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Processing Change


When I signed-off for the holidays I did so not expecting to have the time nor energy to make much art during the holidays. It appears I was mistaken on both accounts.  When the need arose, my mind would not be still and I had to make the time.


Emptying Nest - 12/2013
At the end of the Fall 2013 semester as my interns prepared to leave, I began a small reflection piece that began on one page and soon expanded beyond. Using watered down acrylics and a watercolor brush my focus was on movement. Soon enough I had the basis of what was to become Many Faces. This seemed to be my theme this month: a desire to move paint. To break out of my careful pen doodles and piecing together of small bits.  



In Emptying Nest, long smooth motions eventually came together in a nest-like form made of hair. These were in vast contrast with the short strokes of the background, which is dense and layered. Applied quickly and with a spatula knife scraping the surface.  Each application taking me back to the weeks’ events and the weeks before that. After the time spent on mark making and the nest I was “done”. Drained. Eventually the face remained face-less. A wash of shades.  


Then, early December there was a loss at work; a colleague passed away unexpectedly.  Processing through this made me return to the aforementioned piece. Only this time I did so with a pen. I didn’t know what to do. For the next few days I opened the journal and stared. I felt an overwhelming blankness.  This is the final piece showing a form separate from the ‘rest’, it has changed but it remains the same.   


Many Faces - 12/2013



What felt like an eternity after, I used parts of the documents presented at the memorial in a piece solely dedicated to her [since it has her image and name I will leave it out of the blog].  It wasn't a particularly beautiful piece, I wasn’t in the sugar coating mood. The pen marks that completed the piece could be felt through several sheets and coats of paint. However different the mood was between that piece and the next there were undertones in common.  


The Spring 2014 semester began with caution. Stability seemed no longer a destination but more of a sunspot that comes through the window, it keeps moving and moving. Determined to make some sense of it I dove for the squirly stashes of materials, I searched through my journal for found bits from the holidays, from all the driving and visitations.  Ch3 Unit Stresses took several hours (and I mean several) to complete and I did eventually. I had to make the time and I’m glad I did.



Unit Stresses - 1/2014




More will be posted on Unit Stresses to the sister blog: Mandala Exchange. So stay tooned.
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