Wisdom of the Bloggyhood Community

So today I was on a work road trip, and thinking about all the responses to my post about Art Gone Amuck. What a fabulous group of folks you all are. Thank you all so much for your helpful comments. I decided the wisdom list should be shared, so I listed the ideas you all suggested for artistic renewal. The list is already 28 ideas long!

So far I have been enjoying the break from the studio. I have walked, gathered things in nature with shapes, textures, colors, line and pattern. I see inspiration in all of them. I did make it back to the bookstore, and have “new” books on an artist I did not know, a how to watercolor book with great examples of color and shapes, a vegetarian cook book, and a book of photography. House cleaning was suggested. I cleaned our coffee maker – with a toothpick. I don’t play music, but I have listened to music that felt right. I have been reading, writing and thinking. I’m sure I will explore some of the other ideas before my break is over. I had envisioned a one week break, but that is open ended.

Sometimes a blog post will resonate in a profound way. That happened for me yesterday. I went to the blog of India Flint - Not All Who Wander Are Lost. I was so touched by her words, I asked if I could let you know about her post, and she agreed. The link is here. I’ll start you off with the first bit of her post:

“the older I become and the less time it seems likely I shall have on this beautiful earth the more I realize the importance of taking more time to be slow about the things I do
and to engage with the whirled
to take time to appreciate that string of pearls that is “the moments of now” that scatter like raindrops on a river as we wander our life journey”

This blog links me to my art group – all of you. And I appreciate our time together.
Here is your wisdom:

take a break
go shopping for more supplies
walk
go to the beach
ride out of town on the top deck of the bus
go to the garden
play the piano
make soup
try something vibrant
browse and read
find solace in the saxophone
think
look
gather
reload
do photography
try Tyla Tharp’s “box approach”
persevere through the frustration and change to a time of reward
read
write
think
go walkabout with a camera
meet with your art group
view art on line
clean house
do a crossword puzzle
read a novel
visit an art museum

It was high time I took a studio break, and already good things are happening.

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?