I’m Drawing, I’m Drawing Again
I sure do love to draw! There’s something about the act of drawing that’s so immediate, intentional and strong. My urge to draw has been just huge for the past couple of years, and I’ve mostly satisfied it through sketching, or drawing with water soluble pastels or water soluble pencils which I then brush with water to make little painting-sketches. Lately, though, I’ve been finding ways to introduce drawing into my painting process (again).
Today I’m starting a new painting which I began by drawing in some basic shapes with pastel, then adding a bit of oil medium, then some thin paint; now I’m working some oil pastel and oil sticks into the mix. It seems to be going fast, though my plan is for many layers, hopefully creating a glorious texture, surface and image in the process.
No pictures of the work today; I will post some of today’s painting if and when it evolves into something I am proud of.
In the meantime, enjoy your holiday weekend; I am (doing my favorite thing—drawing and painting).
Transformations: The Struggle to Create
“Twisters”
Encaustic and Wood on Panel
12″ x 12″
© 2010 Marilyn Fenn
Creativity is about play and a kind of willingness to go with your intuition. It’s crucial to an artist. If you know where you are going and what you are going to do, why do it? — Frank Gehry
This is a very comforting quote for me. When I paint, I frequently have only a very vague idea or sometimes — no idea at all — of what I am searching for in the new work. I start somewhere, and often, the finished piece is so far away from where it started, it’s unrecognizable. One of my favorite things about working this way is that I discover things — such as shapes and images — that I just couldn’t invent.
Ten Rules of Thumb for Maintaining Creativity
Wendell Castle
Music Stand (1964)
Oak, Brazilion Rosewood
55.5″ x 25″ x 20″
I just discovered this great blog post about an artist/craftsman named Wendell Castle at Emily Evans Eerdmans’ blog. Wendell Castle has been creating amazing furniture for over 50 years. He has ten “Adopted Rules of Thumb” for staying at the top of one’s creative game that I find very compelling:
- If you are in love with an idea, you are no judge of its beauty or value.
- It is difficult to see the whole picture when you are inside the frame.
- After learning the tricks of the trade, don’t think you know the trade.
- We hear and apprehend what we already know.
- The dog that stays on the porch will find no bones.
- Never state a problem to yourself in the same terms it was brought to you.
- If it’s offbeat or surprising, it’s probably useful.
- If you don’t expect the unexpected, you will not find it.
- Don’t get too serious.
- If you hit the bullseye everytime, the target is too near.
To find out more about Wendell Castle, and view more of his amazing creations, visit his website at wendellcastle.com
Painting from Another Viewpoint
Painting by Julia Mehretu
“Excerpt (Riot)”
2003
ink and acrylic on canvas
32 x 54”
Class notes from Reinventing Your Creative Process with Andrew Long, Fall 2007
Jackhammer Your Myths
Class notes from Reinventing Your Creative Process with Andrew Long, Fall 2007
Jackhammer your myths.
For me, consolidate my careers. Think about validation. Making money doesn’t validate your art (yes, but it makes it possible to spend more time doing your art).
Think about, art can be more fun w/o the business end of it.
Think about expectations.
Churn All Your Influences
Class notes from Reinventing Your Creative Process with Andrew Long, Fall 2007
Are you what you paint?
Are you painting something external or internal?
Painting Nice Little Paintings is Better than Doing Heroine
Painting by Richard Prince
Untitled (The Velvets)
Canvas, Acrylic
Class notes from Reinventing Your Creative Process with Andrew Long, Fall 2007
This class will be a guaranteed life-changing experience. A gift you give yourself.
Richard Prince – it may take him 5 years to understand a work he’s done.
NOT doing your schtick.
Paintings nice little paintings is better than doing heroine.
(But is it enough?)
New Work: Encaustic Tornado Painting
“Tornado – Ames, IA – March 30, 2006″
Encaustic on Masonite
8″ x 10″
© 2007 Marilyn Fenn
It felt so good to see my little tornado paintings in the AVAA show, and I’ve always intended to keep painting them until…whenever. So, here’s my first tornado painting in a while; I had started it months ago, but it was too ‘happy,’ so today I took it in a dramatically different direction.
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