not in stone

ok. i'm back. i did it. i managed to get my artist statement out on paper. i'm not going to post it here, but i will talk about the process a little...

i've been working and reworking my artist statement over a few years now. i suppose that an artist statement is something that is in continual revision as the work develops and changes. with that in mind i think i can live with what i've written....for now.

in the past, when i've tried to write one of these things, my self-conciousness would get in the way. this time, i decided to try writing it with a different approach - which was to write with a more personal perspective. (and not try and edit myself before the words even come out). letting it be about what i see and what i am thinking rather than what i was hoping the viewer would think. so there. it's done. if anything, it was an exercise in getting words out of my head and onto a page. there is something about writing it down - taking a stand. even if some ideas are temporary, the beauty is being able to see the continuous thread as it gets revised and figure out what's important to me when i make my work.

writing artist statements

As I was working on my artist statement, I came across this article on Hyperallergic: 

Context and Silence: On the Art Writings of Eva Hesse and Cady Noland

Now what?!

works on paper

Here are some works on paper I've got going on in the studio. Most of the pieces on the table are paintings on paper (except for the 3 in the upper right). I've been making posts on instagram, so if you're interested you can find some studiocrumbs there too!  

paintings on paper

One of the exercises I want to implement into my studio practice is to paint and draw from observation. I know this might be a basic practice for many, but it's one that tends to get pushed aside as I often find I am racing ahead to get lost in what I am working on....

I recently started making paintings on paper, while taking a break between larger paintings. Perhaps because I wasn't thinking about them as 'paintings' and approached them as experiments, and the fact that they were from direct observation, I found the process of making them to be really liberating.

I like the idea of starting the studio day with looking and observing. It seems like good practice....like practicing your scales when playing music - doing your warm-ups, fine-tuning, and gathering information along the way.

drawing stack

in-between moments

learning to embrace the in-between moments in the studio...after traveling, digesting, and finishing up a few new paintings, i am now taking time to revise my artist statement, apply for grants, research, and catch up on other things.

trying to enjoy the not-making part of being an artist, reminding myself that i don't have to be making 24-7.

it's all about balance right?

today's palette

painting detail

detail of a recent painting.

palette

3 to see

some works from the studio. seeing how a few pieces relate to one another.

studio mess

observations

When you hit a wall, just kick it in. 
-Just Kids, Patti Smith. 

a good reminder for the studio....

learning to let go of my own preconception of what i think a particular painting should look like. recently, i have gotten a couple of paintings to a point where they were almost 'done'...

in the past, i might have just finished these paintings to their logical state of completion....
i am now figuring out how to push past that point and let go of the image that the piece was becoming. i am realizing that once i  stop holding onto the idea that a work is almost done, i can actually move forward- because all of a sudden there is more space for exploration.  i think this is allowing the work to develop into something hopefully much better and more challenging than what was previously going to be the "finished" painting.

i think it's important to recognize when i am standing in my own way (of developing as an artist).  sometimes i need to remember to just kick in my own walls.

below, a detail of a work in progress.

after-drawings

working on some 'after-drawings'.

studio

a peek into the studio today.

painting detail

i am currently working on several paintings at the same time right now. digesting, processing, pushing, and looking. trying to spend more time looking so i can see what i'm doing. a friend and mentor came over to the studio recently. we had a great conversation about remembering to use the "curious" brain when making work rather than the "fix-it" brain.....i thought this was really important to remember so i'm writing it here as a reminder. above is a detail from a new painting.

painting detail

detail of a painting in progress.

studio

prepping canvas

prepping canvas for new paintings.

chair portrait

i spend a lot of time in this chair looking at my work.

packing

spending most of the day preparing a painting to be shipped to its new home. bon voyage painting!