April 9, 2013

It's a snowy day here in Colorado so I decided to write.  I'm wanting to take my interstice work to the next level.  My direct inspriation has been those lovely cracks between rocks, slats in fences, just the spaces in between things.  But now, as the work develops, I'm realizing that the depth needs to be actualized more readily.  The work does dictate to me how it is created and finished which is exciting but I'm wanting to add more to it.  Possibly collage and introducing shapes will bring the necessary changes I am looking for in the work.
I'm also going to begin to work in a larger format - 4 feet, 5 feet - something that I haven't done before with the encaustic.  I'm very excited about the possibilities and scared at the same time for I really don't know what to expect.  I've worked somewhat large with acrylic and oils years ago but not so much with the encaustic so I'm getting ready to be surprised.  Hopefully, not too many frustrations will happen with it!
Along with those changes, I made a new year's resolution to draw one drawing per day in my sketchbook. I was out of the practice of doing that and it's been a revealing challenge.  So far, so good with it but what I'm noticing is that with the graphite explorations, I'm able to work through so many ideas before I get to the wax and acrylic works.   It's not taking away from the intuitive nature of my studio practice, but rather, allows me to delve into more ideas quickly so that I can weed out ones that don't work very well.  The media has been a blast to work with and use for this project.  I've also been experimenting with ink washes and large graphite pieces on handmade paper as well.  It really allows for the ideas to not only present themselves but also to allow the different media to lend their voices to the process.  
There is something very comforting about keeping a daily journal for I'm seeing a chronology to the development of my process which is very affirming and very personal at the same time.  The consistant characteristics of my markmaking and designs keep the work grounded with the idea but the variances really help me explore the possibilities of the interstices.  And it is with those variances that new ideas come forth, especially the happy accidents!  Also, the repetition of the layering of the graphite is very soothing, almost trance-like, very zen if you will.  I'm finding that it not only gives me a record of my musings but relaxes and grounds me in my process. 
I'm hoping that the work not only grows in depth but will evolve into what it should be within the concepts.  One thing I do know is that I can't hold onto those concepts too tightly for the work just might move past them into something new, which I'm open to that.  I'd hate to be in the same place, this time next year.  I don't believe that an artist can continue to grow while staying in the same place.  The work stagnates and becomes reduced to a formula which will kill the work.  As Andy Goldsworthy said, "Total control can be the death of a work".  This statement is so very true!  The more I hold onto an idea and not let it go to be itself, the more it dies.  That's the beauty of working intuitively.  The chance element and surprise are invited to partake in the creative process, bringing  freshness and spontaneity to the work.  Hopefully then the work does not fall into a contrived or trite presentation or creation, but one with vitality that draws the viewer into a new experience. 
So with that I'll take my leave and work on my sketchbook!  Until next time, take care, enjoy, and God bless.

February 21, 2013

Wow.... first blog of the new year and it's almost the end of February!   I'm still learning how to juggle this grandma/artist gig!!!  It's been a blast so far and I wouldn 't change it for the world!!!!

I've been asked many times how come I work abstractly instead of representationally.  It is a good question since I used to work in a more realistic manner.  Simply, I find abstraction more challenging at the moment.  I've always been drawn to abstract/non-objective works and am amazed at the level of authority and boldness artists have when creating such pieces. 

I had a mentor, years ago, that helped me work through the shift from realism to abstraction which was invaluable.  He was an accomplished painter/mixed media artist whose work I gravitated towards and was thrilled that he would take the time to walk me through the process.  As I began to work abstractly in the beginning, I realized that I still was a realist - someone that used the real world as the point of departure for my work.  It was grounded in things tangilble.  The work was inspired, not illustrated, by the world around me which was exciting to be able to see things in a new way.  It opened many doors to be able to discuss the impetus of the pieces as many times they were related to the sacred Scriptures as well as things of the earth.  It also became a teaching moment for people who had not been able to relate to abstraction. 

As I continued working in this manner, the art started having a life of it's own, seperate from the inspiration, thus the medium (the material I was using) started to have influence as to how I worked.  Working with acrylics, inks, mixed media, wax, and encaustic, I found that each medium had its own unique qualities and spoke volumes to me.  I began to include found objects within the work and that suggested a whole other dimension to the pieces for the medium and objects began to have a relationship with each other that gave the work another level of significance.  Meaning thus began to arise from the discarded objects I was using along with the 'fine art' material.  Taking everyday ditritus and putting it with something as revered as fine art materials brought the common thing into a work of beauty and changed the significance of the object.  This was brought to a new level of understanding for me in graduate school.  But even through all of that, I still yearned to create paintings with its own language, without the object so I began to create works without the object. 

Playing with textures, shapes, markmaking, and color, I began to work with encaustic more exclusively realizing that it was a wonderful medium for abstraction/non-objectivism.  The work at this point was still based on things of this world but not so directly representing it.  From grad school I learned the importance of working in series  - large numbered series - and started to work again in that fashion.  Then, from the encouragement of artist friends, I began the Interstice Series with not just encaustic but with other media as well.  Even though the series comprises of bands of black and white which to some if very simple, what intrigues me with it is that there are so many different variations and presentations within them, I cannot reproduce the same painting twice for the encaustic, acrylic, ink, and graphite all work within their individual characteristics - something that I would not want to replicate.  The experience creating them is new and spontaneous every time.  That is something I absolutely love about this work.  Yes, the work is also influenced by the Abstract Expressionists, whose work I adore, but it goes beyond that.  I try to contribute to the language of abstraction that was established before me.  Try to communicate the experience of being human in a non-representational way. 

I wrote a response to an artist who was making a comment on the difficulties of representational work and the viewer's reaction to it compared to the perception that abstraction was easy and anyone, especially a child could do it.  Allow me to share the response:

'It is important to know what to include and what not to include within a work of abstraction.  For how does the artist communicate a feeling or emotion?  How does one break the human experience into a non-literal visual language?  That is the challenge to abstract artists - To express the essence of the human experience.  The language of art is not just about reproduction, it is about the expression of the human condition.' 

We had a good laugh over our banter but I really do believe that abstraction is a language of the emotions and spirit, something that cannot always be represented with observation.   I'm definitely not saying that abstraction is better than realism for I am blown away by the observations and expressions of realist artists and highly respect their works.  For me, I am, at this point, intrigued with the language and expression that is found within abstraction/non-objectivism and will continue to work with it until I am moved to express myself in a different manner.  Who knows, maybe some day I'll go back to realism!!!  That would be fun!

Well, that's it for now...  I hope the New Year brings many blessings and joys to you and yours.  Until next time, take care, enjoy, and God bless!