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Happy Mistakes
I have a friend, Greg Martin, (www.lumartingalleries.com) who is also an artist. He has a concept which he shared with me called making a "happy mistake." This idea initially came up when something went wrong with one of my abstract paintings. And he said, maybe I would learn something or create a new type of art, now that I had to fix my mistake. At the time, it definitely made me feel better, but I didn't actually create anything new and unique from my "mistake."
A month or so ago, I decided to try gold leaf on a painting. Gold leafing is a 3 step process. Sealing the gold leaf is the third step in the process. Well, the sealant for the gold leaf had dried up, so I couldn't use it. I looked around my studio, found another form of sealant, and put it on the gold leaf. The next morning I came back, and realized that some of the painting and the gold had tarnished. At first I was a little irritated, because gold leaf in pristine condition is so pretty. But then I realized, that from an abstract painting point of view, having variations in the leafing was actually better. And is something that makes the paintings very unique and original. With no way to exactly replicate one, even if I make multiples of the same basic concept. This was indeed a very "happy mistake."
Flip Side of Blase
It occurred to me this morning that there is a flip side to feeling blasé about something that I use to be really excited, or at times kind of overwhelmed about (like standing in line for the art show submission). And that is - I have successfully stretched myself and my comfort zone. Making room for new things to feel excited about, and new things to make me nervous and possibly even a bit overwhelmed about.
Which is a good thing. Because it assures me, that those things I am now feeling intimidated about - like calling people I don't know in an industry I don't know to see if they would like to have my art in their business - I will one day be blasé about those things as well. And have moved onto living in an even bigger world than I am currently in. And that is pretty awesome.
In Line For An Art Show
Standing in line today to put in my submission for Laguna Beach's annual Art That's Small At City Hall show, I realized how far we'd come. A year ago, we were excited about being in this show. And it is a fun, amazing show - something to be excited about. But today, as my girlfriends and I stood in line, I realized this year we were a little blasé about the whole thing.
This is because we have all been in a lot of shows since last year. And we all have at least one showing a month - so it isn't like WOW a SHOOOOOOOOOOW. Like we use to be.
This is good - it means we are getting that "exposure" artists are always looking for. But it's a little sad to think we no longer have that shiny new car feeling every time we do a show. It reminds me of an interview I saw with an actress on the West Wing who said that acting every day took the "preciousness" out of acting. At the time, I didn't know what she meant. Now I do.
That said - Art That's Small is a great show. I'm always amazed at the talent shown there, and how some artists can do so much on such a tiny amount of space. If you are in Laguna Beach anytime between now and April 29th I highly recommend stopping by Laguna Beach City Hall to see the show. For more info go to http://laguna-rs.civicasoft.com/cityhall/art/
Walking The Creative Tightrope
I've been working on a new design. Because I decided to create something specific for inside the home, the design process included talking to people to see what they would like to see in this type of art work. Last week I started hating my sketches. Then I realized it was because I had somehow lost my vision in the midst of trying to give people what they wanted.
Once I backed up, realized that, and started sketching again I was able to incorporate what people said they would love to have with what I wanted to create. Magic! And totally awesome. :-)
Always interesting as an artist when I accidently lose my voice or choke it in order to give others what they want. I'm much better at avoiding this particular pitfall than I use to be, but sometimes I still get pulled under.
I know some say creating art should be all about the artist. And a lot of the time, I would agree. But I find that at select times, when I chose to court public opinion, or do a custom piece, I come up with things I never would have thought about without their input. (Like the painting my sister asked me to paint for my nephew's nursery.) And those creations are some of my most favorite and fun pieces of art to create. Because when done with my voice in tact, they help me grow and stretch my creativity in ways I wouldn't have found otherwise.
Any other artists or crafters out there ever have a similar story?
Change Your Creative Block, Change Your Construct
What I realized, sitting on my couch recently, after being highly productive in my studio, is that the BEST cure for creative block is a date or time spent with my guy. In that down time after the date, I have created some of my most original pieces, and effortlessly come up with the solution to creative problems that were bugging me for weeks.
When I was in college I decided that my art suffered any time I had a boyfriend. This is because every time I had a boyfriend, I would stop sketching. But what I now realize is - I stopped sketching, not because I stopped wanting to create - but because I was worried about what he might say about my art. (Which of course speaks volumes for my taste in men at the time.) I had been carry around this construct - that it was either art or a boyfriend - ever since.
So happy to have come to a different conclusion - and now that I think about it - better guys!
What Is An Artist?
I was recently in a discussion about what a "true artist" is. One of the others in the discussion insisted that a "true artist" has no business sense, and creates only what they need/are compelled to create, with no care for what other people think or what will sell. And was that once an artist takes into consideration what others might want, they are no longer a "true" artist.
I disagreed for a couple of reasons. First off I think this runs dangerously close to the idea that any artist who is commercially successful has sold out. And second, to label only one type of artist as a "true" artist is discriminatory. I would agree that an artist by definition will continue to create whether or not their work is sold. But, there is nothing wrong with hoping he or she connects with an audience and makes people happy with their work. And in doing so, actually grows creatively by helping to fine-tune their creative voice.
I am not suggesting an artist give up their own personal drive to create by following the latest art fad, or by copying someone else's work to be a success. I have found that most artists who do this, die a bit inside. And for the most part, their art dies as well, because they themselves do not know why they created a piece. Therefore, their is no emotion or feeling behind it, which translates into "dead" art. And as with all fads, doing work this way is generally not sustainable. Another fad will come along, and so keeping up with them can be exhausting.
I am also not suggesting that an artist create only what she/he thinks other people will want or approve of. Because again - this work will generally not resonate. Such art lacks the creative spirit, and emotion associated with art that has been created by someone who knows WHY they were compelled to create it. Art created out of a need for approval will not resonate with the audience, because in truth, it did not resonate with the artist when she/he was creating it.
However, I do think it is perfectly acceptable to fine-tune your voice as an artist by listening to what your audience has to say. This can help an artist better tell his or her story and share their vision. For example, I started painting male torsos after multiple requests for such. And I love this new direction. Creating with an audience in mind can also lead to new shifts in work that better resonate with your audience. I love doing commissions because I always learn from the additional points of view, and a good portion of the time my art will be enhanced by that experience. I have had completely new lines of work spring from a commission request. Always in a manner that I am excited about, but that also broadens the amount of people who are by my art.
We grew up in a culture that has told us since pre-k that "You can't make a living as an artist" that "Artists don't work" and that "Art is not a real job." So to put an additional restrictions on an artist of "true" is burdensome. Anyone who has overcome listening to the many objections about their career path and fearlessly calls themselves an artist IS an artist. It doesn't matter if their work is "good" or "bad, " "successful", or "commercial." These are all outside labels. What matters is that an artist creates, that they follow their muse. And if, in the process, an artist also wants to connect with a wider audience, and allows in some way for that, it does not necessarily make for commercial art. It does not have to equate to loss of creative voice.
Finding and keeping our creative voice is a balance, and we each find our own. To call one person's form of balance wrong, and to declare there is only one true path, is not something I agree with. Especially in art.
Torso Series - A New Twist
While I will admit, that my focus of late has been on the female form. I did not want people to think, I have anything against the male body. I find the male form, equally beautiful. And being heterosexual, quite tantalizing. I have even been known to trip while passing the larger-than-life images at Abercrombie & Fitch. Something about a flat stomach and showing a little bit of hip bone, like a promise of things to come, really can distract a girl!
So after being asked repeatedly if I might have this guy or that in my paintings, but only him alone, I decided maybe I should not exclude male torsos from my series, and got to work. This is the first painting in that series.
Everyone, of course, may have a preference in terms of "type" of male physique they prefer in their man. I myself, lean towards what I always thought of as a runner's body. But after much study and consideration... have realized can also apply to volley ball players, swimmers etc. So to start my foray into creating single male forms on canvas, I did start with my preference. Since, as one of my art instructor's always told us - paint what you know. Not that I know my model personally, but well, you know what I mean. ;-)
Honoring Ourselves as Women
I titled my last art show Devina - which means heavenly, divine, beloved. I felt this name reflected what my intention is whenever I paint a woman - to show the beauty of the female form, by honoring the lines, and the curves that create her. I feel strongly about the need to honor the beauty of a woman's body because for so long, women in many cultures, in many times, have not been so honored. They were (and still are in some part of the world) told to cover up, to hide, to not even look upward and be counted.
And even when a woman in our culture is "appropriately" clothed some people feel the need to attack the beauty of a woman, and highlight their idea of perceived "flaws." When Jessica Simpson made a fashion misstep, amplified by an unflattering camera angle, it made headlines for weeks. And now we have this whole Kim Kardashian "incident" because someone accidentally posted a pre-touched up version from her photo shoot. Which were in my opinion so minorly touched up, it shouldn't have even been reported upon.
It feels like at times that between the media and our own negative voices, we as women sometimes forget how beautiful women really are. And forget to honor our bodies and ourselves. My point is that the female body in itself is a work of art. And I hope in my art to bring that out, so women recognize it, in the piece AND in themselves. So next time you pass a mirror, be kind to yourself, and honor the heavenly, the divine and the beloved in you.
What Do You Think?
Lately I’ve had a lot of questions about specific pieces of art. What do I think? Is this or that piece “good.” While I’m glad people think my opinion has some merit, what I generally ask in return is - “What do you think?” That’s really all that matters.
Sure I can tell you that technically this piece is brilliant or a mess. Or that the artist did or did not seem to know his or her intention when creating the piece. Or that the reason you are probably asking me is that you prefer a lot of differentiation in values in color and light, when this artist liked everything to have a similar color/light value. But what really matters is what you the viewer think. Do you like it? Yes or No?
I know in art history class we were always told there are many many layers to any piece of art. That the artist was making a statement about his or her political era, his or her religious beliefs, etc. While I don’t want to diss our great high school and college teachers, art isn’t always that layered, that symbolic, that - dare I say it - deep. And even if it is, I think most artists would rather you enjoyed their work, or had an opinion about their work, than to not enter the game at all because you are afraid to miss what the artist intended.
To me this is the great thing about art. After I finish putting paint on canvas, it doesn’t really matter what my intention was. What matters to you the viewer is what you think. How it resonates with you. That doesn’t mean you can’t pick out my intention, my emotions while painting the piece, or evaluate my technical abilities. But bottom line, either a piece of art resonates with a viewer or it doesn’t. (And if it doesn’t resonate with a viewer, it doesn’t mean it’s a “bad” piece of art, it just means that it doesn’t resonate with that person.)
I was reminded of this concept again today, when looking over my portfolio. This piece is called The Seduction. When I painted it I meant for it to be about a girl being seduced by a slightly older boy on the cusp of manhood. I meant for it to be innocent and tender. When a girlfriend of mine saw the finished piece she disagreed and said that this was a painting of an older woman seducing a younger man. I see what she means, but that’s not what I meant to paint. And at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what I think, even when I painted it. It matters what you the viewer see, think and feel when you see it.
So next time you really don’t like a very expensive piece of art on the wall, or you really love an inexpensive piece of art - don’t worry about it. Embrace that opinion, because it’s yours. And in the end, that’s all that really matters.
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