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A lot has happened since my last post.  I can’t believe it’s been so long, but I’ve been so busy creating, that I haven’t had time to write about it! 

Between September and now, I’ve participated in one art festival, two solo exhibits, and three group exhibits. I began serving as the President of our local arts Guild in January.  And over the past four months I’ve also designed and produced four very large public murals.  So, now, it’s time to catch my breath and show you what I’ve been up to.

Starting in October, I began to come up with designs for four murals that would be in the library at Frisco High School. I met with the librarian and principal at FHS, and we discussed how they would like the murals to be very colorful, livening up the library walls and appealing to the students there.  They wanted something that reflected how the library was used, and were looking for a more modern, less traditional feel for the murals.  Other than that, I was on my own! 

This is the first of the four murals, which measures 24′ x 8′, and is located behind the long circulation desk.  I call this mural “Connected,” because it shows the students connecting with books, technology and each other in the library.  I thought it would be fun to play with scale in the composition, so I made the books and notebook very large.  I tried to incorporate a variety of types of students, and I even used four FHS students as models for this mural.  By the time I finished, I had several requests from other students who wanted to be painted, too!

After completing my first mural, I moved on to the mural in the entry way of the library.  I knew it would be one of the first things you would see when entering, so I wanted to create another image that really grabbed your attention. 

 On this mural, the background images were inspired by posters featuring travel, science, fine arts, mathematics, health & fitness, etc.  Because of the popularity of using the students in the other mural, I photographed FHS students for each of these figures, putting them into the pose I had already sketched out on my plan.  I wanted these figures to really “pop,” so I made them resting on blocks that seem to project out into space.  It was fun to interact with the students who came into the library.  I call this mural “Inquiring Minds.”

The third mural was at the very end of the long, narrow library.  It is over the “College & Career” section, and it is called, “Outlook on the Future.”  I decided to go with a simpler, more graphic design, but still wanted to play with scale and three-dimensionality.  The background of this design includes a college building, a (long and) winding road, fields of blue,  and a city in the back ground.  The sky is full of gears, one with a compass, pointing the way to go.  A lone figure stands atop a stack of books, looking at the future.  In the foreground is a large book, that seems to be balanced atop the bookcase, with a graduation cap on top of it.  The tassle really fools the eye, looking like it pops right off the wall.  It has been fun to see the students and staff come into the library and try to decide if that book is real or not.  They often have to go up close to find out.

This is the final mural I painted for the library, in the fiction section.  I wanted this one to be loose and fun, with a graphic, pop art look.  I included references to 16 fiction books, two non-fiction books, and one really great bard.  This is very close to the entry mural, and is visible from the second floor of the school, through glass windows. 

The library hosted a reception for me today, and it was great to hear the responses of all those who were seeing the murals for the first time.  It’s always interesting to see how each mural appeals to people in a different way.  Some prefer the realism of “Connection” and “Inquiring Minds,” while others are drawn to the more stylized designs of “Outlook on the Future” and “Imagine.”  I love the fact that hundreds (thousands?) of people will get to enjoy them for many years.  That’s very gratifying.  This project has been a great experience for me, and I hope that it makes the library an even more appealing place for the students of FHS to hang out.

So, I’ve been working in my studio.  Earlier in the month I spent a great deal of effort fretting about what to make.  That’s really a bad state to be in.  Wanting to make art, but not knowing what to make.  Fortunately, I got myself together, and gave myself a reminder to just enjoy the act of making art.  Quit worrying about the outcome.  Then I let myself play. 

Before I knew it, I was brushing, scraping, spraying, glazing, running, layering, and gluing.    I made myself conscious of how the paint moved on the canvas.  I stuck my fingers in it, and it felt good! I watched it run as I sprayed water into the wet paint.  I saw the color change as I glazed over the yellow paint with a dull purple.  I set it aside and begin again on a new surface.   The monster had been unleashed.

Right now, I have four new large canvases and twelve new small ones in the works.   While I wait for the inspiration for a new image to hit, I continue to play.  Laying the foundation.  Painting layer after layer.  Building up texture.  Building up layers of meaning. Maybe the image I create when I am playing will be the end result, or maybe it won’t even be visible by the time I am done.  Who knows?   I have to trust my instincts and know that my subconscious is a better artist than I’ll ever be.

“To live a creative life, we must lose the fear of being wrong. “   - Joseph Chilton Pearce

Over the past couple of years, this has become my creative motto.  It speaks to me very personally.  I am by nature a perfectionist of sorts, terribly afraid of being wrong.  Mostly not wanting to look stupid.  

I’m not sure how this became such a part of who I am, but it’s been there a long time. 

When it comes to art, don’t we all feel like we’re wrong at some point?  I have sat through many, many art history classes, all of which held up artists as geniuses of their time.   And I agree that many were indeed geniuses.    I’ve critiqued their work.  I’ve stood in awe.  But some of them really just knew how to work the system.   And sometimes I thought, “What?  This is art?”  Because, as we all know, art these days is so subjective that it’s hard to say what art is anymore.  I like some of it.  I hate some of it.  Most of it I can at least appreciate.  But you have to admit it, most of what is considered “modern” and “it” in the art world now really isn’t very pleasant to look at. 

Yes, I know that’s the point, ok.  But it still doesn’t make me want to look at it.  So there.  It is visual art, for crying out loud.

And so what if I’m wrong?  I’m not afraid of being wrong anymore, remember?

So this leads me back to my own creativity….. over and over again as I’m working in my studio, I have to remind myself to enjoy my creativity.  Stop thinking so hard and have some fun at it.  Play.  Experiment. 

I’m still working on losing my fear, I guess.  But I’m a lot closer than I was this time last year.  And the year before…. 

The “Color: Between the Lines” show has been success.  Thanks to all who were able to make it out so far, and thanks to all of you who live to far away to attend but sent me your good karma anyway.  

Putting together an art exhibit is quite the task, and I can really appreciate the benefit of having a gallery handle it for you (although we were not privileged to that benefit in this case).   In addition to making half of the art in the show, we’ve spent weeks preparing biographies, planning the menu and trying to invite anyone and everyone we could possibly think of.  Then there was updating my web site, sending e-mails, updating Facebook, etc., etc.   I may sound like I’m complaining, but really I’m not.  As hectic as it is, I rather enjoy all of the prep work.  And I feel very privileged to have the opportunity.  It really is a lot of work, though.  All in the hopes of baring your soul to the world (or rather a small circle of friends and aquaintances) and hoping to break even.  What a romantic life, being an artist.

In addition to the reception, I’ve been up to the gallery space a few other times to show friends and family my work.  Each time I had to take my daughters, they kind of groaned under their breath, saying “But we’ve already seen it fifty times.”  Experts in hyperbole.  Not yet experts in flattering their mother.  Makes me wonder how they’ll remember their childhood……”My mother used to make me go sit still in the galleries where her art work was on display.  We’d have to look at the same boring things over and over and over.  It was absolute torture…” 

The show closes this Friday.  The gallery will be open Friday night from 5-8pm, so if you still haven’t seen it and want to, please come by.  Thanks to T. Scott Stromberg and his wife Sammie for all of their work in pulling this show off, too!