Art, Inspiration, Creation
Art, like life is a Quandary - Learn to Simplify
7/23/2019 8:14:21 AM
My half of a century of life has taught me many things. Lessons I wanted and lessons I did not want, and answers that made sense, and many that didn't, those I just could not and still can not understand. But through the years, the answers have become simpler, and more profound-when they finally come. I have so many questions that have been running about in my head and have haunted me since my earliest memories. Questions like:
What are we doing here?
Why was I born in THIS family?
Why can't I laugh ALL of the time?
Why can't I just imagine something, and it just appear?
just to name a few.
So this little life that started out as an innocent person, sketching stick figures holding hands with crayola crayons; which was kind of imagining and making things appear-has become a bigger life, with history, memory, habits, hurts, joys, and more questions.
We face challenging situations through out our lives, which is where I am at right now, with an aging parent. So this morning, with my cup of black tea, cream and maple syrup, (You should try it..It is REALLY tasty), I walk outside and just ask with intensity"WHAT DO I DO?" without saying HELLO first. Nothing replied.
Then I look around at nature, in my beautiful Tennessee setting, and breathe in its existence, and witness the enormous amount of growth that has happened since it has been raining as much as it has lately, and I ask again, "What Do I Do?" with more feeling, and less aggression...and maybe a willingness to listen.....and a gentle answer comes with grace:
" If you don't cut the grass- it grows" ....
What? (just to make sure I heard this correctly)..."If you do not cut the grass- it will grow" (as if I was deaf)
What a simple lesson...The visual for me is ...if I do nothing, I will be surrounded by 3 foot tall grass, and uncontrollable circumstances, which will take MORE effort to control, than If I just cut the grass.
As I pondered this statement, and reflected on my personal situation and my own art creations, this answer fits so many things. Lack of effort - creates uncontrollable circumstances - and causes defeat.
Of course I will sweat, maybe stump a toe, bruise my hand....or other little boo-boos while cutting the grass, (or spend $ for someone else to do it) but that is temporary. The reward is looking at a nicely mowed, controlled, and beautiful yard, that I can stand in and enjoy.
Really- nature is uncontrollable, and our little efforts make a difference for a moment. It is a continual effort, on our parts, to carve out a little space on this planet to rest our little bodies or make a statement. But visualize for a moment if NO ONE CUT THEIR GRASS. You may live in a desert, I don't know (You may be saying...thank God I do not have to cut grass), but just humor yourself. Visualize the neighbor's house and your house...driving up and wading through reptile invested grasses to get into your humble abode. You probably would not like to go outside. It might be a relief to get into your door. Get the picture?
Most of us do not want to live that way.
So write down three things that you think need to be faced or "controlled" or simply just DONE - that are within your effort- and ask yourself---What will happen if I DO NOT DO IT?
Then decide which one to tackle first. You could toss a coin if you like for a little excitement.
Then go for it.
Be Happy Creating!
Yours Truly,
Jennifer
7/11/2019 9:58:40 AM
The longer I am alive, and the more I learn about other cultures, ancient civilizations, and consciousness; the more I realize how young I am.
At this current moment, in this time and space - I am a mid career, mid-life (if you consider 50 mid) mid everything- and know...almost nothing.
My husband and I recently visited and purused the "West", starting in Oakley, Kansas, and up through Steamboat Springs, Colorado, basically ending at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico; we both were enlightened by the ocean splitting the US in two, (The Western Interior Seaway), and were like, "We never heard of that before." (maybe one day in elementary school textbooks- of which that memory is so embedded it didn't show up or the 'idea' of evolution was kept under the rug). Of course we knew the ocean covered everywhere, or most of the earth, or so we see signs of and have been taught along the way by 'wiser' teachers; But the progressions or regression of water and it's time on earth, who really knows, we hadn't a clue.
This was complete fascination to both of us as we explored around, through, under, over and on top of (every spatial concept you can imagine) sandstone, shale, silt, gypsum, limestone, quartz, and lava rocks, etc. some dating back to 161- 165 MILLION years OLD. WOW!!!! Colors, Shiny things, sandy things.....touch everything-This became the mission of our trip.
I have always been preoccupied with rocks, the earth, the sky and its unlimited inhabitation of unknown things since I first had a memory. NOW my husband has equal preoccupation with it. This was like living my whole life of things I love in two weeks. I am still dreaming of red, white, and green, rocks and depths of earth, and sand in weird places.
How does this relate to art? Inspiration! Creation! The realization that there is so much more to my little life, it has my head spinning with new ideas, and a new love for what to interpret and why on canvas or with sculpture. Yes Sculpture! I have sculpted in the past, and had to make a choice to paint or sculpt. But I think I can do both. Stay tuned for that.
I also encourage you to go outside and absorb the idea that you are standing on a 4.5 Billion year old planet. I can not fathom that. I knew it as a kid, staring into space, just innately before people started filling my brain with other "ideas". I didn't even know what 'a billion' meant. Still don't.
Just take that in.....for a moment.
A moment out of 4.5 billion years of existence surrounding you, in some form or shape, or molecule.
SUGGESTED PLACES To VISIT
Black Canyon in Gunnison National Park, Gunnison, CO
The Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Hot springs in Ajo Caliente, New Mexico
The Monument Rocks, Oakley, Kansas
Fish Creek Falls, in Steamboat Springs, CO
Strawberry Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs, CO
Ghost Ranch, in New Mexico
Abbey Brewing Company, where you can get Monks ALE, made by monks (with care and prayer) - Abiquiu, New Mexico
7/4/2019 9:55:48 AM
We started off our trip expecting to sleep in the back of the van for much of the trip. Which we have done, with the exception of staying in Steamboat Springs, CO and then an unplanned stay in Abiquiu, NM each for 5 days. We took this opportunity to wash clothes, "Chill-ax" and enjoy our private time.
But some things we do not plan for, such as the wilderness of the Black Canyon, and black bears and thunderstorms. The way we planned everything, was to set out our coolers, and boxes of food, and move the drawers of clothes so we can clear the bed in the back of the van.
Well.....at the black canyon, numerous signs of "watch out for bears", and "keep your food in bear safe lockers" were everywhere. hmmm. JT and I found a place to camp, backed the van in, and sat in the front of the car in silence, eating our "dinner", a salad we bought from the grocery store, watching lightening and wind surround us with a tempting thunderstorm.
I bet we were thinking the same thing...the visualization of a bear getting into our plastic containers, not bear-proof lockers, and then pushing the van while we slept for more goodies, since there was plenty outside, not to mention having to go outside to use the restroom, a latrine, we parked 40 feet from. It was almost synchronous when we both said, maybe we should drive down the road a little farther and find a place to stay.
The drive was spectacular watching the sunsetting through the Gunnison National Forrest at about 30MPH, with breathtaking views, deer, and windy roads. A couple of hours later, in the dark, we arrived at an inn called Gunnison Inn, (old Water Wheel Inn) with an "under new management" sign outside.
So, hoping there was a vacancy, we walked in and met a very nice lady, Lulu (new owner), who graciously served us and said "there was room at the inn". We slept SO GOOD! No bears, dry, and woke up to a golf course and Rocky Mountains surrounding us the next morning.
We never meet a stranger-and so the next morning, Lulu had a wonderful breakfast, for all the guests, homemade biscuits and gravy, fruit, many healthy options, and we talked about bringing our family back. She gave us a tour of the new sauna room, and the renovations upstairs, that would also take place downstairs. Her story was that she owned a restaurant in Chicago for many years, and visited Colorado, fell in love, bought this Inn, and has not looked back. (short version). Her family, sister and cousins, are moving or visiting and helping as well. I think she has only had it for 7 months, but such a wonderful, delightful host, and YOU MUST STAY HERE!
After the tour of the Inn, we started on the way to Abiquiu, New Mexico. Another breathtaking drive through big red rocks, and valleys, and a thunderous river flowing by us- AN artist DREAM! We stopped at nearly every turn for photos. I had made my reservations for Abiquiu while staying in Steamboat. We had planned on camping, but all the campgrounds were full because it was 4th of July week. So I resorted to Air BNB's. I found a place, "on the desert on 70 acres". The photos looked good, and the reviews nice, and it was available! So I grabbed it. (another unplanned expense).
3 hours later, as we drove down the dusty dirt (or sandy), very bouncy road to our destination, my husband, again in silence, wondering where I had us sleeping. To his surprise, we arrive at a quaint pueblo house. And again the earth presented us with fabulous desert views and a very welcoming owner, a woman, Dana Chodzko, a retired professor of sculpture from Santa Fe University.
We became fast friends and had many things in common. She joined us for two nights of entertainment with JT playing the guitar, wine, and laughter! We made up songs, and talked about anything you could imagine. We made dinner one night, inviting Dana. She told us how, earlier in the day she was on the phone telling a relative this, and their reply was: " They are paying you, AND making you dinner?" , not understanding the generosity. I told her, welcome to southern charm!
She showed us the projects of art she is working on now. Glass pieces with copper, and iron, and bronze-larger heavier pieces. She showed us her work from the time she was in HighSchool. Very beautiful, creative, self-sufficient woman and work! She is an Internationally recognized installation artist. She was so organized, it made me appear dysfunctional.
Who could have picked a better fit, than the places we stayed and the people we met along the way. It was as if "someone else" planned these magical places, and magical people and events that unfolded day by day.
JT has created new songs, and new music and I have painted some new places with experimenting colors. The experiences have been almost indescribable. Just what we needed to have as a placeholder in our memory for the ' trip of 2019.'
Internet has been scarce, phones forgotten, memories made, new friendships and inspiration to last for another year (or a lifetime), until our next trip.
Below is the van's travel dirt just from our Dusty Road in and out of our temporary abode in New Mexico. Today We explore Ghost Ranch!
Happy 4th of July! and Happy Creating.
LINKS:
Magical Stay in Albiquiu AirBNB
HotSprings in Oja Caliente, NM
7/2/2019 12:32:20 PM
Most of the time Inflection is used to describe a word that changes a tone, or mood. [Synonyms if 'inflection' are: stress, cadence, rhythm, accentuation, intonation, emphasis, modulation, meter, measure, rise and fall, swing, lilt, beat, change of pitch, change of tone, change of timbre]
Example: "his voice was completely without inflection"
But I like it in terms of color when painting. What is the Inflection of color; mood, emphasis, rhythm, beat? It works.
The use of color really needs to be thought through, because it does hold it's own inflection. It can change a mood, or emphasize another color or subject, it can create a rhythm. I love the thought of it. I have been really trying to emphasize color, or de-emphasize it, so that the story can be seen, or felt. I do this sometimes by muting colors into more of a grey sense. Being in Abiquiu, New Mexico, where the colors are so different than Tennessee, it is a challenge to create the mystery of this place and emphasize certain qualities. No problem creating a rhythm or a song with the multiple variations of colors. It is an artist's dream here, everywhere you look, there is something to say.
I painted the desert twice, one ended abstractly, and one impressionistically. I will paint it many times until I find what it is trying to teach me.
Think about your colors, and how you want to emphasize something,
Happy Creating.
Jennifer
