Occasionally I complete a drawing or a painting in one fell swoop. Start to finish, without pause.
But this is the exception, not the rule. In my studio, there are always multiple pieces in progress. Stacked against the walls, paintings vie for my attention. Collages reside under worktables, layers still unglued. Sketchbooks splay open to images undone, awaiting additional ink or color. There are reasons for this chaos.
A working artist needs to work, if you will forgive me for stating the obvious. With multiple works in progress, there are always options…and that keep me going, regardless of my mood. Starting something takes one kind of energy. Problem solving, (aka: getting out of the trouble), takes a different kind of energy. And “finishIng”? Well that’s my least favorite part, which explains a lot. The point is, artists need choices and quantity.
This is particularly true when you’re working towards an exhibition of new works. With a June 1st deadline, I find myself engaging in what I call “the pipeline,” a kind of mass production mentality. At one end are the raw materials, canvas, paper, paint. Many new pieces are born at once, raw and ghostly, and they start talking to each other. Growing up together, some go ahead and others pull up the rear. A few may approach the finish line…but no, I hold back! The idea is to “work the group,” letting the pieces ahead inform the ones to follow…knowing the newbies might have something to teach their elders.
This creative flurry is the polar opposite of artist’s block. It’s image making run amok! And it’s fun as long as you don’t lose your nerve. I’ve currently got about 12 pieces in progress. When I get out the red, I look around the room. Who else needs red? How bout you? And when I’m warmed up and the painting starts to flow, I bravely pivot to the ones lagging behind.
Chiang Mai in Paper and Paint: A Western Artist in Thailand
Payap University Life Long Learning Campus, Chiang Mai, Thailand
June 1, 2024 2-4:30PM. Multi-media presentation at 3:00PM
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