Some friends and I were talking about how we work. One said he prefers to work on one artwork at a time, giving it his full attention from beginning to finish.
This conversation went on and so have my thoughts about working one piece at a time and FOCUS.
Often I’ve found myself impatient with paint and gel pens. Each medium takes drying time quite seriously. Since I’ve experienced smearing such materials unintentionally (though really, sometimes that can work) my studio sports six different work areas. Each has the potential of carrying an artwork from conception to delivery. Besides two or three tables and a wall-mounted drawing board, my dear husband built three wall easels. I can move from one work to another for a maximum of about six. This contradicts any intention of preferring to work one piece at a time from beginning to finish.
Note: to date I have only had two projects going at the same time while imagining many more works in progress. Some art might require eighty hours, others much less.
While true the process of making art might find one running the gamut from extreme passion/focus/attention to ho-hum-patient-tedium, finding a time block for traveling into The Zone (as I think of it when doing art) is a whole other matter. When in this Zone, nothing outside my body and my work interrupts. It is perfect focus and feels as if I’m working along in touch with a divine presence. “Reality” falls outside this Zone. Some might experience similar states while listening or performing music, blissing with a loved one, or enjoying anything that is all-consuming, healthy and natural.
I jokingly (?) commented to another friend that I didn’t think I could be an artist if I have a garden. For example, June’s background was dominated by berry harvests: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries while frantic focus was being given to orchestrating the exhibit and opening of “Explorations in Two Dimensions,” my summer solo show in Wilsonville.
Another garden issue was getting the summer vegetable garden going, pruning landscape plants, weeding, watering, etc. Though the garden has become more “naturalized” in the past few years, I do like to at least maintain access to areas. I doubt anyone would consider this being fussy.
Our garden is a project I’ve developed over the past 35 years. Some of the plants are longtime friends; many other planting attempts have contributed to the excellent compost pile.
Also, like most of us, I wear clothes, eat food, and live in a house subject to dust and disorder, have financial, medical, social and family responsibilities and interests. As a highly sensitive person (HSP/Aron) and visual artist of specific perspective, I also am uncomfortable with too much clutter, noise or bother—whether in the garden or in the house or in the community—and absolutely need downtime.
My upshot: I think it’d be a wonderful thing to be able to develop several art projects at the same time. It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen anytime soon, but wish me luck.
Thank you.
This conversation went on and so have my thoughts about working one piece at a time and FOCUS.
Often I’ve found myself impatient with paint and gel pens. Each medium takes drying time quite seriously. Since I’ve experienced smearing such materials unintentionally (though really, sometimes that can work) my studio sports six different work areas. Each has the potential of carrying an artwork from conception to delivery. Besides two or three tables and a wall-mounted drawing board, my dear husband built three wall easels. I can move from one work to another for a maximum of about six. This contradicts any intention of preferring to work one piece at a time from beginning to finish.
Note: to date I have only had two projects going at the same time while imagining many more works in progress. Some art might require eighty hours, others much less.
While true the process of making art might find one running the gamut from extreme passion/focus/attention to ho-hum-patient-tedium, finding a time block for traveling into The Zone (as I think of it when doing art) is a whole other matter. When in this Zone, nothing outside my body and my work interrupts. It is perfect focus and feels as if I’m working along in touch with a divine presence. “Reality” falls outside this Zone. Some might experience similar states while listening or performing music, blissing with a loved one, or enjoying anything that is all-consuming, healthy and natural.
I jokingly (?) commented to another friend that I didn’t think I could be an artist if I have a garden. For example, June’s background was dominated by berry harvests: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries while frantic focus was being given to orchestrating the exhibit and opening of “Explorations in Two Dimensions,” my summer solo show in Wilsonville.
Another garden issue was getting the summer vegetable garden going, pruning landscape plants, weeding, watering, etc. Though the garden has become more “naturalized” in the past few years, I do like to at least maintain access to areas. I doubt anyone would consider this being fussy.
Our garden is a project I’ve developed over the past 35 years. Some of the plants are longtime friends; many other planting attempts have contributed to the excellent compost pile.
Also, like most of us, I wear clothes, eat food, and live in a house subject to dust and disorder, have financial, medical, social and family responsibilities and interests. As a highly sensitive person (HSP/Aron) and visual artist of specific perspective, I also am uncomfortable with too much clutter, noise or bother—whether in the garden or in the house or in the community—and absolutely need downtime.
My upshot: I think it’d be a wonderful thing to be able to develop several art projects at the same time. It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen anytime soon, but wish me luck.
Thank you.