The Colour Blue

One never needs to look far for inspriation - We were at the farm cleaning up after the snowstorm that went threw on Sunday, the second one in 4 days. What I thought was  amazing about this picture is the differnt blues I can see and then there is just a small shot of bright yellow that really does stand out in the right light.

October Memory

October is but a memory

A letter from Robert

I subscribe to Robert Glens twice weekly letters and so often they are right on what ever I am thinking of so I thought I would share it today on my very neglected blog . He is also giving away a free book if I link to his site so what the heck - one can never have to many books.....

Two artists
November 2, 2012

Dear Artist,

Because this is a bit personal, I'm not using their real names. They're both about 40 years old.

"Jack" got a BFA and then an MFA from a Midwestern University. He's visited many of the major contemporary art museums and follows the work of several "important" contemporary painters. He's written articles on Philip Guston and others. He subscribes to several art magazines and is "the most knowledgeable art-guy in any discussion." After university he worked for a while in a commercial art gallery. He sometimes writes me long, well-informed letters. He's painted eleven large paintings (two unfinished) since leaving school. He's not represented by any gallery. He thinks you need to move to New York and "get lucky" with a dealer who "really represents you."

"Jill" took two years of art school and then quit. She pays little attention to other artists. She subscribes to no art magazines but has taken several workshops. Her hobbies include bowling and travelling. At one time she also worked in a commercial art gallery. On two or three occasions she's written to me. She's painted "approximately two thousand paintings" since leaving school. She's represented by four commercial galleries in four, well-separated mid-sized cities.

There's a great story in David Bayles and Ted Orland's Art and Fear . Here it is:

"The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the "quantity" of the work they produced, all those on the right solely on its "quality." His procedure was simple: On the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work in the "quantity" group: fifty pounds of pots rated an "A", forty pounds a "B" and so on. Those being graded on "quality," however, needed to produce only one pot--albeit a perfect one--to get an "A". Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of the highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the "quantity" group was busy turning out piles of work--and learning from their mistakes--the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay."

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "Artists get better by sharpening their skills or by acquiring new ones; they get better by learning to work, and by learning from their work." (David Bayles and Ted Orland)

Esoterica: Both subscribers Jack and Jill are thoughtful and enthusiastic artists. Art is central to their lives. And while success and "being able to function as a full time artist" may not be important to some of us, their current situations are quite different. Jack rents an apartment and makes $2150 per month (plus tips and benefits) as an airport porter. Jill works daily in her converted garage in a home she now owns. These days she's averaging $18,000 per month. She has "no benefits."

Experimenting

Just trying out a pattern on EQ7- Someday I would like to make up a couple from the 100s that I have designed. But most need some tweaking before I take them further .

It has been some time since I have painted anything and so this morning I decided to start warming up for the Art for Air fundraiser that is being hosted by the Sussex Artist Co-op. All art work for this event will be 8"x8'x1 1/2" and can be of any medium and any subject. The proceeds will be donated to the local Fire Department and the purchase of a tree or 2 to replace the ones lost in a recent fire down town. Sunflowers are a favorite of mine. I  like flowers and  I love the freedom of the layering that I did on this piece. I haven't given up fabric but painting has help in the mixing of colours and deciding techniques for a piece I have on the design board now.

Future Inspirations

Even though life is busy I do keep the little digital handy to collected images for future work. I really can see a series with flowers in it starting to form. Lucky for me that I snapped the Red Lilies just as they opened as the deer had a snack the next day.

Don't know what this is.

       Isn't he beatuiful?

More distractions not all fibre related

Yes life is busy with so much going on that there is very little time for studio work . Just down the road from the farm our neighbour has sheep -good for photo op- but they wouldn't pose.

Distraction

There always seems to be something to distract me from the studio. I have been busy in my little space but the farm continues to call. I wasn't planning on gardening but after 6 hours of cutting grass one day I wanted something more productive. I didn't think it out.... I am now spending 3+ hours a day in this sand box and it will continue to be so for the next 3 months or more.

Future Views

or what I did on the long weekend - We had a beautiful long weekend but there was no time for studio work as the lawn at the farm was looking more like a hay field and needed to be cut.  After 6 hours out side it didn't look to bad. And I had a beautiful view to look at all day which has sparked some ideas for future work.

Lower Studio

Life is so busy but the lower studio is empty and work continues at the farm ( The Searsville Project )

I am almost tempted to move a few things down to work on as it is so nice and clean and uncluttered.

March Updates

Last week was mucky and Dargo could not stay clean ( Doesn't he look sad?)

So now its spring and for the first time in record history we are going threw a heat wave. Today was +27 and the last few days were up in that range also. Our day time normal would maybe a +5. But not complaing it was nice while it lasted and it will come again in July.
Life has been busy with sort and packing up the lower studio

And slowly I moved it out to the farm

These rooms are now nearly full and there is more to go out. Later this weekend I'll move the dye studio out and then try and sit up a work space. The upper studio won't go for awhile and we will need to have finish a room or 2 so I can store things.Its sort of good that this house has not sold yet Its giving me time to get things done with out the panic and rush. 

Better then Roses

The love of my life has often bought me unique gifts . I don't care for cut rose ( love mixed arrangements) but I love itwhen the gift is something I can use and /or manipulate . So for Valentines I got 6 of these beautiful chairs the were once property of the Saint Joesph Hospital and convent. Haven't decided what to do with them yet but a few years ago I paint a small chair for a fundraiser that was so much fun that I may try something new to decorate the new studio.

Early Spring

I don't recall ever seeing a Robin  this early in the year but for the last few days (February 09 2012) there have been a few in our back garden Wayne counted a dozen yesterday morning. I did leave blueberries out for them but so far this morning ( as wait for a winter storm to come in) I haven't seen any. Hopefully they have found their way and head to a more comfortable area , at least to Saint Martins along the Fundy coast.
So what does this have to do with Studio life?? One never knows where inspiration will be found.

Its A Snow Day !!!!

The snow has been falling since sometime early morning so we have decided to not go and work at the farm and I have decide to do some work on the sewing machine.  Also to catch up on some admin work of a number of things, the first being the Notice of the exhibit in England. Received word that all of our work arrived safely.

 

Finding Proof - Finding Motivation

So life is busy between work on the old farm house and then trying to get some work done in studio. I have to admit the work is very slow in the studio and it is difficult to get motivated but I have some silk scarves that I am preparing for the Co-op so that may be the kick start .I was hoping as we started the work on the old house that we would find something to help date it.and the other day we did. Because of the design of the house I had suspected it was between 100-130 years old. Wayne discovered the age when he was lifting the floor boards from a closet. On top of the floor was layers of wall paper but underneath someone decide to leave a few sheets of the Weekly Sun St John NB  January 8 1896. Of course we can't be sure that its the excite date but suspect it is very close.

The wall paper floors are intriguing and maybe even something I could work with but we do plan on trying to reuse as much as possible so these too will be cleaned and restained.

The weather is most unusual for this time of year and even though we have had some very cold days there are some are some spots on the farm that is making the best of it.

Ferns growin gin the well Jan 26 2012.

New Neighbours and the work contiues

Not sure who the new neighbours are at the farm but I walked down to the winter pond to see if I could identify their foot prints. I am going to assume the they may be coyote as the spread and print were fairly large. Getting a dog is sounding like a good idea but we'll decide once we live out there.

Now that we have made the mud room and office liveable we have started the reconstruction up stairs. We painted the 4 bedrooms so we have to be careful as we lift out the old floors that we will plane, stain, rotor a tongue and groove for each board then place them back in . So far it looks like we will be able to save most of the 100+ year old planks which some are over 10” wide.

It is all very exciting but studio life is sort of being pushed to the back ground except for packing

Square head nails are stacking up

Its my job to remeve the nails

Wayne painted his office a very pale blue that I really like and will paint the hall and stairwell once the major work is done.

I think I'll take a rest day and work in the studio tomorrow