Oooops!

How come this always evokes negative connotations?

I’m often in search of art that may cause me to change: change a viewpoint, a perspective, an idea.  A while back my friend Joy introduced me to the works of artist and teacher Robert Burridge.  He said in a past newsletter……

Just Say Oops!
“My style is still developing after thirty years of painting. Your style is where you are today and don’t be concerned about being true to any specific style, thereby forcing yourself to stay within that box forever. One of the greatest natural gifts you already have as a creative person is your ability to change your mind. When something isn’t working out for you in your painting, change it!

Thomas Edison knows one thousand ways the light bulb does not work. It worked at one thousand and one. He didn’t give up. In painting, anyone who doesn’t change his mind… doesn’t have one. And please know, to be a better painter is about “risk-taking.” Risk-taking is failure prone; otherwise it would be called “sure-thing-taking.” Painting in a creative spirit mind is full of the mind ploy of “what if…” What if I change this? What if I make the grass red? What if I paint the ocean orange? If it does not work out, I just smile and say…oops!”

 

I’ve been trying to free myself up and take the risk of trying new things in my art.  Every now and again — i.e. next post – I’ll be posting here some experimental work (not for the rest of the world, but experimental for me).  Some may be interesting, some may be a fun fling, and some might be “Oooops”.  

Actually, this isn’t just about art.  No matter what the calling or direction you’d like to explore, why not give it a shot?  What’s an occasional “ooops” amongst friends?

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
– T. S. Eliot

Image: (c) Robert Burridge, 12 Cups of Joe

 

Picasso Quote

I’ve been exploring varied styles in my paintings to find various niches that may fit.  Hanging in my studio is a quote from Pablo Picasso that says, “The fewer the lines, the more important each line.”  I’m extrapolating that to also include broad brushstrokes, so I’ve tried to use fewer carefully placed strokes.

Here’s another cowboy hat done in the spirit of the Picasso quote.  I especially like the rough strokes of the background and the shadows between the highlighted cheek and nose!

Cowboy Hat #6
12″x16″
oil on panel

Cowboy stuff

Here in Denver, January means National Western Stock Show and Rodeo.  So now in honor of that, I’m creating my take on all things cowboy, horses, or western something. 

There’s a couple of reasons why I like doing these subjects which I’ll expound upon in the next few posts.  Here’s an example of one reason: there’s just something attractive about the shape of a cowboy hat.  Maybe it’s when the lights and shadows show the undulating curves.  I just like the form (and if there’s a cool cowboy underneath, well, so the better!).

For the last few months, I’ve been working pretty small (usually 8″x10″)  This one is huge in comparison.  Pretty fun to use really big brushes!

Cowboy Hat #5
18″x24″
oil on panel

Buck Recreation Center

The newest 2008 exhibit goes up!  At the Buck Recreation Center in Littleton CO, you’ll find my newest menagerie: Everything but the Kitchen Sink: a collection of work regarding things you might see in the kitchen. 

Works are displayed along a hallway and will be up through January 30th.  Stop by if you get the chance. 

Douglas H. Buck Community Recreation Center
2004 W. Powers Ave.
Littleton, CO 80120
303-797-8787

Monday-Friday             5 am-10 pm
Saturday/Sunday        6:30 am-7 pm

It’s interesting to me how seeing works in an exhibit offers a different perspective than when seen separately in the studio. 

When looking at this group all together, I notice how things recur.  I never consciously thought about how the combined show would look during the creative process, but when seen together I notice different things about them.  I might want to think about this in the painting stage. 

It’s good to see a collection of works framed, finished and someplace outside of my basement.  It helps me to see them as someone else might. 

Resolutions

Alas, this is the time of year when Resolutions come up.  Resolutions (or, I just see them as Goals) are funny things; you either love ‘em and live by them or your hate them and avoid.  

I’m in the first group in that I have them all the time about both personal and professional life.  Having been a Special Ed teacher for 10 years and having written a bazillion sets of Goals/Objectives for student IEP’s, it’s second nature to me to make them.  I like having the extra spur to get the task accomplished and being able to check off a list when completed.

By my defintion (forget Webster, if they’re my resolutions, my definition is the only one :D that counts) , a resolution is two fold: 1) finding another solution to a long-standing problem –“re-solution” or “re-solving”, and 2) doing so with resolve, or determination and a purposeful result in mind.

And you can’t figure out where you want to go until you figure out where you’ve been and review last year’s accomplishments.  I’m off to do just that.  Enjoy a wonderful start to 2008!

So it’s not the Chinese New Year, but a new year none the less.  A nice day for take out.
New Year’s Take Out (sold)
8″x10″
oil on panel