Wassily Kandinsky

Inspiration

Dana Schutz

Amy Sillman

Painting #1

My Studio Space

Beginning

Art & Fear

I could definitely relate to this reading, and there were parts that particularly resonated with me.

When she talked about not being a "real artist" I could really relate. I had never really considered myself an artist and always felt like I was trying to be something I wasn't when I did art. While I loved doing art I never felt that I would be considered a true artist.

I also really liked how she talked about doing your best work versus doing YOUR work depending on who you are doing art for. You have to do your art for yourself and produce what is your best and not lose yourself to try to please other artists.

Lastly, I really like how she talks about how people feel that there is a special magic that makes producing art easy and beautiful. I used to think that if it didn't just come then it wasn't real art. The more I work the more I learn that sometimes it is easy, but other times you really have to work for the end product, and that both can produce real art.

First Weeks

Started the class by experimenting with charcoal and paint. The blue piece is a mixed media piece with tissuepaper and ink

Twyla Tharp

What is scratching and how does Ms. Tharp suggest we do it? Knowing how you work in the studio, what methods, techniques, or tricks can you see yourself using from Ms. Tharp's suggestions? She's talking about dance. What would this behavior look like in the art studio?

Scratching is the way that we are to find ideas. Twyla tells us to explore new places, music, books, and art works but not to forget the established artists too. It's theses places and works that can spark a small idea that we can mold and allow to evolve into a bigger creation. I love going outside and seeing the shapes and textures in the world and letting them inspire how my next project will turn out. Since I haven't been as religious with my sketching I have been looking to things like buildings and places to inspire me until I get my personal style better established again before I go looking at other peoples' work. However seeing the way that other artists use their media shows you new techniques that you can incorporate into your own work.

For me actual dancing is what dancing in a studio looks like. I love being barefoot in the studio constantly moving to keep the pencil/brush/charcoal moving. The shapes, whatever they may be, change and I either hate or love them. It's the constant dance that keeps me from hitting a wall.