An Overdose of Satisfaction

There are some days when I think I'm going to die 

from an overdose of satisfaction. 

~Salvador Dali

There is something about creating collage on paper that I find very satisfying, more than any other substrate. Paper is friendly, tactile and receptive. It’s easy to manipulate during the process of creating a painting or collage. Paper has it’s own language.

 

Since I am the creator of the painting 

and the first real 'viewer' – 

when I feel satisfied, 

I put the brushes down and hope 

that someone else will feel satisfied too. 

~David Lussier

Presentation of art is important to me. I feel my work is enhanced by a simple, clean surrounding that allows the viewers eye to make the journey through the piece in a leisurely manner. 

Each piece is unique and takes its own time to be realized. 

I am not concerned with the quantity, but only that they

communicate my understanding of life and my craft at that particular time. 

~Sharon Knettell

When we started building the studio/wood working shop building, about 5 years ago, I was certain I needed a mat cutter so I could frame my works on paper. A local frame shop was going out of business, and I had been gifted a coupon from Kurt for a mat cutter once we decided which one to get. As luck would have it, the mat cutter was available when we got to the shop. We also obtained the wall mounted cutter for cutting glass and making straight cuts on anything from large paper to mat board. I use it often. 

The only person you have to please, 

with your art, is yourself. 

~Don Getz

For a time while the building project continued the cutters were stored where they would fit; awaiting the day they could be moved to the studio and put into use. We moved the cutters to the studio awhile ago, but this weekend we began to cut mats. 

 

You learn the essential skills, 

how to manipulate the brush and how to handle paint, 

and you study the works of artists you admire. After a while, though, 

you have to be yourself. 

That's scary, but satisfying. 

~T. M. Nicholas

I thought I would cut the mats, but Kurt, wood worker that he is, could not resist trying out the new equipment. My turn will come. We thought we would start framing up a few things for ourselves as practice. We laughingly set out to challenge ourselves to find out how many ways there are to make mat cutting errors. And we have found several!

 

The painter goes through states of fullness and evaluation. 

That is the whole secret of art. 

~Pablo Picasso

 

I have a real sense of satisfaction seeing the works set off by nice clean mats. We have some frames on order and once they arrive, we will compete the presentation. 

I love an art which allows me to 

document my place in this mix... 

This is my past and my future. 

It has its own logic and finally, 

its own sense of fulfillment. 

~Burton Silverman

I hope you all found satisfaction this weekend too.