26 March 2010

Wandering into the Margins . . .


Digging for Blue
mixed media on canvas
11 x 14


Over the past few years I have traveled far and wide in Blogland viewing other artists' works, chatting, getting to know one another just a bit more. Oddly enough, I feel as if I know some of my fellow bloggers better than I know my neighbors who live next door! To find kindred spirits with whom one can talk about art and creating, exchange ideas, recommend a reading, share a disappointment means a great deal to me, as I'm sure is true with others.

But what I find truly exciting is to trace a trail of growth, to watch an artist begin to expand into and navigate new terrains, yet tentative in these new explorations.

I just stopped by Laura Tetrault's site, because the tiny image that popped up on my bloglist intrigued me. She has worked with still life and people, but this was different -- and yet recognizable in its' evolution from previous work. Somewhere I read about an artist who believed that his work should be such that the viewer wanted "to step inside as if in a dream." I think Laura has captured this through the fluidity and vibrancy of her painting.

But she also writes about being hesitant to detour from one's original intentions, to allow the painting to guide the artist, and this struck a chord as many a time my original intentions were other than where I ended up, almost the reverse of the quotation above: waking up from a bit of creative reverie to find something strange staring back at you. And you think to yourself -- How did this happen? Where was I during all this?

It's that sense of letting go, of giving up the Western mindset of control and power, of wandering into the margins of the unknown, exploring the blanks, the omissions of not only the paper or canvas on which you're working, but of within our own spirit that can be rewarding but also a bit scary.

To be a creative individual is to be a fierce navigator --
even when you're shaking in your boots!

Happy Friday Everyone! :-)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Such nice and insightful comments in your post today (if I do say so myself!) It is tricky to move from plan to exploration because the risk of complete and utter failure or worse - plain ole disappointment is much greater when you go wandering.

Kelly M. said...

(sigh...) -- yes, I think the disappointment is tough to deal with, our expectations perhaps to high? not quite sure -- still figuring it all out!

Blue Sky Dreaming said...

A 'fierce navigator' says it all! The other day a friend saw some of my work and loved it...I had thought it was awful but then does that change the work or do I change my opinion? It's all very tricky and I might add wonderful too!

Eva said...

Great post and painting! I agree about letting go. It seems that painting Yupo is the only time I really allow that to happen, but then I have no choice as it has a mind of it's own.

Kelly M. said...

Thanks for stopping by, Mary Ann and Eva! Yes, it's a tricky business but it keeps us movin' and groovin'!

Anonymous said...

Wow, cruising through your blog I stopped at this mixed media. A real gem. I enjoyed reading your thoughts about this and that. And nodding my head in agreement. I've been there too and got the T shirt.

Kelly M. said...

Where do we get the T-shirts -- I want one, too! Thanks for your visit, Carolann!