On being an artist
In gratitude for the creative adventure.
First of all - welcome to my new followers and subscribers! I hope you find something meaningful, useful, or interesting during your visit to my little corner of Substack. (If you want to get to know my work here better, I’ve shared a list of my favorite posts at the end.)
I started this writing venture as a challenge to myself to improve my writing skills and to gain more confidence in discussing my art studio practice. With each person who reads here, I find a little more courage - thank you!
The topics I cover are rooted in my life as an artist but may meander to anything of interest that crosses my path. Some days, I’ll simply post an image with a short word or two. On other days, I’ll talk at length about a subject that I find interesting or confounding, hoping you will, too. True to my artistic nature (or rather, the stereotype of such), I may wander into the weeds as I follow an elusive thought, looking for just the right angle with which to view it. I may contradict myself. I can be inconsistent. But I will always try to be as honest as I can about this artist life I am so fortunate to live and share as I strive to give you a glimpse into my little creative corner and hopefully inspire creative acts of your own.
A (good) week in the life…
This past week, I had the opportunity to spend a few nights on the Oregon Coast.
It’s hard to capture the immensity of these coastal waters from a photo, but when I lower my phone to just above the water’s edge to create more depth, I feel like it comes close.
Last year, as I may have mentioned before, I was offered an opportunity to join a sweet little Oregon Coast artist collective, For Artsake Gallery. I was nervous about making this kind of commitment due to the number of days I would have to work each month at a gallery 75 minutes from my home. I had many discussions with various people in my life to try to figure out if this would be the right fit for me and my art and whether I could sustain such a commitment.
I’ve considered joining coops in the past, but none of them had felt right for me - whether it was too many artists in the group, art too varied in quality or not contemporary enough, too contemporary, or an organization with too much structure (for me), and most importantly, too many clashing strong personalities - I never found one that felt like a good fit. As you can imagine, it can be hard to corral creatives into a singular purpose. We often work in a solitary environment with complete autonomy.
But this gallery felt different, and I made a leap of faith.
After 10 months of regular coast trips, I am happy to report that I love this little gallery and the artists who make it so special. After greeting many visitors from near and far as I work in the gallery and hearing about their experiences as new admirers and long-time supporters, I am not surprised. I found my gallery home.
At the same time, I have struggled to maintain a cohesive presence with my work in the gallery. I continue to hop from project to project without quite sinking my teeth in as far as I’d like. Last week, though, in my desire to prepare some new larger work for the gallery walls, I decided to bring my studio to the coast during my back-to-back two days of shifts. I treated myself to a hotel room with a view and arrived in Newport a day early. I even took the bus (both to become more familiar with coastal public transit options and to force myself to fully commit to the experience of staying, creating, working, and walking the neighborhood of Nye Beach.)
In preparation, I layered a base of collage papers and gesso on two cradled board 20x24 pieces. I then packed up my gauche, artist crayons, ink, cold wax, tools, and brushes and proceeded to awkwardly carry the art, supplies, and a large overnight bag to the bus station. Once at the hotel, I was happy to find my lodging perfectly suited to the plan, with counter space and a sink available to turn into a temporary studio. And when I was ready for a break, I could relax by a fireplace or sit out on the balcony and watch the waves roll in and out across a long sandy beach.
A Self-Imposed Artist Mini-Residency?
Over the years, I have applied to various artist residencies but, much to my disappointment, still have yet to be accepted.
(I talk more at length about rejection in this 2022 Artist Note, “Persistence & Resiliency.”)
It was fun, then, to feel as if I had created my own little four day “mini-residency” opportunity at this beachside hotel.
I have appreciated the other artists I follow who have shared this type of self-imposed residency experience, such as artist (and fellow For Artsake Gallery member)
Or this possible observed “artist residency” as noted in Amy Stewart’s, “A Stranger’s Secret Daily Art Project.”
Stewart is also very supportive of and shares ideas for “Self-Imposed Artist Residencies” in her writing - including “Three fantastic artist-in-residence ideas.”
I was lucky to have four beautiful days on the coast, two of which I worked in the gallery. I devoted my free time to working on my art, running and walking on the beach, and getting to know our gallery neighbors by hanging posters and handing out postcard invitations to our Anniversary Party in April.
(If you’re in the Newport, OR area in April, you are also invited!)
New Mixed Media Art
As for the art, I was able to hang two new pieces in the gallery that were both a surprise to me and what felt like a wonderful mix of everything I’ve been working on lately.
I used a couple of my sketchbook pages for inspiration.
I don’t know quite how to explain these pieces yet. While they make sense to me and where I am on my artistic journey, it may take a bigger scope of work to bring their broader meaning to life. Currently, I’m working on little companion sculptures that I hope to finish before my next trip to the gallery on March 14th and 15th.
With or without explanation, though, I try to make my art accessible and interesting through the colors, compositions, layers, and variety of marks - letting titles bear most of the weight.
Embracing the Artist Life
It was such a short time of coast living and creating, but it was a lovely reminder of the opportunities my art career has provided. I feel very fortunate to have such autonomy with my work and schedule. It is why I started this career (to have a flexible schedule for child-rearing), and it is what keeps me curious and engaged about the possibilities still ahead of me twenty years later - even in this mini-adventure form.
It also reminded me of how much I care about home, family, our evenings together, and sleeping in my own bed with a sweet little kitty curled at my feet. It’s easy to imagine exciting opportunities as 100% positive and filled with creative energy in every moment. But there are limits, even when trying to curate the perfect life-as-an-artist experience. Hotel beds are uncomfortable. The comfort and sounds of a full household are, well… comforting. It’s good to remember all the positives right in front of us and the simple ways we can carve out creative time - whether at home looking for a quiet 15 minutes to dabble in a sketchbook or focused evening painting while traveling. It’s all valid, important, and meaningful work in finding our humanity through creativity - whether making art for a living or as a creative outlet.
Art makes the world a little brighter, more thoughtful, and more connected. It allows us to share the lightness and heaviness of the world in deeply touching and engaging ways, which can change each of us for the better.
No matter where you are or what opportunities you have been afforded, I hope you can cherish whatever creative act feeds your soul with as much or as little time as you manage to secure. Last week was a gift of place, time, and focus for my art. Next week will certainly look different, but I hope to cherish it just the same.
Creatively yours,
~ Jennifer
For my new followers - some favorite “Artist Notes”
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I love the idea of "make your own residency." It would be good to go away but I'm working on an 8' x 4' painting on panel that I can't even lift myself. So it would mean carving out time in my home.
I've only been in the For Artsake Gallery a few times over the years, but every time I go in it's friendly and warm and approachable. The people working there and the art itself. I can see why you were drawn to it.