You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July, 2008.
I was horsing around, trying some equine things.
This was spurred by the fact that (a) last weekend, I was back in Wisconsin to see family and spend a little time working at a horse show on my brother’s farm (annual trek since about 1985?), and (b) had a booth in an art festival last weekend, too; sold a charcoal drawing I really loved.
Been feeling lately my drawing skills needed a little exercise, a little flat work, needed to get out and longe my pencil.
Like scales to a musician, I feel artists (me, for instance) need to continue drawing, sketching, and doodling. No matter your usual medium, and whether they be as warm-ups or the final product, it seems like the artistic athlete (me, for instance) benefits from consistent stretching of the creative muscles to keep me flexible and limber.
So I’ve combined the two (charcoal drawing, horses) and began messing around with various techniques on some horse sketches.
Horse Study #20
7″x5″
pastel/charcoal on paper
Same trail along Clear Creek. Different location.
I’m pushing myself to get more art done.
More art sometimes means less words.
Trail Study #8
8″x10″
oil on panel
Summer is here, and it’s hard not to get outside. Considering it got to 98 yesterday, best to get out in the morning.
Trail Study #7
8″x10″
oil on panel
No art today, but some cool links.
I’ve been pondering and reading about creativity lately, or, it keeps popping up in front of me. Couple that with Alyson Stanfield opening up the question of the effectiveness of goals in her ArtBizBlog last week. The question I’ve been toying with is: Can structured goals and the freewheeling of creating new ideas work together or are they diametrically opposed?
I’ve been rereading a book by Twyla Tharp (yes, the choreographer) called The Creative Habit. She talks about her own creative process and has boiled it down to a number of strategies and behaviors that fuel her inspiration.
Nothing is ever easy (otherwise everybody would be doing it!) and dichotomies abound. Structure (processes), rituals (baseball pitchers and golfers have these), and goals (we all got ‘em) vs. scratching for ideas, improvisation, accidents, and letting go of planning. Can these all work together?
I’m finding it’s a matter of carefully balancing the two. As Twyla Tharp writes, “Before you can think out of the box, you have to have a box”.
I know everyone works differently, I’d love to hear your take: When creating something new, does structure get it done? Do you seek out inspiration or must you wait for it to hit you?
Ok, that’s the thought-provoking stuff, here’s the fun. Speaking of creativity, you gotta check this out…. (click on the title)
Animator vs Animation by Alan Becker
For those of us who believe their computer has a life of it’s own. (When you click the link, just hit start, move your courser to the side and leave it alone. Just watch.) What a creative entertaining work of art!
