July 2, 2011

I've been busy (with my sister) moving my mom into an assisted living facility so studio time has been minimal at best. But, with that said, my studio practice has been ongoing. I am revisiting some old ideas: hidden and revealed, earthen materials. These things ground me within my creativity. My latest painting shows these reflections and I am excited about it!!! I have been in a transitory state with my work and finally feel like I am onto something that will take me in the right direction.
The exploration with line, shape, color, form, and texture all have come to fruition in this painting - at least that's how it feels to me. I was looking at some photos from Yellowstone that were sent to me from a friend who had vacationed there and something resonated within me when I saw them. I have gotten away from the earth in my work - it always grounds me. The wax I use is from the earth, yes, but the viseral connection I have with the earth has been missing. Something so obvious yet so far removed - small lightbulb, dim wattage!!! (It's one of my favorite sayings when I miss things....)
This connection I have with the grit of the earth, the feel and texture of it always seems to feed my spirit. I think with all of the theory of art I have been researching has influenced me away from this grounding (that I so desperately need). It felt like I was returning to a sacred and familiar place. So I want to explore this more - create more works that keep me there. I want to creatively explore this concept and think I am going to be at it for awhile.
The creative atmosphere is still one of prayer and contemplation but the point of departure and the relationship between that and the earth will hopefull manifest within the work to produce truly meditative pieces.
So, that is it for now. Until next time, take care, enjoy and G-d bless!

April 1, 2011

No, this is not an April Fool's prank!!! I just thought it would be a great way to start the month off with some thoughts... I was talking with my critique group and we were discussing the idea of transition with our artworks and the idea came when discussing mine called, the moment in between. This is exactly where I feel I am with my process. I'm working on new work which is very different from my previous work. It is utilizing line much more prominently - in fact, the entire work is nothing but line. This is not entirely new for me as I've made drawings like this in the past and have returned to them. But to create them with the encaustic is new. The encaustic was a fun process where as the drawings were more laborious. With the drawings, I was conscious of every stroke, every line was consciously drawn to make sure that it was an unique entity. This made the process very difficult and tedious. Whereas the encaustic, I just allowed the lines to flow. That was soooo much easier and much more fun. So I'm going to apply the freedom and fun of the encaustic to my drawings. It should be a much more enjoyable process! Getting back to the moment in between... when the work is taking on a new direction or the work is being created in a new language or medium - that is the moment of in between. As I've stated before, that is where I am at the moment. It was one thing to work with the found object and develop that into mature work but now that I am painting, just painting, I find that I'm working with a new language or should I say, one that I haven't developed in a long while. I haven't worked with the encaustic without the found object and this past year has been just that. I'm still working through the language, my symbolism, the meaning of the work. Heck, I'm trying to figure out exactly what I'm about artistically in this process!!!! I don't know yet. I feel I haven't created enough work to know at this point. One very valuable lesson I learned in grad school was to create many pieces in order to truly know what the work is about in order to establish the meaning and intent of the art work (I created almost 60 pieces to find out what my work was about at that time). I'm not sure if I'm going to create that many pieces now but I do know that in order to truly understand my concepts and materials, I'm going to have to really buckle down in the studio and make art. This place of the moment in between is really exciting and scary at the same time. For it is a time of discovery and experimentation and it is a time of truly not knowing what to expect! It could be disastrous but wonderful too. So far, it's been fun, challenging but fun. I feel I'm beginning to come into my own, creating my own work, not just working from old prototypes. Not to say that the older work was copied or not my creation, it's just that I feel that my work will mature into a more developed style and language. I'm excited to see what will develop! I'll keep you all posted on what happens! So, until next time... take care, enjoy, and G-d bless!

March 15, 2011

Hello all... so much has happened in the last month. I had wonderful experience with Fusion IV, an art/poetry collaboration that I have been a part of for the past 6 months or so. We had a fantastic opening night with an even better reception towards the middle of the show. It's always fun to have you work seen by the public and even better when they like it!!!

The collaboration had 8 artists and 8 poets each collaborating with each others' work. Poets wrote to paintings and artists created to poems. It was a blast! It's been a while since I've worked like that and the artwork that was produced, I felt, was really good work - I had wonderful poems to work from which helped.

Here are the paintings that I created for the show. Corroded - the red piece , Mist - the blue/gray piece and one work that was already created, Zoetic Expressions III - the red/brown piece with the scribbly lines. All of these works were in the show which came down today. A book was even published from the event! I am so grateful for the experience and can't wait to work on Fusion V!

Well, just had to share... until next time... take care, enjoy, and G-d bless!

February 17, 2011

Well, in the midst of feeling lousy, I'm writing... My search for my birth mother has ended or at least come to a close for now. I truly believe that I've found her and she did not want any communication between us. Of course, I'm sad but my sorrow is really directed towards her and her life experience. I can't imagine what she must have gone through and how her life and unfolded to have our connection come to this point.
I do know that no matter what has happened between her and me, my family, friends, and G-d are with me and pulling my through all of this. I feel like I'm in the Lord's hands and He's sustaining me through His marvelous grace and through my friends and family. I'm truly alright with this; even at peace for I feel that the search is over and I can lay it to rest.
So for all of you who have been keeping me in prayer, thank you, thank you, thank you so very much. I am sooo blessed to have you all in my life. I praise G-d for His mercies, my husband, children, and family.
I just wanted you all to know what had happened. Again, thanks for all the encouraging words. Until next time, take care, enjoy, and G-d bless!

January 29, 2011

I'm adopted and have known this since I was a young child. My mother gave me my adoption papers several years ago and have been looking for my birth mother ever since. This is not an indication of how my mother and father raised me for they loved me and gave me a good home. This search is about filling the gap I have felt for a long time.
Within my birth records are my birth mother's name and my birth name. I've been searching the internet for her name and came across the first match recently. Anticipating that this woman might be her, I sent a letter to her and haven't heard anything - yet. It hasn't been that long but I'm anxious to hear from her; whether she is or isn't my birth mother.
The emotions of this find had me all over the place: joy, fear, happiness, doubt - many emotions that I quite frankly was not prepared to have for I really didn't think I'd find her - or at least a name match! It was an up again, down again stream of emotions. I realize that I didn't quite know what I expected from such a find. I want to connect with my birth mother but really want to establish a relationship and the fear of her not wanting that really sent me in an emotional spin. I know I must brace myself for this type of rejection but there is also a chance that she would want to have a relationship. It's a 50/50 chance for either option.
I do know that even if the woman is not her or doesn't want a relationship, that my world has not changed that much for my family is still mine and loves me. That I take great comfort in for my desire to have them in my life is being met each and every day. Her reaction to my query will not change that fact in my life. I am eternally grateful for my family that raised me and my family that I have with my husband. I've been blessed.
Several of my friends say I'm offering her a gift and I believe that is true. She will have an entire new addition to her world and if she doesn't want that, then it will be her loss. I'll be sad too for I will lose out on her family as well. But if she does want a relationship, then both she and I will have more blessings with family. I hope that's the case.
With all this, where do I go from here??? I am in a holding pattern right now - one that might be answered but I do run the risk of never hearing from this woman at all. If that happens, I will continue to live my life with unanswered questions. That is not the worst thing that could happen to me. I've been too blessed to have that hinder my attitude towards life, my G-d, my family, art, etc.
So, that's the latest with me. I'm still working on art, teaching at the college, being mom and wife. These things are a part of my life and keep me focused on what is important and necessary. I look forward to updating you on the news as it develops! So, until next time, take care, enjoy, and G-d bless!

January 19, 2011

I'm exploring line. What it is and what it means within my work. I've made lines since I was a kid and couldn't color within them very well - I always went outside the line! I've been drawn to line and am compelled to create it. There is something about the cascading line that excites me. Lines divide, separate, contain; they express, define, organize, describe; it is the line itself that creates the focal point and energy within the work. Line can be beautiful, expressive, agitating, even aggressive. It can creat stability or rhythm. Line is used to define the object when drawn or painted. It can be created from one point to another or created when placing planes next to each other. They are implied or actual and create tension within the work. Jean August Dominique Ingres was a master at line when drawing people and objects; his drawings and line are marvelous. Vincent van Gogh's lines were authoritative and strong. Jackson Pollock was a master with the abstract line. His paintings are celebrations of line. Barnett Newman's work explored line (his zips), planes and color. But these abstract paintings were expressions of the self, myth, and possibly forms of Jewish mysticism (in Newman's case).
I believe that the line expresses a part of my psyche for my spirit follows and connects with every mark I make. Although hard to describe, my soul actually yearns to bond with the line. I get excited about mark-making, about the line. There is something about a weighted line that speaks to my spirit. My lines are reflective of life, of energy. With the vertical line there is an amalgamation between the heaven and earth; more in a spiritual than literal sense. The horizontal is the grounding force within it. Much like a horizon line, but metaphorical. My works are not landscapes but echoes of the soul - the desire to connect and imbibe within the spiritual, the Divine. I've said that the work reflects my spiritual walk - my trust in G-d. This is very true for within each painting is the act and trust that occurs to create it. The lines, color, and texture are the expression and exclamation of that process. But it is the line that activates the work, creates the action within it.
While my work has texture and color, they are sometimes secondary to the line; they accentuate it, bring it out to the forefront, highlight it and help establish it within the picture plane. The line can be subtle or right in your face. The background of the work may be peaceful or soothing but the line pulls out the energy of the piece. But whatever imagery I use, the line helps to reveal it or is the subject matter itself.
So right now, that is what is important to me in my work. I'm still exploring this idea of line and I'm sure more revelations will come to me as I work through this and process it. So until next time... take care, enjoy, and G-d bless!

January 9, 2010