"Getting It On - Graphic Studies"

Sometimes you accidently face the ideas that keep resurfacing while you're working.  Today I spent the afternoon sketching for several hours on the deck of my daughter's new home.  Living without a studio for over a month now, I'm beginning to feel a buildup of stored energy -- missing my studio discipline.  However, I am feeling pretty smart that I stocked 2 small pencil and pen boxes filled with Faber Castell's Soft Supracolor Pencils, PITT Artist Pens, Aqua Creta Colors, Caran d'Ache Painting Crayons, Wax Pastels,  favorite Prisma sharpener, water pens,  graphite pencils and the Tri Tip eraser!  Yes, I'm happy I have something to draw, sketch and paint with!  This withdrawal is pushing me into strange territory and bringing good information!  

  

I am missing the daily routine of painting and the physicality of the action.  I wouldn't call myself an "action painter", but working in multi-media (Encaustic, Oils & Acrylic) stimulates the need for dynamism while working.  This place of loss and gain forces you to become acquainted with your true circumstances.  

In this transition,  the process is bringing me to the "thinking" place.  My usual working method is intuitive, and the only preparation that takes place is the setting up of materials and my love of mixing paint -- creating polychromatic palettes-- a large part of my drive. I enjoy the alchemical process of experimenting with materials and expanding the possibilities.  

This slowing down is quite different from a "block".  I find myself thinking every day about painting and discovering clarity through working within my sketchbooks and sketchpads.  It's definitely presenting another chance to understand my process and my relationship with my process.  

It became apparent today that I have been exploring my paintings through the lens of photographing them whole and then in quadrants as well as taking oblique shots of the work.

My camera has been a great outlet lately and I am seriously looking at digital SLR cameras!

I watch myself sketching from my sketches!  Observing the aerial or tilt angles.  Just today I remembered an early childhood memory--  watching my Dad drafting --  technical mechanical drawings.  Watching him in production-- creating layouts, lines, dimensioning, text symbols, grids, etc.  I was indeed mesmerized at his talent.  He taught me how to hand-draw 2-D boxes, houses and rectangles.  I can't remember how to draw them now.  But -- something new is happening in my paintings and my relationship to them.  

Somehow the word, "perceptual" entered my mind as I was working long and digging in with my crayons and pencils today.  The trance-state of working is pure joy!  Working effortlessly and emerging hours later -- voila!   You have a little increment of work and it's even possible to appreciate the work without any self-consciousness.  (Op Art crossed my mind but feeling resistant to it.  No judgements or intellectualizing (too much) -- just, "get it on" and see what comes around!  

According to Wikipedia:

Perceptual art is a form of art that can trace its roots to the art history concepts of perceptualism as well as to twentieth century inventions of conceptual art and performance art.

In practice, perceptual art may be interpreted as the engagement of multi-sensory experiential stimuli combined with the multiplicity of interpretive meanings on the part of an observer. Sometimes, the role of observer is obscured as members of the public may unwittingly or unknowingly be participants in the creation of the artwork itself.

The concept of perceptualism has been discussed in historical and philosophical explorations of art and psychology, thus it forms an innate relationship between the artist and philosopher. 

Op art, also known as optical art, is a style^[1] of visual art that makes use of optical illusions.

"Optical art is a method of painting concerning the interaction between illusion and picture plane, between understanding and seeing."^[2] Op art works are abstract, with many of the better known pieces made in only black and white. When the viewer looks at them, the impression is given of movement, hidden images, flashing and vibration, patterns, or alternatively, of swelling or warping.

There's something exciting about finding your trance-state while making sketches and knowing you can just tear out the page, crumple it up and toss!  There's little investment but sometimes much to gain!   I am coming to understand much about where my early influences began.  

Whether you're inside or outside of your work, ready to engage or escape, stay with the best part -- even if it's a small corner!  Getting it on with 'graphic studies' is my little corner for now --

moment to moment.  

"Between each fruitful phase are long

periods of exploration, faltering, learning,

and working things out."

                 ____Kenneth Noland

"Spaces Between Working"

"Spring-Loaded"

Titling these studies means I'm liking them.  Do you title afterwards, in the middle or no?

• Sentimental
• Numerical
• Factual
• Abstract, &
• Mysterious
• Care what you want to say?

"Opus"

Oblique shots of "Spring-Loaded"

"Allegro"

Oblique shots of "Allegro"

"Trying To Be Good"

Oblique shots of "Trying To Be Good"

"Wiki Up"

"Peep Handler"

Oblique shots of "Peep Handler"

"Really?"

It's been 30 days since packing my life and studio into storage.  A painter goes to her studio to make meaning.  How you fill periods between working productively and creatively can feel bad and frustrating when there is too much life.  Whether you are experiencing the freeze, workspace changes, depression, new/old relationship issues,  financial stress, and a big culprit for artists is dealing and recovering from rejection and disappointment.  What are you doing to feel good when life gets bigger than the passion to make meaning?  


Attempting to tame chaos, live, make important decisions, parent, have fun, stay connected to friends, eat right, look good and maintain everything in the midst of any change is a lot.  In my case, it's been a lot for a long time.  A nice and very pretty big change.  Leaving one city for another, and going to start a new chapter after 17 years of raising an Autistic child is pretty amazing.  It's been hella difficult to sneak little shreds of life this way -- but women do it every day.  When I am 'so calm' and 'disinterested' on the surface -- my closest friends know 'somethin ain't right'.  


Treading 'limbo' time and space now is very unfamiliar to me and there's no way to not know more about myself-- so why not buckle up and hang on for another wild ride?  Aren't we all buckling up?  


The studies above are fun casual sketches I've been making in this 'space between working'.  It's satisfying the urge to paint as well as keeping me primed and ready to jump once I'm in my new Loft!  Friends have been asking me, "What do you think you'll be painting when you get into your new Studio Loft?"  I really don't know.  Several weeks ago I started freaking out about it.   Today?  I'm enjoying the summer doing other things I love to do.  


Spaces between working is a special place.  Everything that you can enjoy and experience is all part of leading you, and taking your work where it wants to go.  And I know we just have to get out of the way!  


While in this place of transition, I am forced to pay attention to life.  The creative passion is strong in all areas of my life even when I'm not directly in the Studio!  Living with meaning is living large in the way I parent, my enormous love of cooking,  entertaining, music, museums, films, sketching, reading, photography, writing, fashion, style & makeup.... what a concept?

"Life teaches you that work is fulfilling and you need it to be content to a certain extent, 

but if you’re not living life, there’s really no point. 

To fill those times in between work creatively and productively is a real challenge".

Actor - Gabriel Byrne

"Studio Notebooks & Writing Responses!"

For years I have cultivated a daily writing practice as well as an ongoing Studio Notebook that allows me to record and keep track of what is going on inside and outside the Studio.  Many of us use our notebooks very differently and some of us don't use them at all!  Some artists have little moleskins, others use larger books for  detailed sketches and some use them to outline and  plan a project.  Some of us have chalkboards, sketches taped up on our walls, some like to make drawings, sketches and or doodle  randomly.   I use my personal journals for writing in the morning and in the evening.  My Studio notebooks are used 'inside' the studio.  A blank page is always available next to my coffee, pencils and phone...a long time ritual.    I like keeping notes on paint recipes -- especially detailed notes of making encaustic paints and medium.  This detailed process began when working with encaustic--- becoming a chemist and conscientious technician with my materials.


 Studio Notebooks here.  In these notebooks are great notes that are meaningful to me-- quotes, process notes and technical data that are truly valuable.  Keeping track of all that I've explored, tested and resolved are tucked away in many volumes.  

 Random Notebooks

Playing w/Paint Textures

Encaustic Paint Hues

A 36x36 painting w/crit notes

A Map of Brazil

Postcards of "Reckless Bliss" series from

the 'Simple Geometry' Show in SF

Combination Sketch & Collage Sketchbook

Studio Notebook of making Encaustic Paints

Acrylic Tests

More Encaustic Alchemy

Traveling Sketchbooks & Writing

 Postcard of Encaustic Painting

Looking over the Studio Notebooks tonite reinforces in me that there is no 'ending' to a particular work I make.  The work continues and my process is moving forward and touching back in order to move forward each time I begin.  


Here's returning again to the Poly Chromatic works that are driving me forward in the Acrylic medium.  


 I started these yesterday.  After finishing my latest painting, "Interior" -- and working steadily on the 'surface zero' project (taking down encaustic paintings to the core),  I often take a break from the current work and return to another body of work that is still in progress.  


This allows me to recharge and working another medium simultaneously keeps my chops up.  I am finding much satisfaction in the power of materials.  


These are 8 Acrylic paintings on 10x10 canvases.  More fun studies while I continue to explore the gel mediums and pushing Acrylics to another level.  I enjoy taking these oblique shots of the work in progress and it offers me new perspective all the time.  


Hope your studio sessions are keeping you engaged and taking you to new places to risk beyond where you've been!  Thanks for stopping by!  

"Write Responses"

exerpted from "Creativity For Life" --- Eric Maisel'

Once you'ave chosen the questions you mean to address, write responses that do the questions justice.  Spent time at it.  Lose yourself in the writing.  Many fears, blocks, and distractions may prevent you from engaging yourself.  You are, after all, asking yourself the hardest quetions imaginable.  You may fear that such poking and probing will do some unalterable damage to your life.  But have faith that you will survive your revelations.  Remember the three maxims of Zen Buddishm: great faith, great questions, and great questioning of yourself.  

Try not to censor the writing.  When you feel the urge to stop, continue.  Write for forty minutes, sixty minutes, ninety minutes.  Fill up pages.  Shake away your writer's cramp.  Feel drained if the experience is draining, frightened if the experience is frightening, but will yourself to continue.  Then, when you feel you have finished, congratulate yourself: you have been working in a way that few people dare to.