I love doing these small paintings of faces. I don’t make them into a likeness of anyone in particular. They are a means to be creative, play with colour and explore ideas. I let the picture go where it wants to. I keep them small so usually they only take a few hours. I don’t think they are all “self-portraits”; I think a better title for them would be “creative portraits”.
Summer has been very busy with house guests and enjoying weather…and watering garden and picking berries. Fitting art in is difficult, but along with summer comes festivals and outdoor events. When I get asked to participate as an artist, I’ll often say “yes”, cause I see this is a chance to fit some painting in when I might not otherwise. I was just painting at the Filberg Festival (for Arts Council) this past weekend and found I actually got lots done. The background music and noise was almost soothing and it actually helped me to focus. Also, since people would stop and watch, I was extra careful with my brushstrokes. So I will be doing this again on Friday, Aug 6 outside at the CVAG Plaza (Comox Valley Art Gallery on Duncan & 6th), from noon to 4pm. There will be another artist and a couple music performers also there – another chance to get some work done!
I created this painting for this year’s Vancouver Island Musicfest in Courtenay. “Raven Act” is mythical scene where a raven dances on stage while in the background the Tsolum river transforms into a rainbow coloured crowd of people. I’ve drawn my inspiration from several summers of enjoying Musicfest and also from painting on location there last year (see painting below). I see Musicfest as one way for people to be reminded of their common humanity, which is expressed through the music and guarded over by nature.
“Raven Act” is acrylic on canvas, 30″ x 36″. The price is $1550 and 100% of the proceeds are going to the CV Community Arts Council (which in the face of drastic cuts to the arts desparately needs support). It will be on display at Musicfest (July 9-11) in the merchandise tent, along with prints and cards.
Recently saw exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery: The Modern Woman: Drawings by Degas, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and other Masterpieces from Musee d’Orsay, Paris. I love seeing drawings and I wish all my students would go see this exhibition. First, you notice how important drawing was to these artists. You get the understanding that they didn’t just leap into painting without doing the groundwork of many drawings first in an effort to understand their subject matter. As well, you see that they were not perfect. They made mistakes (students are you listening?). Drawing and learning are just all part of the wonderful and enjoyable process of creating art – whether you end up with a masterpiece or not is irrelevant.
A couple weekends ago I participated in a weekend mural workshop with Mike Alewitz. Alewitz is a trained sign and commercial painter with a keen interest in social issues. He teaches maybe the only mural painting class in a university in Connecticut. I learned quite a lot in a short time. In my own university experience, I didn’t learn many practical things about art; such as what different paint brushes are for or how to use a colour scheme…most of what I learned was art theory….the “why” of art.
Anyway, Alewitz mentioned how he gets frustrated watching fine art painters wasting so much time in trial and error , figuring things out as they go along (remember, as a sign painter, time is money!). I think that’s fine because painting is also a process. However, I did see in a book on Chagall, a couple times where there was a small drawing done in the exact colour and design as a larger work. And this is Chagall, a highly creative painter. To me it looks like he pre-planned his painting…saving time otherwise spent in trial and error when he started in larger format.
Some practical knowledge is so obvious to someone trained in the trade of sign painting, but a fine art painter may have to figure out these things for themselves. I am going to experiment with getting my drawings more figured out before moving to larger canvas to see what happens. If I don’t like it, I can always paint over!
Exploring the Creative Power of Colour
Location: Denman Island Arts Centre
Dates: Saturday & Sunday; July 3 & 4th
Times: 9:30 – 3:30
Cost: $135 + $20 materials fee
Unlock the mysteries of colour in this informative and creative workshop. During the weekend you will discover the basics about colour while gaining practice at mixing the colours you desire. Also, you will explore the emotional impacts of colour, look at examples of artists who have used it as a powerful means of expression and find out how to successfully use colour to create dynamic works of your own. At the end you will have completed four of your own individual colour compositions. This weekend, you will primarily be using acrylics on paper, but the information will transfer well to other media. No experience is required, all experience is welcomed.
Here’s a link to artists “capturing the spirit” at Vancouver Island Musicfest last summer. It’s an exciting challenge to paint outdoors, since conditions are in constant flux; not like controlled studio conditions where the tendency is to paint slower and to be less spontaneous. I took a few reference photos for later, but was able to paint most of this impression of the main music stage, on location. What great fun!
This past Saturday I lead a creativity workshop inspired by the Courtenay River Estuary. During the three hour session, we received an introduction to the natural and historical value of the estuary by a guest from Project Watershed. Then, in a nearby location we proceeded to work on a twenty minute collage (inspired by a quote about the estuary), drawings in india ink and finally a small painting in acrylics. Each exercise lead into the next. At the end, I received a few comments from participants, such as; “I could do this all day”. As usual, the time flew by.
I was biking along the river with my 4 year old the other day – taking the dog for a good run. It was one of those days where you feel like a walking accident waiting to happen; everything you touch either breaks, falls or doesn’t work. My accompanying state of mind was scattered and irritable. I was ready to get rid of the dog and also the fridge. I hoped it was safe to be on a tandem bike with my child. The bike ride actually was attempt to turn the day around. I packed a picnic and our little sketchbooks.
I lead us to a secluded spot by the river and we sat on a dry blanket and ate our muffins. My son seemed ready to participate in sketching, which was great (and pretty cute), and it gave me a chance to draw too. We drew for about 10 minutes (attention span of my 4 year old). I got instantly involved in drawing this fallen, dragon-like log in the river. In that short time span, the focus on an external point redirected my thoughts and calmed my mind. I am aware of drawing’s affect on me, but was still amazed at how much happier I felt after – like everything shifted back into perspective. My son too seemed extra happy.
It was a reminder also that drawing (for any amount of time) awards us a chance to engage the right hemisphere of the brain, the creative side, which is like tapping into a river of all good things.
Quote: Peter London, “The artistic process…is a powerful practice by which we can work toward the achievement of desired states of mind and work.”
Creating is about being able to keep myself open so that I will easily be able to respond to what is around me. In this case, I want to think of myself as a well manured and groomed garden bed, so that if seeds are planted, they will easily grow.
Creativity is about living in a way that makes my heart feel full. The more I am full (of love, inspiration, etc…) the less I have cravings and the more I am content with “what is”. It seems if you don’t open your mind and become “fertile ground”, you will never experience abundance.
Life’s journey may be a neverending quest to keep ourselves open-minded; fertile and consequently, free.
