Wednesday, April 20, 2011

What is my Narrative?

This is yet one more of my "beginnings" that has now totaled 8...I'm so ready to go back to these pieces and take them to the next level.
Beyond art making skills, shapes, lines, form, texture etc. and far beyond tools and materials all of which I love to love is the narrative to me. The story that needs to be expressed, the secret revealed, the communication, the language of art making. I made a list recently of my personal 'pulls'...subjects that call me to explore and study time after time. One is 'Oasis" the ancient abstract dream place...the sanctuary. (I believe a 4star spa complete with cotton robe is our modern day oasis any upstanding ancient Roman would envy.) The Oasis for me in making art is a simple place of comfort, pleasure, safety and peace. I'm most called to this narrative when 'real' life is chaotic or the worlds chaos has become overwhelming to me. I've recently returned to the oasis in my art making and at this time choosing a place of exquisite gardens and architectural beauty...Alhambra. I've explored the beauty of this heavenly place through books, videos and waking dreams. I'm not sure how many attempts I'll need to tell my story. I'll be posting in the weeks ahead. What are your 'pulls', what subjects pull you?

Monday, April 11, 2011

Beginning, Starting, Developing

I had my last of the 4 birthday critiques with local artist Lisa. From the beginning we hit it off and as I've said before her critique style has been good thought provoking questions and interesting proposals. I had been complaining recently of great beginnings and the losses in the process of returning, reworking and finishing a piece. She understands my need to begin with a strong narrative and the frustrations about losing the 'light'. She challenged me to ONLY begin my work. One after another, yet another, each time one session in the studio...not going back, not clarifying or redeveloping intuitively or in a planned way.The photo reflects four pieces on paper that I've begun...some work more refined than others given how much studio time that one particular day. In some ways the pressure is off...In other ways there is desire to go back in and complete the story?! I'll attempt a few more and then give her a call...I'll need a 5th critique!