A Passion For Creativity

Excuse me while I digress from visual art, again, as there’s the rhythm talk on this blog also. It all started in a fit of studio cleaning with Foreigner blasting from the CD player, fast feet, drumming hands, and singing. Allegedly, also involved was a half a bar of Green & Black organic milk chocolate with peanuts. Fiery energy whirled ‘round the space. Aside from the shoe shuffling, floor sweeping was neglected, but the counters, palette area, and drawing table are cleared, ready to go now.

Creativity all comes from the same place as we are expressive creatures, it just takes various forms. Our human bodies are tools and instruments; from our brains, eyes, mouths, to hands to feet and shaking hips. Exploring all of it is just natural, enhances life and gives me insights for the visual work.

And sometimes, when there’s a snag in the creative process, or when the pipe feels clogged, doing a 180 is exactly what is needed. At times a walk clears the head, or I pull out music, the drum, the guitar, the twinkling toes. It’s a swirling out to the edges process so I can come back to center refreshed.

I certainly don’t consider the other artistic expressions equally to my visual art as the originality is not there. I haven’t given it enough time for that. My art images come from inside of me, from my soul. With music, I’m using the melodies and lyrics of others-a huge difference.

But it’s fun, and so rewarding.

Still, my tendency is to jump into a project with both feet and carry it to a level of resolution. To illustrate how far I took this singing, for instance. I’m sharing my, hang on… Ta Dah!… raw GarageBand version of a favorite song. I actually purchased a mechanical license to make 25 copies (minimum) of this song from the publishers, Harry Fox. For the understanding and experience of doing it, to acknowledge John Prine as the writer of  Angel From Montgomery, and so I don’t have to look over my shoulder. It’s from my album titled: Not Ready For The Big Time. They asked for an album title in the licensing process. It’s so not ready that right now there’s only one song on it.

Angel-From-Montgomery

The next post may be musings on distractions in the studio.

FLUXKIT Shakers

Or perhaps 50 mail artists at ready, get set, and go…  For those unclear on the concept-these are mini music shakers from my “duct tape and lentil” series for Keith Buchholz’ FLUXKITS.

Fluxkits are smallish objects (a box perhaps) that are collections of other objects that hold meaning to the artist and can be interacted with by an audience. Keith Buchholz is assembling this edition of 50- everyone contributes 50 of something. Then we each get a FlUXKIT in return and it is also archived. Mail Art seems to easily move in the direction of Fluxus, since it (and Fluxus) has such a strong element of humor and anti-commercialism.

The music aspect refers to #12. Musicality*, on Ken Friedman’s 1992 list of 12 Fluxus  ideas (and my own need for rhythm)

*from 40 Years of Fluxus

The cover of “Good Mail Day”

What fun is this? A book on creating art for mailing! If you poke around this blog you’ll discover that Mail Art is one of my passions. There’s a worldwide network of us, people that love to send their art visibly through the mail; art of all manner, shapes and sizes.

It’s obvious that “Good Mail Day” which hit bookstores September 1, 2009, is a labor of love for the authors  Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler. It’s an engagingly written intro to the creative aspects of making your own mail art and decorated envelopes using drawings, collage, recycled items, and more. Their can-do approach is accessible to all. Throughout the book, illustrating the ideas, are images of mail art examples from around the world, including my contribution of a collaged rattle/music shaker.

It’s a paperback, but with a nice heft to it and has beautiful photos in an original layout with illuminating bits of mail art history thrown in. Get yourself a copy and be inspired!

“Good Mail Day” is available at amazon.com and in Barnes & Noble bookstores.

photo collage of studio journals

There’s that quick little note about something inspiring that I read or saw. Several labels from favorite art materials. An article about block printing that intrigues. All this and more is gathered in my studio journals. There’s a binder for articles and such, plus a smaller notebook for quick sketches and writings. As you can see there’s lots of documentation about colors. Color mixing can be very experimental as I try out new colors, such as Daniel Smith’s Duochrome and Interference acrylics, and play with fresh combinations. Keeping a record of colors created and what was used in particular paintings is helpful. In the back of the notebook there’s a running inventory of numbers and sizes for stretcher bars, frames and glass on hand. Couldn’t do without it.

What does an artist’s working space look like?  I’ll be posting some more shots of the studio here. This is the steel rolling cart that holds brushes on top and paints underneath, and it’s where I mix colors.

Many of the brushes in the background are for oil paint. Yes, there are separate brushes for each medium. Love your brushes-take care of them. Good ones are pricey and using them is like playing a beautiful instrument; there is no off-key twang, just harmony and control as you sculpt paint with them. Even less expensive brushes can last a long, long time with care.

In my younger days, I’d let paint dry on brushes. Even after cleaning them, pushing those around on the canvas later was like wading through gritty mud. No matter what hand-eye control there was to muster, the brush could not respond fully.

Let me say it again. Love your brushes!

In working with acrylics, I use a sheet of framing glass on top of a piece of white paper as a palette (it’s actually white palette paper so there’s a coating on it, water doesn’t soak through if it gets sloshed). The white paper gives good contrast for mixing colors. Acrylics dry quickly so I cover them with reused plastic snack cups and just pull out a bit at a time. That way, I can mix a good amount and it’s usually good to go the next day also.

The three jars are filled with water for cleaning the brushes: first wipe off excess paint; swish off excess paint in water; rinse, and rinse again. It’s become automatic between colors or when switching brushes. At the end of the painting session, the brushes are washed with “the Masters” brush cleaner and preserver soap.

You are looking at the group mural from the 2008 Arts Festival. We’ll be creating another one this Saturday April, 18th, 1:00 PM-7:00 P M. at South Fork School, 5225 Kelso Valley Rd. Weldon. The Arts Festival also has art exhibits and other workshops, plus great music, and food to fill your belly. The day is geared toward kids, but all ages are invited to participate. Come be creative!!  Here’s the whole fishy story for the Mural. Hint, this year we will be flying instead of swimming!

The Younger Gallery has a Holiday Art Shop opening tomorrow evening, December 3, 2008, from 4-6 p.m. with refreshments served. 

You will now find a total of 4 (four) count them, yes 4! Ok, only four, newsletters in the archive.
But hey, that’s more than there were before I started writing them. 
You may sign up for the newsletter and receive the current one (there are actually 5 in all) here.
To read the archived (yes, only 4) newsletters, go there.
Here and there, that was easy.

and so brilliantly written.