A Way to Art Work

Art materials are fun. It is great to have a lot at hand so I can just reach over and pull or mix some things together. Experimenting with creating connections in 2 or 3 dimensions is so satisfying.

Artists are lucky. They get to play with colorful, textural and strange things.

This summer, I once again get to coach kids to draw, paint and make sculptural forms. This is always inspirational as I see how excited they are to get piece A to meet up with piece B and that they can add piece C and it changes the whole thing. Colors are like that too. First color plus second color and those dance around but then when the third one is added, it opens up a whole universe.

But I like limits too. Working with limits helps to unify what I am trying to say and can keep the expenses down. At the museums, we use limited art supplies but so much richness comes out of minimal offerings.

A lot of kids today don’t like to get their hands dirty. That never bothers me. I am happy that my hands are working for me. That they pick up, mix up, spread around, drop and drip stuff all over the place. My artist hands show what I have been up to.

The time I have to spend with my art work takes me to a wonderful place where I feel like a magician. Magicians need time to practice their art and so do I. There is a point where I get to feel that I am no longer practicing or warming up but am THERE. Sometimes the THERE is different from the last time and surprises me. I like happy surprises and art makes me both happy and surprised.

I often wonder what my life would be like if I had more time, more art supplies to make more connections but every little bit counts. If the little bits add up- then that can become a body of work but everything I do in my studio keeps my fingers dancing.