Topic: Taking time off from painting, have you ever done this? Was the experience positive or negative?
Yves: I just wanted to share this poster that I found from a show of Thomas Kitts work in my Gallery! (in 1990!) Thanks, Yves! (fun to see)
Celeste: Not long after I took up painting I quit for a whole year. In retrospect, it did me no harm. I wouldn't stop painting now for any reason. Any kind of Hiatus will inform your next choices. I found a couple of quotes on this subject that I especially appreciated. (see below). I am showing recent paintings.
Loretta: It is a right brain-left brain thing. Sometimes I do take off and it is hard getting back...! Once I am back, however, I am back.
Geri: I just came off of a big hiatus. Everything in life seems to be ebb and flow. Like an arrow, you draw it back then it sails forward..that is the nature of things. I had inertia..but I have to thank my husband. He calls himself an "artistic defibrillator". (He figures out place for us to go and things to do that bring me back)! (Laughter)! I am showing a recent painting.
Elo: As a young person I loved art...but I had no instruction. I tried to make satisfactory art, but I got what I considered terrible results so I just thought, ok, this is not for me. I went on to my "real" profession...but it was always still in my head (how much I had loved art). I think the time away was not a bad thing. I've matured as a person and the time away is positive. I am showing a recent painting from a reference from our European trip.
Chris: I am happiest when I have a project...one that makes me excited to get up in the morning! I like the newness of what I am about to work on. I like coming to it with fresh eyes! I went painting with Lisa Moss Marshall at Mt. Tabor. The weather had seemed to be cooperative, but in fact it was super cold! I was unhappy with my work. I wiped it out...but then I painted over what I did at home..I painted this.
Raphael: I have always been involved in art. I went to Art School. When I was a young man in San Francisco I saw art that just floored me. I was excited to be doing art, but I didn't "relate" to anything that *I* was doing. It was confusing...so what I did was I went into the woods and got high! (Laughter)! I actually carved out a design career that included psychedelic posters and album covers. At that time the act of painting was not necessary. I was creative and making a living. After that I had yet another career in designing in glass. What I recognized is that creativity just shifts from one thing to another. Eric Bowman is a friend of mine. He, like me, has been involved most of his adult life in illustration. He paints now and I asked him what should I do next and he said "take it outside" (paint plein air). It's my thing now! I am showing two recent paintings.
Mike P: I have an advantage ...I am under "Doctor's orders" to paint a painting every day. (Laughter)! (Elo gave me this prescription). Now I want you all to remind me...Mike, take your medicine! (Laughter)! (I recently learned a surprising statistic. Did you know that a large percentage of patients do not take the Rx that their doctors prescribed to them)? I have been doing something creative recently ...I have been turning wood (another passion of mine) and I wanted to share some of my results with you. The different varieties of wood give such unusual results! (Editor's note: sorry, I did not get to photo all the beautiful work, email me photos, Mike).
Becky: About taking breaks...that's about all I've done! (Laughter)! But, I am always studying when I am not painting. I look at things and paint them in my mind's eye. I have sort of a self imposed rule. If I come here to this meeting I want to bring a new painting. I won't come if I haven't painted....so I stayed up until 1am to paint this! (Applause)!
Anton: I took a 10 year break after starting. Painting is somewhat terrifying! I thought who am I..?! Who am I to do this? I am just someone who was always running or chasing...that's me. When I was young, I'd actually run away---but even then I understood that the breaks wind up to be beneficial. When I feel like running now I play music and I'll use sketchbooks. I brought in some paintings from my travels. I painted this with you Za! By the way, even though I haven't been here --I always read the emails! (Applause)!
Mike O: I have liked watching what you guys have been doing here from Facebook! My daughter is getting older now and is getting more independent, as a result, I have more time now. Three years ago I took a break from real life. My wife, daughter and I traveled the world. It was an amazing trip. After 22 countries...I learned that I wanted to paint here again! I teach at OSA. I am showing a painting I did as a demonstration using the Zorn palette.
Tom K: I wish I'd read the topic before I came! (Laughter)! I went to art school in NYC. Following that I worked in design. I worked with Milton Glaser. I was happy and I thought who needs painting...I wanted to meet girls. (Laughter)! Following this I made movies for 40 years. I find painting fearful, but I think everything I do is great! (Laughter)! When my self esteem is low (about painting) I will mow my lawn! (Laughter)! I get my esteem back...and sometimes I will even mow my neighbors yard for additional esteem. (Laughter)
Judith: I am obsessed with this dialog between me and the painting...and I plan to win! (Laughter)! The thing is, I want to have a certain amount of skill before I die (Laughter)! I have won some awards and it interfered with my internal dialog. I am critical of instructors....I haven't found one yet!
Joanne T: I have had two surgeries and the recoveries have been challenging. I have been unable to get to classes. I love to have a plan...what will I paint tomorrow?! Recently I signed up for Tucson Art Academy online. I love it --it is right for me right now and I feel I am on a good track. I am showing two recent paintings.
Jeanie: I was a sculptor and I got "demotivated" from sculpting (for a variety of reasons). I switched to painting. I have had breaks, but they all seemed necessary and beneficial. I am showing a recent painting.
Jim: I've had a 40 year break that involved school, the Viet Nam war and business! When I was finally able to devote some time to painting I would go outdoor painting on Saturdays (in California). We moved here and I joined this group. I have been learning how to paint representationally. I am learning to express myself. Sometimes my wife will remind me to go to my studio....if she senses that I am out of sorts. I am showing recent paintings. I did this at Tualitin Wildlife Sanctuary and I did this from one of Tim Young's photos.
Tim: I do take a week off here and there...but mostly to me it is all play! I like to play a lot. I am showing a painting I did from one of my photos from one of my hikes.
Ken: Life happens and I have taken breaks whenever I felt like it. One of my breaks lasted 5 years. I think breaks are ok!
Susan: My husband died unexpectedly and of course, that was a major life altering event. I am so grateful for teaching...because teaching helped me so much! Additionally, I got "dragged" out by a friend for plein air painting. Art has been huge in helping me. Now I am looking forward to teaching and more outdoor painting. I did this oil painting from a previous pastel that I did. I found it rewarding to transfer the idea from pastel into oil. This poppy painting will go into a show about poppies at my Gallery.
Kathy: I wanted to show you this hardware I added to canvases in order to paint a triptych. I got the supplies at Home Depot. Life does get in the way of painting sometimes. I was enlisted into a group of 6 other artists to paint teacups for a show....but I'm the only one who did it! (Laughter)! I am showing some of those paintings.
Eunice: My view is that breaks are absolutely good. When knitting season ended I was going to go straight into painting ....but I didn't! (Laughter)! Currently I do feel charged up about getting back to painting. You have to feel what is right for you and do that.
Greg: I have taken a lot of breaks. I've worked as a designer and now I am moving into painting. There are similarities and differences between design and painting. I feel that I am in a good position for the transition because I am more mature now...I like that I see things from a different perspective.
Za: I love breaks! lots and lots of breaks! (Laughter)! Seriously, we tend to think "if I keep working I'll obviously get better"....but that is not always the case. It is good and smart to take intentional breaks. For me I might realize I need to paint snow and I'll "ramp up" for it! Sometimes I need to ramp down. It is all like a love relationship. I'm definitely in a love relationship with painting and you need time away from your lover sometimes. I am showing a painting I did of Bhavani's husband, Reagan. He posed for us on Valentine's Day!
Yong: When I moved to Oregon I was a stay at home Dad and I worked from home too. Going through that was hell! Now, ten years later, I recognize that was the time when I learned the most! The key is to work smarter not harder. I try to experiment and paint what I love. I am showing two painting I did that have similarities in color.
Mike S: I've been here before...but it has been awhile. I wanted to start something like this back in Nashville...but then I realized no one would ever do all the things Celeste does. (Applause)! I was just thinking, this is like Toastmasters with a little AA mixed in. (Laughter)! I am going to be taking a workshop with Mike Hernandez and I'm taking a workshop with Thomas Kitts. I took a break for 5.5 decades (the span between 2nd grade and retirement). (Laughter)! My parents were artists. My father was very accomplished, but he never made it seem to be so much fun. I've been hitting it pretty hard for a few years now. I fight the calendar now...I have a lot still to learn.
Thomas : I graduated in 84 and then I worked as a designer in a cubicle. We worked from 8am to 7pm as a rule but, I always had gear in the car and if it was nice I'd paint when I could. Then I got laid off and had to start working for myself. I also taught at PNCA. The starting and stopping during those years was driving me crazy...but the variety of experience turned out to be a positive. I went painting recently in some snow. I experimented with a new-to-me medium.
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Quotes:
A quote from Jorge Borges: Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire. The world, unfortunately, is real; I, unfortunately, am Borges.
Once, after finishing a picture, I thought I would stop for awhile, take a trip, do things – the next time I thought of this, I found five years had gone by. William DeKooning
Announcements:
Congratulations to Za Vue, 1st place in the Lighthouse Plein Air Event
Her weekly classes continue (Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Colours in Hillsboro) email Za for details
studioza@me.com
Thomas Kitts workshops: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/r/C36BA0C1EDB71847
Yong Hong Zhong workshops: https://www.instagram.com/yonghong.zhong.9/?hl=en
The Power of Brushwork with Michael Orwick (begins April 1 at OSA through June)
The Power of Design and Color in Landscape at OSA ( June 8 and 9) & Oregon Coast Workshops
https://michaelorwick.com/workshops
"Dual Workshop" Michael Orwick and Anton Pavlenko (team teaching) Sept 18-20 https://antonpavlenko.com/workshops/
Joanne Radmilovich Kollman Portraiture in Oil workshop at Elizabeth Jones Gallery)
https://www.elisabethjones.art/portraiture-in-oil.html joradarts@gmail.com
New model sessions facilitated by Bhavani Krishnan Wednesdays at Colours in Hillsboro (2:30- 5:30) email Bhavani for information: bhavani.krishnan@gmail.com
April workshop with Susan Kuznitsky (sponsored by Uart Paper) at Carrie Moore studio https://www.uartpastelpaper.com/uart-workshops-susan-kuznitsky/
OSA classes: Susan Kuznitsky and others Thursdays and Saturdays
https://susankuznitsky.com/workshops
Susan Kuznitsky's work is up at Village Gallery for March
Hiatus Drawing club meets after the Alla Prima Meeting at French Quarter
https://www.facebook.com/groups/333152383542909/
Thank you for the supplemental photos from today's meeting Geri Graley !
Next Meeting Thursday March 28 --Your current project.what are you working on right now and why? Describe! ...Let's Discuss!
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