmer and wash over your mind or even sit on your shoulders with the weight of the world, how would you answer it?
What do you want, really want, out of relationships, finances, material possessions, emotions, responsibilities, pleasure, health or security?
Have you voiced any of those desires to anyone?�
Who knows, if you say it, you may actually get it!
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"Shattering Limiting Expectations"
“South of Town”
�Tom Hlas 2017. All rights reserved.
Mixed Media on Canvas, 36” x 32”
I often think about creativity, about being creative, about leading a creative life.
What does it mean to be creative and embrace a creative life?
It doesn’t necessarily mean being a musician, artist, dancer, woodworker, poet, actor, interior designer, photographer, hair stylist or fashion designer.
Rather, I think it has something to do with being curious in whatever line of work you pursue.�
Being curious, asking questions, mulling over options and not being satisfied with the status quo are ways to expand one’s mind frame, of looking beyond the limiting confines of others' expectations and accomplishing what you need to accomplish with a breath of fresh air.
That’s the kind of life I want to lead. And in your heart of hearts, I think that’s the kind of life you want to lead: being the creative office worker, the creative parent, the creative laborer, the creative teacher, the creative food server, the creative spouse, the creative friend.
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“Is That the Real Me?"
“Of the Many”
�Tom Hlas 2017. All rights reserved.
Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 6” x 6”
Who am I?
Everything you do, say or feel is a reflection of who you are.
But don’t get caught up thinking any particular moment encompasses or limits you as a whole, total, finite being.
It’s just a mirror reflection of a passage in time.
So it is with making art (or whatever work you do.)
Your art doesn’t define you: it’s merely a representation of who you are at one moment.
And there’s freedom in that.
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"How to Live : A Thought"
“Edges”
��Tom Hlas 2014. All rights reserved.
Mixed Media on Canvas, 36” x 18”
Do your best, your very best, today.�
That’s all you or anyone can expect.�
Don’t accept mediocrity. Don’t make excuses.
Your best today is not the same as your best was yesterday. And it won’t be the same as your best tomorrow.
Strive, don’t settle and you’ll close each day knowing it was a day worth spent.
"Creativity: An Inside Look"
“Italianate”�
�Tom Hlas 2014. All rights reserved.
Mixed Media on Canvas, 56” x 46”
What is creativity?
Is it something some people have while others don’t, something innate or learned?
Is it the attribute or expression of being able to take mundane materials, languages, or ideas and turn them into something spectacular or at least innovative?�
Or is it simply a way of looking at something afresh, in a way others may not immediately see an object, situation or relationship?
Are creative people “creative” because they have recognized their own creativity or have they been deemed so by others?
While we may or may not be the next Michelangelo, Marie Curie, Jane Austen or Steve Jobs, I suggest creativity is the birthright of all individuals.
In what ways are you creative?
“I Like It But"
“Beyond the Hills”�
�Tom Hlas 2014. All rights reserved.
Mixed Media on Paper, 5” x 7”
Over and over again, I, along with multitudes of other artists, have heard the comment, “I like your work but I just don’t have any more room in my house.”
What if (if one truly liked a painting or other work of art) that potential art buyer stepped out of her or his usual way of thinking and thought, “I like that and I’ll make a place for it in my home.”
It’s not too difficult to remove an existing painting or photograph that hangs on your wall, store it safely in a closet, cupboard or the attic and replace it with the new piece you admire. Not only do you get to enjoy new art for a while, but you’ll have the renewed joy of rotating back to the originally hung artwork when the mood strikes. A person might even try to acquire new art in sizes similar to artwork they already have so the pieces can be replaced without moving the nail or hanging hook.
Alternatively, if you have a painting or photograph hanging in your home, why not hang another work above it, below it or next to it? Hanging artwork vertically, one above another, can help open your living space visually by giving the impression of increased height in a room because the verticalness draws your eye upward; similarly, art hanging in horizontal groupings can have the effect of making a room seem longer or wider.
"Behold the Beauty or Not"
“Patterns for Living: Simplicity”�
�Tom Hlas 2015. All rights reserved.
Mixed Media on Paper, 7” x 5”
For several years I’ve reflected on, or at least noticed, how the beauty of the objects I own affects me.�
I admit, I do like beautiful objects around me; which is not to say the items need to be expensive or valuable nor do I need to be surrounded by a lot of possessions.�
But the question arises, “Why do I like some objects more than others?”�
I’ve come to realize time and time again when I see or touch some objects, I feel a sense of joy whereas with other objects I don’t. It could because of its color, texture, finish, shape or even a pleasant memory of who gave it to me.
Similarly, I’ve been thinking about clutter, or more precisely, the act of decluttering.
Perhaps it’s time to take inventory and discard or pass along to others those possessions that no longer kindle a sense of joy within me.