off the wall

One of the great things about participating in an annual event is the chance to look back at where I was 12 months ago — and be grateful.

As I prepare for my second Art-A-Whirl on May 16, 2014, I am struck by how much work I now have hanging on the walls in the studio.  It’s a humbling process to select pieces to put on the studio wall when I don’t have a clue about what is “wall worthy.”

When I make the art, I’m working out feelings, allowing expressions to come through me, aligning the visual manifestation with some sort of pulse or vision welling up inside me.  It’s a joyful, infinite process where hours pass and only my dog Stella’s whining for food or a trip outside reminds me there are responsibilities beyond the gaze and completion of this work that is never, never finished.

Some things I stop painting on feel aesthetically more rewarding than others and those, I decide to share with others here or on FaceBook or twitter.

I appreciate the feedback I get, but it still doesn’t tell me what is “wall worthy.”

I have to pick a point in time and go with what I see and feel at that time.  That’s what goes on the wall.

And still —

I have this sneaking suspicion that what is left “off the wall” might make a better story, possibly may even be better art — but that’s for another place and time.

Thank you to so many of you — friends and friends of friends — who have noticed what I’ve been doing this last year and have taken the time to encourage me and share with me your perceptions about the work.

Your words and presence foster a sense of  belonging to something beyond this largely inwardly and individually-focused commitment to creating art — and I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to be part of it.

Happy Art-A-Whirl!