Changing Seasons
Changing Seasons
Reflections of an Artist on the Ebb and Flow of Creating
I can’t believe it’s October! Autumn has arrived here in the Pacific Northwest and even though I’ll miss all the sunshine, I still couldn’t be happier. This past summer was long and hot and found me in a constant state of watering my garden. And with this change of the season, I find it is a good moment for a little reflection on my past work, current process, and future projects - with apologies for the rambling.
My work cycle is a constant ebb and flow with incomplete projects a natural part of the process. New projects and ideas build upon each other, giving me new skills and opportunities to fall in love with something new or provide the spark to revisit old projects with a fresh approach and new enthusiasm.
What once felt incomplete I now see as a process.
I have abandoned ideas. However, they are not forgotten. They are patiently waiting for me to find them again, or at least some new version of them.
This painting is a series of one. I painted “Cascadia” in 2016 as the first in a series of large paintings capturing the emotion of a location in celebration of the Oregon State Parks (one of my childhood joys). I finished one painting before my attention was called away to other projects. It may seem to defy the definition of a series, but for me, I can see the rest of the paintings not yet completed. I have done location and plant research. I have sketchbooks filled with studies and small paintings working out materials, textures, and compositions. And I have faith. I know when the time is right, I will return to this project - it is just waiting for the right moment to reveal itself again.
Completing a project by making it manageable.
With faith also comes reality. I need to also accept that some projects may not resurface or may need to be altered to make it to the finish line. When I return to a project, I try to scale the size of it to match the reality of my enthusiasm (or ability). The NeverEnding Story is probably my best example of scaling back to give me a reasonable finish line.
This project started with a concept of creating groupings of art for customers using smaller, affordable blocks to create an installation to fit their space or budget. In order to keep the project going as I traveled from art show to art show (at the time, I often did 15-20 shows a year), I needed a way to fill in the missing pieces from the installation with new originals to display this piece again at the next show. From the start, my idea was larger than my physical time in the studio allowed. I had a vision of 128 blocks displayed together (which I calculated would fit on one entire 10-foot wall of my art booth). In reality, I could only manage to paint enough to regularly keep a rotation of about 24 blocks in my booth at a time. To keep each installation original, I also changed the subject matter of the block each time one was purchased and a replacement needed to be painted. My original plan was to rotate through subject matter, going from birds to flowers to insects, then teacups (of all things!) and finally back to birds again. This would mean my plan was to eventually paint 640 blocks in total. After 8 years of keeping this project going, however, and never managing to make it to a full 128 block display (despite painting around 188 blocks in the process), I decided to make one final push in 2018 to display the piece with a complete collection of 128 blocks, “NeverEnding Story, The Final Chapter” - which I did (pictured above) with thanks to the hospitality of the Philomath Open Studios Tour and my host artist, Marianne Post.
It’s important to remember the projects that did find their finish line, even while others may be waiting their turn as new ideas and projects find their footing.
Confessions of an Artist
You know the saying “fake it ‘til you make it”? As an artist, I often feel like I’m “faking it”. It’s not intentional. I just have more ideas than I can possibly turn into reality, and get very excited, wanting to share my latest new projects, even as they are just beginning to form. I can put up a good front, at times, but behind the scenes, the reality of what I want to accomplish may be far different than what I’m able to finish.
The Art showcase that Wasn’t
My excitement about my garden and a summer of plein air painting felt like a great opportunity to also plan an event to share my art in person again. My husband and I are planning to downsize soon, and I know my time is limited with this particular garden that has brought me such solace and joy, especially over the past couple of years. I was excited about sharing my garden and hosting an event with my art featured throughout. As the summer progressed, however, and attentions were turned toward taking my daughter to college and planning for Fall events, the end of summer seemed to jump out of nowhere and I was unprepared for the garden showcase that I had imagined. I still made it public, but since I didn’t want to go through the process of setting it up without knowing if people would come (I would only have two days to prepare after returning from our trip to the University of Hawaii), I added a ticketing feature to the event. I admit I was actually relieved when no tickets were purchased, as I was not mentally prepared to set up a show and my garden wasn’t quite in the state I had hoped I would have it by then.
It can be hard to admit when ideas don’t always take shape, but I have learned it’s all a part of my process - an ebb and flow of energy that keeps me motivated to create and fills my paintings with vibrancy and heart.
As I look back on my art and other past careers, I can see more clearly with the distance of time. Every attempt I make at my art is just a part of the process. I know that even in “failure”, I am gaining skills and learning something about my art and about myself. (In this latest instance, I learned how to add ticketing to events, I practiced more plein air painting in oil, my garden does look as good as it ever has for this time of year, and I need to allow for more time away from the studio during those precious Oregon summer months.) I also need to remember that the seasons change quickly, and it’s a good idea to simplify and allow for more time than I expect. In reflection, I know future projects will depend on these past experiences to make them whole.
Past, Present, & Future Projects
Oregon State Parks Painting Series (2016 - )
1 painting finished, 2 paintings started. Planning to revisit this series in Summer 2022.
Tree Inspirations & Transformations Series (2017-2019)
13 pieces finished. This series informed future collaging practices.
Travel & BEING Series (2019 - )
20 mini travel paintings, 18 small monotypes, and 9 collages finished. In the process of merging these series with current projects.
Unbound & Cellular Thoughts (2020 - )
7 larger paintings/collages and 13 mini painted collages finished. This series is still a work in process that may merge with current installation projects in the planning stages for (hopefully) a Winter 2022 release.
Fractured Stories of Hope (2021)
6 painted collages, 1 large oil painting, a new collection of digital art, and coordinating limited-edition collectibles for each of the 6 collages.
Visions (current working series)
2 New Painted collages finished with plans for several collage projects of all sizes in the works.
I also have seasonal inspirations with my many bird, wildlife, floral, and landscape paintings. These hold there own special place with me as they are naturally inspired by the nature that I love.
Reviewing my artwork from these last few years with their corresponding artist statements and the journal entries and poems made during their creation is what finally brought me to my most recent project - my latest book of art, “A Painter’s Journey”. I’m excited to share this book which will feature artwork from the last five years and includes writings in the form of journal excerpts and painting reflections as well as poetry. This book has taken many shapes over the last couple of years as I developed and worked through the projects listed above and tried to iron out its substance. I had difficulty pinning down the thoughts that would eventually fill its pages as I continually broadened and narrowed its scope.
As I finish up the final editing stage and look forward to seeing the end result of all the work both past and present, I can see more clearly now how all my experiences are coming together to push me forward into a new creative space. I can see the repeating patterns of life as I watch them weave in and out of my art-making with the ebb and flow of the tides of time.
I can see a future filled with creativity, connection, and hope.
And I hope you will see that too with my future paintings and projects on the horizon as I share their making with you here, there, and everywhere.
In the meantime, I hope October finds you well and with the opportunity to take a moment and reflect on the seasons before and the ones ahead.
Cheers,
Jennifer