Clare Murray Adams
Meanwhile...
9/2/2024
Art - like love - is an active process of growth and development,
not a God-given talent. -Robert Motherwell
I
"With Strings Attached" 18x18"
mixed media acrylic paint with collage
Accepted to Tikkanen Painting Prize Exhibit
It is cool here today as I write my September Newsletter. I'm loving the coming of cooler weather but know there are still warm days ahead. August was very busy with company, gardening, canning and freezing produce from the garden, and artmaking.
I will be teaching some classes this fall and have several exhibits coming up which I have noted below. One of these events might be something you'd like to attend.
I'd love to see or meet you in class or at an exhibit!
Meanwhile... as I work toward returning to a regular studio practice here are some ideas for you and your creative self.
* Start or maintain a daily art practice. Remember those New Year's
Resolutions to keep a sketchbook or journal? Rededicate yourself now!
Art and creativity can't happen and grow if you aren't in the studio regularly.
*Not feeling inspired? Clean your studio! I always come upon materials that
I collected for projects that I rediscover when I straighten things up.
It's like getting new supplies that can inspire or remind me of projects or
processes I wanted to explore.
*Are you traveling this fall? Create an altered book travel album. Buy an
old hardcover book about the place you are going to and collage your
photos, drawings, and writings on the pages. Actually, any book will work.
*Take a trip to the hardware store with art supplies in mind. You never know
what these unexpected materials might do to your current or new work.
*Invite a small group of art friends over for an art party.
*Plan a day to explore the galleries and museums in your area. It is always
valuable to see what other artists are creating.
Enjoy your art making, art exploring, art discovery no matter what form it takes.
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
-Clare
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center! September 10- October 15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
There are still a few openings in this class. Click here to register.
OR
October 29 - December 10, 2024 Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
Registration is open. Just click here to register.
Concepts in Collage is a 4 week class offered at Fairmount Art Center in Novelty Ohio. Concentrating on paper collage and paper techniques this course runs on
Wednesdays October 9- October 30, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 PM. Click here for more information.
EXHIBITS
"Climate Change" Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024 Coburn Art Gallery Ashland University Ashland OH Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"NewNow 2024" Sept.12-Oct. 17, 2024 Tri C East Gallery
Highland Hills OH Reception Sept. 12, 2024 6-7:30 PM
"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024. 6-9 PM
"Timeline: A Retrospective" Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery Hudson OH
"Stark County Artists Exhibit" Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
Massillon Museum Massillon OH
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
9/2/2024
Art - like love - is an active process of growth and development,
not a God-given talent. -Robert Motherwell
I"With Strings Attached" 18x18"
mixed media acrylic paint with collage
Accepted to Tikkanen Painting Prize Exhibit
It is cool here today as I write my September Newsletter. I'm loving the coming of cooler weather but know there are still warm days ahead. August was very busy with company, gardening, canning and freezing produce from the garden, and artmaking.
I will be teaching some classes this fall and have several exhibits coming up which I have noted below. One of these events might be something you'd like to attend.
I'd love to see or meet you in class or at an exhibit!
Meanwhile... as I work toward returning to a regular studio practice here are some ideas for you and your creative self.
* Start or maintain a daily art practice. Remember those New Year's
Resolutions to keep a sketchbook or journal? Rededicate yourself now!
Art and creativity can't happen and grow if you aren't in the studio regularly.
*Not feeling inspired? Clean your studio! I always come upon materials that
I collected for projects that I rediscover when I straighten things up.
It's like getting new supplies that can inspire or remind me of projects or
processes I wanted to explore.
*Are you traveling this fall? Create an altered book travel album. Buy an
old hardcover book about the place you are going to and collage your
photos, drawings, and writings on the pages. Actually, any book will work.
*Take a trip to the hardware store with art supplies in mind. You never know
what these unexpected materials might do to your current or new work.
*Invite a small group of art friends over for an art party.
*Plan a day to explore the galleries and museums in your area. It is always
valuable to see what other artists are creating.
Enjoy your art making, art exploring, art discovery no matter what form it takes.
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
-Clare
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center! September 10- October 15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
There are still a few openings in this class. Click here to register.
OR
October 29 - December 10, 2024 Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
Registration is open. Just click here to register.
Concepts in Collage is a 4 week class offered at Fairmount Art Center in Novelty Ohio. Concentrating on paper collage and paper techniques this course runs on
Wednesdays October 9- October 30, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 PM. Click here for more information.
EXHIBITS
"Climate Change" Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024 Coburn Art Gallery Ashland University Ashland OH Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"NewNow 2024" Sept.12-Oct. 17, 2024 Tri C East Gallery
Highland Hills OH Reception Sept. 12, 2024 6-7:30 PM
"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024. 6-9 PM
"Timeline: A Retrospective" Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery Hudson OH
"Stark County Artists Exhibit" Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
Massillon Museum Massillon OH
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
Routine or Ritual
8/2/2024
"Artmaking grants access to worlds that may be dangerous, sacred, forbidden, seductive or all of the above." from Art and Fear
Untitled collage with machine stitching
8 1/2 x 5 1/2" on paper
Front and Back
The following is from a post I wrote in 2017 about the idea of Ritual.
"What is a ritual?
In what way is it different from a routine?
For me, routine implies something ordinary and habitual like that morning cup of coffee. Or taking a daily walk.
While these things are enjoyable, satisfying, and done regularly, they aren't ritualistic.
They are routine. They are habits.
Ritual seems to be more about doing something that you love, something you really care about, something that holds a special meaning or importance for you. A ritual is something that one might continue throughout the years because the ritual has become an integral part of who you are.
As I write this, I can still see that the two words, routine and ritual, are closely aligned. Perhaps thinking about rituals such as weddings or liturgies, birthdays and holidays, comes closest to the kind of ritual meaning I am addressing.
For me, sewing has long been a part of my art practice. It is more than habit or routine. It is an integral part of my artwork and how I think as an artist.
My art whether on fabric or paper, canvas or collage, often involves sewing.
Many times it is the part of the art making that I like best.
Often the sewing is what differentiates my mixed media work from that of other mixed media artists.
In that way, sewing is a ritual for me."
Now in 2024, sewing is still a part of my mixed media art practice.
Sometimes the sewing is minimal. At other times it is the star of the work.
The pieces pictured in this edition of The Newsletter are new works where I am using the sewing machine as the 'drawing' tool. I'm not competent at free motion sewing but I am experimenting with all of the stitches on my sewing machine.
The hand sewing so far has been minimal in this new series of works.
So, is this routine or ritual?
I don't think it is routine (yet) as this kind of machine sewing is new to me.
But I feel it is ritual because the sewing itself is a main component of the final artwork.
Ultimately, these pieces are more about the specific ritual of sewing that in and of itself is the concept of the final artwork.
Do you have rituals that you do as part of your art practice?
Maybe you spend time doing warm-up exercises.
What about daily sketchbook pages or markmaking?
Whatever it is, just keep mixing it up!
Clare
You can see the work where I used the sewing machine as the drawing tool here.
Some of the work is from my graduate program done in 2000. Others are more current.
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center! September 10- October 15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
Registration opens July 29th. Click here to register..
Concepts in Collage is a 4 week class offered at Fairmount Art Center in Novelty Ohio. Concentrating on paper collage and paper techniques this course runs from October 9- October 30, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 PM on Wednesdays. Click here for more information.
EXHIBITS
"Climate Change". Coburn Art Gallery. Ashland University. Ashland OH
Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024. Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024. 6-9 PM
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
8/2/2024
"Artmaking grants access to worlds that may be dangerous, sacred, forbidden, seductive or all of the above." from Art and Fear
Untitled collage with machine stitching
8 1/2 x 5 1/2" on paper
Front and Back
The following is from a post I wrote in 2017 about the idea of Ritual.
"What is a ritual?
In what way is it different from a routine?
For me, routine implies something ordinary and habitual like that morning cup of coffee. Or taking a daily walk.
While these things are enjoyable, satisfying, and done regularly, they aren't ritualistic.
They are routine. They are habits.
Ritual seems to be more about doing something that you love, something you really care about, something that holds a special meaning or importance for you. A ritual is something that one might continue throughout the years because the ritual has become an integral part of who you are.
As I write this, I can still see that the two words, routine and ritual, are closely aligned. Perhaps thinking about rituals such as weddings or liturgies, birthdays and holidays, comes closest to the kind of ritual meaning I am addressing.
For me, sewing has long been a part of my art practice. It is more than habit or routine. It is an integral part of my artwork and how I think as an artist.
My art whether on fabric or paper, canvas or collage, often involves sewing.
Many times it is the part of the art making that I like best.
Often the sewing is what differentiates my mixed media work from that of other mixed media artists.
In that way, sewing is a ritual for me."
Now in 2024, sewing is still a part of my mixed media art practice.
Sometimes the sewing is minimal. At other times it is the star of the work.
The pieces pictured in this edition of The Newsletter are new works where I am using the sewing machine as the 'drawing' tool. I'm not competent at free motion sewing but I am experimenting with all of the stitches on my sewing machine.
The hand sewing so far has been minimal in this new series of works.
So, is this routine or ritual?
I don't think it is routine (yet) as this kind of machine sewing is new to me.
But I feel it is ritual because the sewing itself is a main component of the final artwork.
Ultimately, these pieces are more about the specific ritual of sewing that in and of itself is the concept of the final artwork.
Do you have rituals that you do as part of your art practice?
Maybe you spend time doing warm-up exercises.
What about daily sketchbook pages or markmaking?
Whatever it is, just keep mixing it up!
Clare
You can see the work where I used the sewing machine as the drawing tool here.
Some of the work is from my graduate program done in 2000. Others are more current.
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center! September 10- October 15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
Registration opens July 29th. Click here to register..
Concepts in Collage is a 4 week class offered at Fairmount Art Center in Novelty Ohio. Concentrating on paper collage and paper techniques this course runs from October 9- October 30, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 PM on Wednesdays. Click here for more information.
EXHIBITS
"Climate Change". Coburn Art Gallery. Ashland University. Ashland OH
Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024. Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024. 6-9 PM
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
Jim Dine as Muse
7/9/2024
More important than having a romance with the object that I'm drawing, is to have a romance with the mark that I am making. - Jim Dine
Jim Dine Robe
7/9/2024
More important than having a romance with the object that I'm drawing, is to have a romance with the mark that I am making. - Jim Dine
Jim Dine Robe
Clare Murray Adam Kimono
Jim Dine
Clare Murray Adams
Jim Dine 
Clare Murray Adams
|
I have long been a fan of Jim Dine's work.
While most of us are familiar with his heart paintings it is his bathrobe paintings and tool drawings that I find most inspirational. A number of years ago I attended a lecture he gave about his work. I remember him saying something like "I need something to hang my hat on." For me, this meant working with representational imagery and explains his long-time use of tools, birds, hearts, and clothing that developed into his recognizable visual vocabulary. His choice of simple concrete images is both autobiographical and open to individual interpretation. Dine's work spans several art movements and styles including Pop Art, Happenings, Conceptual Art, Performance Art. He is a Painter, Printmaker, Sculptor, and a Poet. While art critics often put his work in the Pop Art arena, he considers it to be more closely aligned with Robert Rauschenberg's and Jasper John's work that questions the power of iconic symbols rather than just celebrating these object/ideas. For those of you who know my work and the use of dress imagery are sure to see how and why I consider Jim Dine to be one of my Muses. You can read more about Jim Dine and see more images of his work here. |
|
In my recent series "Interiors"
" Interiors no. 1"I see how my interests in clothing still come through. The shapes in these pieces were intuitive and appeared as abstract kimono or t-shirt kind of forms. They are a mix of paint on paper and fabric with elements of stitching. The stitching is the mark that I have a romance with most often. They are the marks that inform my work and are part of my visual vocabulary.  You can see all four of the "Interiors" mixed media pieces by scrolling here. Until next time, keep mixing it up! -Clare EXHIBITS "The Hoyt Regional Juried Art Competition". Hoyt Art Center. May 21-July 25, 2024. 1124 East Leasure Ave. New Castle PA "Picnic". Pinwheel Gallery June 1 - July 26, 2024 2019 Broadview Road. Cleveland OH "Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH "Climate Change". Coburn Art Gallery. Ashland University. Ashland OH Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024. Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center! September 17- October15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM Registration opens August 14th. MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER! If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link: Get the Newsletter! |
Deconstruct / Reconstruct
6/11/2024
"It is only through connection with the intuitive or unconscious forces
that we contact the fresh and new."
-Terry Winters
Deconstructed Contemporary Quilt no. 2. 2001
What does it mean to "Deconstruct" an artwork?
Is it different than cutting up pieces you weren't satisfied with, finding and then using the parts that still resonate with you? Deconstruction, for me, refers to taking apart a work or an object that is perfectly fine as is. But you choose to deconstruct it, using its many parts, to give it a new persona, identity, and purpose.
Jacques Derrida, a French Philosopher asserted that there is not one single intrinsic meaning to be found in a work, but rather many. And these new meanings can be conflicting. Shapes and structures were often distorted, fragmenting the images and narratives in the work.
I began working with deconstruction when I was in graduate school in 2001.
One of my mentors suggested I deconstruct a work or an object I liked.
So I started with a Liz Claiborne sweater since I was concentrating on clothing that semester. It was a sweater that I loved and wore a lot. It was important to me to be willing to take apart and reuse this loved garment. It was a sacrifice.
I didn't take a picture of the the original sweater, but it had a rounded neckline, was a bulky knit, and over-sized. I started by unraveling it section by section and then re-knitting it. I gave the sweater a turtle neck and one very long arm. Many open areas. The result was a revelation to me. I was able to say so much with this new object...a turtleneck to hide in; one long arm to represent my attempts to make/create; holes and open areas to show my insecurities.
Deconstructed Liz Claiborne Sweater. 2001
I also deconstructed some of my original contemporary quilts. I went into the graduate program as a quiltmaker but was open to exploring other media and techniques as they related to me as a fiber artist. Below is a deconstructed quilt cut into squares and encased in a box giving it a new identity as an art object but without reference to a quilt's traditional purpose as a covering that provides comfort. Without reference to the patterns and design that made something that anyone would name as "quilt".
Deconstructed Contemporary Quilt no. 1
I have continued to deconstruct artworks throughout the years. Recently I did an exercise where I was practicing bold marks with a permanent marker. Something one couldn't erase.
This work was not precious to me but it did offer the opportunity to create a more dynamic piece if it were cut up and reassembled. Relying on my quilting roots I turned the black and white drawing into a paper quilt.
All of the above examples reflect the idea of deconstructing something and using its parts in reconstructing that item. But does one have to use the whole object alone in the deconstructing and reconstructing? If you think about reconstruction as experimenting with rebuilding and reorganizing is there room here for adding other materials to disrupt the conventional and uncover fresh narrative possibilities?
Currently, I am making works that combine paper and fabric in juxtaposition that seem unexpected or new to me. I want to combine parts of paintings with strong textured areas and good compositions with other materials to create a new narrative.
While I am not using all of the parts of the painting pictured below in one single work, I am using parts of this one painting to make 3 new mixed media works.
"Legacy". mixed media painting. 2020
I cut the painting and combined sections of it with other materials...fabric remnants, paper, lace imbedded with plaster, and zippers. I like the reference to the past work as well as their newfound identities. Perhaps you can see how the shape of this new piece might suggest an element of clothing; a T-shirt perhaps or a kimono.
The shape was intuitive and demonstrated a return to my ongoing interest in clothing that challenges conventional ideas about form and order.
Have you done any deconstruction/reconstruction of your artworks?
Do you find it difficult to cut, repaint, add to, edit or reconfigure your past works?
Is there a difference between deconstructing works you like and using the redeemable sections of an otherwise bad painting, collage, or drawing?
Just some things to think about as you continue your creative journey.
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
-Clare
Click to see more mixed media pieces that combine paper and fabric.
EXHIBITS
"The Hoyt Regional Juried Art Competition". Hoyt Art Center.
May 21-July 25, 2024. 1124 East Leasure Ave. New Castle PA
"Picnic". Pinwheel Gallery June 1 - July 26, 2024
2019 Broadview Road. Cleveland OH
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"Climate Change". Coburn Art Gallery. Ashland University. Ashland OH
Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024. Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM
WORKSHOPS
Join me for a three hour dive into working with mixed media and collage!
Mixed Media Collage Workshop. Valley Art Center July 20, 2024. 11-2 PM
For more information and to register click here.
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
6/11/2024
"It is only through connection with the intuitive or unconscious forces
that we contact the fresh and new."
-Terry Winters
Deconstructed Contemporary Quilt no. 2. 2001
What does it mean to "Deconstruct" an artwork?
Is it different than cutting up pieces you weren't satisfied with, finding and then using the parts that still resonate with you? Deconstruction, for me, refers to taking apart a work or an object that is perfectly fine as is. But you choose to deconstruct it, using its many parts, to give it a new persona, identity, and purpose.
Jacques Derrida, a French Philosopher asserted that there is not one single intrinsic meaning to be found in a work, but rather many. And these new meanings can be conflicting. Shapes and structures were often distorted, fragmenting the images and narratives in the work.
I began working with deconstruction when I was in graduate school in 2001.
One of my mentors suggested I deconstruct a work or an object I liked.
So I started with a Liz Claiborne sweater since I was concentrating on clothing that semester. It was a sweater that I loved and wore a lot. It was important to me to be willing to take apart and reuse this loved garment. It was a sacrifice.
I didn't take a picture of the the original sweater, but it had a rounded neckline, was a bulky knit, and over-sized. I started by unraveling it section by section and then re-knitting it. I gave the sweater a turtle neck and one very long arm. Many open areas. The result was a revelation to me. I was able to say so much with this new object...a turtleneck to hide in; one long arm to represent my attempts to make/create; holes and open areas to show my insecurities.
Deconstructed Liz Claiborne Sweater. 2001
I also deconstructed some of my original contemporary quilts. I went into the graduate program as a quiltmaker but was open to exploring other media and techniques as they related to me as a fiber artist. Below is a deconstructed quilt cut into squares and encased in a box giving it a new identity as an art object but without reference to a quilt's traditional purpose as a covering that provides comfort. Without reference to the patterns and design that made something that anyone would name as "quilt".
Deconstructed Contemporary Quilt no. 1
I have continued to deconstruct artworks throughout the years. Recently I did an exercise where I was practicing bold marks with a permanent marker. Something one couldn't erase.
This work was not precious to me but it did offer the opportunity to create a more dynamic piece if it were cut up and reassembled. Relying on my quilting roots I turned the black and white drawing into a paper quilt.
All of the above examples reflect the idea of deconstructing something and using its parts in reconstructing that item. But does one have to use the whole object alone in the deconstructing and reconstructing? If you think about reconstruction as experimenting with rebuilding and reorganizing is there room here for adding other materials to disrupt the conventional and uncover fresh narrative possibilities?
Currently, I am making works that combine paper and fabric in juxtaposition that seem unexpected or new to me. I want to combine parts of paintings with strong textured areas and good compositions with other materials to create a new narrative.
While I am not using all of the parts of the painting pictured below in one single work, I am using parts of this one painting to make 3 new mixed media works.
"Legacy". mixed media painting. 2020
I cut the painting and combined sections of it with other materials...fabric remnants, paper, lace imbedded with plaster, and zippers. I like the reference to the past work as well as their newfound identities. Perhaps you can see how the shape of this new piece might suggest an element of clothing; a T-shirt perhaps or a kimono.
The shape was intuitive and demonstrated a return to my ongoing interest in clothing that challenges conventional ideas about form and order.
Have you done any deconstruction/reconstruction of your artworks?
Do you find it difficult to cut, repaint, add to, edit or reconfigure your past works?
Is there a difference between deconstructing works you like and using the redeemable sections of an otherwise bad painting, collage, or drawing?
Just some things to think about as you continue your creative journey.
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
-Clare
Click to see more mixed media pieces that combine paper and fabric.
EXHIBITS
"The Hoyt Regional Juried Art Competition". Hoyt Art Center.
May 21-July 25, 2024. 1124 East Leasure Ave. New Castle PA
"Picnic". Pinwheel Gallery June 1 - July 26, 2024
2019 Broadview Road. Cleveland OH
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"Climate Change". Coburn Art Gallery. Ashland University. Ashland OH
Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024. Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM
WORKSHOPS
Join me for a three hour dive into working with mixed media and collage!
Mixed Media Collage Workshop. Valley Art Center July 20, 2024. 11-2 PM
For more information and to register click here.
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
Midnight Marks
5/11/2024
" Midnight Marks"
4x6" pen on bristol board
The background is becoming the most important part of these drawings for me.
I have always liked working in black and white and these drawings are a revelation to me in markmaking, layering and free association of density and space.
What do you do when you can't sleep?
Does it help? Is it related to art or do you need to do something entirely different
in order to find some calm?
This inquiring Newsletter writer wants to know!
Want to see more Midnight Marks Drawings? Click here.
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
Clare
5/11/2024
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." -Proust
" Midnight Marks"
4x6" pen on bristol board
What do you do when you can't sleep?
Often I am too tired to fall asleep. The day just plays and reruns in my head.
Or I think about what I want to accomplish tomorrow.
Yeah, I know, I shouldn't do that.
So recently I have been doing a drawing practice I call "Midnight Marks".
I was inspired by Louise Bourgeois's "Insomnia Drawings".
Bourgeois was plagued throughout her life with bouts of insomnia.
Yet she was highly productive during these spells making drawings that were representative of the themes and imagery in her work overall.These drawings, many done in red pen, were sometimes accompanied by notations and writings.
"Insomnia Drawing" by Louise Bourgeois
I love the very visceral and organic appearance of her drawings that reference for me innards, body parts and emotions.
I took the idea and I am working in pen on bristol board paper
that I keep by my bed.
My own reference for the tangled shapes came from a drawing project I had my college students do using shredded computer paper. Given a pile of these papers they were free to interpret them as organic, geometric, touching closely or in many separate pieces.
So now I am doing the exercise (without the actual pile of paper in front of me) trying to capture the tangle of thoughts that run through my head when I can't sleep.
I have gotten caught up in creating lots of contrast and many different shades using just one Bic stick pen. I like the quaility of the bristol board for this exercise and I love making those dark, dark layers.
This was the first one, just simple lines with my floating thoughts tethered to the dark loops hanging from the top of the paper.
Still simple tangles /thoughts in a night into day kind of space.
Often I am too tired to fall asleep. The day just plays and reruns in my head.
Or I think about what I want to accomplish tomorrow.
Yeah, I know, I shouldn't do that.
So recently I have been doing a drawing practice I call "Midnight Marks".
I was inspired by Louise Bourgeois's "Insomnia Drawings".
Bourgeois was plagued throughout her life with bouts of insomnia.
Yet she was highly productive during these spells making drawings that were representative of the themes and imagery in her work overall.These drawings, many done in red pen, were sometimes accompanied by notations and writings.
"Insomnia Drawing" by Louise Bourgeois
I love the very visceral and organic appearance of her drawings that reference for me innards, body parts and emotions.
I took the idea and I am working in pen on bristol board paper
that I keep by my bed.
My own reference for the tangled shapes came from a drawing project I had my college students do using shredded computer paper. Given a pile of these papers they were free to interpret them as organic, geometric, touching closely or in many separate pieces.
So now I am doing the exercise (without the actual pile of paper in front of me) trying to capture the tangle of thoughts that run through my head when I can't sleep.
I have gotten caught up in creating lots of contrast and many different shades using just one Bic stick pen. I like the quaility of the bristol board for this exercise and I love making those dark, dark layers.
This was the first one, just simple lines with my floating thoughts tethered to the dark loops hanging from the top of the paper.
Still simple tangles /thoughts in a night into day kind of space.
Greater use of shading. Thoughts over more buried thoughts.
The background is becoming the most important part of these drawings for me.
I have always liked working in black and white and these drawings are a revelation to me in markmaking, layering and free association of density and space.
What do you do when you can't sleep?
Does it help? Is it related to art or do you need to do something entirely different
in order to find some calm?
This inquiring Newsletter writer wants to know!
Want to see more Midnight Marks Drawings? Click here.
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
Clare
UPCOMING EVENTS
"Interplay" Collage Artists of America. Online Exhibit
It will go live online on April 1 at stvacc.org
April 1 - May 31, 2024
"Hoyt Regional Juried Art Competition"
124 Leasure Ave. New Castle PA
May 21-July 25, 2024
"Picnic" Pinwheel Gallery
2019 Broadview Rd. Cleveland OH 44109
June 1-July 26, 2024. Hours: Wed, Turs. Fri., Sat. 2-6PM
It will go live online on April 1 at stvacc.org
April 1 - May 31, 2024
"Hoyt Regional Juried Art Competition"
124 Leasure Ave. New Castle PA
May 21-July 25, 2024
"Picnic" Pinwheel Gallery
2019 Broadview Rd. Cleveland OH 44109
June 1-July 26, 2024. Hours: Wed, Turs. Fri., Sat. 2-6PM
BOOKMAKING WORKSHOP! JUNE 1
Join me for a book making workshop at Valley Art Center
on Saturday June 1 from 11am to 2pm.
Get all of the details and register by clicking here.
Valley Art Center 155 Bell Street Chagrin Falls OH. 44022.
440-247-7507. SOLD OUT!
on Saturday June 1 from 11am to 2pm.
Get all of the details and register by clicking here.
Valley Art Center 155 Bell Street Chagrin Falls OH. 44022.
440-247-7507. SOLD OUT!
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
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