Recharging My Batteries

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.

~Annie Dillard

Its time to retreat, so I can advance. Time to pull away so I can come back fully engaged. Time to pause, reflect, and celebrate what has been. So I am off for my annual retreat, off to a rudimentary cabin by a beautiful lake, with good long time friends. We will play a lot, walk in nature (I’ll keep track of my miles) and get a zoology lesson or two. I’ll ponder the old bones series. Some sketching and such may happen. We may see an otter, and surely we will see ducks and deer. A jig saw puzzle will be solved. Books will be read, and discussed. We will prepare beautiful simple meals. Laughter and silence will each have their turn.

See you next week.

The White of Old Bones

Intimate Communication Series, collage, 6 inches by 6 inches, by Leslie Avon Miller

So, for about the forth or fifth time, I am working on a White Series. Now let me tell you, this isn’t easy. That’s why I’m still working on it. White is a color, but as colors go, it isn’t very extroverted, like red or even introverted, like blue. It is actually quite neutral. Kind of like the kid in school who was always okay but never excelled at anything; until he went away to college and became an engineer. Or the girl, who hitchhiked to Los Angeles, took off her braces, got beautiful and became an actress. When they show up at the class reunion, people say “wow!” White is like that. Quiet, unassuming and blended into the background. Until it finds the right setting, with the right cast of supporting actors, and then, well, something beautiful happens.

Whites in all shades of warm butter or gray misty fog, or blue toned sandy seaside, the white of winter drifted snows, the color of old bones; those whites can sing in three part harmony. Those whites mixed together are like a surprise gift wrapped in tissue paper. And that’s what I am seeking and striving to create. And I am also looking to get a little funky kind of thing going with a personal language of symbols, marks and layers of texture. I want to create contrast that accentuates what’s happening, but remains true to the beauty of white, like old world marble which is white but all those other colors too.

I have been reading Wolf Kahn again. What rings true for me is Wolf speaking about the artist expressing unique, particular perceptions. He said “the intimacy of his personal relationship to the work at hand has to remain inviolate.” The White Series keeps calling me back again and again, like a spiral. So here I go again. It’s going to be fun, engaging and challenging work. What could be better than that?

Validation!

Need a smile? This creative, upbeat and funny little movie is just the ticket! Get validated! I suggest you get a cup of something as this is 16 minutes long, but it will provide you with uplift good for the rest of the day! I am not an actress but I would have loved to be in this movie! Don't you love the way creatives (and that is all of us) come up with the best stuff?! (Back to our regular programming soon.)

Student of Art - Student of Life

6 inch by 6 inch untitled collage by Leslie Avon Miller

You are always the student in a one person art school. You are also the teacher of that class. – Irwin Greenberg

This is soooo very true. We teach ourselves. Oh, I have hired a number of consultants along the way; artists who so patiently and enthusiastically put on workshops to share their expertise. And yes, I have learned from these experiences. But in the end, it’s what happens when I am alone in my studio, my hands in the paint, my mind giving near constant feedback and critique that allows me to learn and grow as an artist. Purposefully I create chaos. I think about it, analyze what is going on and then I respond. I find it very exciting and engaging. I enjoy problem solving. And art is the best kind of problem to solve. There is never one correct answer, only a number of options. Plus, art is not life and death, so really the pressure is off.

A student is one who studies, investigates and examines thoughtfully. I enjoy being a student, both of art and of life. I like striving to improve. And with art, I am my own critic. I am seeking to improve from my last effort. I try to be truthful. I allow myself to relish the areas of my painting that are delightful. I try not to nit pick. I certainly try to determine what isn’t working; where the painting could be stronger. At all costs I avoid being harsh. After all, I am a student of art. A learner. And I always will be. If I ever stop seeking to improve and to grow I’ll be bored with myself.

We are always the student and teacher in a one person school of life.

I found a couple of interesting sites this morning. This links to an Art Critique Form with good questions to ask about a work of art, and a discussion of how to give art critique by Marvin Bartel. The art of critique for photographers is discussed by Ed Zawadzki at edZstudios.

Showing My Enthusiasm

Wordless Message, 12 inches x 12 inches on watercolor paper.

Part of the Communication Series.

I enjoyed reading Robert Genn’s Twice Weekly Letter this week. The topic was Irwin Greenberg’s Words to Paint By. I am attracted to advice given in short concise statements, I think because I can remember it better than longer more philosophical discussions. There are 100 quotes with advice about being an artist listed at the end of Robert's post.

My favorite quote from the article was “Let your enthusiasm show.” Yes! I love to paint! I love to create! I love to find out what will happen in the studio! I love the process. I enjoy creating a mindful but chaotic surface and then achieving some kind of interesting resolution. I am deeply satisfied by textures, shapes, marks and colors. I love the meditative state of being in the flow. I feel deeply connected to the process and to what I am saying through my art.

I looked some things up about the concept of enthusiasm today, and found out the word is derived from a Greek word meaning “having a god within.” Enthusiasm is defined in part as “an absorbing possession of the mind.” To me it is about being fully alive, present in my own life and joyful. What a gift it is to love our work so deeply.

One of the best ways to develop enthusiasm is to hang out with enthusiastic people, because it is infectious. That’s another reason I love to blog and connect with like minded people like you.