I wrote about this on Facebook the other day, so I'll expand on it further here on this lately neglected blog.
I'm an artist, on top of working 40 hours a week at Half Price Books. I create art prodigiously -- I have over 100 paintings sitting in my basement that I've made over the last couple years. I usually have anywhere between 20-30 pieces in various stages of completion at any given time. I catalog each painting by having it photographed, archiving the information in various places, uploading the image to three different websites, and keeping track of where each piece ends up once it's out of my possession. I can tell you a story about every painting I've done.
And not only do I create, but I fill my mind with art through various ways: visiting art museums and galleries, reading voraciously (blogs, magazines, books, articles), making connections and having good conversations with other artists. I have a lot of artistic input and output, to say the least.
And yet, lately, I feel like I'm in a rut creatively. Do I make because I have something to communicate, or am I just repeating colors and patterns because it's habit? Am I still asking myself questions about what I'm doing? Am I pushing myself beyond the familiar or is it just comfortable catharsis? What do I do with all this knowledge I've gained? How can I share it, encourage and help others with what I know? Does anyone care what I have to say, is it helpful or am I just blabbing into the ether?
These are some of the things that I've been thinking about recently.
As a Christian, I am called to pursue excellence in my endeavors. I can't be satisfied with the status quo, with being merely competent. I strive to do my best, because God says I'm working for Him and not others' approval or accolades. It may seem silly to you if you don't believe in God and the Bible, but for me, it's freeing yet a weighty responsibility. I believe God has given me artistic skills and passions that I've worked to hone over the years. If I don't question and critique my work, pushing myself intellectually, I feel like I'm not doing justice to what God has blessed me with. Art calls to me, and when I create I feel God's pleasure.
I guess I haven't been feeling a lack of motivation so much as a bit of discouragement. Part of me wants accolades and praise from others. It's discouraging to apply to gallery after gallery and get nothing. To show my work and not sell anything. To set up showings that fall through. To put in a full day at work, then come home and have barely any energy (or none, depending on the day) to devote to my true passion.
I know you have to put in time and sweat to become successful, but it's just hard to see if I'm going anywhere right now.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Resources: The Private Life of a Masterpiece
My Mom brings me home many treasures from our local library. The only reason I'm so well read up on all the art magazines is because she checks them out every month for me. I've watched many art documentaries she's found with her keen eye. One of her latest finds that I'm quickly coming to love is from the BBC: The Private Life of a Masterpiece. I'd never even heard of this show before my Mom brought it home.
Each episode is about one work of art, some famous (Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper for example) and others not so much (ever heard of Paolo Uccello?). So far, I've watched six episodes and thoroughly enjoyed them all. They're educational and entertaining, with much pertinent information about the time periods and artists. There's no recycling of stock images as some shows tend to do; also, you don't stare at talking heads forever instead of seeing the art in question. You get many close up shots of details that you normally couldn't see, even if you were standing right in front of the piece. The scholars and critics that offer commentary are insightful and help you see the art with fresh eyes.
Each episode is around 50 minutes long and there are 29 total in the series. This is a very good show and I highly recommend it.
Here's a clip from the episode about The Last Supper:
Each episode is about one work of art, some famous (Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper for example) and others not so much (ever heard of Paolo Uccello?). So far, I've watched six episodes and thoroughly enjoyed them all. They're educational and entertaining, with much pertinent information about the time periods and artists. There's no recycling of stock images as some shows tend to do; also, you don't stare at talking heads forever instead of seeing the art in question. You get many close up shots of details that you normally couldn't see, even if you were standing right in front of the piece. The scholars and critics that offer commentary are insightful and help you see the art with fresh eyes.
Each episode is around 50 minutes long and there are 29 total in the series. This is a very good show and I highly recommend it.
Here's a clip from the episode about The Last Supper:
Friday, July 15, 2011
Resources: American Craft Council Library
The American Craft Council (ACC) moved their offices from New York to Minnesota in the last couple years. A loss for NYC but a big gain for the arts in Northeast Minneapolis. The ACC publishes my favorite magazine, American Craft, six times a year; they also put on several American Craft Council shows around the country, from California to Minnesota to Maryland.
But the best part about the ACC moving to Minneapolis is their library came with them. It's free and open to the public 10am - 5pm, Monday through Friday. I love browsing through all the art magazines, some of which I've never seen anywhere else. The library has over 6,400 books, 7,000 exhibition catalogs, 700 volumes of periodicals and a substantial collection of artist files (from letters to images of work to artist statements). Obviously the main focus of the library's holdings is American craft, with an emphasis on works after 1940.
I suggest browsing the Craft Council's very simple and easy to use website. It's probably one of the best website designs I've seen in a long time. They have a great list of links to art magazines, museums and art centers, other craft organizations and schools.
You can search their catalog online or talk to the librarian to help you find what you're looking for. You can call the library at (612) 206-2330 or send an email inquiry: library@craftcouncil.org.
The American Craft Council is located on the second floor of the historical Grain Belt Brewery at 1224 Marshall St NE, Suite 200, Minneapolis MN 55413. There's free parking in a lot right across the street.
(sidenote: there is a long running debate about the difference between "craft" and "art" in artistic circles. Everyone seems to have a different definition. Personally, when I define "craft" I think of something that historically is meant to be functional first and aesthetically pleasing second. When I think of something created to be "art" it seems to me that aesthetics are more considered than any function. Another way I define the two terms: craft = domestic, made for use in the home, whereas art = gallery, created to be viewed and not touched. For example, a hand crafted teapot has a practical use but is also beautiful to look at and can be displayed as a work of art. The traditional studio arts (painting, sculpture, drawing, etc) are made to be put on display, but don't have a functional purpose beyond bringing beauty into the viewer's life)
But the best part about the ACC moving to Minneapolis is their library came with them. It's free and open to the public 10am - 5pm, Monday through Friday. I love browsing through all the art magazines, some of which I've never seen anywhere else. The library has over 6,400 books, 7,000 exhibition catalogs, 700 volumes of periodicals and a substantial collection of artist files (from letters to images of work to artist statements). Obviously the main focus of the library's holdings is American craft, with an emphasis on works after 1940.
I suggest browsing the Craft Council's very simple and easy to use website. It's probably one of the best website designs I've seen in a long time. They have a great list of links to art magazines, museums and art centers, other craft organizations and schools.
You can search their catalog online or talk to the librarian to help you find what you're looking for. You can call the library at (612) 206-2330 or send an email inquiry: library@craftcouncil.org.
The American Craft Council is located on the second floor of the historical Grain Belt Brewery at 1224 Marshall St NE, Suite 200, Minneapolis MN 55413. There's free parking in a lot right across the street.
(sidenote: there is a long running debate about the difference between "craft" and "art" in artistic circles. Everyone seems to have a different definition. Personally, when I define "craft" I think of something that historically is meant to be functional first and aesthetically pleasing second. When I think of something created to be "art" it seems to me that aesthetics are more considered than any function. Another way I define the two terms: craft = domestic, made for use in the home, whereas art = gallery, created to be viewed and not touched. For example, a hand crafted teapot has a practical use but is also beautiful to look at and can be displayed as a work of art. The traditional studio arts (painting, sculpture, drawing, etc) are made to be put on display, but don't have a functional purpose beyond bringing beauty into the viewer's life)
Wallowing in a pit of excuses
As is apparent, I haven't written a blessed thing on this blog in almost a month. I'm guilty of the very thing I'm trying to help people get out of: making lame excuses for not being creative (in my case, writing about being creative).
I haven't been completely slacking off: I work on my art almost every day; I was interviewed twice about being an artist this last month (you can read one of the interviews here); and I read voraciously, about art and many other subjects. But when it comes to writing I struggle. I probably use similar excuses that some do for not trying to make art: "I'm not talented at it, there are better writers out there; the same stuff has been done before; I don't have enough time to do something good, I have more important things to do, I'll do it later." And blah, blah, blah.
So I'm taking my own advice (and ripping off Nike): Just do it. Stop making excuses, and just write/make art.
I haven't been completely slacking off: I work on my art almost every day; I was interviewed twice about being an artist this last month (you can read one of the interviews here); and I read voraciously, about art and many other subjects. But when it comes to writing I struggle. I probably use similar excuses that some do for not trying to make art: "I'm not talented at it, there are better writers out there; the same stuff has been done before; I don't have enough time to do something good, I have more important things to do, I'll do it later." And blah, blah, blah.
So I'm taking my own advice (and ripping off Nike): Just do it. Stop making excuses, and just write/make art.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Essay: Faith and the Art Major
I was backing up all the files on my laptop today, and I came across some papers I had written in college a few years ago. (it's still feels weird that I'm out of school and it's been over three years since I graduated) One of my art history essays caught my eye and I thought I'd share it with you. My writing and thought process has matured since 2007 but I'm just going to leave it as is. This was a good reminder for me today: it's easy to get focused on coming up with new and interesting ideas for my art making, and forget that I create because I'm made in the image of the Creator God. If I make art only to please others and receive accolades, it only leads to emptiness and despair.
My feelings about art and my feelings about the Creator of the Universe are inseparable.
(Madeleine L’Engle, Walking On Water, pg. 16)
“To try to talk about art and Christianity is for me one and the same thing, and it means attempting to share the meaning of my life, what gives it, for me, its tragedy and glory.” (L’Engle, 16) To be an art major, an artist requires one to believe in something beyond one’s self. As a Christian, I know that God is the ultimate source of everything good and beautiful. For me, there is no thought of how to integrate my faith and being an art major—they already are. An artist’s work comes out of who they are, how they see the world. Some of the most basic aspects of being an artist directly parallel what it means to be a Christian. As I learn more about what it means to be an artist, I learn more about what it means to be a Christian.
First, and most important of all, I have to remember that it is not about me. I need to remember not to get so wrapped up in the process that I lose sight of the purpose I create for. “There have been some who were so occupied in spreading Christianity that they never gave a thought to Christ….It is the subtlest of all the snares.” (Lewis, 71) Artists and Christians can both focus so much on what they are doing that they lose sight of why they are doing it. There is a conversation overheard in The Great Divorce that illustrates this perfectly:
“Light itself was your first love; you loved paint only as a means of telling about the light.”
“Oh, that’s ages ago….One grows out of that. Of course, you haven’t seen my later works. One becomes more and more interested in paint for its own sake.”
“One does indeed. I also have had to recover from that. It was all a snare. Ink and catgut and paint were necessary down there, but they are also dangerous stimulants. Every poet and musician and artist, but for Grace, is drawn away from love of the thing he tells, to love of the telling till, down in Deep Hell, they can not be interested in God at all but only in what they say about Him. For it doesn’t stop at being interested in paint, you know. They sink lower—become interested in their own personalities and then in nothing but their own reputations.” (Lewis, 81, emphasis mine)
If I lose sight of Who I am ultimately inspired by, it just becomes a self-based thing. Why do you think so many artists fear their work being stolen or destroyed? They are wrapped up in self-glorification. “They are all holy when God’s hand is on the rein. They all go bad when they set up on their own and make themselves into false gods.” (Lewis, 93)
Secondly, as an artist, I am called to seek and show the divine in my every day life. As a Christian, I know that “the divine” means God, our Creator, Sustainer and Savior. As both, I know that I can’t separate the divine, God from who I am; it is an integral part of me. As H. R. Rookmaaker says,
“I am often asked what one has to do if one wants to work as a Christian….We are not human plus an extra called our Christianity….To be a Christian artist means that one’s particular calling is to use one’s talents to the glory of God, as an act of love toward God and as a loving service to our fellows.” (Rookmaaker, 33)
A Christian artist shows others the glimpses of God she sees around her. Emmanuel Cardinal Suhard of Paris, in his classic book Priests Among Men, said, “To be a witness does not consist in engaging in propaganda, nor even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery. It means to live in such a way that one’s life would not make sense if God did not exist.” I am not called to merely reflect back the world around me. I am to be a mirror of God’s glory, and that should be evident in my works of art.
Just as I am not to simply regurgitate the world around me onto canvas or other art media, I am called to technical and conceptual excellence. Artists are required to make quality work, as a Christian that is even more so. Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (emphasis mine) We never see the mediocre artists from the Renaissance or Impressionism for that very reason. Why do we still look at works by da Vinci today? Because he was a talented artist, yes, but also because he worked hard to make his art fantastic and excellent. “The amount of the artist’s talent is not what it is about.” (L’Engle, 23) No good thing is ever accomplished by those who are lazy and do not work hard at it. Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer, in his book Art and the Bible, held technical excellence as the top standard a work is judged by. “If the artist’s technical excellence is high, he is to be praised for this, even if we differ with his world view.” (Schaffer, 43)
As we have seen, it is absolutely essential that faith is wholly part of being an art major and a Christian. There must never be a separation of the two. I must be an integrated human being. Just because something is not necessarily “Christian” does not mean my faith should not be a part of it. As Joe Smith, Chair of the Art Department at Northwestern College, has said, “Don’t say, ‘I am a Christian and then an artist.’ You are whole people, so don’t separate yourself.”
Works Cited
L’Engle, Madeleine. Walking On Water. North Point Press. New York. 1995
Lewis, C. S. The Great Divorce. Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. New York. 1978
Rookmaker, H. R. Art Needs No Justification. Intervarsity Press. Downers Grove, IL.1978
Schaeffer, Francis A. Art and the Bible. Intervarsity Press. Downers Grove, IL. 2006
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Project: The Sketchbook Project
Last year, I had the fun of participating in the Sketchbook Project created by the fine folks at Art House Co-op. They create "massive, international art projects that tie thousands of artists together--and anyone can participate."
The Sketchbook Project is a simple idea yet leaves a lot of room for creativity. Each person picks a theme for their book. They then receive their 32 page sketchbook and instructions in the mail. You're free to rebind the pages, and any form of 2-D media is encouraged (as long as it doesn't smudge or flake off). I chose to fill my book with collages. You have several months to complete the project, and then you mail it back to Art House. Each book is cataloged, sent on a world wide tour, and then archived at the Brooklyn Art Library in New York. You can see my whole book here.
You have to create an account on Art House's website to participate, which is free and simple to do. However, there is a fee for every project, which covers the cost of the materials and helps keep the non-profit Art House running. For an additional fee, you can have your sketchbook scanned and posted online (which is what I did).
This would be a good project for an artistic, motivated teen to take on. Depending on how detailed someone wants to get and what materials they choose to use, it can take several months to finish. The first handful of pages fly by, and then you realize you still have to fill the rest of the sketchbook. It can feel a bit overwhelming at first, so it's good to plan out how many pages you want to complete in a week. The creators of the Sketchbook Project where smart to have people pick a theme for their books--it helps for coming up with ideas for so many pages (for example, one artist filled her book with drawings of birds).
It's extremely satisfying for me to look through the images of my sketchbook now. I think, "I made all that? Yup, I did." It was a fun and challenging project, which I will probably do again in the future.
The Sketchbook Project is a simple idea yet leaves a lot of room for creativity. Each person picks a theme for their book. They then receive their 32 page sketchbook and instructions in the mail. You're free to rebind the pages, and any form of 2-D media is encouraged (as long as it doesn't smudge or flake off). I chose to fill my book with collages. You have several months to complete the project, and then you mail it back to Art House. Each book is cataloged, sent on a world wide tour, and then archived at the Brooklyn Art Library in New York. You can see my whole book here.
You have to create an account on Art House's website to participate, which is free and simple to do. However, there is a fee for every project, which covers the cost of the materials and helps keep the non-profit Art House running. For an additional fee, you can have your sketchbook scanned and posted online (which is what I did).
This would be a good project for an artistic, motivated teen to take on. Depending on how detailed someone wants to get and what materials they choose to use, it can take several months to finish. The first handful of pages fly by, and then you realize you still have to fill the rest of the sketchbook. It can feel a bit overwhelming at first, so it's good to plan out how many pages you want to complete in a week. The creators of the Sketchbook Project where smart to have people pick a theme for their books--it helps for coming up with ideas for so many pages (for example, one artist filled her book with drawings of birds).
It's extremely satisfying for me to look through the images of my sketchbook now. I think, "I made all that? Yup, I did." It was a fun and challenging project, which I will probably do again in the future.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Doily Ninjas!
As a city girl, I enjoy street art. It's like a treasure hunt sometimes--you're waiting at a stoplight and notice a cool sticker on the back of the one way sign; a trash can has a mural painted all over it; someone covers a wall in stickers of birds. Now I'm not advocating graffiti (and some people don't differentiate between the two, but I do). There's a difference, at least to me: graffiti is destructive and malicious (ex: gang tags), whereas I see street art more as trying to beautify or say something about the surrounding urban landscape.
I've tried my hand at street art before. I'm an advocate for non-damaging projects--I like doing things that people can pick up and take home with them. The Doily Street Art series was about 50 quick paintings I did on cardboard. It was really fun to scatter them around Minneapolis, and hope that someone was happy to get a free painting.
My project this year I've dubbed the Doily Ninjas. I received about 100 of these human shaped wood pieces from a manufacturer who had a client decide midway through that he wasn't going to pay. I've had a lot of fun painting them in vivid color and crazy patterns. I'll be deploying my brightly hued ninjas around town this summer. They will also be left at pit stops around the USA as my sisters and I embark on a two week road trip in the next couple days. Hopefully my street art army will bring a few smiles as they pop up in different locales.
I've tried my hand at street art before. I'm an advocate for non-damaging projects--I like doing things that people can pick up and take home with them. The Doily Street Art series was about 50 quick paintings I did on cardboard. It was really fun to scatter them around Minneapolis, and hope that someone was happy to get a free painting.
My project this year I've dubbed the Doily Ninjas. I received about 100 of these human shaped wood pieces from a manufacturer who had a client decide midway through that he wasn't going to pay. I've had a lot of fun painting them in vivid color and crazy patterns. I'll be deploying my brightly hued ninjas around town this summer. They will also be left at pit stops around the USA as my sisters and I embark on a two week road trip in the next couple days. Hopefully my street art army will bring a few smiles as they pop up in different locales.
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