creativity spills into all areas of life. and when i can't find it manifested through the bristles of a brush i draw from the influx of new energy gained through the interaction of people, PLACES and things i source for a hit of MOJO.
since art for me is a a CALLING, a combination of the spiritual and visual, NATURE is where i MUST first ground myself. nothing says PEACE and calm the way a walk in the woods alongside a lake does or, the connection to the mountains as last skier- just as sun sets below the crest, or the physical turned psychological put upon oneself while rounding Central Park as a runner anticipating the last leg of competing in the NYC marathon.
i know these are the moments i return to for STRENGTH. if not in person, then through my minds eye, in the REFLECTION i may need to garner energy before starting a project or dealing with a decision.
sourcing, here are a few of the places you may find me:
* the obvious - EXHIBITIONS in NYC, Philadelphia, a frequent visitor to Washington DC, and smaller museums such as The Neuberger Museum of Art, The Parrish Art Museum, and of course, those I'm fortunate to visit while traveling far and wide
*exhibits of my peers, known and unknown; to appreciate and understand a FRESH point of view
*within the JOURNALS i keep, combining EVERYDAY found imagery with wet and dry mediums i alter its context. with a focus on developing new concepts for future development into paintings. i'm passionate about changing the context of random images to reconstruct a humorous point of view, or one that i'm drawn to expressing as a personal narrative. and, surrendering the brush for a pen, who hasn't at least drafted some unfiltered automatic writing, translating thoughts into words instead of pictures?
*live venues; like the recent george w. bush event at tilles center. there, i thoroughly enjoyed his entertaining stories he spoke of, captured with wit. he has also made time for writing several books, cycling and painting EVERY day!
*using FASHION as a way of expression. translating personality through color, texture and balance is something i continue to have fun with. If you follow the trends in color, PANTONE is universal and made its way from the printing press to hex code to fibers and beyond; color is everywhere and again, NATURE is where the color of the moment is sourced
*the most positive four letter word anywhere in the world is HOME. as having reconstructed a few properties myself, i am finding a longing for my creative spirit to seek an old new dig to rejuvenate through reconstruct. however, if you are up for a simpler DIY, the easiest way to switch the mood of a room is through a fresh coat of paint; whether that be your front door, or your living room. and if you can't decide, refer to the color forcaster. better yet, expand your own collection of ART! ask me about any of my PAINTINGS! they easily add visual interest and set the tone of the space.
*documenting life through PHOTOGRAPHY. its shameful that i have none of my hundreds of thousands of pictures categorized for they are useful for painting reference as well
*who can deny that as a lifelong COOK, I'm drawn to the color and textures demonstrated by the most wholesome varieties of fruits, vegetables, breads, grains... translating to my passion and use of COLOR
*my former career as a GRAPHIC DESIGNER and decades of love and passion spent GARDENING and working the LANDSCAPE has impacted my grasp of COMPOSITION in a confidence I no longer question
*and of course, MUSIC. i can't imagine working without it on!
life = inspiration
INSPIRED by "cat and mouse", oil on canvas, 30" x 24", originally created in 2017 i used this painting for reference to begin a much larger painting "wrestle the alligator" shown below. of course when i initiate a work, i have no way of knowing where i may find myself
"wrestle the Alligator" oil on linen, 44" x 55", 2018
while seeking INSPIRATION, i turned to this collage and acrylic on maple cradle board, titled "green giant" which was used as reference for the painting in process below
this five foot tall painting still in the works has taken on a direction all its own. i'm finding something commanding about the bird form!
since I'm not much of a couch sitter, in down time, my preference is to tune into educational opps such as on YouTube:
if you can't get to an exhibit in nyc or brooklyn, check out the videos created by the commentator and artist Loren Munk primarily known for his YouTube nickname JAMES KALM. Keep informed of gallery openings with his informative, descriptive and comparative analysis of individual artists and their role in history! for several decades, he's also been a maker of contemporary paintings of cubistic urban imagery
shown in this YouTube video, don't miss out on this spectacular current exhibit, Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future at the GUGGENHEIM. the artist produced art which was held twenty years before it was exhibited publicly. the work explores spiritualist practices, biomorphic, geometric bold, colorful work. it is NOT to be missed!
MATTHEW COLLINGS he is a brilliant and humorous british art critic, writer, broadcaster, and artist. he has created many documentary series which had originally aired on channel 4 TV and BBC TV. these videos examine modern art, abstraction, impressionism, david bowie and more... together with his wife emma biggs and collings create paintings based on intricate patterns and have exhibited their work in London and abroad. if you search in YouTube, you will have many series to which to select from!
NETFLIX created a series by former wired editor-in-chief scott dadich, 'abstract: the art of design', in a series which first ran in 2017. each segment lets us “step inside the minds of the most INNOVATIVE DESIGNERS in a variety of disciplines and learn how design impacts every aspect of life.” the designers share Insights from childhood influences and how they translated these influencers into major accomplishments.
how are you inspired?! share your go to places! how have your travels infused and inspired your world? drop a line, and as always, thanks for stopping by! <3 yours in creativity, janice
