I just hung my first art show in 8 years! Here’s the artist statement which feels more raw than what I used to write…
In each moment is an opportunity
to make a fresh start.
-Pema Chodron
What a relief that we have the opportunity to start fresh: in the morning, the afternoon, the evening; in the new year, the new job, relationship, the new season or even in this moment. Right now. Exhale.
I’ve been exploring this notion of starting fresh in my work and how that translates to day to day life. Facing the blank canvas, the rising sun or the next day, fresh. Feeling deeply for inspiration, for roots into meaning, purpose and resilience. Looking into vulnerability, frustration, the brittleness of being stretched in too many directions, too little time. It often feels like the state of our world is this chaos of too much or too little. Slowing down – is there really time for that? How does my work reflect this? Is there enough substance to folding in painting sessions into the flow of a day or a week or a month with children and pets, errands, work, dinner? How do we lead an artistic practice in the modern world with depth and grace?
Exhale. We do it imperfectly. We do it messily. We do it, though and find a fresh start. And perhaps, as painting is folded in at the kitchen table, in scribbled notes and sketch books, in early morning light, it becomes more threaded into the fabric of daily life.
Our artistic process has room for us to address the brilliance and madness of the world, the tension between responsibility and letting go, between artistic delight and to-do lists, between minimalism and movement. I’m finding that the basis of my work is a deep and abiding sense of joy and optimism that reflects in the color and fullness of these paintings.
Here’s to a bright and outrageous new year, maintaining a sense of humor and a fresh start each day!