Happy Easter!!!
It is Easter weekend as I write this. It is the end of Lent, a time when many Christians attempt to unite themselves to the mystery of Jesus in the desert. Passover, a remembrance of the ancient Hebrews' exodus out of bondage in Egypt has recently been celebrated by the Jews. And, it is a time of tentative anticipation of the return to the life we cherished before the worldwide quarantine of 2020. I'm thinking about the blessings of art during the quarantine, and I'm planning for how to create a new (satisfying) normal after this unusually intense and unique season.
Blessings
Throughout this quarantine I have wracked my brain for ways to keep busy and be of service. The "no contact" nature of the emergency stymied personal ways of helping. I don't have school age children, and I retired from teaching last year, so homeschooling, either in person or online hasn't been part of my quarentine routine. My closest family members are all safe. Therefore, I came to the conclusion back in March that the best thing I could do was simply to handle my own affairs in a safe and responsible way, so as not to add to anyone else's burden. I've stayed home, talked on the phone, texted friends and relatives, "zoomed" with former coworkers, and shared memes about toilet paper on social media. I finished cleaning out cabinets and closets, rearranged furniture to create a more efficient studio for art making, and tried to manage my own fear. Gradually I have learned ways to better care for myself by cooking at home, starting positive routines, including exercise, establishing a more regular prayer life and setting my mind on keeping my peace during a panic. I am a work in progress.
Time to Make Art
About five years ago I had a different desert experience in the form of teacher burnout in which making art played a role managing some significant stress. I had a magnet on my fridge then with this quote by George Bernard Shaw: "Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." Since that time, every decision I've made has been with the idea in mind of creating an artful life. I have a friend who listened often to my worries during that other anxious time. The quarentine has reversed our circumstances. I'm retired, and my friend, who is still working is telling me his worries during this present awfulness.
He remembered how stressed I was five years ago, how my thoughts were tinged with fear, and he asked me a couple of weeks ago, "How are you staying so calm and centered?" I didn't realize I was "calm and centered." The only answer I could think to give was that I'm blessed to have an art practice in my life that I can turn to in nearly any situation or weather condition. If I have a pencil and paper, I can do something that engages my mind and my heart.
In anticipation of a predicted four to five day stretch of rain, I gave him a set of Koi watercolors, a brush and a paper pad. It was all I had that I thought he might try to use during wet weather. I have books to give, but he doesn't like to read. I have plenty of decks of cards and other games, and he has a daughter (and her boyfriend) living next door to play them with, but he doesn't enjoy board games or card games. He doesn't work puzzles. He rarely watches TV. He does have an amazing gift for working on mechanical or electrical projects, and building or repairing things. He actually built the lovely bungalow in which he lives, and his father painted in oil as a hobby, so I know he's got a creative, even artistic, spark.
During good weather his projects helped take his mind off the quarantine. Even if one of his projects were portable, he'd have no room to work on them inside his cottage. At this writing, the rain has ended, and I'm not sure how the "watercolor experiment" went. I hope everyone who had to stay home has been able to find enriching activities in which to engage. I'm thankful I have a variety of interests.
An art practice is one way to create a life infused with creativity and mindfulness. I know in my own life, making art has helped me keep myself centered. I'm never without a plan for creating something, and my house is set up so I can keep a daily art discipline and also indulge new ideas when they come. My wish is that everyone can learn positive ways to cope with whatever may come after corona in the near or distant future.
Routines and Dreams
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| Workstation for morning drawing training |
Since January, after receiving a brand new sketchbook as a Christmas gift, and making a resolution to fill up every page, I've been faithful to my drawing training routine. Most every morning, with my coffee in one hand and my Ticonderoga in the other, I've done at least one upside-down drawing, (or sometimes a one-to-one drawing). That routine takes only about 20-30 minutes. It's like calibration for my brain, teaching me to slow down, training my hand to work with my eyes, and making me hungry to paint. I have a mentor who pesters me to do this type of drawing training routine. He says, "Train four days a week and you can achieve any art dream." So what else did I have to do during the days of forced isolation but focus on my routine?
A Couple of Experiments
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| 3rd time painting of one of my favorite scenes |
Right now on my studio easel is a 24x28 canvas, work in progress, of the Rio Grande gorge in the desert outside Taos, New Mexico. I've been working small for a good long while, so it feels freeing to work bigger.
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Nocturnes are an interest of mine since taking a workshop in Driggs, Idaho last summer with an artist named Susan M. Rose. The full moon in April was particularly big and bright, and skies were finally clear after days of rain, so I went outside to capture that moonlight.
Looking Forward
After this self-isolation is over, I still look forward to participating again in plein air events. I've still got Driggs Plein Air (Driggs, ID) on my schedule for late July. Then Steamboat Springs in September. Burnet Art Fest and Paint the Town, Marble Falls are rescheduled for October. And perhaps, November will find me in Galveston again at Brushes-by-the-Beach. I'm also excited about resuming paint outs with Hill Country Outdoor Painters.
Changes and Other Big Decisions
Perhaps joining the Highland Art Guild in Marble Falls, and getting involved in my local art community will bear creative and financial fruit. By June I'll be eligible to show there as a regular member.
Some Things are Essential
The experience of observing this virus and its effects on the world has been mind-boggling and disheartening. I was tempted to give in to the idea that art is "non-essential" during such a pandemic, because there are so many Americans struggling horribly with the panic the virus has unleashed. I remember feeling that crippling uncertainty five years ago, as I have mentioned. And again, for me, art and beauty were a way to cope, even in the midst of the uncertainty.
I'd like my art to remind viewers that beauty exists, and it has power to calm our minds. When I walk into an art gallery or museum, it feels like a mini-vacay. My blood pressure and my heart rate go down. (Not kidding!) Although I do have an internet sales presence, and times have been tough, (even before quarantine) for galleries, I hope brick and mortar galleries never go away completely. Further, looking at art online or in a magazine is wonderful, but it's not a substitute for gazing upon an art piece (or some other beautiful object) you love in your own home that reminds you of a moment you cherish or a place you love.
Coming out of the corona desert, I'd like to remember to view this world and the people in it with more tenderness. Metaphorically, sometimes I feel I treat the canvas on the easel too roughly and that my paintings would benefit from more tenderness as well. There's a fear that keeps people separated and it's also a barrier to the making of art. Fear can be paralyzing mental clutter. When I cleaned out most of the cabinets in my house, I only kept essential items I though would help me focus on my goals for the future, (or those things that contribute to healthy, orderly human life). Things I don't use anymore are in boxes in my garage. The remainder of 2020 will be about getting rid of the clutter in my cabinets, in my garage, and in my mind.
Whether you are a visual artist or not, you do possess a creative mind. Decide what gets you through the desert. I encourage you to move forward with less of what doesn't serve your goals and more of what does, so you can live your best life.
Peace,
Judi
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