Studio Sneak Peek: Signs, Symbols, Memories, Magic Ink, and the Power of Fragrance.

“Fragrance speaks the loudest on a subliminal level.”  

- Marian Bendeth

Tomorrow I’m headed to Brussels, one of my favorite international “Art Cities” to meet up with two other artist friends for some gallery hopping and a few days of wandering around on cobblestone streets.

In the meantime, I’m spending a few days in the studio drawing patterns, symbols, and a language of my own making, on a collection of fabric I’ve had hidden away for nearly 6 years.

At the moment my studio is filled with the glorious scent of Chung Hwa Sumi Ink. Although it’s generally used for Chinese painting and calligraphy, the color density and its short drying time make it perfect for drawing on fabric.

This tiny bottle was given to me as a gift by one of the international visiting artists during my stay at the Vermont Studio Center. Every time I would come to his studio for a visit, the scent would meet me at the front door of the building even before I’d made my way to his studio.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m drawing repetitive forms and intricate patterning, but I have the suspicion that the ink’s heady mix of jasmine, lavender, herbal scent is responsible for lulling me into a type of calm meditative state.  

Given the scientific evidence that suggests our sense of smell has a powerful connection to emotion, concentration, and both the creation and re-call of memories, I can’t wait to discover the symbols, images, and words, my “magic ink” conjures from the depths of my feisty little creative subconscious.

Let beauty and truth be summoned.

BIG Love,

 

Sightings at Art Cologne 2013

I took more than 200 photos this year at Art Cologne. I'd be remiss if I didn't share a few of my favorites here.

Untitled sculpture made from acrylic on laminated Styrofoam by Berlin based artist Katharina Grosse.

Galerie Jocelyn Wolff (Paris) – Winner of the 2013 Audi Art Award. Video work “Assemblages Against Essences” by artist Zbynek Baladran.

Carbon 12 Gallery (Dubai) with an entire booth installation 

by artist Philip Mueller.

“Last Dream” by Bernardi Roig- Galerie Klüser (Munich)

Zak|Branicka (Berlin –Cracow)  with an entire booth of large-scale photographic works by artist Zofia Kulik.

Wetterling Gallery (Sweden) and an installation of work 

by artist Linda Backstrom. 

And last but not least.....YES!

“Yes” by artist Jack Pierson. 

Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac. (Paris-Salzburg)

BIG Love,

 

Life is what happens while you’re busy making plans.

April 16^th is my birthday. It’s the day I celebrate yet another glorious free trip around the sun.  I generally try to plan some fun trip (Berlin, Amsterdam, London) combined with a special treat (champagne, cupcakes, cheeseburgers.)

April 16^th is also the day I plan to preview a small selection of my latest artwork to all the lovely folks on my invite list and mail out beautiful new postcards.

But as John Lennon sang:  “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

In real life, the new work just isn’t ready.

It’s not a question of it being good enough, it’s just not ready.

Instead of fretting over this, here is what I’ve come to understand:  

• When I’m in the studio, other forces take over.  I’m never really quite in charge anyway.

• Sometimes art refuses to be put on a schedule.

• Dreams and ideas need time to grow, expand, fold themselves in half, and become new things.

• Artworks manifest at their own pace.  They reveal themselves in their own time.

These new works are kicking, screaming, and ripping their way into this world, but they are content to do it on their own damn time.

Not mine.

In the end, you give the work what it wants.

BIG Love,

 

Busy Making Magic.

See ya soon.

BIG Love,

 

Tales from the Archive: Drawing a “Big Spirit Dancing”

16 years ago a drawing professor gave me an assignment that would become the center of my entire creative practice.

It became my path.

The assignment was deceptively simple: Create 100, 3-minute drawings without breaks or interruptions.

No questions, no demands, no intentions. Just draw!

It didn’t take long for me to understand the powerful idea behind this exercise:

I learned to draw while trusting the intuition in my movements so images and energy could be revealed. 

I learned to draw fast enough to outsmart myself.

I learned to draw so fast that my fear couldn’t catch up with me. 

I learned to draw with such ferocity that the marks seemed to will themselves into existence.

I learned to draw.

Looking back at my work, I now see the series of drawings called “Big Spirit Dancing” as the starting place for “The Guardian” series.

Like most of my work, “Big Spirit Dancing” sprung from my “warm up” exercise.

By the time I’d reached the 25th drawing my marks had gone from energetic marks to the shape of a dancing spirit.

Somewhere around 40 drawings, I’d created a whirling dynamic figure that seemed to dance and move and radiate a kind of vibrating, radiant energy.

When I made it to 70 drawings, the spirits I was drawing started to remind me of the legends of the Hopi deity Kokopelli and of Shango, the Orisha of justice, dance, and strong, powerful energy. 

By the time I’d reached the 100 mark, a cast of powerful characters had revealed themselves. Each with their own personality and presence.

You can see more of the “Big Spirit”, “The Queen”, “The Dancer”, “The Suitors” and “The Hard-Headed Brothers” on my website. 

This is how I draw.

Big Love,

 

Tales from the Archive: Under The Mango Tree

On my website there's a collection of artworks created between 2006 and 2008, called Hymns, Riddles and Rhymes. Looking at it now, I think this section of my website contains some of my most personal and revealing work. 

"Under the Mango Tree" is based on an Akan fable from Ghana, in which two farmers, Ananse and Akwasi, go to the creator of the Universe to ask for rain.

Although I made them more than 5 years ago, the work and the story are both worth resharing:

This Ground is Dry.  Ink, gouache, collage on paper. 7 x 9 in.  (18 x 23 cm.)

Long ago, Ananse and his friend Akwasi were the best farmers in the world. People came from far and near to buy foodstuffs from them. They became very rich, but one day the rains stopped coming, and for one whole year there was no rain. Akwasi decided to go to Nana Nyankopon, the creator of the universe, to solicit his help.

Nsiah's Back. Ink, gouache, collage on paper.
7 x 9 in.  (18 x 23 cm.)

So one Thursday morning, he called on Nana Nyankopon and said to him, "Nana, there has not been rains for many days. All the streams and rivers have dried up. Please, send us some rains." 

God was moved and said to him, "I have delegated some of my work to people, because I get so tired of small requests from people. Go and see Nsiah the hunchback and ask him to give you some rain."

Gently Tap Two Times.  Ink, gouache, collage on paper.
7 x 7 in.  (18 x 18 cm.)

Akwasi was very happy and thanked Nyankopon. He set off to look for Nsiah the hunchback. Akwasi found Nsiah sitting under a tree taking a rest from the heavy task God had given him. 

He greeted him politely and told him that God had told him to come and look for him to give him some rain. "If it is God who sent you, I cannot refuse to give you any rain. Take a small stick and beat my back" he said.

Nsiah's Rain.  Ink, gouache, collage on paper.
7 x 9 in.  (18 x 23 cm.)

Aswasi picked two small sticks and gently hit Nsiah's back two times, thanked him and went home. In the morning, he went to his farm and sure enough, there had been a heavy shower. And all the plants were standing upright and green. 

Ananse passed by Akwasi's farm the next morning. He was so happy because he thought the rain had fallen on his farm, too. But when he got to his farm, he realised that the rains had stopped at the boundary of his farm.

Blessed with Rain.  Ink, gouache, collage on paper.
7 x 9 in.  (18 x 23 cm.)

He became suspicious of his friend and decided to go and ask him how on earth he got rain on his farm. Akwasi did not want to tell Ananse about God's rainmaker because of Ananse's sly nature, but he told him what had happened.

Hidden in the Mango Tree.Ink, gouache, collage on paper.
7 x 9 in.  (18 x 23 cm.)

As soon as Ananse heard this, he decided to go and look for the rainmaker. He found him sitting under a tree taking a rest from the heavy task God had given him. As soon as Ananse saw him, he picked up a big stick and hit the hunchback's back with all his might. 

The hunchback cried in pain. But Ananse continued hitting him at the back with all his might. After awhile, the hunchback lay still, not moving. Ananse called out to the hunchback, but there was no response. 

Ananse had killed God's rainmaker.

Killing God's Rainmaker. Ink, gouache, watercolor,collage on paper.
7 x 9 in.  (18 x 23 cm.)

Ananse became frightened. He wanted to run, but realized that if he ran away it would only make matters worse. So sly was Ananse that, it wasn't long before he came out with a solution on what to do. He picked up the dead body of the rainmaker and went to hide it in the middle of a mango tree.  

He then went to call on Akwasi and told him that he had seen a mango tree which was full of ripe mangoes. He told Akwasi that they should go and pluck the mangoes. Akwasi liked mangoes very much but he was reluctant to go, because he didn't trust Ananse. But he eventually agreed to go.

Akwasi's Shame.  Ink, gouache, collage on paper.
7 x 7 in. (18 x 18 cm.)

When they got to the mango tree, Ananse told Akwasi to climb up the mango tree and shake it.  

So Akwasi climbed the mango tree and when he got to the top, started shaking it vigorously so the fruit would fall out. Suddenly there was a big crash. The body of God's rainmaker had fallen from the tree top when Akwasi shook the tree.  

Ananse started shouting and wailing. "Akwasi, see what you have done. You have killed God's rainmaker. He must have been hiding in the tree taking a rest from the heavy task that God had given him. See what you have done now, you have killed him. What will God say now?"

Fallen from the Tree. Ink, gouache, collage on paper.
7 x 9 in.  (18 x 23 cm.)

Akwasi became confused, he didn't know what to do. He climbed down from the tree quietly, but then as he was climbing down he realized that he had been tricked. He pretended to be shocked and said he was going to see God about it. He went away after saying this. 

Ananse was very happy and jumped and clapped his hands. "Fool, I have put you into trouble. God will really punish you." Unknown to Kwaku Ananse, his friend Akwasi had also gone to make a plan to teach Ananse that he wasn't a fool after all.

Ananse's Punishment. Ink, gouache, collage on paper.
7 x 9 in.  (18 x 23 cm.)

So very soon Akwasi came with the people and told Ananse that there was no problem at all. God was happy that the rainmaker was dead. He had been lazy at times and refused to work. "I am going to reward you for killing him" God said. And Akwasi started singing and dancing happily. He said again that he had come with God's messengers to carry the dead body to God. 

Ananse at once became furious when he heard this. He said angrily, "Look, Akwasi, don't try to be too clever. I killed him! I was afraid God was going to punish me, so I hid the body in the tree. I am going to claim the reward." So he carried the body on his shoulders and quickly went to God's Palace to tell him that he had killed the hunchback and that he should be rewarded.

Twig on my Back. Ink, gouache, collage on paper.
7 x 9 in.  (18 x 23 cm.)

God was so furious, he punished Ananse severely. After the punishment, no rain ever fell on Ananse's farm, and up till today if you look at the desert there is no rain.  Ananse's farm is where the desert is now.

The lesson:

Never mess with God's Rainmaker.

Let it rain BIG Love,

 

Photos from my "Wrestling With Angels" Exhibition Opening + My Really Good Hair Day!

My biggest problem with writing blog posts about my art openings is that during the actual event I'm so busy talking and laughing with folks, that I never remember to take photos.

Without fail, a  few days after every one of my openings I'm forced to send out e-mails begging for copies of people's fuzzy iPhone photos.

But for the opening of my exhibition Wrestling with Angels, photographer Aaron Spicer covered the event so I could focus my full attention on chatting it up with my guests.

And as you'll see from the photos, I did plenty of talking ...and laughing.

You can see the complete Flickr photo set here.

BIG Love,

p.s. Was I having a GREAT hair day or what?  #justsayin