Fall..aww yes, fall! Breathe deep and look out of your eyes! Beauty is everywhere. My favorite season!
The rhythms of life slow; Mother Nature puts on a glorious show and life turns towards family and the harvest; time seems to meander along a bit more slowly than it has since the winter came to an end.
After the hustle and bustle of the summer season in Western New York, I think a lot of us look forward to a different rhythm in life. Fall is my time for artistic renewal. I know most folks consider the spring to be the renewal, but the longer and cooler nights, arrival of the crispy air without A/C, and the slower pace are all welcome changes for me and my art studio routines.
We are only in to the first few weeks of September, but already my hands have found themselves in clay; I have ordered an update of kiln shelves and my mind is spinning with new thoughts of clay, paint, print making and mixed media pieces that the fall, winter and spring studio hours will bring forth.
People often are interested in artists' methods and how the creative process works. I think every artist has their own rhythms and ways of working, but they all come down to the rhythms we experience in life. My process is simple. I usually head into whichever studio I have chosen for any given day with some sort of loose plan of what I will be creating. I like to have that looseness that leaves space for my ideas to change, evolve, and for embellishment that I hadn’t considered until my hands are creating. For example, I might roll out a clay slab with some sort of idea in mind, but I really like to play with the fluidity of clay and let the piece just happen. My process is much the same with all mediums because it is ever so much fun for me (I am not a list maker either- so I think those go together.) I accept the unexpected and flow with random thoughts to dig deeper and explore unforeseen options. I am lucky that at this point my hands know the techniques which allows my mind to freely explore. Ahh.. the joys of artistic freedom!
What else do I do for inspiration and joy? Inspiration and joy are found everywhere if only you look. I read books, go to movies, listen to music, look out of my eyes, take walks in the woods and along waterways, take photographs, draw from real life, attend gallery events, talk to friends and gallery visitors, love my husband, my family, and my dog. You know, the usual stuff of a full and busy life! All of it is inspiring if only you open your mind.
I hope you, too, will enjoy the change of rhythms as we head around the year and the seasons.
