Saturday, November 28, 2009

Ahhhhh, Thanksgiving over, and the lull before the storm has set in. For some reason or other I woke up this morning thinking that....wow, now there's nothing on the agenda for a long time except painting and more painting. Then reality crept in and I realized that if I want to relax about Christmas, I had better get a few things done and out of the way a.s.a.p. At least we have a family internal agreement that we are allowed 1 present each and THAT'S IT! It's those Christmas cards that are gnawing at the back of my brain...oh well, Anyway, have been making headway on some paintings that I have been halfway into, but set aside a few months ago. Also, I have two rather large canvases that I have splashed (literally) paint all over, and am searching for direction with. Monday it's dive-in time. I have 11 paintings hanging in a hair salon here in Bergen, owned by a good friend of mine. It would be wonderful to get some more exposure for them, rather than them sitting in my studio, so I am investigating many more avenues for getting them out there. Will be having my yearly exhibit at Lille Atelier in August, 2010. It feels good to have that decided, cause I work best with an exhibit on the horizon. The days are short, and getting shorter by the hour, but it's less than 1 month til the winter solstice now. I see that some of my neighbors have put up outdoor Christmas lights already, so I guess that means that I can't ignore it any longer. Going to bed....maybe I'll dream of Barbados.......

Friday, November 13, 2009

Good morning...being November already, I have to admit that I have been totally absentminded about adding to this blog....mostly because I have not been in the studio enough to warrant letting anyone know what's going on there. Jan and I have been traveling in the US the past month, and the SUN and warmth have charged me up for a while. Also, the people I have met on this past trip have been wonderful and inspiring (thanks, Falda) so I came back to Norway with renewed inspiration and enthusiasm for the work that I do...and it is WORK. I am alittle tired of the comments that I get when I tell people that I am at the studio or that painting is what I do....as though I'm there just "realizing myself", throwing paint around and having a ball. So much for acknowledging that years of school and showing up at the work place (atelier) qualify for calling what I (we) do as a real job. Artists who work hard and consistently show up and do the work needed for progression don't always have the marketing skills needed to "brag themselves" out to the rest of the world. And much of the world totally underestimates/neglects the side of their existence that needs visual/mental stimulation through the arts. Well, that won't stop our quest toward reaching for more than the eye can see, or trying to project our energy and insights outward, so that others can experience the power that the arts calls forth. The old adage that the pen is mightier than the sword, can be used for all of the art forms.... ignore the sensual side of yourself, and you close out some of the richest experiences you will have as a human being.