Just Keep Working

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I was finishing this post on the day I left for SC and VT, so just slapped the images up in a hurry. It was a wonderful trip. Now that I'm home, I'll add captions. See pictures from my trip on my other blog: http://www.hotflashwomen.blogspot.com 


Wisdom from beyond the grave

I subscribed to Painterskeys.com many years ago when Robert Genn was alive, and I still receive the emails today, with his daughter, Sara, carrying on the tradition.

This week’s message was about finding yourself again in art/writing, though it can easily apply to all forms of art work and creativity, and starting, as well as getting back to the work.

Children seem to find an uncensored joy in creating that can be snuffed by parents or teachers who see the time spent playing with creativity

I've been doing a series of mixed media nudes based on life drawings I've done

The 12" x 12" size and relatively cheap materials allow me to play and experiment without worrying about waste

A sculpture I did from a sketch in one of my books, 14" tall

I continue to be attracted to using soft sculpture to express movement

A 3" version of one of the nudes above. As an exercise, I'm using small layering experiments as a base for the nudes

as wasted…as some of the members of my book group didn’t understand how Patti and Robert could find inspiration sitting on a bed together drawing and playing with trash, words, ideas…

“…You destroyed your stuff because your discipline was external. You must now internalize your discipline. Actually, this adolescent action-reaction is commonplace. While many flames are permanently snuffed, they need not be. Some folks figure it out and end up loving again.

Here’s how they do it:

Allocate a writing hour for every single day

Write whatever holds your interest or takes your fancy

If you can’t think of anything to write, write anyway.

Work for no other reason than to give yourself joy.

Bring in the wisdom of all your fallow or waste.

In your spare time read the admired writing of others.

When you think you’re getting it right, rewrite it.

Share your efforts only with a trusted friend.

Look for the gleams of personal style and go there.

Allow yourself to fall in love with the process.

Archive your work for your benefit as you go.

Give this program some honest effort for a six week period

I’ll swear on half  a dozen early editions of Webster’s Dictionary                                                                         That you will find yourself again.

In my recent Urge to Purge, I need to NOT throw away too much.

Robert’s advice applies to any creative or driven person

I was reminded today in reading Vermont Life

The mycologist who makes his living as a lawyer

My years working in health care…

I kept quitting each time I stockpiled enough money

To work on my art til the money ran out…

That was an old craft fair joke

I guess I’m lucky that I stayed with the Day Job

Til I could afford to retire at the end of 2013

Now my job is full-time artist

But in not having too much junk accumulated

Like my raised-by-the-Depression mother

I must keep enough

To remind me

Of who I am.

Off to Vermont...More detail next week.