November 1, 2023
This week there was no sketchbook work going on in my studio; my husband and I took a short trip to Montréal.
I have written before about the need for a balance of gathering and blossoming.
I think of gathering as our time spent outside our studio collecting inspiration, and also time spent allowing that inspiration to settle within us. Collecting inspiration can mean so many things: wandering in nature, traveling to a new city, taking in an art exhibit, listening to music, reading a book, having a conversation with friends, dancing at a wedding. I am using blossoming to mean the act of taking these settled inspirations into the studio and creating. Maybe these new experiences make their way into our work, or maybe they don’t, or maybe it takes them years to assert themselves. But if all art is a self-portrait, we only make that portrait richer when we take the time to get out of the studio and live a little.
Montreal is an amazing city with glorious architecture and a strong dedication to visual art. This is to say: there is a lot to process from this trip.
We saw two exhibits at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Marisol and Inuit Art) in which the predominant visual element was shape.
In my work, the pull of color and texture is so strong, I do not give much thought to other elements. Line and value play secondary roles, certainly, but shape - I rarely think about it consciously until the very end stages of a painting.
It was exciting to take in two exhibits in which I was reminded of the powerful effect shape can have.
Prompts for the Week:
Finish the sentence, “If I were brave, I would paint _____.” Unpack that sentence. What stands in your way?
Pull out the biggest paper you have. Tape four pieces together, and free paint on that. When you finish, take photos for your sketchbook. Do you like painting big?
Have you seen Marisol’s sculptures in person? What did you think? Share in the comments!
Lots came up when I tried to finish that sentence...
If I were brave, I would paint much larger... paintings as tall as I am.
If I were brave, I would paint people/figures within my landscapes 😬
If I were brave, I would paint more often.
Lots to unpack here 😆
If I were brave, I would paint __big___.”
What stands in your way? No room to paint, no room to keep, don't want to waste paint ...the usual excuses. lol.
Oh! there you have a suggestion for me in the next line. OK, will try. :)