I've been spending more hours in the studio lately and it's been really good for me. And because I'm still determined on this blog to show my whole artistic process, to not hide my bumps and bruises and to discuss failures right alongside successes because we all have them and hiding them would be disingenuous of me, let's now have a quiet little chat about MSJ No. 4, shall we?
(MSJ No.1-6)
You know how you go to start a really large piece? And it's humming along nicely? And you're really happy with it? And suddenly, way sooner than you expected, it resolves itself and looks like it's finished? And how, despite the way it looks and the way it makes your sweet husband rhapsodize to you about showing your work, you decide it isn't actually finished because dammit, you're in charge of the painting, the painting isn't in charge of you, and you have a Vision (capitalized and italicized)? You know how you grab more paint and lay more layers and utterly obliterate what was beautiful and simple and lovely about it because you're determined to make the piece fit your original Vision (capitalized and italicized) for it, rather than letting it decide for itself when it has had enough?
Yeah. That's the only explanation I have for the black/white/gray beastie at the bottom of this photo.
I could recreate the original piece, the one both Greg and I loved but which I just didn't trust, but it would never be the same. So this is what it is, and it isn't bad... it just isn't what it was.
Still, despite that piece being somewhat of a disappointment, the rest of the work is engrossing me and I'm really happy with what's happening. Most of this series is taking place (so far) on stretched canvases, but one of them is a large sheet of paper.
In the photo above, you can also see the pile of parchment strips I've been using to create most of the monoprints. I keep thinking of them as scrolls with some foreign language imprinted on them. Oh, how I wish they could be preserved!
This piece, MSJ #5, keeps drawing my eye back to the design wall. It wants to be larger. It wants to be monstrously larger than it is. We'll see what happens.
These small, inexpensive stretched canvases I've been using are wonderful for testing out ideas and I'm using so many of them that they're starting to stack up along the walls (as you can see in the photo.) It might be time for another giveaway, especially since I seem to have allowed my 2nd year anniversary of the Approachable Art blog slip past me, unnoticed! I'll chew on that for a while and see what fun stuff I can come up with.
In the meantime, create, bless and release!
9 comments:
The grey/white/black one is outstanding. You have the same problem I do - you can't see your work.
Trust me, its gorgeous. Don't know where it started but it ended spectacular.
Love all the other work too. Its really strong and so YOU! :)
So glad your voice is being heard, Judi. :)
Not too bad for a "full disclosure reject", right? Admit it to yourself-even your bad work is pretty darn good! And your distinctive style is there in every piece. YOU may not be rapturous over everything you do but accept that others will see the beauty in all your work.
I am loving that black and white one - I think that's a fantastic piece.
They all look great to me, Judi. Being a color junkie I am a bit more drawn to the blue one and the orangy one but they are all interesting and different.
I think it is funny that you have a box of "white rags".
Thank you for sharing these creative and unique art works. I really liked it a lot. Nice job!
Judi I love these pieces. I'm doing a follow up to my last blog post about Cy Twombly at www.maciearts.blogspot.com. It will be about artists whose works have been inspired or echo his work. I would love to include your work in this post! Thanks, Eva
I love the grey/black/white one too. but I understand your feelings as I've done the same thing. Sometimes it's good to hear voices in your head and we should listen! ;o)
Mrs J Pollock...?
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