March 2009 Archives

Artist date friday. Many artistic moons have been neglected in favor of chores like laundry, taxes, and a normal work week at my business. The balancing act is a tough one. In return for being a seemingly responsible human being my muse let me know I was not being a responsible artist. Feeling a sense of moody unsettlement and overall anger at the world my muse (and my husband) pointed out (again) that she needed some attention.

It is a balancing act.

And the approach to the canvas is a painful one. Like a potential lover that may spurn you with all of the emotional baggage that comes with that, the canvas looks less friendly. And it is a big one this time, which takes different technique and more time, which means more chance for failure.

I know that sounds dire... don't be so meladramatic. Get with it already.

But like so many good artist sages before me (inclucing my new fav, elizabeth gilbert), I chanted the mantra...

just show up.

The muse isn't disappointing me so far.

Saw this from my deck last week while taking a break from doing dreaded taxes. I didn't plant them yet here they are in my yard like a cosmic encouragement. Mind blowing when a week before we were covered in snow.

The encouragement didn't go unnoticed. I got my taxes done.

Ok I bumped into this in a couple of places on various blogs and had to add it here too just in case you missed it. This is a seriously great way to view the artistic experience which can run the extremes of ultimate joy to sorrow and self destruction. If you struggle with the creative process and would like encouragement and a healthy way to view the process, or if you just want to understand why your artist friend seems to be a little psycho now and then, this talk will shed some light. I have repeatedly talked about "my muse" and what I think the divine nature of the creative process is, but this author says it so much better i ever could...

If I were to put a camera at my desk and stream a live video feed on my blog, what might one see right now?

Flying splashes of paint on a brand new canvas?

Me, torch in hand, creating some new work in silver?

My camera set up for a shoot for more spiritually infused digital creations?

Nope.

It is that time of year again. The one we all love. Some responsible, on-the-ball folk (like my mother) have already completed this gruesome task, but I have not yet tackled it. Of what dreary, and dreadful task am I referring to?

Taxes, of course.

As an artist this is on par with getting a root canal, or having to go to traffic school.

How do you handle it?

Me, personally... I have to put some serious creative blinders on. This means hunker down and try not to look at my easel that beckons in the corner, or the inspiring trinkets that await formation at my bench.

So today, I will focus the energy to compiling the paperwork. That is the first segment of it. Then I open my books and sort through the numbers, expenses etc. If I don't take it in sections I will go mad.

If anybody wants to share their secret method to survive this lonely ritual yet another year, please feel free to pass on your advice. And if you have finished yours already, I am green with envy.

I am back at the digital easel today creating visuals for the easter season for avisualplanet.com.

final seal. A great way to recycle old bottles. The little ones up front are actually frosted which kinda makes the wine look cloudy, but it actually came out pretty clear with the color akin to white zinfandel.

corked

It should be the end of the process but actually these get to age for at least a year before drinking. And who'da thought that three little vines planted under two years ago could end up looking like this. Granted, this is it... just a few bottles of finished wine, but it sure was fun running with the process. Sure you can buy the juice and make wine from that, but I really wanted to see what it would be like to run the whole gamut, from seedling to bottle. It breeds a new appreciation for the final product. This batch definitely isn't what hopefully will ultimately be produced when the vines get bigger, but it does represent a commitment which really was the whole point. What fun.

Last August they looked like this...

Then the "not so nice looking" part of the process. The bag in the bucket contains the crushed stems and seeds.

A month later it starts to clear.

Even more.

Then into the carboy and a few other steps before the bottling which I did today. Proof again that the "middle" part of any process tends to be the part that looks the roughest, can be the most tedious, is the least glamourous, and takes the most patience.

It came a little late this year but it doesn't matter. Like little boys everywhere who have no school today due to snow we have a very grateful boy in our house as well.

my husband.

Truly I have never seen a grown man wish for a snow day as if he still owned a sled. Thanks to being employed by the University of Maryland, he and all his other co-workers get to be ten again... and stay home.

Ok, he may not be pulling out a sled, in fact more likely it will be a shovel for clearing the driveway. But no matter. It is a break from the norm... a breath... being forced to stop for just a moment.

which is good.

So I will make a big pot of minestrone and we will all stay in and be grateful for a warm house, good food, and a day that is different.