Arbitrary Thoughts #1
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
I loved art school. I went as a “non-traditional age student”…Massart’s flattering euphemism for “older.” No problem. I wanted to be a painter and so I became one. I worked really hard at it, spending up to 15 hours a day in my studio, never missing a day of class. It really was WORK and I took it very seriously. Therein lies the problem.
Fast forward some years. I now have a studio in a wonderful old mill building with hundreds of other artists. I come in five days a week and work and work. We all work.
Except…there’s an artist in my building, no formal training but an amazing artist nonetheless. She quilts (beautifully) and makes architectural castles out of found materials. She makes books and fills them with stunning collages. When I asked her about all these marvelous creations she responded, “No big deal, I just play.”
PLAY. Wow. Lightbulb moment. I’d forgotten you could do that. So, art doesn’t have to be serious every minute of the day? Yikes.
So- this summer I decided to forgo the painting and play. I remembered that I used to love making ATCs, Artists Trading Cards. Each piece is 2 ½ x 3 ½”, the size of a playing card, and one can paint, cut, glue- do anything as long as it fits the format.
I dredged up boxes of paper ephemera I’d collected long ago. Made a bunch of blanks from inexpensive watercolor paper. Got out my straightedge and X-acto knife and went to town. I had fun. Below are images from the 70+ I made over the summer.
I’ll be back to painting soon. Taking this creative vacation was not only relaxing, but also productive. I have some exciting new ideas for paintings and hope the “work” can also be “play.”
Thank you.