Since childhood I have loved little crevices and tiny spaces which I could crawl into, whether it be mentally or physically. I’d explore, challenged to climb and duck and stretch while traversing the terrain. There was a sense of safety and protection in them for me. A sense of hiding. I enjoyed the constant change in textures I would feel as my hands helped me navigate. My visual senses were alive and fulfilled. This comes through in my work clearly. However, lately I have been feeling as if I can’t breathe in them; the spaces could collapse. Suffocate. They have begun to feel “too much”, a sort of sensory overload. While wide open spaces, which at one time were boring to me, are now allowing freedom of movement, visually, mentally and physically. Openness and vastness leaves one exposed with no place to hide and nothing to consume my thoughts and brain activity. No distractions.
I am feeling a desire for that openness. Where I once say exposure I now feel freedom and peace. The ease in which I can visually and physically roam about is drawing me to it. I welcome the stillness. The calm.
Instead of the engaging distractions from thought, I long more for the disconnect and mental shutoff the open landscapes offer.
I sense a shift in my work again due to this. One that will reflect this shift within me. A shift to a more sensitive subtle color palette, exploring white in all its subtle hues. And a shift to more spacious compositions. Decluttering compositions to highlight a single detailed crevice amongst the vast white. It is where I long to be for now. I wonder how (or even if) this will come through in my art. I think I need to get this out of my system. I had planned on moving forward with my Yin-Yang Explorations but will now put that on the back burner. I often find that when a side path beckons and I try to resist it, I end up stuck. If I eventually give in to the beckoning, the works don’t always turn into anything of artistic value and I am reminded of the comfort I find in my process and I retreat to my old imagery where I feel that sense of going home. Or I discover a new aspect of work to incorporate into my work. This can keep my work fresh and new. Stay tuned to see which way this plays out!
I am feeling a desire for that openness. Where I once say exposure I now feel freedom and peace. The ease in which I can visually and physically roam about is drawing me to it. I welcome the stillness. The calm.
Instead of the engaging distractions from thought, I long more for the disconnect and mental shutoff the open landscapes offer.
I sense a shift in my work again due to this. One that will reflect this shift within me. A shift to a more sensitive subtle color palette, exploring white in all its subtle hues. And a shift to more spacious compositions. Decluttering compositions to highlight a single detailed crevice amongst the vast white. It is where I long to be for now. I wonder how (or even if) this will come through in my art. I think I need to get this out of my system. I had planned on moving forward with my Yin-Yang Explorations but will now put that on the back burner. I often find that when a side path beckons and I try to resist it, I end up stuck. If I eventually give in to the beckoning, the works don’t always turn into anything of artistic value and I am reminded of the comfort I find in my process and I retreat to my old imagery where I feel that sense of going home. Or I discover a new aspect of work to incorporate into my work. This can keep my work fresh and new. Stay tuned to see which way this plays out!
"Free to Roam" studies, 4x4x2" acrylic on canvas
I did these as a response to how I was feeling. I did one, put it on a different table to dry. I couldn't see them as I moved on to the next one. When I put them together to take this photo, I was very surprised to see how they actually matched up! It was completely incidental.
I did these as a response to how I was feeling. I did one, put it on a different table to dry. I couldn't see them as I moved on to the next one. When I put them together to take this photo, I was very surprised to see how they actually matched up! It was completely incidental.
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