Hi everyone:
Just back from a few days in the heat and humidity of Florida. I missed the cool days and wonderful sleeping weather of New England. My new students are in their 6th week of my 10 week "Beginning Art" course. They've learned about composition, color, and are now into perspective. It is so rewarding to watch everyday people discover the magic and mystery of art. At the first class everyone is timid and terrified. Now my students sit and draw with confidence. Each week they learn a few more skills that make the process of drawing less daunting and more approachable. I wish that I could teach this class everyday!!
For my more advanced students, I want to talk about their painting as an actual life form. Once something is created, it takes on a life of its own. As artists, we create drawings, paintings, sculpture. We may start off with an idea about what the art form should be but often, half way down the road to completion, we hit a snag where we feel that we cannot move forward. I believe it is at this point that the art work has come to life and is now telling us what it wants to be. If we do not hear this voice, if we do not recognize this struggle as a sign to let go of our control and communicate with our work, we may be doomed to be locked in battle with our new art/life form instead of happily creating in harmony.
I learned this valuable lesson from a fellow student in a jewelry class that I was taking many years ago. This young man drew out his design and began fashioning his creation in silver. At first the process went along fine but after a few weeks he just stalled. The bracelet that he was making would not cooperate with his attempts to shape it to his ideas. I watched him week after week locked into a motionless time warp of frustration and disappointment. He kept working and working and the piece became more and more rigid - refusing to bend to his commands. I don't think that he ever finished his piece.
At the same time, I was making a silver bracelet also. I had the basic bracelet underway, the design was going well and I was in the soldering room trying to apply the finished accents of my design. I should never be allowed to play with fire (or electricity) and I managed to melt one of the silver rods into a tiny knob!!!! I stopped breathing for several minutes and assumed that my project was now, after several weeks of grueling work, a total wreck. I returned to my work station and sat in agony staring at my bracelet with the melted knob.
At some point in my distress I saw that the "knob" made a new design on my bracelet. I returned to the soldering room, added a few more "knobs" and was elated with my finished piece even though it no longer was my original design. My finished bracelet was more beautiful than what I had anticipated and I learned that my art work, with my help, had created itself. I now apply this well-learned lesson to my painting. Sometimes we just have to let go of what we want and let the art piece create itself.
By the way, I no longer create silver jewelry. I think I must have been a weapons maker in a past life because most of my silver creations looked like they should be in a dangerous weapons kit for a ninja!!!!
May the art force be with you all. - Kathy
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