I am going to try and do a catch up on everything that has been going on. The summer has already started with a bang. This is the first weekend I have been home in a while. Drew and I have been traveling every weekend and he left for Texas this morning and I have stayed here in VT to catch up on my work. I will spend the entire weekend in my studio. We have been doing the Urban Street Bike Warrior stunt bike competition/ shows. You can see some of what these crazy riders do at Drew’s site www.stonefilmsnyc.com . We spent the last 2 weekends in Connecticut. The shows were a success but there was a tragedy last weekend with one of the ATV riders. He was killed at the Thompson Motor Speedway. His family was watching from the bleachers and it was really sad. This is a very dangerous sport. Drew has broken his foot, hand, shoulder and knee just filming them. Usually when I go on these trips I enjoy doing my art but I have been tending our merchandise booth so very little art actually got done. I did get to meet my friend Amber and her husband. They took a drive to meet us and that was a highlight of last weekend. I mentioned her in my last blog entry but if you haven’t yet seen her site check it out www.ambersartgallery.com .She does what she calls “Paint to the Music” Impressively she is a modern dance teacher/ artist and she has figured out a way in incorporate these talents. Read her blog to understand more about “Paint to the Music”. I have met so many wonderful people through the internet and when I actually get to meet up with them in person I get so excited. Hopefully they will come to VT for a visit perhaps Amber and I could do some art together. What do you think girl?? They got to see my crazy Drew running around the track filming doing his thing on the mic etc. Here are some photos of the riders from the show at Excalibur.
Last night I had an art opening at Phoenix Rising 34 State Street in Montpelier Vermont. There was an art walk in town and Susan from Phoenix contacted me to have a solo show in her place. She owns the boutique next to where my shop used to be. It was a lot of fun! I saw so many people that knew me as the owner of Karma Imports and not as an artist. To see the look on there face when they walked in was priceless. I got a lot of “oh my God this is what you’re doing now?” where was this hiding?? It was great! When I had my store I had some prints for sale but sort of hid them in a corner. Art was always what I just did not something I ever did thinking oh someone will buy this one day. This is why my earlier works are not for sale. When I decided to give art for sale a try my attitude was I am making this to not live with me so I didn’t get emotionally attached to the work. Although if a painting hangs around for a few months it grows on me and then I don’t want to see it go and usually raise the price. So to my buyers if you like a piece it’s best to get it right after it’s complete –you are more likely to get a better price- LOL!! The show went great and I was caught saying this is my first physical show and I was asked what are you used to? Showing in the astral world? HAHAH! Kind of! I make my living doing art now but rarely get to interact with my buyers in person. I get wonderful emails constantly but there is something really special watching people looking into my work especially if they don’t know I’m the artist. The best compliment came from a woman/artist who was very opinionated and negative about the bulk of my work. I think from the box she lives in artists must be conscious of every aspect of creating the work -that’s just not how I work. I usually have no idea what it will look like let alone analyzing colors, linear this and that etc. She started talking about one of my pieces and I was totally lost. I felt almost ignorant because I had no idea what she was talking about. Some of the terms she used to describe this specific piece had me wondering what the hell she is talking about. I guess that’s what happens when you are mostly self taught. It’s like when I heard you are NEVER supposed to put blue next to red- HUH?? WHY?? I don’t get it. Doesn’t what your SUPPOSED to do or not do limit you? She actually said one of my pieces made her ANGRY! That was incredible! She had just been in Australia and it had reminded her of Aboriginal art. I was told many years ago by a woman that my work reminded her of Aboriginal art. She actually bought me a book called “Dreamings The Art Of Aboriginal Australia”- She said I must have been an Aborigine in my past life- and strangely enough in 1999 I did a copyright of my art collection from 1994-1999 under the name “living dreams” at the time I had no idea what Aboriginal art was like. Anyway now that I think back to what the ANGRY lady was saying- I realize she came to that conclusion because it was a reflection of the way she creates. Because her process of making art is very thought out she assumed I was consciously thinking about what I was doing and making an Aboriginal rip off piece. I didn’t get it in the moment because I was still shocked that it made her angry-LOL! But I totally get it now because she doesn’t understand my process of not thinking when I’m working. I hadn’t even made the comparison of Aborigianl art until she brought it up. This is the piece she was talking about.
It’s the one on the far right ” bw circle abstract” The other pieces to the left are stretched canvas giclee pieces.
I see what she means now but to me this piece was me being obsessive. Hours of circles- I don’t remember what I was thinking when I did it and it’s probably because I wasn’t thinking- and that’s the point! That’s why I love making art because I don‘t have to think – I just do and my mind it quiet! When someone has so much criticism then says something positive I really pay attention because it is out of character for them which means they really mean it. It actually means more to here something positive form a negative person than to hear positivity from a positive person. Did that make since? It does in my head- anyway- she said “what I do like about your work is each piece stands alone- I want to look at each one” wow! That was a compliment coming from her and the most memorable one of the evening!! She said she was on her way to see another show that can be viewed as a collective. You can appreciate the show looking at it all together but don’t need to look at each piece. Oh boy I feel for the artist she went to after me. What’s funny is she kept asking me are you sure this is ok? Are you sure I can be honest? I was thinking wow this is going to be harsh but then I had to think why is it that this woman NEEDS me to know how she feels about it? Then that made me feel good. She must have some respect for what I do or it wouldn’t be so important for her to let me know how she feels about it. I don’t think she would have wasted her breath if she had walked in and hated it. It obviously made her stop and stay for awhile and figure out what it was she didn’t like. I don’t know about you but when I really dislike art that I’m looking at I just move on. She stayed for quite awhile. So these are the new issues I will be dealing with when having shows and I welcome it! I wasn’t uncomfortable at all! Art is subjective and my work especially -doesn’t work for everyone!! And it obviously didn’t work for the trained eye of what you’re supposed to do with paint. What a scary concept huh?? THE WAY IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE AHHH!! I left school because a teacher was afraid that I would learn the way ART IS SUPPOSED TO BE!! It was my first semester in this college and the last semester for this teacher. As like most things in my life I was unorganized and was late in registering for my classes. So all of the beginning art classes were full and I submitted some art to the advanced painting class. At the end of the course my very last class the teacher pulled me aside and said “I really shouldn’t say this but my suggestion to you is to stop taking art classes. You have a very unique original style and if you continue on your work will be institutionalized and end up looking like everyone else in this class.” It was just what I needed to hear. So I left school! I guess the real difference between the angry lady’s art process and mine is she thinks her way through her art and I feel my way through mine. I don’t think either way is right or wrong every artist has there process but not excepting that there are many processes of working is really the biggest mistake and this goes for most things in life right? It’s all about tolerance and acceptance!! We all live, look, act, think and work differently. Have a great weekend everyone!
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