20 October 2005

a is for art



I love going to the art supply store. all those tubes of paint, the brushes, the oil pastels and pencils and blank sketchbooks, so much promise. in preparation for last weekend's collage workshops with this lovely artist, I got to spend a good chunk of time wandering the aisles of said store. I had forgotten how expensive materials can be and my days as an art major (at a high school for creative and performing arts) seem like a lifetime ago. wow, I love the smell of the art supplies. didn't realize how much I missed that until just recently.

which brings me to the subject of the workshops. I haven't taken an art class since high school. there was a time in my life when I really thought I'd be a writer or an artist but then I chose to dance. and that has truly been the one thing that I have been focusing on for so many years now, the only thing in my scope of vision (and I have no regrets). my love for art has been there all along, though-- making random appearances in my life at different times. art has been in the gifts and cards I've made for friends and family and in the photographs I've taken. witnessing ward's growth as a painter/illustrator/animator/graff writer over the past fifteen years, I suppose I've been living vicariously through him in a million tiny ways. but lately, I have not been so content to sit quietly on the sidelines. I don't know what it is, but these past couple of years... something has really been bubbling under the surface and now I find myself with a voracious appetite to create. and so I finally decided to sign up for some classes because I just got so tired of seeing pieces inside my head and never doing anything. I could never really get myself to sit down and work, something always got in the way and there has been so much rationalizing and crying and gnashing of teeth (oh not really with the crying and the teeth but I have been frustrated).

taking claudine's workshops really got me out of my head and for three days I just sort of played around. hours and hours of messing with various techniques, materials, with color and composition. all the preconceived notions and expectations that have been clouding my thoughts just sort of fell away and I couldn't believe how much fun it was, I had forgotten how much fun it all is! over and over I said to ward, "it's so much fun. it's SO MUCH FUN..." (ward, thanks for listening to me and thanks for taking over with the kids). to come into the classroom in the morning and lay out all my art supplies at the large space at the table, really. just so delicious. and of course, the time flew by. before I knew it, paint was all over my hands and everywhere and I was lost in a sea of bright-colored, crumpled tissue paper and piles of images and glue and wax. it was lovely and I felt like a person on vacation.

but posting my work here has been such a difficult thing for me. I feel all raw and exposed, so vulnerable. but also good, in a strange sort of way. and liberated. does that make any sort of sense to anyone out there? the above piece was done sometime towards end of the weekend and the image of the woman is my great aunt louraine (one of my favorite people in this world). I played around a lot with family images, never really finishing anything. you can see more of the works in progress here. all week, I have been wondering where to go from here. there are no assignments or deadlines to meet. no one to please (but myself). I have the space and the supplies and the ideas and the energy. but how does it all fit in with everything? with parenting? with dancing and teaching? is there really room for it? and so, once again I am lost in my questions and doubts. but then I look at the little pieces I made and I feel happy, an uncomplicated and pure kind of happy. and when I stopped by the school the other day to give ava her milk money (oh yes, she of poncho hair fame), she surprised me with how she so proudly introduced me to her kindergarten buddies... "this is my mommy. she takes ART CLASS." and that was really just all the encouragement I needed.

13 comments:

  1. Nothing like encouragement from a 5 year-old, namely your own. And it was a pleasure to endure the long hours of constantly bending down and picking up, of pushing stollers, of freaking out with all the boo-boos, of the crying, of the meandering dawdling, etc. It was ALL WORTH IT to see you in your element, creating something from nothing, like the artist that you are. It was a joy to see that part of you come to the forefront, sweetie. It really was. And now, Ava and I will continue encouraging you in our own sweet and odd little ways, to keep it up. You are a creative gem and I love you!

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  2. Oh cool! Apparently, you haven't lost your touch since taking art class in high school...right off the bat, your collages are great. I LOVE "lolo" and "ezra" and "ava"! And the one titled "so fresh" is HILARIOUS. It's so nice to hear about your adventure back into visual art. I'm digging Claudine's collages, by the way. Looks like a fun class! And Ava cracks me up...

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  3. Love these.....so good. You've inspired me to try and make something creative for my sister-in-law's wedding! Really really good stuff...

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  4. such a wonderful thing..collaging! one of my favorite let-gos at the end of a long day is spreading everything out and coming up with something.

    leftovers and old mail, fabric, anything.

    i saw your whole set of these on flickr and the one shown here is my fav.

    beautiful!!

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  5. andrea.... good for you! i'm so glad you are showing what you are making.... the collage here is LOVELY... what color sense you have [duh! with all the great photos we knew this].... i can't wait to have a minute to go to flickr and look at all the rest....

    thank you for sharing. it is really inspiring!!!! [apparently to ava as well! what could be better?]

    looking forward to more!

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  6. Man Andrea, those are absolutely beautiful. The colors and textures are so yummy. The photos in them seem to speak out. You've made your Auntie so mesmerizing; I can't stop looking at that one. It is so great to see you continually uncover more talent and express yourself in so many ways. And so great that you made the time to take the workshop. Right on!

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  7. Andrea - It was a joy to have you in class and get to meet your husband and beautiful kids too! You are a sweetie and you did AMAZING work! I am so glad you showed them, they deserve to be shown! I only wish we lived closer because it would be so much fun to hang out :)

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  8. oh man! andrea these are stunning! i guess i shouldn't expect anything less coming from someone with such an astute eye for the beautiful. the colors are so vivid and pleasing! i can only imagine how they look in real. i am so glad you decided to post these because claudine is right, they do deserve to be shown! congratulations!

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  9. WOW! You are VERY VERY VERY talented!

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  10. Aunt Lolo would totally wig and not know what to make of you putting her face on the internet for so many people to see! I can just imagine her with that wonderful little thing she does w/ her lips almost pursed, and her eyes looking all innocent, bashful, and flattered, while saying in an increasingly higher tone "oh," and then chuckling/giggling. She was and still is beautiful in so many ways inside and out! Luv ya Andrea!

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  11. thank you sososo much, everyone. really!

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  12. I am SO jealous that you got to go to her class. Your work is beautiful! I must look up a class in my area. I just went to an ATC mixer and learned so many new techniques. It's always nice to get around other artists- to learn.

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  13. I'm so impressed...just read this post and love your work and your willingness to put your art out in the world.

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