What's Percolating!

Busy week in the studio.  This new little piece, 16 X 40" now hangs at Klub Soda, along with three other pieces.  It's an new opportunity to display my work for which I am very grateful.

I had hoped to add a second new piece to be displayed, but I pushed too hard and wound up doing a poor job with painting portions of it that I just couldn't recover from, so out came the gesso storm and a fresh start!  It's one of the things I have to stay aware of when living with fibromyalgia, if you push too hard the weakness that floods through your body and the pain keep you from being able to do a good job with detailed finishes.  The spirit is always willing to go farther than my body will take me, and it's a reality I have to keep reminding myself of, stop before the exhaustion and pain take you to places you don't want to go!

I've also been working on a custom mixed-media piece that has some special meaning for my client.  I love working on these, weaving into them symbols that are meaningful to them.  I have a lot of detailing work to do on it, the picture doesn't show the numerous stencilled designs and symbols as yet.  More pictures when it's complete.

"Resistance likes to use fear of rejection to paralyze us and prevent us, if not from doing the work, then from exposing it to public evaluation.  Resistance is not the enemy. The battle is inside our own heads.  The artist loves her work, she invests in it wholeheartedly. But she does not forget that the work is not her. Her artistic self contains many works...already the next is percolating inside her..." The War of Art by S. Pressfield

Here's to what's percolating inside all of us!

Conquer Resistance

The headboard triptych is complete and it's on to the next thing.  Normally I like to have a number of pieces on the go at the same time, giving me something to work on while things are in various states of drying.  Didn't do that with the headboard, I expect it had something to do with size and studio space :-)

"Resistance has no strength of its own. Every ounce of juice it possesses comes from us. We feed it with power by our fear of it.  Master that fear and we conquer Resistance."  The War of Art- S. Pressfield

Progress

Made great progress on the headboard, I like how it's looking amidst the challenges.  Had a bad bout with the crackle running across the canvases.  It did not set properly and was flaking off in places and, worse there were areas that did not dry clear, which was not an option for what I had in mind.  Oddly enough, I didn't feel panicked, I just stared the tedious process of scrapping off all that crackle, prepping and doing it again.  Surprised myself! It worked out well and I love the integrated effect it had on the collaged paper (watercolour paper I had painted and tore in strips)

Colours a little off, hard to get that teal to photography accurately. Anyhow, we are having record breaking heat here, and I have to tell you it is strange to have summer time heat in March!  Unheard of, until now!  

Resistance

While waiting for my Doctor's appointment this week I started re-reading The War of Art, it's an interesting read.  The author feels that if people would just embrace and do the work that is within them, it would empty the hospitals, put doctors, psychiatrists and addiction clinics out of business. Which was ironic considering where I was sitting at the time!

"Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stand Resistance." The War of Art


From there he unpacks all manner of ways Resistance shows up in our lives. From procrastination, acting out, diversions, things that break down our health and keep us from 'the work.' Like I said, interesting read, it sure gave me lots to mull over...Who knows maybe I will begin to walk out of the health issues I have as I continue to pursue and do my own inner work.  One can hope.

In the works and on the table this week is the beginnings of a commissioned triptych that will serve as a headboard. Lots left to do.  It's a nice size, 30 x 60" and I am enjoying the process, looking forward to seeing where it takes me and praying they will like it in the end :-)

"Resistance by definition is self-sabotage. 
 Resistance is fear. 
What does Resistance feel like?...unhappiness. We feel like hell. A low-grade misery pervades everything. We're bored, we're restless. There's guilt but we can't put our finger on the source. We want to go back to bed..."  The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Don't Erase!

"Don't erase.  'Mistakes' are your lessons." Creative License by Danny Gregory

I had to chuckle when I read this, I guess gesso is the equivalent of an eraser when it comes to acrylics and I do appreciate my gesso!  He follows with a few questions to ask yourself,

"Am I doing something really crappy? What makes it so? Is there nothing good about it? Not one interesting angle or unusual glitch?  Great job then! ...Now draw something great. Same way."

Well shoot who would have thought it'd be that easy!  I do get what he's saying though, as with this piece it took some analyzing before I got it to where I wasn't willing to bring on the white storm of gesso as I did with a previous piece "Resolute."  Frankly I'm surprised to have it to this point, with detailing and varnishing to go.  It was March break here last week, so we had our Grand-daughters for a few days, which was great, followed by me getting quite sick, not so good.  So I'm just glad to be in the studio and able to move this piece along.

Now to try and catch up to all your creative endeavours, I'm way behind in my blog reading :-)