[MD] sideways drifting

[Margaret Warren]

duh...sorry, I hadn't gotten to this reply when reading through the
posts...

sideways drifting...nice. 

I go to a life drawing group once a week...it's great because it's
held at a private home (it's not a class), and while everyone there
is an artist (with various types of artistic training and backgrounds)
who shows/sells work on a regular basis - they
are all there to support, give constructive criticism (when asked)
but more importantly, we all encourage each other to get out 
of our boxes and try things with
different mediums - sometimes we bring chicken wire and do 
sculptures, if we work mostly watercolor - maybe we start
working in acrylic or vice versa...we paint on pans, buckets
records, fabric, make cutouts from sticky back
vinyl stuff, make prints from styrofoam plates, whatever. 

In fact, mostly people come to the group to have a 
place to do things BADLY. We can all come there and
make something that looks like we could be 5 years
old and no one there is going to treat you like
you aren't a valid artist. 

The stimulation really helps
to break out creatively in different directions (whenever
I think I'm doing SOS ('same old shit'). 

The important thing
is that it's not a 'class' and not academic...
no one there is giving direction or 
acting like they no any better than anyone else how they
should draw/paint/sculpt.

Even when we are all in bad moods, or not feeling like we're
producing any good work - it's definitely a weekly 
experience in a environment that encourages something
like 'dynamic quality'. 

Sometimes just not being afraid of 'playing' with art
helps with the 'blank canvas' feeling. 


mm

-----Original Message-----
From: moq_discuss-bounces at moqtalk.org
[mailto:moq_discuss-bounces at moqtalk.org] On Behalf Of MarshaV
Sent: Saturday, May 06, 2006 11:44 AM
To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
Subject: Re: [MD] French ingredient in the soup of sentiments


At 09:41 AM 5/6/2006, Platt wrote:

>P.S. Produced any quality art lately? I'm in a slump, suddenly afraid 
>of that blank canvas.

Yes.  At least painting it was a quality experience.  I finished the 
painting of three old woman knitting.  They're all knitting on the 
same skein of blood red yarn and it winds out through a barred window 
towards infinite space.  And, of course, there's a full moon in that sky.

I've started another painting of a very young ballerina.  She's 
sitting on a dance floor looking pensive and innocent.  I haven't 
worked on this one for a few weeks.  There's been other things to do, 
but she's always in my mind.

When I get stuck, I do studies, lots of little 8x10 canvas board 
studies of anything handy. If nothing fires my imagination, I'm still 
learning.  Sometimes I copy a Sargent or Velazquez painting I really 
love.  But at other times, I let the white canvas win and do 
nothing.  In 2003 I was terribly upset about the coming war, I 
couldn't paint.  So I did a painting of John Wayne (from a 
photo).  Painting is wonderful, because when I stop worrying about 
it, sooner or later an idea starts to germinate.

Maybe it's a time for sideways drifting.

Marsha




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