Spring Open Studios 2012

Doors open on April 14th and 15th from 11 am - 6 pm.
On those days, I will be here @ 540 Alabama Street in San Francisco with new art- that is what is driving me to get going now! Open Studios are a call to action!

This time, I am very much aware of the whole process from the mess on my desk to the act of hanging the work. It takes a lot of attention to all kinds of details. As I go through all the steps, I am thinking about how making art is also making new connections to people and materials.

If I am starting cold- not working in the studio for awhile, I can feel a bit overwhelmed. Since I am not famous for putting tools away, there are vestiges of previous projects all around and it is a time of assessment. Yes- I did use that chalk on the last drawing- or - there is that awl that I was looking for last month! It is like excavating.

The studio is where the big things happen since there is the right conditions and room for flow. There is an energy created when all the elements are in place. My focus, the right canvas, interesting and challenging materials, the right time of day or night, the right audio book ....

This time, I am more aware of how things come together or don't. It is still a mystery to me how one work will sing and another fall flat. It is good to push through and not get hung up if a piece is not working out. I am not up for a big fight- either it flows or it does not and I can let go of the attachment.

Last weekend, I moved some of the big painted drawings out into my hallway to get a fresh view of what was happening. Between the repostioning and my iPad photo, I could see where I needed to go to finish.

As I work on a drawing, I can think about sculpture, and the three dimensional work gives me ideas about two dimensional approaches. I am grateful for the rich mix I am able to access. It is satisfying to get the alchemy going and see what happens.