Wifely wisdom

I have a theoretical studio which is about 30 square feet of our bedroom with a drawing table under a north facing window. Sue, my wife, came into this space and looked at the cross I was working on for Jolene Carter and said, "Are you really thinking of making a copy of your smaller cross for her?" I had sent Jolene a message saying I thought this might be the best way to get her the size cross she wanted for the price we had agreed on. "Well, I would have to make a few changes," I said.

"You won't do it. I know that inside you won't be able to sell someone a piece of art you don't think is original." Then she walked out, got ready for work, and left for her checking job at Safeway.

The paper was in front of me with the size blocked in for a cross to fit a large space. I had tried for weeks ways to symbolically emphasize the Holy Trinity in a cross, all for naught. Suddenly a way struck me to do it. When I say suddenly, it was many sketches that didn't work over the past months, and recalling the placement my son suggested for a circular design on an earlier cross. It seemed to flow easily at this point and it wouldn't do not to include it in Jolene's cross.

So it may be the power of suggestion, divine intervention, or serendipity, but Jolene will get an original in the larger size at the price she wanted. Its all good.

If I were organized...

The discussion on "Electric Kiss" featured in our last post will have to wait until I have the photos I need.

I find myself pondering things I don't have but need to put together a good presentation for galleries -- better digital photos of my work, a good dvd, and scans of my work so I can make prints if necessary. I'm not sure if anyone just walks in cold to galleries anymore with pictures in their hands but I may do that. The rest all costs money.

The one thing I can do is to produce more artwork. There have been numerous distractions this last week, paperwork, family, etc., all necessary but I need to increase my time management skills to make sure I have productive art time every day. Oh, to be organized.

If you were a real artist, you pictures would be on show somewhere.

You're in luck! All my pictures since the first snake are now on show at Newhall-Hunt Furniture in Puyallup, WA until the end of July. It could be termed a major retrospective since all my pictures are there except yesterdays's snake. The address is 113 W. Stewart St, only a block off Meridian by the train station in Puyallup. I am showing with Kris Jenott, my aforementioned (first post) mentor and representative. Kris had the courage to show my work at her Gallery and Gifts Shop in Puyallup when I only had three illustrations done. Now she tries to get my works shown in more places (the Open Studio tour in November, for one) and opens my eyes to the possibilities for the future.

My latest picture above is in the window. The design vocabulary is the same, but the look is very different. A discussion for tomorrow.

So if you're really an artist show me a picture

Behold, a pencil image! It is the first I completed using the main ingredients of style and design I use today which continue to challenge and fascinate me. You can see the influence of Celtic knot work. If you don't recognize this term, note that the body is one knot from beginning to end and an "over" always alternates with an "under". This element is found in most works I do. I looked through several books when trying to figure out how to do the designs. I believe the best to be George Bain's Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction which is available in paperback. It is very thorough so you can refer to it for most of your needs and doesn't fall into the trap of thinking knotted designs are simply a mathematical puzzle to be solved on the computer.

Undone by Buffy

Every 24 hours or so you were to gain insight into my creative process and psyche while watching my rise to artistic acceptance and fame. I forgot. Its true. I did mundane things related to medical insurance (which will get me money), watched Buffy for a while, and went to sleep.

My mother would have said, "You don't just forget. Obviously, you didn't really want to do it and your subconscious took over. If you had really wanted to do it, you would have done it."

I leave you to contemplate this. The Buffy show was pretty good, though.

I should be drawing...

At our last artist meeting the president mentioned we must promote and market ourselves and my mentor/representative also reminds me I must do this but it is something that does not come naturally to me.

So I hope that I will find a gallery that will represent me in a major art market and they will say, "Curtis, you keep drawing and produce great artwork and we will do everything else, you just show up every six months for a group show and every two years for a solo show. We will pay for the cost of making prints of your work, send you a stipend every month (unless every two weeks is better for you, of course), and give you travel expenses should you need to go overseas for inspiration now and again. You may have to come to gallery from time to time to meet important clients or be interviewed for major magazines, but we will pay transportation and housing costs for you and any members of your family you wish to bring."

I would pause then, contemplate, and say, "Well..,"

The gallery owner raises his left eyebrow, leans across the table and says, "Hard to get, aren't you. Okay, double the stipend, add comprehensive health insurance, and take complete artistic control. You never have to do a picture you don't want to do."

"Okay, then, I'm your man --or artist should I say," I reply.

This will be our journey to find that gallery. It sounds reasonable, does it not?