Jan 24, 2009

Learning the Obvious (As Always)

So I haven't exactly been blogging, have I? I have embarked on a new project though. I spent a couple weeks completely over-thinking it and have now refined it to simple eloquence. Here it is: I walk to my favorite beach on Eld Inlet every day and then I free-write about it and then I make art about it. That is so much more pleasant and manageable then trying to say something profound about our connection to nature or whatever else I had churning away in my noggin. I am more interested to see what the piece teaches me while I make it. So far it has taught me not to over-think things!
The above photo is of a long strip of text I am making from my free-writes. Originally I wanted to use it as batting for a quilt with translucent paper but now I think I may do something more bookish with it.


And here are some of my painting experiments. I am learning this really interesting thing about painting. See, I didn't really want to paint outside, partly because it is very cold and partly because I feel like I can't just experience the woods or beach anymore because I am trying to make art. So, I have been trying to paint from memory which I thought would be impossible. Strangely, it is like everything else in life; the more you do it the better you get at it. It is difficult to paint the woods without getting totally overwhelmed but luckily capturing the essence is more important to me than recreating a specific scene.