PROCESS FROM HELL

Most books and articles on creativity talk about channeling deities or the universe to achieve original ideas and quality results but my conveyors are wild undisciplined imps.  Seemingly amazing ideas are constantly bamboozled by these dastardly characters.  Their ”devil make care" attitude precludes a masterly final result.

I have almost finished an art book for an upcoming group show on the theme of Irresistible Forces. Hopefully I will meet the deadline.  Making it has been a continuous challenge.  All that could go wrong did and ironically, I based the narrative on that very idea:  

This "book" is about the naughty devils that affect my art process and resulting artwork.  They live by the motto “if something can go wrong, we’ll make sure it does.”

I must have fed this adage into my subconscious.

The experiment was about setting some of these wicked little rascals free.  I had minimal input in the creation of this codex as revealed by its illogical, cockeyed sequence.  Highly irritable and irresistible forces took over and led me where they chose.  

Recycled drawings, collage elements, digital prints, paint, transparencies, thick gels and pastes, pen and ink, photographs and a blow torch were used to put this thing together.  It took forever to dry.  On sunny days, I placed it outside and hoped the birds wouldn't use it for target practice.  

I had no idea how to bind various parts of the book ergo some pages are glued together.  Others aren't so “readers” will have to figure out how to flip pages without ripping the darn thing apart.  

Surfaces painted in acrylics tend to stick to the opposing page when the book is closed.  Paint is pulled off either page as one attempts to separate them (the devils at work again). To resolve the issue, I inserted thin sheets of paper attached via paperclips (yes, totally high tech) between the sticky bits. The clips add an exciting element to the book. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. 

More to come soon!

DISTORTING THE DISTORTION

Two dimensional artists who work in a realistic style use perspective to suggest three dimensional space and shapes on a flat surface. This is done to mimic our way of seeing in stereoscopic vision. Interestingly, perspective is a type of distortion that magically creates a convincing illusion of reality.

Distortion is also an integral part of the expressionist's and surrealist's repertoire. I've already written about my passion for oversized, solidly-planted feet.  Exaggerated or extremely foreshortened poses can convey drama and emotion. Emphasizing facial features by varying their size and shape animates characters with unpredictable countenance and personality.  Think Cyrano.

Applying distortion to innervate or to make a statement is quite different from the warping that happens when a person lacks the skill to draw or paint something.  A distorted object or character should make the work more forceful than it would be otherwise. 

There are many ways to achieve distortion. Two that immediately come to mind are the grid and blind contour.  

Lately I've been experimenting with another way, photographing drawings and paintings from unusual angles to arrive at unexpected results. Purposefully taking pictures of my work from above, below or sideways is stimulating this old noodle and leading to new ideas that I may someday use in future paintings.  My camera is always nearby in case I'm in the mood to play, which generally happens when something is drying oh so slowly.  

The originals of these "in progress" works are very different from how they appear here. I generally distort shapes or characters  to express emotions that relate to a theme or idea.  In photographing works from an unexpected angle, another layer of distortion is added.   It's a great way to get a new "slant" on things.  The approach often changes the entire mood of a drawing or painting. Fascinating!  

I know the image lower left is reminiscent of aliens on Star Trek but the exaggerated head has a hypnotic air. The stripes are wavy and moving, hopefully in the right direction.

ART LIMBO

I had a plan, I truly did, but lost it somewhere in the messy recesses of my mind.  Dust bunnies are everywhere.  Where's the brain vacuum?

It amazes me how ideas flow like crazy when I'm thinking about projects.  I envisage the evolution of a jaw dropping works based on sophisticated, multilayered concepts.   Brush strokes flow this way and that, my colours are rich and vibrant....and then...and then????

Starting something is easy, finishing is hell.  

I'm experienced enough to know that the best way to get beyond a blank piece of paper or canvas is to defile it in some way.  A line, spot, shape or tear will inevitably inspire, not necessarily in the direction that I initially have in mind but that's okay.  I've learned not to care too much, to go with the flow.  Often the universe has better solutions or new processes to teach me.

This time though, I'm a tad frustrated because I want a plan, an outline, a beginning and an end. I want to incorporate these principles into the piece I'm doing because something sequential has to happen.

I'm being purposely vague about the project because I don't want to jinx it.  I've created multiple elements that I have to somehow combine into a cohesive whole...or not!   Actually a funky, disjointed result might be a lot more interesting.

Only hell will tell.

ALL JAZZED UP

Like most information stops on major highways, the "the Relais touristique de L'Île-Perrot (Île-Perrot Tourist Centre)" has a large parking area and compact building.  Inside displays are filled with maps and colourful brochures.  While the floor plan is small, ceilings tend to be high and empty.  Tina Struthers and I were chosen to jazz up the upper atmosphere.

The "Relais touristique" went through a major transformation...from this...

...to this!  

Marianne Segouin-Lebel, in charge of the project, had the walls repainted in two shades of yellow.  This brightened up the space considerably.  

Prior to take off:

After installing our initial flock on July 5th, Tina and I decided that we needed a few more flying fowl to make the installation work.  I worked on a paper and lace bird with an unusual wingspan and concentrated on getting beautiful transparency effects.  I couldn't stop taking pictures of it in the light.

Tina created two more birds, one in fabric only and another large one in a combo of fabric, paper and lace (designed for a stand).  Two days before the opening, we brought in the extras.  Installing the last few seemed to take forever, we wanted everything to look and feel right.  

A description of the project was posted on the wall.

VOL VERS L'AVENIR - FLIGHT TOWARDS THE FUTURE

Day of the vernissage

While all concerned parties were getting ready for the opening, a tourist walked in.  Her eyes and smile widened as she slowly scanned the ceiling confirming that this "Relais" was undeniably unique, fun and festive.  

Welcome to Québec!

Here are some pictures of the event.  Enjoy!  We certainly did!

On the left, Tina's big, beautiful bluebird 

FOR THE BIRDS

CLD Vaudreuil-Soulanges is a non-profit organization which coordinates various support services for entrepreneurs.  It also promotes industrial development, trade, tourism, and the rural and agri-food industry within the Vaudreuil-Soulanges territory.  

The CLD along with the Conseil des arts et de la culture de Vaudreuil-Soulanges (Council of Arts and Culture of Vaudreuil-Soulanges) commissioned multidisciplinary artist Tina Struthers and me to create an original work for the Tourist Information Centre in Île-Perrot, Québec.

The mission of this cultural project was threefold:

1. to anchor the renewal of the Tourist Information Centre in collaboration with the City of Île-Perrot;
2. to give artistic life to the new regional brand of "Vaudreuil-Soulanges Tourisme" launched in May;
3. to demonstrate the strength and effervescence that occurs when the arts and business sectors mesh.

The juried call for proposals specified a preference for:

• 3-dimensional aerial work, colourful and transparent, for a space with high ceilings and an abundance of natural light;
• submissions from artist collectives (2 or 3 artists); 
• works created using the principals of waste management (reduction at source, reuse, recycling, valuation).

The opportunity was so unusual and exciting that Tina and I couldn't resist submitting a proposal.  We had to come up with a concept. 

We priced possible alternatives using plexiglas but costs were prohibitive and this alternative didn't meet the waste management criterion.  Another solution had to be found.

My partner and I had recently removed grape vines from along our waterfront property on the Ottawa River and in so doing, discovered a treasure trove of driftwood floating onshore.  I collected and propped each piece against a nearby tree.  They were just too beautiful to discard and had to become works of art.  I told Tina about my find and she came to view my wondrous cache.  

We discussed what we could possibly create with this gift from the river and came up with our concept: to create suspended abstracted birds using the driftwood as bodies and recycled papers and fabrics for wings. We decided that the colours of the birds should reflect those of the new "Vaudreuil-Soulanges Tourisme" logo.  

PROCESS "Vol vers l'avenir" (Flight towards the future):

Each bird took anywhere from 6 to 18 hours to create.  Holes were drilled into the driftwood after which we attached wires to create wings.  

Paper or fabric, or a combination of both was glued to the wire using acrylic medium.  What a messy job! We spent a lot of time peeling it off our fingers and used heaps of hand cream to keep our skin from drying out.  

Once the wings were shaped, paint or varnish was applied.  Keeping transparency specifications in mind, we glazed the paper birds and left gaps in the fabric wings to let light shine through.  Colours based on the new logo served to visually link our flock of birds together.

We arranged the birds by colour on a tarp to prepare for varnishing.  UV varnish protects the colour and wood from the sun's rays.  This type of varnish smells foul (fowl?) so we were glad to be outside.

Most of the birds were installed on July 5th.  We're still tying up loose ends, making a few more birds for the unveiling on July 21st.  Almost ready for takeoff!

UNINTENTIONAL FOOT BINDING

Left foot of my 102-year-old Mom

My mother, born in 1914, came from a rural family where clothing was passed down from child to child. This practice led to unfortunate consequences when it came to footwear.  Mom had to fit her feet into her older sister's outgrown shoes. Her sibling surely had much smaller feet because even after she outgrew her shoes, they were still too small for my mom.  

While the impact of wearing shoes that didn't fit was not as devastating for my mother as the tradition of foot binding was for many women from the 11th to the 20th centuries, I can't help but reflect on this barbaric custom whenever I see my mother's feet. Young Chinese girls suffered constant pain from broken bones and infection to embody an ideal (tiny, broken lotus feet for tiny "lotus shoes").

Mom's feet didn't break but they did warp.  She said no one knew any better in those days, adult shoes were adult shoes; no one really worried about sizes or long-term consequences.  

Things were far better when I grew up.  Each time Mom and I went shoe shopping for my rapidly growing feet, I spent a lot of fun time wiggling my toes inside the shoe store's x-ray machine which, in the fifties and sixties, guaranteed a perfect fit. Savage brand footwear was a particular favourite, especially navy blue and white saddle shoes.  To this day, I long to find a pair to satisfy my nostalgic cravings.  

I wonder whether women who wear today's exceptionally high heels are aware of the damage they inflict on their feet in the name of beauty.  (In my opinion, it's not worth it!)  And what of dancers?  Ballerinas in pointe shoes wreck their toesies for art!  

It remains a woman's issue it seems...  

Red Cactus

TORN

I'm seriously involved in a couple of art projects and find myself torn....

Should I write? (I'm neglecting my blog.)  Should I paint?  (I'm working on a piece but must put it aside for now.)  What are my deadlines?  Can I meet them and still do everything? Can I forego a few hours of sleep tonight?  Will it affect my energy level?  What about applications for shows, publications, other venues?  

Time management is important. Getting sick is not an option.  (It took me over two months to get over that nasty virus I picked up in California. A friend told me that according to her doctor, it becomes more and more difficult to shake bugs off as one gets older.  Any more good news?)

What is fascinating about a career in the arts is that so much of what an artist does is unrelated to the actual act of creation.  In my previous "day" job, I had a relatively high degree of variety when it came to counselling, but a good part of my other functions were routine and familiar.  

With art, variety is a constant.  Besides creating, the job of "Josephine Artist" entails: administration, accounting, marketing, writing, sales, negotiation, teaching, research, purchasing, public relations, networking, and event planning.  I'm sure I'm forgetting some.  Artists aren't necessarily good at everything but we certainly are versatile.  Torn is far better than bored.

VIDEO ANYONE?

"No one reads anymore!"

....that's what a marketing whiz recently told me as we discussed the best ways for artists to promote themselves.  Although my hairs stood on end, I had to admit to that his advice was targeted and wise.  One of Picasso's process videos is now a national treasure.

The advantages of video demonstrations are obvious.  I refer to them myself when I want a quick overview of a "how to", but I also get frustrated when video tries to teach me something at a speed that rivals that of a jet airplane.  I was interested in learning animation software a few months ago.  No written material was provided, only quickie video tutorials.  I ached for a text where I could take the time to learn particular step before moving onto the next one.  "Stop the video!" I hear you cry, but it isn't like reading.  Old habits die hard.

As an educator, I feel that learning is best approached by stimulating as many of the senses as possible. There are many ways to assimilate information: seeing, hearing, touching, feeling, trying, smelling, tasting, repeating, memorizing, and practicing.  Video remains part of a whole.

I refuse to acknowledge the "death" of reading.  Unhurried and deliberate acquisition of knowledge via a book is a magical experience.  The smell and feel of paper, its constant visual presence on a bookshelf remains unrivalled.  Give me a small funky bookstore to spend an afternoon in any day.

BUT, and it's a big BUT, video offers excitement.  It moves...it's alive!  I love seeing Picasso play with paint and occasionally peer goofily into the camera.  A genius self-marketer, he understood the power of film. 

With cellphones, anyone can create a moving image.  Mark Zuckerberg says he wouldn't be surprised if in five years, video content is all that people will share on a day-to-day basis.

So here is my first attempt.  Interestingly, I had more views on my artist Facebook page from this video than from any previous post.  This Brussels Sprout Head painting "in progress" appears on YouTube.  If you go there via this blogpost, I will assume that reading is still alive and kicking.

PRISON WALLS

Penitentiary tourist attractions may not be on everyone's top ten list of things to visit while on vacation. Those who love exploring these types of "heritage sites" are usually enthralled by stories of convicts and escape attempts.  I visited two prisons over the years and surprisingly, on both occasions, was aesthetically overwhelmed. 

YEAR 2000

Freemantle Prison also known as Freemantle Gaol in Western Australia was built by prisoners.  Cells were unbelievably small sans flushing toilets.  Poo pails were de rigueur until the prison closed its doors in 1991.  Conditions were far from ideal.

Art rehabilitation?  There was no such thing and drawing or painting on cell walls was strictly taboo.  Only one inmate was allowed to draw on walls during his incarceration because it had a calming effect on his personality (no da).  This policy was nixed one year before the prison ceased its operations.  

Various characters populated the jail but I was particularly taken by inmate James Walsh.  A forger, he was a gifted artist who kept creating despite regulations. He drew beautiful work on his cell walls but managed to hide everything under a mixture of porridge and whitewash (I have no idea how or where he got the whitewash). His creations were accidentally discovered when some of the porridge mixture chipped off.  Below is what James Walsh achieved against all odds.  Mind boggling!

When I visited, sunlight cast barred shadows on the walls.  Perhaps the dim stripes added to the ambiance.  

Many artists painted their walls during the last year of the penitentiary's existence.  How incongruous that Freemantle Prison now offers art tours.  

Vibrant, colourful art by Aboriginal artists is everywhere.  A cheap camera and poor lighting conditions don't do these paintings justice.

YEAR 2016

I recently went to northern California and towards the end of the trip managed a visit to Alcatraz.  In light of Freemantle prison, I had serious expectations.  I was not disappointed, however the wall art of Alcatraz was not created by inmates.  It materialized due to the passage of time and decay.

Disrepair, corrosion, erosion generally beg for change.  In this day and age the mantra is RENOVATE PLEASE!  When I went to Havana, Cuba for instance, architectural jewels were disintegrating and the government was frantically attempting to save the buildings that it could.  Contrasts were striking. Crumbling surfaces startlingly complemented the new fresh coats of paint and materials.

Colours and textures that arise from decay and decomposition can be a source of inspiration.  The naturally decomposing cells of Alcatraz give rise to exquisite abstract compositions.  I played a bit in my Gimp software with photographs that I took on my phone.  Below is the source picture and my quickie modifications.  It's a starting point.

      

Artmaking was allowed at Alcatraz as shown in the cell below.  I was intrigued by the cast shadow in the upper right hand part of the photograph. 

Isolation:  these are the colours of the hole.

Disintegrating flush toilets result in amazing textures and abstract compositions.

Crumbling toilets, associations overflow!  

Humanity, poignancy, debasement, desecration, justice, injustice, defilement, coarseness, grain, distress, granular, spirit, skin, cycle, nature, history, death...  

Beauty exists everywhere but I always thought it unlikely that I would ever be seduced by a toilet.