Process, series, and message

Process, series, and message

Today I went back to the WSO convention. The final day is always an interesting mix. There is a business meeting followed by the juror’s demo.

creative At the business meeting I won a door prize (I guess I can’t say I never win anything…) I have checked this book out a couple of times at the library, but never followed it, so it’s a great addition to my personal library!

After the business meeting, juror Robert Burridge gave a demo illustrating part of his daily painting process and talking more about his philosophy of “loosening up” and having fun with painting.

Because I had heard part of this at yesterday’s critique, I decided to leave early to take care of some errands and take Finn for a walk.

Hike

Today I walked down to the Clackamas River Trail in hopes of seeing a pair of osprey that have nested there for the last two years. I saw one, but not too. I suspect it’s the male who arrives a few weeks before the female. I heard him calling and watched him on the hunt for a while.

Then my favorite model, Finn, posed for a portrait.

Finn: At 12 he's getting a little gray, but he's still the cutest dog in the world!
Finn: At 12 he’s getting a little gray, but he’s still the cutest dog in the world!

Thoughts

During my walk I thought about the overarching theme of this convention. More than any other convention I can remember, I heard a lot about process.

Several different artists emphasized working in a series.

Both Burridge and Klien talked about their process getting started each time they paint.

As well, Burridge talked about the painting every day, and how he warms up with a particular word and some small paintings.

I once read about an artist who painting a white bowl for an entire year. She painted it in different lights and at different times of day. She painted it empty and full. She painted it upside down and on its side. She painted it near flower, under trees, and on furniture. At the end of the year, she knew this bowl intimately.

Last year I saw an exhibition of “sky scarves.” A sky scarf is a scarf that a knitter will add a row to each day for an entire year. In this exhibition, one artist did the color of sky that day (the most traditional). Another artist did her scarf at a particular time each day, the time of her mother’s death. Another artist added beads for rain or snow and occasionally would add a bead for a big life event. I loved that show.

Pile of notebooks...
Pile of notebooks…

I have this enormous stack of notebooks waiting to be filled. Additionally I have a big workshop coming up. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something…