Saturday, June 21, 2008

Food of the Gods

"My studio is a temple, I see it that way, I always have and I know a lot of artists who would agree with me there's something about a studio that is a sacred space and no non-artist would understand that but it is my religion. Art is my religion and the studio is the temple where I practice that and it's where I feel most comfortable and where I'm most myself, it's where I express the passion that I have for art making..." Michael James
http://www.unl.edu/mjames_quilts/

Picked up the above quote somewhere because it rang so true with what I have been doing the last 6 months. Constructing my temple. Since I'm going to be working from home, correction, am working from home, it is that much more important to me that this space that surrounds me echo the sentiments that I want to represent in my drawing and painting and art in general. Still not quite there yet...books need to be put away, curtains shortened, pictures hung, but I did nonetheless begin a painting, at least the drawing of it. Already I know this was the right decision, bringing my workspace home, where my heart and center is, even if there lies a bit of chaos to organize.

Spent this last week force feeding myself studies on perspective. It's a kind of math thing so my Brain is rejecting it, but I am insisting, so it is going to bend to my will. I keep trying to convince it, "This is fun! We can move things in space!" My Brain just sits there with it's arms crossed and brows lowered and says, "It's math." "Yes," I reply, "but look at what we can do with it! We can bend and shape reality!" Sullenly, "It's math," is all I get from my Brain. So this week I forced open the door and threw in a few items. A few were thrown back out, but I think I got it to swallow a few bits. Math or no, Brain will have to take this medicine. Anyway, we all know that a bitter pill is bitter because it is good for you, right? Right.

Off we go then, into the temple to study the knowledge of the gods and hope that fruit will be born of such sustenance.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Long Unwinding Road

AT LAST!!! One more coat of varnish on the base boards, some small wall painting touch ups, bit of paperwork catch up tomorrow and I'll be ready to get back to work next week! Yipee! I have to admit I'm having some anxiety after all this time away from the canvas. Picture me verrry, verry small, and BIG, HUGE, GIGANTIC WHITE CANVAS looming in front. That's how I've been feeling. So silly, I know. And all that anxiety pushes away what I know I know. So, I'm going back to the basics to remind myself that I do know what I'm doing and can prove it! LOL So, what are those basics? Well...negative space, that's really important. I want to think more about the Notan, the Japanese concept of positive and negative space. And of course can't forget those design elements, to which the former is included. Selective Focus, got that, going to work with the big shapes first and then refine. Look a the whole and not get caught up in details that aren't important till the end. Keep it simple, relax, have fun, get into the process. And most of all work, work, work. It is the only way to learn and get over the fear of making mistakes. Whew, I feel better already.

Hangin' with Bernini at The Met

Life is twisted, or at least one might think when viewing Lorenzo Bernini's (1598-1680) sculpture sketches at The Met.  Twists in fabric...