Reading the Road Map

8 inch by 8 inch collage on paper



There is a richness to the process of sorting out where I have been and where I am going with my art. I’m settling in and starting to look forward to this process of considering what I have already done and where I might be going, although of course I can’t see around the bend in the road. As you can imagine I am writing a lot about my art – past and present. I’m collecting notes about my use of space, shapes, lines, gesture, marks, passages, color. I’m collecting what I have written about the meaning behind my work. I’m trying things out, and wondering what might happen. I’m thinking of my notes as my personal dictionary of symbols and imagery, a kind of road map. I find all kinds of art from my previous efforts and I sit down and look at it in a new light. What is there that might still be interesting and useful?

And because I have a near constant need to create I am working with papers and paint in my artist book and on small collage. I am looking around me for marks and lines and textures, which are everywhere really. I have started a small collection near the entry door of my gatherings- a leaf or two, an interesting small rock, a feather. There is plenty of room for what ever else I might find. Photographically I have been gathering marks, numbers and textures.

My motivation is to be a better artist, and to work more authentically. I feel I have been authentic, but there is always room to grow, find new avenues and create in ways I may not be able to imagine right now. I am having fun slowing down, pausing and looking around at where I might want to go.

I found an interesting list on an art educational site. It’s about learning to think like an artist. It is a fun list, and one that applies to a lot of the creative people in blogland I would guess. It sums up an attitude of curiosity, perseverance, and playfulness along with passion to work hard.

How to Think Like an Artist

looking at things more closely than most people do.
finding beauty in everyday things and situations.
making new connections between different things and ideas.
going beyond ordinary ways of thinking and doing things.
looking at things in different ways in order to generate new perspectives.
taking risks and exposing yourself to possible failure.
arranging things in new and interesting ways.
working hard and at the edge of your potential.
persisting where others may give up.
concentrating your effort and attention for long periods of time.
dreaming and fantasizing about things.
using old ideas to create new ideas and ways of seeing things.
doing something simply because it's interesting and personally challenging to do.

Art Gone Amuck

So, alright I do talk to myself. Not out loud though. That’s where I draw the line. My conversation has been running along these lines in the studio. “Gosh it’s hot!” Then I spray a mist of water in front of the fan and feel it hit my face with refreshing coolness. Misting water aside, it’s still not very comfortable in the studio. Not only due to heat, but due to feeling like I’ve gone amuck with my art making. I paint something and it looks like something I’ve painted many times before. I try something else, and then it just looks odd. Then I paint over the whole thing. Then I do it all over again….I am making myself tired and its b-o-r--i-n-g! Boring art.

I was taking with an artist friend yesterday. She said may be I need a break. Now there is an idea. I hadn’t thought about taking a break. When things get tough I usually just try harder. I put my nose to the grindstone and grind. How Zen like to step back and pause.
So this week, due to hot weather and the need for something to be different, I’m taking a break.

Of course I can’t stop thinking about art completely. I see the earthy brown colors I love in a leaf as I pick the wild blackberries that grow along our drive. I see the beauty in a feather one of the birds lost near the feeder. Last night the sky was almost red.

As I take my break, I’m writing and reading. In an old book called Water Color Bold and Free, by Lawrence Goldsmith I read “One effective way to become bolder in your work is to experience the shock of discarding your ordinary procedures in favor of a new one.” I’ll ponder Lawrence’s words about understatement – simplicity, suggestion and brevity. He asks “does the painting make its statement economically?”

And because I have no new art to show you, I’ve posted a photo of the inside of my favorite used book store, where I find great older (and sometimes newer) art books. The floors are wooden and they creak as one walks down the narrow isles. The art section is eclectic and fun to peruse. I’ve got store credit from selling my gently used books, and I’ll be in the vicinity this week. Maybe I’ll stop by and find a new book to read on my self declared art break.

So what do you do when art making goes amuck?

The First Question: Blog Reader’s Answers

Knowing, 6 x 6 collage by Leslie Avon Miller

I have been away for a few days. Looking over these answers again has been touching. As artists, it is clear that our creativity is a portal to something bigger than ourselves, to something of profound meaning and value. I just can’t synthesize these because every one is a precious gem. So here they are, in no particular order, and with a touch of paraphrasing. Breathe in the beauty, the soulfulness, and the exquisiteness of the connection each creative person has to their own creativity.

#1 What is it that you get back from your art?

Acceptance of myself and my art
Permission to just be
License to live a different kind of life
Balance in my life
A spiritual feeling
The older I get the more making art changes to meditation
Being in the flow
Writing is the greatest thing for me; it has taken on a life of its own
My writing resonates
Satisfaction
A sense of playfulness
It provides solutions
A coming together, a flowering
I make money
Validation
Impetus to keep making art
Enjoyment
An outlet for my creativity
The ability to solve problems
A sense of community that sustains me
Opportunity to learn new things
Sense of accomplishment
Calms me down
Teaches me patience
Teaches to accept and enjoy many forms of art
Outlet for expressing my emotions
Solace
A way to work out problem and to share
A great adrenalin rush
Feeding of the heart and brain
My brain becomes engaged
I feel blessed
A chance to express one’s deepest beliefs, joys and dreams
A way to get in touch with the visible world around me
Art and creativity is way to express myself in the world
Connections with others
A sense of purpose
A feeling that art is food and medicine
A part of my soul
A secret thought
A new color or texture
A surprise
Regenerative energy
Creativity creates a bigger pool of creativity for all of us
Art is the path to wisdom
Pure joy of creating
Deep satisfaction
Pleasure in completing a quest
The amazing sight of giving new life
Joy, clarity, fulfillment
Growth
Deeper understanding of my inner and outer life
Increased appreciation for the world
A constant dialog with the work
Gratitude to be alive

The First Question

Messenger 6 x 6 collage by Leslie Avon Miller, collection of Kathleen Botsford

This is my answer to the First Question: What is it that you get back from your art?
My art gives me something to strive for; being the best artist I can be. My art gives me something to ponder; what am I saying with my art? My art gives me technical problems to solve. My art allows me grow as a person. My art allows me to express myself in the world. My art makes me feel truly alive. My art compels me to get up early and work hard. My art gives me compassion for myself and others. My art gives me humility. And one artistic expression has lead to another, which is a gift I did not anticipate. My art has been a connection to many other like minded people. My art keeps me connected to the sacred. My art is a deep part of the meaning I experience in life. My art allows me to express my passion; for life, for art, for the process of being alive. My art lets me claim myself. My art piques my sense of wonder and curiosity. My art is something that is all mine and as such really says “I am here. And I love being alive.” My creativity allows me to accept myself, and be appreciative, instead of looking around and saying “if only I could have what she has.” My art lets me take my creativity seriously and makes me take myself lightly. And it is just so much fun!

I am going to a workshop this weekend, and will be able to check my blog for comments. Early next week, I will post a synthesis of your answers to the First Question. If you have posted answers at your blog, or you have not yet connected with me and want to, please let me know. The artists that have written or spoken with me have been thoughtful and fun to talk with. Most have reported gaining some insight into their own process. And the interesting thing is that the insights continue after the call or email. Once you open up a dialog with yourself about your art, you find your art has a lot to say to you!

Inspiration Can Be Found in the Oddest Places

Untitled 12 x 12 collage painting by Leslie Avon Miller
I love to be inspired. It’s a delicious emotional state of being. When I’m inspired, I get going, getting doing, and I enjoy it a lot. As a visual artist I am constantly looking at all kinds of things; the way a crack in the sidewalk makes an interesting line; the way a rusty piece of metal on a ferry has taken on the imprint of the door that comes up against it; and even socks can inspire me. Socks? We were shopping in our local warehouse store, and a display of ladies socks caught my eye. They were in groups, and just like a color fan of paint chips, they were arranged in a perfect array from light to dark, but with close values in the warm earthy neutrals that I love. You get to see what I mean, because of course I had to bring them home with me. And I vowed to scan in an image before I started wearing them, so I could use them for color reference.
I tear pages out of magazines; usually they are my magazines, but I have been known to ask a friend for a particular page. One page that has always held my interest is of an old armory store which has been converted into an upscale contemporary dwelling. I love the old, cracked concrete ceilings. I keep these pages in big three ring binders, which appropriately enough, I call my inspiration notebooks. I have three volumes now. Another magazine page that inspires me is a contemporary dining room. I particularly love the exposed drywall, complete with nail heads, and a perfect wash of darker paint to look like natural aging and use. It is a perfect neutral color, and one which I reference a lot to start a painting. In combination with the aged wood warm color, the stark dark black picture frames and the white of the flowers and candles it is a great starting off place for a contemporary painting.
Last weekend this painting came to a place I am calling “maybe it’s done.” That means I leave it alone for a while and see what I think as I ponder it. It occurred to me it is partly inspired by the socks, the old concrete, and the dining room set up. I didn’t look at any of those images when I made this painting, but the inspiration was probably an influence.
I am trying to become a better art photographer. I asked Kurt to look up art photography advice on the internet. He came back with a report that people use Photoshop or other image programs to adjust the colors. So I will try that. I notice that here at home on my lap top, the colors looks okay on my blog posts. At work, on a different computer my images look yellow. They are not yellow. They have warm tones, but there is no out and out yellow. So, if my header and this full photo of the painting look yellow, maybe it’s the monitor? Or what? I think issues of photography and creating digital images may have to be a whole separate post, or series of posts…. and I don’t have the answers. Do you?
Update on the four questions: People continue to respond, to send emails, to speak with me, to post answers on their blogs. I have answered the questions myself - at least twice. So I will continue to gather the responses and start compiling what has been said to create a few posts so you too can find out about what artists are thinking. If you would like to participate see the two previous posts. If you have posted your answers on your blog, please let me know. I will create a set of links so readers can find your answers as well. I hope we all find inspiration today!


These just had to come home with me.

This is great texture.

I love these colors.

The Four Questions

In Common Purpose, collage by Leslie Avon Miller, collection of Michele Cronkhite


What is it that you get back from your art?
What is it that you give to your creativity?
What gets in the way and frustrates you in your efforts to create?
What are your biggest hopes and dreams for your creativity?

I am currently discussing these questions with artists from around the world. It has been so much fun to connect with people! If you like, please post a comment about your responses to these questions, send me an email, or contact me to set up a time I can call you and we can talk by phone. My email address is leslie avon miller @ gmail.com (remove the spaces).

So far, the answers are heartwarming. Art means so very much to us. I think as artists we are tapping into our life purpose, authenticity, passion, healing, legacy, and so many important values. We are making our marks on this earth, and saying “I’m here.”

What I hope to get is a sense of the value of art for each of us. I hope to understand how artists honor that value. I hope to get a sense of the issues that artists grapple with; getting studio time, getting unblocked, placing monetary value on their work, time management issues, what ever they face.

And the question that has been especially fun is the one asking artists to identify their biggest hopes and dreams for their art and creativity. That’s been so enlightening, for the artists and for me.

My plan is to synthesize this information and do a series of blog posts. No one’s specific information will be shared. The posts will be generalized and I hope, will open further discussion. As artists, some of us benefit from discussing our process and hearing about the process of others. I know I do.

I have also spent quiet time answering these four questions for myself. Meanwhile, I had a good afternoon in the studio yesterday. I think my own creativity is being stimulated by talking with other artists. In the studio I made collage papers, stumbled on a new use for a familiar material, and created background papers. I had so many ideas for the workshop I am developing that I spent half my time writing in my ever present notebook! When I head over there this morning, I expect everything will be dry and I can get started. Kurt also made me a table for sanding. I make such a mess when I sand a painting. This will allow me to have a separate work surface for the mess. When I am on a roll, I don’t want to slow down to tidy up!

Exaggerate Something

I had a great day in the studio Saturday. It was fun. I did texture work all day. I started to think of it as an archeological dig, a process of discovery. I really am a process painter. I went out there with general ideas, and a desire. But it was the process of doing that became the inspiration. I keep a notebook close by to jot notes about my thoughts; sometimes words that might become a title, ideas about where I am going with the work and what I am trying to say. So I thought about archeology, excavation and layering. I thought about digging things up, altered forever by the burial process, and the unearthing process. I thought about how each thing, and each one of us, is affected by the conditions around it or around us. I thought about time. And I responded to what was happening on the painting surface.

At times when my art is feeling stuck I do keep notes, a rough journal of sorts. I read in my journal about how I want to use shape. I write about shapes. But what I do make is texture. Then I read in my notes something from artist Wolf Kahn. He said Exaggerate Something. Ah, yes. For right now, I’m going with my flow. I’m exaggerating texture. It was a lot of fun!

By the way, Wolf Kahn is an oil painter and a pastel painter. He uses lots of color, and he paints primarily slightly abstracted, simplified barns, foliage and landscapes. This would seem to be so very different than my own work, which it is. You might wonder why I would be enamored of his work. What I love about Wolf Kahn is that he is so very, very good at what he does. I love to look at the exquisite mastery of his work. A Wolf Kahn barn is a barn like no other. He does use great texture in his work. And I love to read his words, which are kind and down to earth.

“The practice of art should have an effect not only on the public, but even more importantly, on the artist himself, by enlarging his sphere of freedom. Once this is understood and becomes a profound part of artistic practice, the problem of being a mere manufacturer of expensive objects disappears; pictures are justifiable because they are steps in their maker’s artistic development. Each picture is valuable only insofar as it contributes to this development, because it enables the artist to go on in a freer, larger way to his next picture.”

I have two books on Wolf Kahn; Wolf Kahn’s America, An Artist’s Travels. Paintings, Pastels, and Text by Wolf Kahn and Wolf Kahn Pastels, the source of the above quote. This book is full of advice to artists, but in a relaxed manner. I think its time for me to re-read these yummy, visually appealing books. And I do love his use of orange and turquoise…..

These photos are of textures in process, and another small collage.