"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.

I recently watched the excellent movie called "It Might Get Loud" - a documentary on the electric guitar told through interviews and a meeting between three generations of guitar greats: Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2), and Jack White (White Stripes). I have loved the work I've heard by Jack White (such as the completely unabashed and fearless "Ball and a Biscuit”), but wasn't really all that familiar with him.

He blew me away in this movie. He talked about the need to struggle in the process of creation, and if you're not struggling, he says, do something to create a struggle. (And there were many more great quotes from him, which I'm sure will inform future posts).

Well, I definitely do struggle in my process; sometimes I'm sure it really shows; other times, you can't even tell. It's become far more rare for me to just breeze through a painting. (Dagnabit!)

"Jetsam-Flotsam"
Encaustic, Oil Pastel, Rice Paper and Ribbon on Panel
12" x 12"
© 2010 Marilyn Fenn

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There may be several stages in the course of working on the painting where I think, "Oh, this is good.  Maybe I'm done."  And then I do something else, and ruin what I had and have to go further to make what I've now got into something else good.

"Ship of Fools"
Encaustic on Panel
12" x 12"
© 2010 Marilyn Fenn

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Sometimes I fear that I have lost the best stage of the work, but once I'm done, how do I know whether I did or not?  I really should document more of the transformative process.

"Emerging"
Encaustic, Rice Paper and Ribbon on Panel
9" x12"
© 2010 Marilyn Fenn

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These four paintings are four of my latest struggles; one is a reworked painting from 2008; another I've changed since I took the photo; no promises that they won't continue to change, including the orientation and the titles.

How about you? If you're a creator, do you struggle to achieve your final result, or does it come easily? Is your best work the result of a struggle or not? Under what circumstances do you create your best work? Let me know in the comments below.

Tornado with Debris Cloud, version 2
Encaustic on Baltic Birch
10" x 10" x 2"
© 2010 Marilyn Fenn

I have completed two new tornado paintings; one was the one I started a few weeks ago while being interviewed for a Weather Channel segment about my tornado paintings.  It's changed a lot since it was filmed in progress (final version above; first version below).

Tornado with Debris Cloud, version 1
Encaustic
10" x 10"
© 2010 Marilyn Fenn

I really like both versions, though now the first version is available only as a Gicleé print.  I love the abstract qualities that appeared in both of these images.

The second physical painting, and third new tornado image:

Tornado Two-Step
Encaustic on Baltic Birch
10" x 10" x 2"
© 2010 Marilyn Fenn

I think this painting makes the tornado seem more lyrical than menacing, lightly dancing across the landscape.

Both paintings are available to purchase; check the Tornadoes Gallery on this site for more information.

"Most storm chasers use a camera."

-- a guest at one of my studio tours

I have some exciting news! I was interviewed last week by the Weather Channel. They plan to air a little feature on my paintings of tornadoes sometime in April at the start of tornado season. The local cameraman who works for TWC came to my house/studio, set up lights and interviewed me about my paintings and why I paint tornadoes, and also shot footage of me starting a new tornado painting to demonstrate my process.

The interview took place just as we were finishing a 4-month remodeling project which had completely taken over our house and my studio, so we had to clean up the construction zone we had been living in, finish painting some walls and woodwork, hang window shades and curtains in my studio, clean house, AND I had to frame and hang 12 of the 14 paintings I wanted to display for the interview. Got everything done with a few hours left over to sleep.

I'll post more information when I find out when (and if) the segment will air.  :D

I'll also post the newest tornado paintings as soon as I finish them.  Here's an intermediate version of the painting that I began in The Weather Channel segment:

"Tornado with Debris Cloud"
Encaustic on Cradled Panel
10" x 10"
© 2010 Marilyn Fenn

And here's a little gallery of all my earlier tornado paintings: