The Value of Learning from Others

I now have time for reading, reflecting and taking notice of things beyond the studio walls. I'm looking forward to visiting my friends blogs at a more thoughtful leisurely pace. 


As I was going through my emails I found an article, called "The Value of Learning from Others" by Chris Tyrell in the Opus Art & Community News.

Tyrell wrote a book  Making It: Case Studies of Successful Canadian Visual Artists and he talks about what he learned from interviews with twenty artists, ten self-represented and ten represented by galleries. A short interesting read that I thought might be useful no matter what country you're living in.

Painting Surface

Another recommendation from Rebecca Crowell is lightweight  multimedia artboard

Accepts oil and water-based paints. No priming required. Can use on either side, flat or textured finish. Archival and non-buckling. Works with adhesives. 30"x36" Pack of 5 - White List - $83.50 Your Price - $70.98

I think I'm going to try these this summer. There are a variety of sizes and some specifically for plein air.

Rodney Thompson- encaustic painter

Was at a Oil and Wax forum I belong to and discovered a source for panels as well as an artist, Rodney Thompson.

Since the Stretch of Road Exhibit where someone expressed interest in buying my paintings I was suddenly moved out of the student reality of scraping up something to paint on to an artist reality of paying attention to details from start to finish. Hence I am looking at the condition of the supports I use for my paintings. Some of you may wonder why I haven't done this already. Well no money and needing something to paint on had me using whatever I could find and my carpentry skills are sadly lacking.

I don't think I can invest in using Thompson as a supplier yet but I might be able to have a local carpenter's apprentice to help me make panels that won't embarrass me if someone is interested in purchasing my work.

Thompson's paintings are also definitely worth a look. :)

NB: Link to Thompson's wbe site is updated.

Moloch Series

 I've finally reformatted the photos for the blog. It's been grueling, trying to get the final projects finished. Here's photos of the Moloch Series: Quietude, Disturbance, Maelstrom and Extinct. As I said in an earlier post the events in Japan really struck me hard. The chances we take to maintain "progress" becomes frightening. My faith that things will be okay diminish as more revelations about the safety standards of the nuclear industry come to light.

Quietude

Disturbance

Maelstrom

Extinct

                    

Campaign | Access | Ai Weiwei: Deleted from the internet

The Chinese government in the midst of the worst crackdown on free speech in at least a decade, has just detained China’s most well-known artist, the activist Ai Weiwei. Afraid that any mention of the “Jasmine Revolutions” sweeping the Middle East right now might lead to similar protests in China, Chinese authorities are cracking down hard. In the past month, dozens of Chinese bloggersand dissidents have been detained “disappeared”, and in less than 24 hours after his arrest, Ai’s name has been virtually erased from the Chinese internet.

The UK, Germany, France, and America have already called for Ai’s release, now it’s time for the world’s internet users to stand with him and the countless other Chinese that have been unlawfully detained. Sign the urgent petition to the Chinese government link below.

Campaign Access- Ai Weiwei: Deleted from the internet