Welcome to the studio archives (2008): it's starting to get dusty around here, not many come this far down into the archives :). Although it's not TOO bad as we only have TWO entries for the entire year. They're informative, if that's what you are looking for. Especially the first one. Sheesh. Being an artist involves a LOT of cussing sometimes.
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A bit of humble pie...
June 01, 2008: Ok, so I felt like I was on a roll, FINALLY, with the last new artwork (Phantom Notes). Well. Yes and No. I RE-learned a lot there. So, I found THE FLAW, too late (after the drawing was completed). That means that I really can't even look at the new, just completed artwork <argh>. I want to take it down off the wall and out of the frame. <btw> << -- That will happen. All that time and effort put into a new piece of art, and it is MESSED up <argh>. Frustrating. BUT. It happens. When you're working surrealistically, it's all in your head. And, when putting the elements together, following the muse is number one priority. Pieces are put together because... the lines work that way ...or this will lead the eye that way ...or this part needs to be less prominent, etc. etc. The thought that is NOT at the forefront: is this a REAL space? I'm mean, we're talking SURreal here and, somehow, the real gets put in the background. Sounds right, eh? Until you see the glaring bit of UNreality staring at you with a high powered intensity. Ugh. Lucky means that THE FLAW is caught BEFORE it is impossible to fix. REALLY lucky is when it actually makes the artwork better. THE FLAW has haunted me from the beginning. It's not always in EVERY piece, but the very nature of surreal drawing tends to nurture this sort of thing. For me, it's more like 50:50. BUT....it has taken all of the pleasure out of some of my favorite works ...once discovered. Especially when that discovery is made too late, after the art is finished. Well. Now, a little humbled ....I am off onto a new work of surreal art :)
Note: Yes, THE FLAW did show its nasty face here too ...but I caught it in time and THE FIX actually enhances the piece! Woohoo! -
Annual Christmas artist retreat (2007)...
Jan. 06, 2008: Every year Gary & I pull up the drawbridge, park the car, put the gators out in the moat and shut out the outside world. It's a time of year to scrape off any excess and re-find our artistic centers. This involves LOTS of UNINTERUPTED ART and no TV and no chores and no etc.! That's the biggy. No interruptions to get groceries, check the news, fix the plumbing, etc. etc. Weekends can become SO FULL of everyday chores that REALLY cultivating a pure artistic vibe becomes a matter of fitting it in-between everything else. Ok. But the Christmas gift is the time when everything else is put away for the moment and it becomes ALL about the ART. For both of us. It's a FABulous time and we always look forwards to it :) This involves Gary playing LOTS of guitar and writing songs a plenty while I draw all day long. Add wine, barbecue dinners on the patio, watching a (saved) artistic show or movie and short spurts of old school video games to the mix ...and it makes for an AWESOME Christmas vacation :) Our BIGGEST present to ourselves! This year we really got on a tear with Ms. Pac Man (of all things <g>). Too funny. AND, I actually completed the latest surreal pencil artwork started way back in June. Geez, June. That's just HORRIBLE. LOL.
Bringing my art back from the brink has been such a slooooow process ...but when you put THAT much effort into ANYTHING ...it tends to stick. These are the optimistic thoughts I am telling me-self ...NOW. That means THIS effort should really stick <lol>, given that I've put YEARS into it <roflmao>. Sometimes it seems to be going as slow as molasses. SO.... I'm not sitting on any laurels or getting complacent: I want MORE ART in my life! MORE! BETTER ART! THE BEST I can create. And I'm not there yet. SO....., my big resolution this year is to get FIVE works of art completed in one year! We'll see, eh?
<btw> Here's a VERY belated posting of our annual online Christmas card (2007). This year Gary put up TWO Christmas songs but since Christmas is gone past <sheesh>, you might want to download them for next year <g>. Happy, happy, happy, HAPPY New Year! -
The studio archives.
Pshaw. Go figure. You're BACK for more. Well, I got your more here. LOL. Keep in mind that this is all in fun as I have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE WHY ANYONE WOULD WANT TO READ THIS. I just hate to waste the effort as I have YEARS of this nonsense and it's got no where else to go. PLUS, it looks impressive that SOMEONE has been writing SOMETHING on the site this entire time (even if it is a bunch of "misplaced meanderings"). LOL.
