Creative Journey

You know, that trip that we’re all on, all the time.

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#34: The Aftermath – Paula

A thoughtful musing by a friend and fellow painter, Paula Martiesian http://www.paulamartiesian.com/ . As my current show (“Reaching for Beauty” at Coastal Living Gallery in Wickford, RI) is about to come down, that feeling of post-show depression is seeping in. How does an artist determine success, indeed? In reality–By just doing the work.

The Colorist - a Conversation about Painting

How does an artist determine success?   Sales? Critical acclaim?  Or is it something deeper.

Americans are taught to believe that success is measured in monetary terms.  If finance is the scale by which we measure, my exhibit was not a great success.  I sold a painting during the show and one before the exhibit opened.  A disappointment surely, but much better than not selling.

I received a fair amount of media coverage.  There was a nice mention in the Providence Journal with a photograph of one of my favorite paintings, Summer Shadows.  There was a wonderful quote in the Providence Business News – they called my paintings psychotropic – a word never before used to describe my work.  I also had coverage in the RISD XYZ alumni online news and lots of great feedback from friends and colleagues.

Weeds in Snow at the Bert Gallery Weeds in Snow at the Bert Gallery

And yet, the…

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#32: Vincent & <i>the Monkey</i>
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#32: Vincent & the Monkey

A great blog post by Danny Gregory which fits perfectly with the depressing winter weather that has dampened my creative spirit recently… reminding me not to let the monkey get me down. Thank you, Danny.

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Danny Gregory

Long after his death, Vincent van Gogh has been diagnosed with everything from schizophrenia to syphilis. He may have been bipolar or epileptic, eaten too much paint or drunk too much absinthe. Did van Gogh hear the voice of the inner critic, that toxic monkey endlessly jabbering in his head? Certainly. He had plenty of problems and one or more of them led to the events of 27th of July, 1890, when he shot himself, in the chest, in a wheat field. He hung around for another day and a half, said, “The sadness will last forever” and died.

Van Gogh was 37 and he had been painting for just ten years. In that time he accomplished so much, producing hundreds of beautiful works of art that have influenced artists ever since. His life, short though it was, left ripples.

But what if he hadn’t cut his life so short?…

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#31. 2015: Waking up, slowly
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#31. 2015: Waking up, slowly

resuscitate |riˈsəsəˌtāt|: make (something such as an idea or enterprise) active or vigorous again.

A new year… already? Time to reawaken, revive, renew, resurrect, rekindle, rework, return, restore, reinvigorate, rejuvenate, revitalize this blog, my website, my art, and my body. Having dropped the “blogging ball” for the past six months (I know I’m not alone, that’s for sure), it’s time to resuscitate “Cleaning Up the Studio”, and reclaim the challenge I set for myself a year ago when I began this blog. As a personal challenge, it’s a way for me to up my own creative game and enhance my art practice, while sharing it… A platform for creative interaction, a place to engage and be engaged with other artists, and also maybe a place to step over the edge a little bit. I’m stepping up.

“Dark Reflection II” 2014. 38×48″ acrylic on linen ©2015 Karen Rand Anderson

Resuscitation: Bringing back to life. But then, of course,  ars longa, vita brevis….