Friday, March 19, 2010

Something New

I've been in heavy day job work mode completing payroll tax forms for businesses. It does pay the bills but you really couldn't say that it feeds the soul. So here's some soul food that I've been working on - something different but related to two other recent paintings



This is Lateral Movement, encaustic and mixed media on panel, 24"x24". This is not usually the way I make a painting with a lot of expressive marks and then that hard-edged diagonal, but I thought I would experiment a little. (By the way, this image is way too screaming orange. It doesn't really look like that.)




Lateral Movement detail


It's meant to go with these two others:



All Relative, encaustic and mixed media on panel, 24" x 24"





Italian Afternoon, encaustic and mixed media on penal, 24" x 24"


I have been tinkering with the last two and renamed the second one. (In person it doesn't really suggest spaghetti sauce.)





So here is the threesome, although this image really strips the color out of them, especially the third one.

About now, I am really tired of this palette and want to move on to something entirely different. I've been kind of stuck in this orange mode for a while.

Time Out for a Whine
Although I have many ideas for paintings, I am feeling like it's not really worth making them because they will just be taking up space in my studio. This is a discouraging place to be in and I had better whup myself into shape and get my mind right. The lack of sales and shows is affecting my motivation to continue. Somehow I missed getting my name on the trust fund from the wealthy relative and have to resort to filling out tax forms and doing bookkeeping to keep the studio going. I am lucky to have those skills, but there is nothing like being able to sell paintings.

What set this decline in motion was getting rejected from the Lake Oswego show in Oregon. Remember these paintings?

In Transition, encaustic and mixed media,
16"x16"










Lying Beneath, encaustic and mixed media,
16"x16"




Prologue, diptych, encaustic and mixed media, 16"x32"

Rejected.
Yadda, yadda, curator's vision, crapshoot, etc.
It saved me a fortune in shipping costs and is just as well but I would rather that it had been my choice. And of course that was not a show where I would have sold anything. (God, I sound like my mother. Shoot me now.)

So this is where I am - kind of doldrumish - rattling around in my big, clean studio - starting things and not finishing - ready to just stay home and start cleaning up the yard. Spring fever?



8 comments:

Leslie Avon Miller said...

I was just talking with an artist friend today about how I really crank out the work when I have a due date to meet. Not so much when I don't. I buy paint with my day job earnings too. Trade offs, of course. I really enjoyed your interview at Terry Jarrard-Dimond's blog.

layers said...

well, we all have ups and downs as artists-- something good will happen and then a rejection or something bad-- and then something good- and we are all in the economic slump right now-- but we keep working in our studios- and can never predict when that something good will happen again.

Terry Jarrard-Dimond said...

It stinks when you face road blocks and disappointments but a bit down the road things will be better and it will be wonderful to look back and see that you didn't let those disappointments slow you down. You will be ready for 'the big one' to quote Fred Sanford;)

Your work is beautiful and meaningful and don't forget it.

Nancy Natale said...

Thanks for your support, Leslie, Donna and Terry. I appreciate your advice and encouragement. I took the weekend off from the studio to hang out with my partner and dogs. Last night we went to a comedy show with friends and had some good laughs. Gotta keep on rollin'.

Anonymous said...

What the heck do they know in Oswego? NOTHIN!!! I'm sorry you're feeling down. Sounds like a good time to take a break. Looking forward to the little museum trip and our meeting next week, and seeing you too!

Binnie said...

whine all you want....look at all the great work...art and organizational that you do...your post on Misa was great! Wallow and enjoy!!!!

SKIZO said...

WOW.

Kimberly said...

Ahh, yes! I got rejected for that show too! As I sighed to a friend of mine that it was the second rejection I had receved in two days, he said "Yeah but that doesn't mean anything." Should I mention that we were on our way to a gallery where I was having a solo show? I think that rejection not only keeps me humble, but it also makes me pause and think, "Huh, now isn't that something?"

Anyway, I understand.

Here's to saving money on shipping costs! Hooray!