Orchard

// September 2nd, 2010 // 6 Comments » // creativity, painting

Wouldn’t it be nice to have some sort of magic wand, or marvelous technological art alarm that could replace the tricky business of determining when a creative piece is finished?

I’ve always found finishing a stressful act, whether it’s a poem, painting, blog post, or drawing (drawings are the absolute worst for me). Calling the piece finished is just so difficult.

Part of it is being critical of my own technical limits. There are always weak spots that can use a little tightening up, some editing or a wee addition to make it just so.

But too often that last little dab, or word, or pencil stroke can just throw the whole thing off. I’ve had that happen way too many times.

I called “finished” on this painting today, and signed it.

Then I saw a small section that could use a little work, so I worked it. Then I waved it round to dry those last few dabs of paint and scanned it before I could change my mind.

In the time I’ve spent writing I’ve checked out the image a few times and noticed small changes I could make.

But, no. No!

Stop it I say to myself. It’s done.

*****

How do you go with finishing your creative projects? Does it stress you out? Does it just make you sigh with relief?

Bubble Muse

// August 23rd, 2010 // 7 Comments » // creativity, illustration friday

This is my latest Muse piece, my painting style is swinging around like crazy at the moment. I’m experimenting a lot with trying to make my art more enjoyable to make and to look at.

I thought this would make a great Illustration Friday picture–the theme this week is ‘Atmosphere’. When I was painting this, the qualities I wanted the Muse to represent were air and lightness.

I’m preparing for a big art project that involves lots of Muse paintings–this is not quite the look I’m going for but I felt good after finishing this one, I feel like I’m progressing and getting closer to the look I want.

It’s very different from the Gypsy Fire painting, and also from the earlier Muse painting I posted. I’ve only recently switched from Goauche paints on paper to doing acrylic paintings–it feels like a whole new world is opening up for me. My studio is starting to fill up with paintings, some surpisingly good and some total crash-and-burn efforts. I’m learning some great things from the failures though, and they can always be painted over.

I’m doing a lot of thinking, and writing about the creative process and how we get inspiration. When I’m not writing I’m painting, and a part of my mind is tracking what’s going on there as well. The more I keep the idea of muses in my mind, the more real they seem to me. It’s like having a koan ripening inside me, I’m just waiting for all the pieces to come together.

Illustration Friday: Caged

// August 7th, 2010 // 6 Comments » // creativity, illustration friday

Just a quick sketch today for illustration friday: the subject is ‘Caged’.

This was thrown together with leftover paint from another illustration and some marker doodling added on top. It’s not much, but it feels good to not stress out over an illustration.

I do like some of the textures in this, and had fun playing with the image before posting, turning it around and seeing what the difference to the feel of the drawing was. There was a very different feel each time, it’s like I got four different drawings for the price of one!

I get pretty claustrophobic so the word cage kinda makes me nervous, but when I think about it in terms of art and creativity it actually seems a freeing thing.

Sometimes, it’s just good to let go of the conscious decision making process and go with the confinement. Inspiration and intuition always seems to show up, at least in some small way, when this happens.

*****

Things that cage my creativity:

-perfectionism

-leaving my studio in a mess (always makes me feel stuck and hopeless)

-comparing my work with other people’s work

-tiredness

-my inner critic (makes Simon Cowell seem like Hello Kitty )

*****

What cages your creativity?

*****

Muse Missives: Invitation

// July 6th, 2010 // 8 Comments » // creativity, curiosity, missive

Dear Muse,

You are cordially invited to attend our upcoming creative endeavour.

It will be a simple affair with moderate amounts of paint, paper, string, sweet drinks, balloons, and birdsong provided.

We have taken the liberty of placing a sturdy chair beside the apple tree. We can also organize a faux-Classical Greek fountain if needed. Seriously. We live very close to a Home Depot.

You may be aware that my artistic side is fickle, fizzled, and occasionally crabby. We’re sure you can find a graceful way to be with this slightly hoonish part of me. I will be there to mediate if necessary.

There will be geese wandering the grounds, you may wish to wear boots.

There is no need to bring wine (though feel free), a small bag of bread crusts will suffice.

Breathlessly awaiting your arrival,

Dave.

Singing The World Alive

// June 29th, 2010 // 6 Comments » // creativity, curiosity, singing

“… there never was a world for her

Except the one she sang, and singing made.”

Wallace Stevens

*****

At school we learned about the Australian Aboriginal concept of Song-lines, and the stories of Creator Beings who criss-crossed the continent singing the world alive.

I love the idea of the world being sung into life. Just holding the idea gives me a heightened awareness of the life pulsating all around me, even from supposedly inanimate objects.

*****

I was always self conscious about my own singing abilities. I told myself that I was unable to sing, the same way all people (in Western cultures, anyway) tell themselves they can’t do something.

Singing Memories:

Standing up as the old people sang hymns in church, and being struck dumb in a sea of fear.

The school choirmaster walking behind us, listening as we sang, and banging us on the head with his balled up fist if we were out of tune

Being in a band as a teenager and having to get fall-down drunk to be able to sing.

Hearing my wife sing for the first time. *Bliss*

*****

Singing the world into existence? Not my strong point. But I still love the idea, and think there must be an equivalent way that not-so-great singers contribute to bringing this world into existence.

When I think of singing, what comes to mind is:

The act of opening required in order to let the sound out.

Listening, adjusting the sound as it moves out into the world.

The content, what is being sung.

The effect on others as the sounds reach them, and shape their experience of the world, even if only for a moment.

If I think of singing in this way, then I can see how in some small way, my actions can become a kind of singing, too.

*****

So, in what ways do I sing world alive?

Through:

My drawings and paintings

My arms when I swing my boys around, and when I hold my wife

Words arranged into poems

Stories I make up for our older son

Cooking food for people I love

Reading, and what I choose to read.

Catching insects in cups and escorting them outside safely

Secret rock sculptures I leave in the garden, for people to see, or not.

The kind of work I spend my time doing

The kind of thoughts I spend my time thinking.

My serial failed attempts at maintaining Meditation/Yoga/Vegetarian practices, and my commitment to keep coming back to them.

*****

And when I do actually sing?

When I let my creaky voice come out it has its own wobbly charm. Babies smile, and it’s never really as bad as I make it out to be.

In what ways do you sing the world alive?

The Rarest Angels

// May 27th, 2010 // 6 Comments » // creativity, illustration, poetry