Sunday, July 26, 2009

crop rotation

Dan came over yesterday and as we were chatting about the love and woes of art he offered up the idea that I needed to switch it up a bit. Agreed. I've been going at these little watercolors so hard I'm a little burnt out. Dave Mustard came home for a few days and while we were chatting he said he could always tell when I made something because it was so "Devil may care." Ha! So, here it is. A bit of crop rotation inspired by my friends.

My friends have been soooo awesome lately. I'm so lucky. I got a "You Are Free" tattoo last week on my inner arm (not shown in painting) that makes me feel a bit like the stars are lining up. This is another transitional piece. All pieces are transitions, really, as we are in a perpetual state of transition, however, some more so than others. I never could have painted myself in this manner previously and it feels GREAT to have the freedom to do so.

Finding myself again....

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Thursday, July 16, 2009

loving the struggle...

"A curator would then not be a person who chooses artists but an accomplice of artists, a catalyst and a loudspeaker for artists' voices." -Massimiliano Gioni, The Wrong Gallery

I've been thinking about the struggle of the artist-to survive, to create, to conceptualize, to express and to have those expressions realized and internalized by others, fighting the mainstream, the t.v., the humanly irresponsible. When I speak with other artists many conversations are glazed with what I call 'the struggle' and what artists who read this will relate to instantly. The struggle is a frustration, swimming against the current, fighting the color that matches the couch.
In my experiences, the struggle is what makes us. I love the struggle, it's the best part, be it internal or external. If we artists had everything we wanted, we would find something else to struggle against, fighting what we thought we wanted. If there was no friction we wouldn't be able to feel a damned thing and where is the climax with no leading up? It's the moment of leading up just directly before we think the big it is going to happen that's the best part anyhow.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

heavy boots

Here are a few new journals fresh out of the brush.











A year ago I started a project with the idea of birds. It's become a frustration. The concepts are great, however, I'm having a terrible time visualizing and creating images from that concept. Below is one of the little birds created. The idea is that the bird embodies the characteristics of flight and song, characteristics I exemplify. Also the bird is a messenger, literally and abstractly, from person to person or as a representation of the spirit. Again, the inability to visualize is driving me crazy. I sat down today and tried to work some birds into the watercolors, but unsuccessfully. The birds are cute, but I can't seem to take it much further.