October/November/December

2008

crisscrossing the country

My schedule has been travel-filled and bustling for the past month and a half – New York, Portland, Aspen, Evergreen, Denver, San Antonio and San Francisco.  All of that travel translates into: too much stale airplane air, endless mini bags of pretzels, solo airport dinners and lame hotel pillows.  Ah…the glamour of jet-setting.  

Travel hassles aside, each trip provided inspirational moments, which will be woven into the fabric of my memory and creativity.  The visual richness and personal conversations will undoubtedly affect both my thinking and approach to art making as I reenter my studio to work.  I want to share a few of the highlights with you and encourage you to click on the links to learn more about the places and people that inspired me during my travels.

The days that I spent in New York marked the beginning of the current Wall Street decline, and yet in the midst of that frantic week, I still encountered a host of beneficial meetings and experiences.  The art community is vast and seemingly ever growing. A stroll through the gallery district provided a rapid-fire smattering of images and ideas.  It is a place that is always on the move.  I met with numerous artists, gallery owners, critics and curators while I was in the city, and each one impacted my thoughts and perspective through rich conversation.  I would love to introduce all of them to you, but will limit my introductions here to three artists whose work and creative processes are very interesting and inspiring to me.

Makoto Fujimura is a painter whose work explores a combination of contemporary American abstract expressionism and traditional Japanese art of Nihonga. In addition to being a truly accomplished painter, he is also a profound thinker who continually cultivates thoughts that explore the core questions in life. He founded IAM (International Arts Movement), which is a great community-building resource that brings artists together from around the world. Though he had just flown in from Japan, he made time for me to visit the IAM space and his studio and then graciously invited me to share a meal with him. (I need to mention, the food was fantastic!) I was greatly encouraged by the conversation and look forward to future opportunities to discuss the philosophical underpinnings that seem to connect our thoughts and work.

I had the privilege of meeting up again with Robert Kushner, an artist whose work I've greatly admired for many years. I met him at his loft studio and was able to see some unfinished large-scale works that he'll be exhibiting this winter at D.C. Moore Gallery. Robert's work is energetic and luscious. It is a marriage of international aesthetics. The vigorous under-painting of deep earth tones, juicy berry colors and ancient metals are beautifully balanced with the assured draftsmanship of layered botanical images. There are so many thoughtful connections in his work to art history yet the pieces are fully contemporary. My conversation with Robert energizing, thought provoking and encouraging.

The reserved manner of John Silvis hides the fact that he has boundless energy and is connected to everyone in the art world. John is the visionary who started NYCAMS, and continues to direct that dynamic program, which enables art students from around the United States to spend a semester studying and interning in the heart of the New York art scene. In addition to those activities he makes his own work, which merges a variety of media from photography to sewing. He's also a deep thinker who is continually developing new ideas and making the appropriate connections to see those ideas come to fruition. John extended an invitation to me to share with the new students at NYCAMS about my experience working at the foundry and the idea of collaborating.

Autumn Event Feature

October 31st - November 2nd

Through Process

Douglas Schneider is a painter that I've know and respected for years. Each time I'm in the Bay Area I try to get together with him because both his work and approach to creating are inspirational to me. I had the opportunity to meet up with Doug during my visit to San Francisco last week and was able to see some images of his recent work.

He shared a video interview with me that was created about him a short time ago, and I was struck by its forthright and honest tone.  The video, titled "Touching the Face of God," looks at his process, philosophy and creative motivations.  It's worth a watch.

The idea of looking for something "deeper" and more meaningful through the process of creating art resonated in me.  I've mentioned it before in previous newsletters, but I think it's worth mentioning again here.  The creative process should be more meaningful than the uninspired act of simply creating a commodity.  In general, our culture shows little regard for the process of creativity and instead esteems the end product (and only until the next "new" product comes along).  Learning by way of the creative process takes time and discipline, which are two undervalued qualities in our contemporary system.  If we learn to shift our esteem to honor the process more than the product, I believe that we will experience greater satisfaction in our lives.

Throughout history, artists have often sought deeper meaning through their work, and in my travels I've found this fact is still true today. As I approach my studio work, I am constantly aware that there is mystery and opportunity just under the surface of the thin washes of paint. I'm committed to exploring the vastness called "creative possibility" in order to experience more of the great richness of living. I also encourage you to reflect on the processes of your life, and seek the deeper mysteries that are waiting to be discovered sub-surface.

Broel @ Artspace1

During the month of October I am exhibiting two hand-pulled lithographs at Artspace1 in downtown Walla Walla.

The surfaces of these pieces have been reworked with oil pastels and conte crayon, thus giving them greater depth and uniqueness. To view the actual work plan to visit the gallery at 13 1/2 East Main Street, Suite 211. The gallery is open each Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment by calling 509.301.1310.

holiday gifts

A limited edition holiday ornament and new art cards (sold individually or in boxed sets of twelve) will soon be available. These new items can be purchased in Walla Walla during the months of November and December at the Carnegie Art Center, ArtSpace1 and Willow.  Orders can also be placed via email or phone.

"But, as a being, who like you, has been brought, unasked, into this world of variety, and where, like you, he must find his way for better or for worse."

A being who differs from you only in that he is able to master life by the use of his own specific gifts; a being perhaps happier than the man who has no means of creative expression and no chance of release through the creation of form.

This modest advantage should be readily granted the artist.  He has difficulties enough in other respects."

– Paul Klee