scribblings !
The online journal of a passionate artist, writer and educator.
December 2005 through January 2006
Dates in reverse order.
Waterlogged
Anyone else here in the Pacific Northwest feeling a bit
waterlogged? The sun came out the other day and I actually clapped and danced through
the house—got the dogs in a huge uproar. A trip to the local hardware store for a
new pair of pruners and a couple of hours out in the sun did me a world of good.
While working in the garden, I found some tenacious calendulas
to clip for the living room. Even today, the few that linger in the bouquet bring
back an inner glimpse of the sun on an otherwise rainy day, and provide a little inspiration
for another painting.
I hope you soak up every moment of brightness in your
day and let it inspire you in your work.
“As the sun colors flowers, so does
art color life.” John Lubbock
January 17, 2006
Another Wonderful Workshop
Thanks to the lovely group in Oak Harbor for hosting another
wonderful workshop! What a pleasure to see so many friendly faces and engage in our
 
 I'm sending out an email to you all with attachments of
the reference photos I took. Happy painting!
January 16, 2006
Artists' Pants
While researching for my blog this morning, I ran
across this quote and it made me laugh. It followed a letter about the importance
of artists' clothing and the wonderful patina they acquire with use.
"Artists ought to walk a mile in someone else's pants. That
way you're a mile away and you have their pants." Joe Blodgett
January 11, 2006.
Modern Art's Trip Down the Toilet
"I thought to discourage aesthetics... I threw the bottlerack
and the urinal in their faces and now they admire them for their aesthetic beauty."
Marcel Duchamp
In 1917, Marcel Duchamp took an ordinary gentlemen’s urinal
and, after signing it R. Mutt., submitted it to the New York exhibition by the Society
of Independent Artists. It was rejected for not being art.
December 2004, a jury of 500 artists, critics, dealers
and curators pronounced Marcel Duchamps’ urinal “the world’s most influential piece
of modern art”. Today, it is valued at a cool $3.6 million.
January 6, 2006, Pierre Pinoncelli, an avant-garde performing
artist, vandalized the “sculpture” with a hammer. It was not Mr. Pinoncelli’s first
attack on the “Fountain” (yes, that is its title), but out of delicacy, I will leave
the nature of that “attack” to your imagination. Let me just say that this time, it
has been removed for repair of a chip, a somewhat more pleasant task than that which
followed the previous incident. Mr. Pinoncelli claimed that his first act of vandalism
gave dignity back to the object and his second act put it out of its misery, a charitable
act, indeed, a work of performance art in and of itself.
The entire history of the “Fountain”, with the single
exception of the good judgment of the 1917 jurors who said the piece was not art and
excluded it from the exhibition, screams sham and a low view of art.
Even today we
live in the wake of the delusion of the modernists, but it does make for an interesting
story.
January 11, 2006.
Workshop Fun
Yesterday was great fun at the Florals that Glow workshop
in Bellevue. The following are a few photos of our talented group. Thank
   
 If you were in this workshp (or any other one I've taught),
promise me you will bring in your completed paintings and other current work next
time I see you... For a complete list of public workshops, check out
the events page. To set up a private workshop, contact me.
January 9, 2006
WOW-o-meter
and Other New Year’s Resolutions
Among my more mundane and recurring resolutions---
you know the ones: lose a few pounds, exercise and read more--- I’ve included several
noteworthy art resolutions I’d like to share.
I resolve to…
1. ...gather fragments of my day and spend them on my art.
2. ...mentor young talent, growing their knowledge, understanding and wisdom
in the use of good artistic principles that make for great art.
3. ...be a cheerleader for others in their artistic endeavors.
4. ...take pleasure in the tasks set before me—great and small.
5. ...aim at a 10 on the WOW-o-meter in every one of my own artistic endeavors
from painting to printing, from marketing to teaching.
6. ...(and then there's the funny one:) organize all of my art stuff.
"Room service? Send up a larger room." Groucho Marx
December 29,
2005
Inspiration
People frequently ask where I get the inspiration
for my paintings. To be truthful, the world is so full of inspiration that I am often
overwhelmed by it.
I’m fascinated by the way corn channels water to its roots, cascading
from leaf to leaf in the rain. The light in a child’s eyes captivates me. And the
beauty of ornamental architecture is sheer delight. Everywhere I look is beauty and
inspiration.
For me, choosing a subject to paint is more a matter
of editing. I am on constant lookout for those special moments in life that encapsulate
experiences common to man.
Most people respond to story and I am one of them. I want
my work to tell a story, convey a mood, transporting the viewer through time and space
to experience the moment with me.
“Looking is giving direction to one’s sight.” Leonardo de Vinci
December 29, 2005
Seasons
Fall had it’s up and downside for me. I can’t believe
how quickly it has gone and look forward to what lies ahead.
A downside to the last
few months was the limited amount of time I’ve had to devote to my website. For a
tiny bit of the upside, keep reading.
Yesterday, three little boys hugged my legs and
with shining eyes looking up into mine said, “I love you, Mrs. Olwin!” Call me a sap,
but my heart melted each time. I LOVE teaching!
This last season immersed me into
the education system once again as I have helped set up a K-12 alternative school.
Now I find myself making difficult choices and setting limits on it (in spite of the
tugs on my heart) because this next season signals art and teaching taken to another
level.
Life cycles through seasons for each of us. Each
cycle varies from the last and each season is beautiful with its changes and challenges.
The ebbing of one season brings bright possibilities of those things that lie ahead.
I hope you see the possibilities in your life season and are able to grasp each opportunity. For now, I hope this Christmas season finds you enjoying
your artistic pursuits and full of joy at sharing them with others.
(Tip: Tiny scraps
of art paper painted with holly, poinsettias, etc. make beautiful, personal hang
tags for gifts, ornaments and cards.)
"I dwell in possibilities." Emily Dickenson
December 7,
2005
|