Here I offer a little retrospective of my
Quick & Quixotic painting/series.
Starting with a 12x16" piece of unstretched canvas, I made marks, pasted collage, painted, and continued doing more of the same until I reached the following seascape.
 |
| working title: Quick & Quixotic |
Then, I cut the work-in-progress into ten smaller pieces.
 |
| working title: Quick & Quixotic Cut-Ups |
From there, I took the ten smaller pieces, one of which I cut even further into half-inch-square tiles, and developed twelve completed paintings, most of which—woo hoo!—turned out to be happy explorations that pleased my eye. I fought hard on many days with one challenge, or two, or ten, but numerous little moments of grace made themselves known in paint. I am so grateful.
 |
| Surface, Sky, Whirlpool, Wave |
 |
| Helpers of Each Other in All the Chances and Changes in the World |
 |
| Sleeping in the Room with the Drying Herbs |
 |
| A Hooked Rug of Fabric Scraps, Rose and Green and Purple |
 |
| A Happenso Bookmark |
 |
| They Sat Drinking Hot Cider |
 |
| For Five Minutes She Suspended Judgment and Fell Silent |
 |
| I Did Have a Trouble or Two on My Mind |
 |
| An Awkward Place Full of Awkward Questions |
 |
| The Patter of Rain on Windowpanes |
 |
| The Good Order of the Toolshed |
 |
| It Had a Beginning That It Had Forgotten |
It was two months ago (yikes, two months!) that I took note of a strong desire to paint quickly, freely, and without giving a hoot, and, in response, started
painting—quickly, freely, and without giving a hoot. The painting's working title became the now familiar
Quick & Quixotic, a.k.a.
q&q.
More often than not, though, over the course of those two months (again I say, yikes, two months!), I found myself painting other than in the carefree, paint-faster-than-your-mind-can-think mode I wished for.
And still wish for.
I'm going to clean up my studio and see what happens next.
8 comments:
What a wonderful post. So much fun seeing them all together with their diversity and similarity! You are bar far the most courageous and creative artist I know. I hope some of rubs off on me!
A Happenso Bookmark
They Sat Drinking Hot Cider
The Good Order of the Toolshed
It Had a Beginning That It Had Forgotten
are among my favs!
Oh goodness how I love seeing this process! Painting quickly and freely seems like it should be easy peasy, and yet we have to work hard and practice in order to do it! ha ha! Cannot wait to see what's next!!
Carol, so happy to hear you enjoyed this post. I often feel like a post isn't as 'real' when I don't showcase something new, but I wanted to give myself a little closure with this project and, in a sense, the body of work itself becomes the 'something new' for today.
I appreciate your kind words about my courage. I often lose sight of the intrepidity that I muster up when I paint.
Thanks for enumerating some faves from this series. I'm always fascinated by what different viewers are drawn to.
Keep on painting! We're all in this together!
I don't know about everybody else, but I sure have to 'work hard and practice' in order to paint quickly and freely! Sometimes I can be quick and free, other times not so much. Nothing for it but to bring myself as much into presence as I am able, and then paint.
I am feeling very churned up of late when I paint, so I'll be curious to see what comes next also. I feel very much at sixes and sevens. And eights and nines.
Thanks so much for your comments, Jen. I always appreciate them, but especially now when I know you are so immersed in Ireland : )
Great post Dotty! Two months of 'practice', experimenting and painting freely without giving a hoot - well done. I can't believe these are 1/2" - a lot of detail in them for sure. You would think painting 'freely' would come naturally but it seems with age and more info and knowledge about painting we loose some of that spontaneity. Thank you for sharing and looking forward to what is next!
Thanks, Janet! The experimental part is forever and always. The without-giving-a-hoot is fleeting at best. Painting freely, as it turns out, is the hard part for me—but even as I write that I'm struck by the limits of using words here. Painting is painting. Freely? Hard part? Those seem like stories I tell myself.
WOW, Fab-U-lous!!! I missed a few, while I was gone. LOVE Hooked in addition to all the rest ;) So inspired by your sharing, struggles, and triumphs! All are BTW. Triumphant :)
Thanks, Sheila! Hooked was one of my favorites as well. I appreciate your nod to the sharing-struggling-triumphing mix.
Post a Comment