'Take A Seat' Auction & More

Time flies! I'm sure you have all felt that at some point or other.  We do seem to live in a 'rushed' world, crowded full of activity and stimuli.  But that's another post I'm thinking!

I'm starting to round the corner on my battle with 'resistance,' gratefully so!  Completed the last commissioned pieces I intend to take on for a time.  There are ideas that I'd like to focus on, pieces waiting for me to give them some attention, like getting them from my head and onto the wood panel.  Winter is the time to experiment and create pieces for up coming Summer/Fall art fairs.  My pieces have many processes and evolutions they go through so they take time to complete.  Looking forward to what might come from this time of experimentation.

I was asked to participate in the up coming fund raising auction at The Andrew and Laura McCain Art Gallery called, "Take A Seat."

A variety of artist have taken old chairs/stools and gave them an artistic life.  Pretty amazing the different ones that have come in already.  They will be on display beginning Feb 10th, with the auction being held on the 15th from 7-9pm. However they are also offering an on line option for those who can't be there in person the night of the 15th.  Pretty cool.

I chose to do a stool, seeing as I've never refinished a piece of furniture in my life, figured this was a 'safer' route!  The top is done in foils, painted but highly reflective, blues, copper, golds, flame red, along with some embellishments as focal points.

Covered the top in resin the rest of the stool in high gloss varnish.  Thought it might make a nice little side table, I love when art can be practical, think it's my upbringing!

The macro at the beginning of this post is from a custom mixed media piece being delivered today.  Always a little anxious about these custom pieces, but I'm hopeful the client will like it.

Have a great weekend all!

Bren

Working Through Resistance!

"Resistance is always lying and always full of "sh--!" Steven Pressfield

I have to keep reminding myself of this as 'resistance' to the work springs up, these days in hyper criticalness  of my own work.  Seems lately I'm not happy with any of the 'finished' work and keep coming back in to 'fix' something or other.  Pressfield's little book, "Do The Work" is a knock in the right direction I'm thinking!

"Resistance is a repelling force. It's negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.  Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure, fabricate, falsify; seduce, bully, cajole."

I often wonder how many other artist and creatives are out there battling resistance as I am?  It's a sneaky sucker and can take many forms that's for sure.  Still I keep painting, knowing that I'll never get through to the other side of resistance if I don't keep working.  Progress is slow, as are my posts, oops!

One little lie I keep telling myself, "if I can just get these pieces out of the way and free up some time just to play then I'll get my mojo back."  I wonder how many of us are telling ourselves similar things.  Maybe it's true, trouble is most of us have works we need to complete, commissions, replacement pieces, exhibitions to prepare for, art fairs looming, all good and necessary things to the working artist. In truth what is the likelihood that we are just going to find large blocks of time to play our way through resistance?

So I'm here in the studio daily, working away and I know out there somewhere I'm in good company!  A few hours have passed since I posted this and guess what wound up back on my easel again?!

I added a wash of purple violet to the piece and alter it's overall look, again! It's less green now and I like it better.  Now I have to update my website and FB fan page.

Stepping Into The Unknown

And the world rushes on!

My sister, Kellie took this on a little photo shoot while home at xmas.

December went by in a blur, a good kind of blur with family and those we love, having fun and enjoying the holidays.

I must say I'm glad to have 2013 over and done with, it's been a hard year, full of heartache and illness.  I'm ready for a new year to begin!

I have some unexpected company in my loft these days.  Doing some pet sitting for my granddaughter's  that has kind of taken over my loft.  The girls and their Mom have three domesticated pet rats.  That's right, I'm currently Nanny sitting three long tailed tan and white rats, oh one is grey and white! What can I say, I care about what my family cares about. I made a little video of 'The Rat Pack' for Grace & Lyvia & Lori, they were missing their girls, if you care to view it 

Just a snippet of my first attempt at painting in 2014, I'm ramping up for a big commissioned piece I've been planning and preparing for some months.  As I said earlier, 2013 was a very hard year, body, mind and spirit, they all took a beating as did my creativity.  So I'm moving slowly into a new year and a new body of work, all the while trusting the words of Shaun McNiff in Trust The Process:

"Trusting the process is based on a belief that something valuable will emerge when we step into the unknown."