Routines took a backstage. There was no normal in 2020 and in the unscheduled time that lent itself to the brief consolation of daydrinking; that was thankfully brief and not lasting and I had an intentional shift to the accomplishment of tasks. I wish I had kept a written list but I didn’t. My quickly accomplished and discarded written lists sometimes kept my mind off the unwritten list of things that were most worrisome and bothersome to me as I chose to handle the aftermath of several years of being too busy. 2020 felt like chaos. 2021 felt like more aftermath. I look up now and that list which took nearly two years to accomplish has made a tangible change in my surroundings. As within so without, as without so within. It is circular.
So I guess i could say that the chaos, the worry, the heartbreaking misfortune of many has caused me, as an artist, to calm where I could; I found that reducing any of the chaos where possible even if those details seemed insignificant added up to make changes in my life and in the lives I am in contact with whether in daily or occasional. It took time. When there is a loss of sense of control it can be surmised the only thing left we can control is how we respond to things, how we position our lives to respond to others and how we choose to carry out our own routines, including our thoughts.
One of the ways I choose to describe the new art is that it feels like climbing into a doughnut. I’ve had an okay number of doughnuts in my life and the new paintings that explore about thirty-five blended shades of neutral colors and metallics feel exactly like I would imagine climbing into a doughnut might feel. I’m not sure if it is an oversized doughnut or the more surreal experience of shifting size to allow envelopment within a classic sized doughnut; probably the latter.
My intention with the new paintings is to dial down all sound, to reduce the visual input to a combination that has to intentionally be explored. At first glance, one might not see all the colors but with a closer look and some time the sage green starts to come, the lavender, the iridescent hazelnut. SO many colors, kind of like life. The joy has shifted its experience; it is not always as loud but if we look closely, and with the introspection that time can bring if given enough of it, it can still be found. And in finding joy in the silence I am reminded again that the only thing we can control is our attitude, our own personal lifestyle choices and within that framework what we choose to focus on.
The visual quiet that took time to build has helped me. What I hope is that the new art I will be bringing to events in the next three weekends (specifically I have been juried in as bringing this style of art) will provide a visual calm anchor from which to bring forth the dreams post-longwinter. I know there was some joy during the pandemic but it wasn’t distributed equally. Hopefully, despite the continuous world crises and maybe in spite of, we can emerge like buds coming back after winter and have the strength, purpose and intention to face all that will be required of us in the coming years. The world doesn’t stop, though for a brief time it seemed to. My new paintings are an encouragement to seek reflection and to find the light kaleidescope of colors beneath the clouds, almost like being in air and beginning to see hints of earth once again.
Welcome to spring. I couldn’t be more excited about the returning of art events. I look forward to the road travel and renewing connections with those who have long supported my venture. And, I love making new friends … if you have read this and I have not yet met you, please stop by and introduce yourself.
c.s.
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