Last week I wrote about the wonderful opening of the ReUnion exhibition at the Union Gallery. If you missed it, you can read about it here. This week I spent some time in the studio cleaning up and reorganizing after moving the six paintings out of my space for the show.
It is so important for me to just spend time in my studio, touching my paintings, moving around my materials and cleaning things up to prepare to start again. Continually starting again, that is what being an artist is all about. Never stopping for too long. Slowing down sometimes but never stopping. I haven't been quite as prolific with my small works lately as I have been busy working on a special commission headed stateside next week.
I had some studio visitors the other day and I was talking about how perhaps being an artist has a lot to do with faith. Faith that your work is good, faith that someone will see it and want it, faith that you are not crazy, faith to continue on a path that seems mostly foolish and ill conceived. I am not a religious person but I am optimistic. Can optimism be the same thing as faith? Nearly. I think art has given me both of these qualities.
Faith:
complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
Optimism:
hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something.
Whether I have faith or optimism; art is alchemy and that I know for sure.
a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination.
So here I am again, getting ready to return to the cycle of active creation. Returning to more small works and to more large works and a continuation on a theme. The commission had some specific requested elements and has inspired some new ideas for the next things to come. Once my patrons have their commission, I will dedicate a blog post to it, the symbolism and materials.
Alchemy was certainly involved.
Until next week, I hope your studios and hearts are humming.
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