fresh watercolors of light & time!

I'm back!  The  show is going up today!  Check out my website to see more work! It is so exciting to see the work pulling together in this show! My current work investigates how light (and shadow, of course) informs our perspective throughout the day. Check out the portfolio of work in the show for more! here is one of my "vigils" or early morning observations of light and presence.

Where do we get new ideas?

As I work in my studio, I have begun to list all of the ideas that waft through my mind when I am just waking in the morning, walking, participating in a conversation, and reflecting afterwards. I have decided to look through my main journal and then write the main ideas down in small color coordinated Moleskine  journals.  I think that is my equivalent of the box system that Twyla Tharp mentions.  Apparently, she creates a box for each concept that she is interested in developing, and begins to fill the box with anything that could possibly expand that idea. I like the organizational structure. Now when I have an idea, drawing, connection, metaphor that relates to my concept, I will have a place to put it where I can easily reference it!

I follow the blog of Clara Lieu, an artist and teacher, who I have never met, but discovered  online, while looking for references to dealing with transparent layers, which I work with in my art. She has amazing work, is consistent in her way of working, and extremely articulate at describing her process. Reading her blog is a unique opportunity to get to know her rendition of the creative process. Definitely worth following!http://www.claralieu.com/work/digging/index.html

I found this link on her blog concerning new ideas..Try it!

 And as Twyla recommends, write/draw things down before they are forgotten!

Brooklyn Museum visit stretches my visual boundaries!

I needed to just see some artwork at the Brooklyn Museum today, and was treated to a smorgasbord of artwork that encircled, surprised and caused me to rethink how I paint and how I see.First of all, there was an installation by Sun K. Kwak done with masking tape...black only! When in the room, I felt wrapped in a swirling and comforting ribbon river. I am enthralled that this effect came from nothing more than torn black masking tape! Simple. Different.

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Gustave Cailebotte had a very pleasant group of paintings that explored the water, his love. he also rowed, raced and designed boats. Busy man!

It was also an interesting and practical touch to be able to use my cell phone to call the Brooklyn Museum and get the comments on his paintings that way. (I am easily amused.  And I like using what I have.)

 This was one of my favorites because of the energy in the line, texture and composition!  I feel the wind!

"Waterfall" by Pat Steir was refreshing and powerful!

Here is the artist describing her approach to her work!  This is quite a bit for one day. Have you had your visual perspective readjusted lately?

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Inspired again by Twyla Tharp!

After having read "The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for life" I finally  saw "Movin' Out" based on the music of Billy Joel and conceived by Twyla. The show was incredible, bursting with energy and a depth of communication that was moving and articulate. It made me want to move in  my ordinary daily movements with the grace, power and energy inherent in this dancing!  I want to be more focused and energetic in my creative movements and stance while I am painting and drawing, as I think it will help to make the work more expressive! So when I got back home, not only did I find "Movin' Out excerpts on youTube, but a one on creativity and motivation!  Here it is! Your reactions??!!

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Painting the hours of the day...

I am continuing my exploration of daily hours, by observing the light on objects and places that I inhabit.I find patterns in the images themselves and then again in my repeated actions and routines. I document the hours, based on the times of the day remembered with prayers in monasteries, to find meaning and express gratefulness for the richness of my life. 

The more I observe the moment that I am currently in, the richer and multi- layered my painting sketches become.

I see things I never took the time to notice before. Does this occur in your life and if so, how do you create the space to see more?

Because of this attention to the sacredness of each moment, I love to visit the site Gratefulness.

lauds

Creating within a ritual of space & time

Consciously searching my room as I lay awake before dawn, I create a ritual which I find comfort in following. I look while still quiet.  Get up and stay warm, perform morning rituals and then meditate and do a few yoga stretches. It allows me the space and  peace of mind to allow the brush to follow the memory of vigils more closely. Vigils is the time before dawn, when it is still dark and all the world is quiet.   I am  inspired to  put down the colors and shadows that we see and focus on the moment in color and shadow. I paint by candlelight to be sensitive to the tonal quality of my brush strokes. 

Elizabeth Gilbert's observations and rereading Twyla Tharp's "The Creative Habit" have bolstered me as I wade through this period of time when I find no familiar landmarks in my working. This structure of my practice seems to allow an easier flow. 

It is sometimes difficult to balance inner and outer life, but maintaining a balance seems to aid the flow of ideas. I guess what I'm saying is that world responsibilities sometimes trump the inner call until finding quiet time and space allows that inner spirit to be.

Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity!

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Life as art...a balancing act

I look at " life as art ". It makes sense to me that the very act of being requires creativity and can improve with self-reflection.  Reading, meditating and experimenting have allowed me to put together a holistic , creative way of balancing life.    I have created a  mindmap of the areas in my life in which  I want to be sure to develop and unify. 

When you are creating art, it is always good to take a step back and reflect on it, asking whether it needs color, a certain linear quality, a better balance. These are some of the elements and principles of art.

The elements of design are line, form, color, value, texture and space. These concepts are organized by  the principles of art . The principles of art are balance, movement,repetition contrast, emphasis, balance, pattern and unity. So, I decided  to  apply these elements and principles to the big art of my life and see what would happen!

The materials that I build my life with are artwork, spiritual growth, physical needs, intellectual development,  relationships, environment (surroundings) and riches (both financial and other). I knew it would be difficult to remember these areas on a daily basis, so I made them into an acronym, ASPIRER.  I like that word , so I remember it easily.

Each day, I plan my activities and goals around these seven areas. Some occur more often than others, but I generally touch base with each of the areas at least once a week. No real pressure, just a gentle reminder to balance myself with my goals.  Kind of a visual nudge, I guess.

Color is constantly influencing me from choosing what to wear, to creating an appetizing meal,  to seeing a rose -to -lemon sunrise on my way to work! Its broad spectrum and depth delight me everywhere I look!  Color changes in relation to its surroundings. This brilliance of color color and its changeability cause me to be aware of the corresponding qualities in my life. It reminds me, also, how who or what I am near to has a great influence on how I perceive things!

Color, anyone?

Inspiring interiors, rejuvenating everyday routine!

Have you ever been caught unawares by the sunlight falling over an ordinary corner of the room?  In its path of revelation, colors and shadows that you never noticed become apparent.  The air is electric with expectation and time slows down so you can drink it in.                  Then you wonder , which is the real place and time?   What has allowed you to notice the lively energy and vivid colors? How can you save this memory? How can you see past your daily routines, allowing light, time and space to open another view of the ordinary?

Pierre Bonnard, in the current exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The Late Still Lives and Interiors", shows us the results of his attention to daily routine.  A breathtaking exhibition that brought tears to my eyes in its simplicity  and grace!  A show not to be missed! it will help you to see beyond the mundane!

Visual meanderings: going through the motions

Life as Art

Drawing and  painting  has always been  an insightful and energy producing adventure in my life.  The process of creating it is as fruitful as the product!  I  have come to realize that all creating uses the same skills as making artwork..... including shaping my life! Using the process of creating can give  a template  to transform your life.

So what is "art" anyway?  According to Eric Booth, in the  extraordinarily insightful book  the everyday work of art

"At he birth of the word"art" it was a verb that meant "to put things together." It was not a product but a process. If we can reclaim that view of art_ as a way of looking at and doing things, as a series of experiences and experiments_ all of us gain a fresh grasp on the proven practical ways to construct the quality of our lives."

So let's look at the definitions of both work and art to divine the process!

According to the Visual Thesaurus the verb "to work" is to 

"exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity; apply through; think through"

and defines"art"   as

"the products of human creativity; works of art collectively; the creation of beautiful or significant things; a superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation"

Michael Kimmelman, art critic for the NY Times and author  of the book, "The Accidental Masterpiece; On the Art of Life and Vice Versa"  clearly articulates the process of art making in our daily lives! He integrates stories of artists in his book, demonstrating how their way of working  can easily be applied to our lives.

"...art provides us with clues about how to live our own lives more fully... creating, collecting, and even just appreciating art can make living a daily masterpiece."

 I have come across blogs that are created with the attitude of an artist.   "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin is one.  Her journey into the ways of attaining happiness share depth and  balance. I always leave her site with at least one new perception. It is definitely worth checking out!

Powerful imagery...raw and oppressive anguish

Although I was hesitant to go, I did attend the exhibit to see the work in person. There was a dark silence in the rooms filled with her work. The watercolors and oil washes were potent and dark. They were powerful and executed with expressive washes and strong graphic qualities. The show was difficult to be with for any length of time. I see influences of Edvard Munch. 

A review by Roberta Smith in the NY times describes much of the work as "superficially painterly"  and speaks hopefully that "Ms. Dumas’s best work may lie ahead, and in the direction of greater variety."

Here is a slide show of more of her work.

Marlene Dumas

The work has haunted me a little. I still think about it , although I saw it a few weeks ago.So I am trying to articulate more precisely what draws me and yet repels me. This will help me to become more fluent in my own work.

I want to feel uplifted when looking at art. I want the work to nurture the spirit within me. I do not feel that with this work. But I have learned  more about the power of a singular focus that harnesses will and talent to convey a message!

I'd be interested to hear what you think about the work.

Trusting the validity of your visual memory !

Right now I am beginning to work on a new series!                                                                                                                                                              I approached it tentatively because I wasn't sure I could remember the essence of the moment...I am glad I trusted myself!

The "gathering" series is drawn from memory onto paper layered gently with graphite.

I draw first with an eraser, leaving white paper and then go back in with graphite.      

I will probably develop paintings from these ideas!

the gathering

Hesitation to trust intuition is more visibly apparent in the process of making art, yet it occurs in many life moments.  Let me know if this is your experience...or not!                

wary by beth vendryes williams

Live life as if creating a work of art!

You can look at life as if you are an artist working at creating...at making visible your ideas!I find that humdrum and repetitive tasks such as morning ablutions, folding the laundry , setting the table, making and eating breakfast, reading the paper and driving to work, provide a pattern and structure on which to build dreams for the day.  In the midst of the structure I can find time to  balance the elements of my day, notice and choose color and tone and find the lines that connect events and places. Although I feel that my life as a  "work" of art in process, it was further articulated and richly defined in "the everyday work of art" by Eric Booth.

I will be exploring the idea that the work of creating art is not limited to paint, canvas and clay about once a week on this blog, simply because I find  such a freedom and inspiration to think of my own life this way! I will also s feasibility of each person to develop a way of thinking to create art from the stuff of his life.

I then begin to notice when other people are treating there lives with the creativity and discipline usually associated with the creative process. I see the creative "work" of art in small acts such as setting a table or huge, highly visible efforts such as Barack Obama's journey by train to Washington!

So I wonder, where do you find that you exercise your creativity  in your daily life?

Last chance to see Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton ... Interview

How exciting to find this interview on the New Museum site!Now I am determined to go to see the show this weekend, before it comes down on the 12th!

Elizabeth is quite articulate in the interview, sharing her troublesome issues as well as her solutions.

Laura Hoptman has asked some really thought provoking questions, as well.  I wonder how I would answer them with regard to myself and my work?  Now that would be a productive and helpful exercise1

Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton | Interview.

Painting small & quietly important moments!

After seeing the overview of the show,  I listened to the interview that I share in the last post andthen  found this painting!

Beautiful!

Looking at art changes your point of view

The new year brings with it a natural opportunity to begin freshly looking and creating!First stop is , MoMA and Marlene Dumas: Measuring your own grave ! I went to her show because I am drawn to her use of watercolor, thin oil glazes and yet powerful graphic impact

To remind me of images that constantly inform my work, I went to see Bonnard. It is amazing how each personal perspective informs us of new ways of looking at the world.I've found that everything I look at informs my perception and in time, my drawings, paintings and soul. Choosing to make time to see, read and experience what moves me can only help to deepen my work and consequently, my inner person.

 What do you choose to see to expand and deepen your life actions? Hmm.. a good question for the 2009!

What we see changes us.

by Ben Fank Moss, image courtesy of Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle WA

Through the amazing fiery fall foliage, we drove last weekend to attend a solo show for Ben Frank Moss at the Hood Museum at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.  It was appropriately called  "Immanence and Revelation", in reference to  inner reflection as his source. We viewed about 70 paintings and drawings.

As Bruce Herman, painter, reflects,

...there is always a place for meditation on the beauty and significance of the natural world.  In Moss's work, paint is a palpable metaphor for space, for light, for substance.

Ben's work illuminates for me, the way that inner light and memory informs the way we see. I also believe that what we see can transform us, if we allow it.                                                                                                                           So take a inquiring, meditative look at his work, here, at Francine Seders Gallery and at the Hood Museum in Hanover, New Hampshire!

In his essay in the catalogue, Joshua Chuang wrote:

For Moss, art-making is an endeavor that requires the courage to hold still enough to reflect on life's vicissitudes and the willingness to work on the edge of failure. Because of this, whether endowed with the deep lush tones of charcoal  the luminous hues and sensuous texture of oil paint, his art caries the layered history of a palimpset and the distilled intensity of personal revelation. His most succesful pieces exhibit the startling immediacy of a "held dream... a poetic gateway to an inner experience."

I am interested in your response to both his work and to his philosophy of creating that bridges between the visible world and the invisible world within!

Person Joshua Chuang

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surrounding myself with trees

Trees are awe inspiring  lately! There is  an arboretum nearby and so I am lucky to have unfettered access to it.

Below is larger drawing!  I was looking for relationships between trees and their shadows! As I draw them I take notice!  I pay close attention to  the the wide range of barks and leaves;  the way trees are always reaching out; how rooted and dependent they are to the soil.They provide shade, protection, cleanse the air by using and storing carbon.  Kind of makes you want to keep them around. doesn't it?

Taking time...

So it seems in my life that the raw material that I need to be most cognizant of  for creating my work, is time. I need to ask myself:

When is the best time to work? How much time do I need? Can I break time down into small segments that will  allow me room to create? How can I keep a schedule without watching the clock? How do I arrange time to balance art, spiritual, physical, intellectual relationships, environment & riches?

Check out Merlin Mann's blog, 43 folders! He is in the process of dealing with the same issue, yet having to do with is creative work, which happens to be writing.

What work have you been trying carve out the time for?

Each person has the capacity to create. The materials and tools vary from technology to teaching to caring for the sick to working in politics, as well as making music, images, dance and theater. To approach each day with the attitude of an artist is to accept that each of us has the capacity to transform.