Ralph White Blogs

“When you drop any new idea in the pond of the world, you get a ripple effect. You have to be aware that you will be creating a cascade of change.” – Joel A. Barker Change is inevitable for all of us. We’re constantly evolving, developing, a... 

Notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.” – Friedrich Nietzsche It is the time of year again when the air becomes brisk, and the trees begin to change colors. The leaves fall to the ground and there’s just not many thi... 

“Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly.” – Unknown When you see first light in the morning, know that it is the same light that is in you. In your gratitude for life, your inner light makes the world a brighter place.... 

“You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.” – Ralph Marston Amid the unrest and content... 

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anais Nin Bravery is having the boldness to walk into unknown and sometimes fearful situations. It is finding strength to rise up in spite of obstacles. Bravery is starting over when li... 

“There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.” - Jo Walton I would love to swim in the ocean as the sun sets, getting lost in the colors as they melt the day into night. Often,... 

”Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression.” – Isaac Bashevis Singer With each new painting there are layers of vision imagined. Sometimes it starts out as splash of paint on the canva... 

“My aim in painting is to create pulsating, luminous, and open surfaces that emanate a mystic light, in accordance with my deepest insight into the experience of life and nature.” “The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us t... 

"Passion is the genesis of genius." - Tony Robbins “The artist must create a spark before he can make a fire and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be consumed by the fire of his own creation.” – Auguste Rodin Genesis is the ... 

“Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen – that stillness becomes a radiance.” – Morgan Freeman Learning how to let life flow can be challenging. We must be reminded that each moment is a new opportunity to find f... 

“Life is like a carnival. When you are little, everything is smoke, mirrors, and illusions. Then you grow up.” – Linda Poindexter Imagine when you were a kid and you’d go to the carnival or circus. All the colors seemed brighter and the ri... 

“There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.” – Jo Walton I’ve always wanted to dive into a sunset, getting lost in the colors as they melt the day into the night. Often t... 

“You can’t keep the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair.” – Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons We cannot control when bad things happen to us. Unfortunately, pain is inevitable. But dwell... 

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.” – Walt Whitman On the hottest day of any given year, the heat of a Rusted Sun spreads across the atmosphere as if it restrains itself from bursting into a blaze.... 

"I can say that paintings are prayers, they have to do with anything that makes you wish for more than what everyday life provides." - Susan Rothenberg Praying or meditating is a practice or discipline in the everyday lives of many people. To say ... 

“A desire to travel, to understand ones very own existence.” – Unknown “Only the curious have, if they live, a tale worth telling at all.” – Alistair Reid Wanderlust is an intense desire or impulse to travel. We travel to be enli... 

"My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow A spindrift is the spray or mist of the sea from the crests of the waves by the wind. This... 

“The artist produces for the liberation of his soul. It is his nature to create as it is the nature of water to run down the hill.” – W. Somerset Maugham During a lifetime of spiritual study and experience, I’ve become deeply influenced by... 

“There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in contrast.” – Charles Dickens Nature is a frequent inspiration for my paintings. Whenever I find myself wondering what to paint, I never have to look far to find something i... 

"Passion is the genesis of genius." - Tony Robbins Genesis is the point at which something comes into existence. This painting is a bold re-imagining of creation of the universe. It reveals the exact moment in which light and color were conceived.... 

“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath, the door of a vanished house left ajar…” – Margaret ... 

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit." - Ralph Waldo Emerson The beauty of life lies beneath the surface. Sometimes what we see on the exterior is only a fraction of what is all there. When you look at the ocean from a hill, you see a vas... 

“Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself.” – Unknown Whether it is with business relationships or social interactions, networking is a building block of society. A few reasons for making connections would be to learn something n... 

“The world today doesn’t make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?” – Pablo Picasso The above quote is amusing and true. I could say the same thing. I leave it up the viewer to decide what makes sense in my paintings according ... 

“When you drop any new idea in the pond of the world, you get a ripple effect. You have to be aware that you will be creating a cascade of change.” – Joel A. Barker Change is inevitable for all of us. We’re constantly evolving, developing,... 

"Well it's not just a daydream if you decide to make it your life." - Train Daydreaming is a nice way to pass the time. It can also be very effective in developing new ideas or concepts. Studies suggest that daydreaming can increase productivity, ... 

"I realized then that even though I was a tiny speck in an infinite cosmos, a blip on the timeline of eternity, I was not without purpose." - R.J. Anderson, Ultraviolet Finding the meaning of life and why we exist is an integral part of our surviv... 

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” – Nikola Tesla “Without discipline in spiritual pursuits, the central nervous system doesn’t have a chance to adjust and grow with the ... 

“In painting you must give the idea of the true means of the false.” – Edgar Degas This painting speaks to the theme of unifying opposing ideas and concepts. Through the process of convergence, we see that the whole can be greater than the ... 

“But life is long. And it is the long run that balances the short flare of interest and passion.” – Sylvia Plath “Every life can be learned from, as either a flame of hope or a cautionary flare.” – Richard Paul Evans 'Flashpoint' is... 

“They can put me in a jungle. Still, I can create.” – M. F. Husain The jungle is a dense labyrinth of overgrown trees and unruly wildlife. It is synonymous with entanglement and puzzling riddles. This painting illustrates a chaparral or th... 

“I’m going to search for my star until I find it. It’s hidden in the drawer of innocence, wrapped in a scarf of wonder.” – Michael Jackson In this painting, Ralph White captures a moment so transient that it is out of focus, allowing us ... 

“I think art is not an ornament or refinement at the fringes of human intelligence, I think it’s at the center. It’s at the core.” – Robert Pinsky Some say that art is elective or voluntary. So how do you explain that your soul craves th... 

“From a little spark may burst a flame.” – Dante Alighieri “A man who has not passed through the inferno of his passions has never overcome them.” – Carl Jung An inferno is any place or state resembling hell. This painting is cal... 

“The sunset caught me, turned the brush to copper, set the clouds to one great roof of flame above the earth.” – Elizabeth Coatsworth “The sky takes on shades of orange during sunrise and sunset, the color that gives you hope that the sun ... 

“Sit in reverie and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Changes are like waves rolling back and forth. They can bring great opportunities or painful growth. As ... 

“Making a dream come true is like taking control of an airplane high up in the stratosphere and landing it safely on the ground – a measure of forethought, skill and courage is definitely required.” – Silvia Hartmann The stratosphere is a ... 

“The image is more than an idea. It is a vortex or cluster of fused ideas and is endowed with energy.” – Ezra Pound A vortex is a whirling mass such as a whirlpool, flame, or tornado. It draws in everything around it and causes a powerful c... 

"Zeal without knowledge is fire without light." - Thomas Fuller The absorption of knowledge is the beginning of energetic fusion through the soul. It's the spark or idea that creates the fervor or zeal in the exploration of a great cause. This... 

"Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas." - Henry Ford Optimism is th... 

“Ideas are like birds. If you don’t keep them, they fly away. If you write them down, they become birds of aviary; anytime you want to hear them tweet, you visit them.” – Unknown A delightful tribute to creatures of the air, 'Aviary' feat... 

�May the festival of light encircle your life with joy and happiness. Success comes at your home.� � Anonymous �Life is a festival only to the wise.� � Anonymous Festivals, jubilees and celebrations take place around the world to commemorate s... 

�Love is a portion of the soul itself, and it is of the same nature as the celestial breathing of the atmosphere of paradise.� � Victor Hugo As we approach the end of another year, we are reminded of time, age and the future. Time brings change an... 

�Reason clears and plants the wilderness of the imagination to harvest the wheat of art.� � Austin O�Malley Without hard work and persistence, growth is stagnant and the harvest of hope and transformation comes up short. This painting is an abs... 

�Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.� � Stanley Horowitz �I see the turning of a leaf dancing in an autumn sun, and brilliant shades of crimson glowing when the day is done.� � Hazelma... 

�The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.� � Bruce Lee �Finding your center� is a phrase that is generally used in meditation and self-examination. It begins with a journey of conscious behavioral patterns. Inhaling and e... 

�Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting.� � Johann Wolfgang von Goethe For some people, years of research and careful calculation on major life-changing decisions are imperative. Then there are... 

�You�ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.� � Ralph Marston In the midst of the unrest and cont... 

�The artist alone sees spirits. But after he has told of their appearing to him, everybody sees them.� � Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Most of us had a vision or idea of what we thought our lives would look like. Maybe you had it all mapped out on p... 

�Though the artist must remain master of his craft, the surface, at times raised to the highest pitch of loveliness, should transmit to the beholder the sensation which possessed the artist.� � Afred Sisley An artist perfects his technique by prac... 

�Territory is but the body of a nation. The people who inhabit its hills and valleys are its soul, its spirit, its life.� � James A. Garfield There are times in your life when you need to set boundaries to protect your territory�your soul. The so... 

�Timeless taste of splashing red decadence.� � Ralph White This painting is one of my latest vignettes in a collection of delightful refreshments. It is called Merlot as it reflects consolation and merriment. It�s a liquid montage of unfastened ... 

�Passion is the genesis of genius.� � Tony Robbins The �genesis of genius� is a fabulous description for the word passion. There are several things going on in this painting called Birth of Passion. The colors symbolize both pain and relief. Pai... 

�The paradox is really the pathos of intellectual life and just as only great souls are exposed to passions it is only the great thinker who is exposed to what I call paradoxes, which are nothing else than grandiose thoughts in embryo.� � Soren Kierk... 

�We don�t create a fantasy world to escape reality. We create it to be able to stay.� � Lynda Barry Escaping into a fantasy world is normal. Sometimes it is necessary so that we can remain sane in life. It also increases your imagination and abi... 

�False eloquence is exaggeration; true eloquence is emphasis.� � William R. Alger Passion is an uncontrollable sensation that stirs inside your soul. When you�re truly passionate about your beliefs, an interest or a cause, it resides in your bone... 

�Infuse your life with action. Don�t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, b... 

�A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.� � John F. Kennedy Some of the greatest ideas come to us in the middle of the night, as we�re tossing and turning, hoping to get a few hours of precious sleep. But that rush of adre... 

�Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen � that stillness becomes a radiance.� � Morgan Freeman Being still and letting life happen can be very challenging, and sometimes near impossible. How many of us could just �let li... 

�Life is like a carnival. When you are little, everything is smoke, mirrors, and illusions. Then you grow up.� � Linda Poindexter Imagine when you were a kid and you�d go to the carnival or circus. All the colors seemed brighter and the rides were... 

�When you drop any new idea in the pond of the world, you get a ripple effect. You have to be aware that you will be creating a cascade of change.� � Joel A. Barker Change is inevitable for all of us. We�re constantly evolving, developing, and pro... 

�When everything is moving and shifting, the only way to counteract chaos is stillness. When things feel extraordinary, strive for ordinary. When the surface is wavy, dive deeper for quieter waters.� � Kristin Armstrong Surface was inspired by a c... 

�Feeling is the consciousness of the resulting conditions � of success, failure, equilibrium, compromise or balance, in this continuous rivalry of ideas.� � James Mark Baldwin The need for balance is a necessity for our spirit and overall well-bei... 

"Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. Crochet it, saute it, whatever. MAKE." - Joss Whedon I love the simplicity yet direct words in this quote. Often times we procrastinate in waiting for the right time to do something. Waiting for the season to pas... 

"Never confuse movement with action." - Ernest Hemingway Progression is the key to growth and success in life. When you move forward, set goals and explore all the possibilities, your movement becomes systematic and purposeful. I chose the pai... 

The world today doesn�t make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?� � Pablo Picasso "The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?" - Pablo Picasso The above quote is amusing and true. I could say the sa... 

Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.� � Pablo Picasso If you look between the layers of colors and patterns in this painting you can see a wild forest of memories that describes an artist�s personal journey. Many of us keep a journa... 

�The world is the true classroom. The most rewarding and important type of learning is through experience, seeing something with our own eyes.� � Jack Hanna Many of us must see something to believe it. In a Photoshop world we�ve even begun to ... 

�The painter has the Universe in his mind and hands.� � Leonardo da Vinci I am dedicating this month�s blog to Leonardo da Vinci as he was born over 560 years ago today, April 15th. His curiosity about life was impeccable. His brilliance has bee... 

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." - Plato As a musician gives birth to a song, so does a fine artist to a painting. A paint brush is the breath of life to a canvas, cultivati... 

Life�s transitions have an enormous impact on our need to express ourselves. The simple truth of experience forces us to learn, and hopefully to grow. It�s so important as an artist to free yourself to new influences, and allow your work to change ... 

Up until recently, I painted whatever I wanted to paint, whenever I wanted to paint it. Inspiration for me has never been an issue. All I have to do is look outside my window at all the glory of nature and I am off and running. I love the proces... 

Opposites Attract Fusionart is the merging of opposites. We take our internal extremes and coax them into a single artistic purpose. As an artist, one is charged with the responsibility of creating. The process is one of letting the power f... 

The Universe is a Fusionartist. From the beginning of time, the Universe imbued the Earth with color. Every tree, every flower, every animal and rock has hue and shade to distinguish it. Can you imagine if the world had been created without color? ... 

At the August Fusionart retreat, I had the most fun painting that I can ever remember. My old friend Mehrdad and I spent the day just playing. Free from structure and restrictions, we painted without trying to make anything happen. We were creatin... 

My fellow artist, Bonnie Landau, teaches a class called “Anyone Can Paint.” She invited me to attend a couple of weeks ago, and encouraged me to share my technique with her students. Maybe Bonnie should call the class “Anyone Can Teach!” ... 

This painting is the collaboration of two old friends who were surprised to discover that they shared a passion for art. I have known Mehrdad Dabbagh for 18 years, but in a completely different context - the world of business. I really did not kno... 

My fellow Fusionartist Diane Bulgatz painted this thought-provoking and serenely engaging work. It is called “The Quest”. I was looking at Diane’s painting this week and was struck by the fact that it captures my own recent journeys of the so... 

There are times when I just don't feel like painting. I don't know what to paint, and I lack the energy to commit creation to canvas. These times can last from a day to two months. My mind starts to wonder if I have lost the desire or the talent to... 

The process of creating is not exact. Art occurs in its own time. When you create something, you begin to fall in love with it before it ever exists. The creative process; the thinking, the experimentation, the starting over – all these are part... 

When I started learning to paint, I spent a lot of time and energy analyzing what I was doing wrong. I continually focused on what was missing, how the painting wasn’t good enough. Fortunately I had mentors who encouraged me to break free of thes... 

The Everywhereness of Art Yesterday I was in the kitchen making a berry smoothie. As usual, I was on the phone, multitasking through my workday. You guessed it – I left the lid off the blender in my haste to do three things at once. Purple go...