in the studio

This week, I've worked on two paintings, but didn't finish either one. I spent the first half of the week on one and got nowhere with it. And set it aside for a day while I started the other. They are not even close to being done and haven't quite found the direction they are headed, but I'm going to post them anyway, because I don't want to not post today. It's my own personal deadline. They will most likely be unrecognizable between this state and the final paintings.

This first was originally a different part of the prairie and I am relocating it. It just was not working where it was. This happens sometimes. I get stuck and something else catches my eye, and I abandon the first idea for the next. There was a feathery grass of some sort that glowed soft and yellow and I thought plush. I haven't gotten it yet to say plush yet, though, and I'm not convinced that it doesn't need to be horizontal format, rather than a square.

The second is based on the Devil's Slide at the Dunes. I've gotten so involved in the patterning that I've neglected the rest of the piece. That's all just blocked in sand and sky, and is just underpainting. I haven't decided that the patterning is staying yet. I envisioned it looking more like this when completed, which is a bit more random.

Out of the studio this week: This was the final week for the Salon Show at South Shore Arts. I am this|close to booking another show for 2015. There was a quick meet and greet with the Calumet Heritage Partnership at White Ripple Gallery where I have work in the Indigenous Landscapes exhibit. Saturday was also the DAVe (Dyer Arts Visionaries) Pop Up Gallery at the Fashion Show. I had four america series paintings there. Angela Leimer took this photo of stretched out. I love the bright airiness of the painting shining out of the darkness.

artist statements: why bother?

I fully admit that artist statements are not my favorite thing to do. I get  it. I want to make art, why do I need to talk about it, too? This weekend two artist statement related things (ASRT)happened.

I had a deadline to submit an artist statement for an upcoming show in Chicago. This is different for me because I am making a piece that will be included in an installation with 14 other area artists. I am making the letter I in the statement YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. 

That's right, I'm putting the I in beautiful.

The tricky part of writing the artist statement for this piece is...uh, I haven't actually started making it. yet. I will soon. really. soon. really. I have a whole month before I have to deliver it, so I actually have plenty of time. I've thought a lot about it, and that's a good start. More on that in a future post. In the meantime, I sent a generic artist statement.

The second ASRT is I am now curating pop up galleries for my home town. (yay! I'm very excited about this. The more opportunities for artist to show their work and for the public to view art, the better.) To this end, I've been contacting artists that have previously expressed interest. I have asked for artists to send me a resume, artist statement and 6 jpgs. This is standard stuff.

So far three artists said they don't have resumes. One artist, a digital photographer, doesn't know what jpgs are or how to get his photos into his computer. And one artist sent me this:

I do not have a “style” or a “series” of paintings… I have no interest in constant repetition or doing variations of the same concept... for me that does not promote creativity and fresh ideas… I am here to create not to try and see how large my cash value will reach… that will take care of itself.

sigh. The point of an artist statement is to inform the viewer, to give a little bit of extra information. What drives you? Why do you do what you do? What inspires you? What media do you use, and why?

Unless your work is about money, images of money, the mortgage meltdown, the financial crisis, or the recession, you don't need to mention cash. Your artist statement isn't a bill of goods and services. This artist statement says: "I might be a painter. I don't care."  If you don't care, why should anyone else? Why bother?