Rainy days and Sundays
always get me down (to it!)
I love the sound of the rain outside tapping on the evergreen outside my window ,soaking all the greenery so tenderly. It’s a departure form so many languid steamy sun filled days so I am sure the plant life are most grateful.
post clean up studio area (a rare minute or two of neatness)
We all have days when the art making just doesn’t happen . That has been the case for me over the past week.
I have noticed that when I am torn away to do house related chores then my creative side gets shuffled off to the side. We have been in a bit of a frenzy rearranging, cleaning and culling extra “stuff’ we no longer need and although it feels cleansing in itself-it requires so much energy ! Given the fact that my art studio is in the middle of our open concept style small house I cannot avoid participating in this upheaval. We needed a few items at that giant Swedish box store and that entailed a two hour road trip plus an hour or so of following the arrows around and around until we found our goods -a small desk, an office chair and pendant lamp. It was well organized yet for a non shopper like myself ..pretty draining! So much stimuli to deal with after my rural peace.
..eeek!
I am trying to minimize my things in my space -a smaller desk -sketchbooks in an orderly accessible shelf space - supplies sorted and visible ..There is a sense of calm with all of this accomplished yet the degree of physical exertion has depleted me . Old huge office chairs brought to the thrift shop for resale ..An outdated beast of a desk packed into car - which also prompted me to consider my clothing no longer worn yet perhaps appreciated by someone else. One thing certainly leads to another !
Knowing myself this little pause is sometimes what I need to get back to my art table once everything settles and I am used to the changes in the rooms.
Now settled in again and focusing on the beauty outside our doors ..The wildflowers are simply stunning this season.. Lining the sideroads with combinations of yellow, cornflower blue, purple and pink -with a dash of white from the “Queen Anne’s Lace ‘
It seems this is the first year of my life that I have truly considered how marvellous they are and how the colours stop me in my tracks . In the Augusts of childhood the Queen Anne’s lace reminded me of day camp and the gorgeously wild ravine near our home where they could be found just steps away from my manicured suburban community. This was my playground for climbing trees, searching for frogs and praying mantis..and hearing the cicada’s electrical song on a steamy summer day.
Currently we have our annual cricket chorus in our home and out.. They somehow find their way in to entertain us with their distinctive music and the effect is something like an indoor meadow..particularly when there are several. We catch them and place them gently outside -but I suspect they are playing games with us as they seem to be multiplying by the day!
A few newer works on the go now that I am energized again ! Working with a darker theme in mixed media -abandoned desolate places and towns -It is exactly what interests me currently and I’m going with it ..When an idea sparks in my brain ..then I am inclined to make a series . In working on these paintings I feel a little rush -my head has not been in this technique for awhile now and subjects/concepts were alluding me . Today I decided to jump right back into it with a vengeance and it was quite relaxing once I started to put the “stories’ together.
A messier work area indicates a flow happening ;-) I’d love to hear how you are spending your Sunday ..or any rainy days!
A few readings I found interesting this past week..I hope you do too !
shares his new abstract landscapes as well as an interesting article about artist Frank Stella 87! is a UK artist I have followed for many years..her posts always inspire shares how she draws in her sketchbook as needed ..Always love her beautiful art!
So long for now!
Cheers! Heather
There is a beauty in the "messy" areas artists leave as they absorb themselves in their work. Those same areas tell a story: how medium serves artist and artist shapes media. Creation! Invention! Expression! Revelation! What will emerge? Oh, the wonder of it all.
Great Idea, my studio is still too much really and I have to continually work to organize it. I moved to a smaller space so I have to keep that in mind. Thanks for the inspiration!