Why an Artist Needs a Froggy Butt

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'Signs of Spring'          8x8       pastel       ©Karen Margulis
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You might have a Froggy Butt and not even know it. It would be a good thing to have in your studio though. I didn't even know I had one until one of my workshop students told me about hers.  OK you must be curious about Froggy Butts!  And what on earth does it have to do with being an artist?
Picture this ... a golf club cover shaped like the bottom of a frog with his legs sticking up out of the golf bag. You can't help but laugh when you see it. My student has one and calls it her Froggy Butt.  It reminds her to laugh and have fun and not take her golf game too seriously. 
This got me thinking that artists can benefit from the same kind of reminder as the frog cover does for my friend's golf game.  What if we had something silly on our easel that would remind us to enjoy the painting process. Sometimes we get too serious, frustrated and down on ourselves especially when a painting isn't going the way we want it to.

Say hello to Mike Wazowski!

I have a large plush 'Mike Wazowski,  a character form the movie Monter's Inc (one of my favorites). I have him sitting up on a shelf in my studio. He is my Froggy Butt.  I can't look at him without smiling. He is a good reminder to laugh and have fun when I am in the studio.  Sure I get frustrated sometimes and often a painting isn't going my way. But I have to member not to take myself too seriously. It's only paper.  It is supposed to be about the process and enjoying the act of creating something.  If I get a successful painting than that is the bonus.

Today's class was such a good example of the benefit of a sense of humor and fun in the studio. We were painting bird nests and there was a collective groan about it. But in the end everyone had fun with the subject and did some great paintings. We laughed and enjoyed our struggles and successes. The frog was in the room with us today!

This student chose another way to paint eggs in a nest!  Great fun!

Do you have your own Froggy Butt?  I'd love to hear about it.  Be sure to visit the blog this week for more on painting bird nests!