simplicity and possibility

“emptiness 

which is conceptually liable 

to be mistaken for sheer nothingness 

is in fact 

the reservoir of 

infinite possibilities.”

- d.t. suzuki 

'nothing to lose'. mixed media with quote by pablo neruda.

i've taken to

emptying

these gray days.

finding life in simple things:

the pouring of tea,

the richness of silence,

the light in the studio,

the mystery in the blank canvas.

 

'on longing.'  mixed media on canvas board. 24"x20".

“for artists,

like the rest of us,

sooner or later notice

that the power of longing

is more durable than

the thrill of possession.”

- francine prose

getting to know crystal neubauer

power and fragility inhabit their shared space

harmoniously 

in crystal neubauer's work. i discovered her collages,

mixed media paintings and encaustic pieces on etsy

a couple of years ago and i have been enraptured

with the visual feast and sheer poetry of her work

ever since.

equal parts the nature of the material 

and the sensitivity of the artist,

her work tucks unutterable prayers

between delicate layers

of vintage ephemera.

i know you will enjoy getting to know the woman

behind the breathtaking work

as much as i did.

some things you love: 

old books falling apart and slightly musty with ragged torn covers.
my cat curled up on my lap, or following me from room to room begging for milk. hanging out with my family over a meal. spending long quiet hours alone in the studio. walking out the front door and bumping into a friend. comfy clothes. long hot baths. perusing the magazine aisle at the book store and then lingering with a stack of them over a cup of coffee.

some things you love about yourself (go ahead, brag a little): 

i see things a little differently then others and i believe this is evident in my art. i am learning to use my voice after having lived most of my life believing i didn’t have one. i tend to be a defender of the voiceless minority, a rooter of the under-dog. i don’t believe in going against the status-quo just to be different, but i have a hard time remaining silent when i see an injustice. i am learning to stand in the uncomfortableness of that moment and i think that is pretty cool.

what you're working on at the moment:

i have been experimenting with encaustic painting in combination with drawing on the surface of the wax. recently i’ve begun “sculpting” on a 2-d collaged surface by drawing on top of a layer of wax and scraping, adding ink or chalk or graphite and scraping some more. the process begins to resemble a sculpture being chiseled from a hard surface.

 

where do you draw inspiration from?

i am inspired by texture and line. i will squint at a landscape and see the color blocked look of the scenery or notice the way a few random objects are lying in a drawer. i love to decorate from the items i collect and i carry this inspiration into the studio. and of course, the internet has a plethora of inspiration, almost to the point of overkill.

what is your creativity nemesis?

over scheduling my time to the point of not making it into the studio for days, sometimes weeks at a stretch.

and our most effective weapon against it?

remembering that I am the keeper of my schedule and prioritizing the studio time. allowing myself to work in my pajamas, early in the morning before the tasks of the day begin to press in.

something you've learned the hard way:

everything does not depend on me.

would you please recommend a book?

i am a huge anne lamott fan. 'bird-by-bird' is excellent for the creative process, it is geared toward writers, but i read it with my art goals in mind.

favorite natural food to snack on:

tender white buttered popcorn with sea salt. frozen dark chocolate peanut butter cups from trader joe's. i think they qualify as natural? i love pears and freshly cut pineapple too, but those frozen peanut butter cups are hard to resist.

 

when i say feminine you say... 

beauty wrapped in many packages.

i don’t have to be girly to be feminine and i don’t have to be masculine to be equal.

something you need to do less of:

worry

 

something you need to do more of:

pray

your perfect day:

my idea of the perfect day changes with my mood and circumstances, but today it is having a good friend who lives far away come hang out with me in the studio and then unwinding with my favorite gluten free pizza and a glass of wine in front of the fireplace. and ice cream. the perfect day always ends with ice cream.

 

 

thank you, crystal for giving us a glimpse 

into your beautiful world!

for more of crystal's work, studio,

process & inspiration, please stop by her website

and blog. 

7 steps to getting out of a painting funk

burning stuff once again

darlings,

it's real talk slash tough loving time.

you know those times

when you come out of studio

- having forgotten to eat and sleep for days -

utterly content

and completely spent?

this is not one of those times.

(if it is, how did you make it past the title? and

for crying out loud, pour yourself

a big glass of red, bask in

the glory of it, and enjoy

the fruit of your labor!)

oh, this is different.

you just checked your facebook page

for the 13th time today,

hit refresh on your etsy stats/inbox/twitter,

spent hours/days/weeks getting inspired by 

crying over breathtaking art on pinterest

and even more time staring in despair

at blank canvas.

read on, my friend.

 having come out of a 2, ok, 4 week studio funk

with one glorious full day of painting,

i'm feeling good. in fact,

i feel victorious enough

to impart the bits of wisdom

that really worked for me.

1.admit you have a problem

in the midst of the funk, your creative spirit

expresses itself

in one way only:

by making beautifully crafted excuses.

be honest with yourself.

do you really need more research

or inspiration?

more often than not i find

i'm just procrastinating,

overcome by fears.

2. give yourself a (guilt free) break

don't be tempted to skip this one.

sure you've spent a lot (too much) time

not getting essential work done,

but beating yourself up

doesn't exactly count as relaxing.

take some intentional time off

(a half an hour, even a day if you need).

and make it good!

you'll be much more motivated to get to work

in your newly found

good mood.

3.take a hike

go for a walk. breathe in the crisp air.

get your blood pumping. 

open your eyes. listen.

explore.

4. ease into the work with a bit of play

don't start off trying to paint the next masterpiece.

that buys you an express ticket

to overwhelm town.

instead, go non-committal. have some fun with it.

i tear some lovely papers to bits.

burn the edges.

glue random odds and ends to a failed canvas.

throw some paint.

explore a new way of making marks.

pretty geometry

5. meet self imposed deadlines

now that you've been quite nice to yourself,

it's time for some tough loving.

create some artificial deadlines.

push yourself to the limit.

find that you're made of steel

in addition to the ooey-gooey arty stuff.

surgery

6. turn your computer off and get to work

eliminate distractions.

also, literally,

turns your computer off and get to work.

just do it. 

7. celebrate the little victories

you know what to do.

for me, it's the sweet sweet vices:

whiskey & a nice cigar on the patio.

or working on a fun sewing project:

giving an old sweater

edgy & feminine new life.

cheers! you did it!

tell me your tales of painting victory

and beating studio funk!

beautiful decay

embracing the new season. easing into new work.

after spending every waking moment

for months

working on a single piece,

a welcomed break.

i stepped out and it was fall,

crisp air, turning leaves, and all.

it is quite daunting getting back into

regular work

after having your work cut out for you

for so very long.

so i embraced the new season instead.

took a little road trip to grand rapids

to see all the good, the bad, and the ugly

at the art prize opening.

i spiked my tea with whiskey,

lemon & honey too.

got cozy with my wool blanket,

journaling/list making/dreaming/scheeming.

listened to an entire book series

(book of the new sun by gene wolfe)

on audiobook.

baked

(german pacakes, muffins, breads, biscuits oh my).

caught up with friends.

had more tea.

the procrastinating can go on no longer,

yet the resistance

to staring a new piece

paralyzes.

the only thing to do is ease into the work,

taking small practical steps.

 

 going on a treasure hunt

(i found this wonderful water damaged dictionary -

it smells like a hundred years)

creating textured backgrounds.

painting monochromatic bases.

burning paper edges

and tea filters

with sticks of incense.

painting vintage frames.

drawing figures i connect with.

and slowly, i pick up momentum

and inspiration follows.

how about you?

do you run into this resistance to new work?

how do you push through?

art prize 2012 - my entry

'unfinished poem' mixed media on canvas 4ftx8ft

  

this time, a better reason

for having been m.i.a. 

'unfinished poem' is nearly finished.

as finished as it's going to be.

finally vertical

and ready to go, save for

a few subtle finishing touches.

building a crate

to transport it to the gallery on friday.

a strange feeling letting go of it

after being so intimately connected

12-14 hours every day for two months.

 

thrilled to discover

the wonderful curating at

calvin college's 106 gallery

where 'unfinished poem'

will be showing september 7 - october 7.

and ready for the epic ride

that will be art prize,

september 19 - october 7.

if you're anywhere near grand rapids

during that time,

don't miss it! 

 

 more detail shots coming soon.

in the meantime, i am ready

to start tackling the stacks and stacks

of blank canvas

and pretty frames

that have been collecting around the studio.

but first, a foray out into the world

of people and sunshine

via a 4-day trip to grand rapids.

have a lovely, artful, lifegiving,

and poetry-infused week, friends!

 

in which i publicly break down (again) and find hope

'she who guards the night' 48'x36' mixed media on canvas

 well, friends, my appologies

for the inconsistencies in posting.

insert 1001 colorful excuses.

the truth is i fear being irrelevant,

and this overwhelming fear bullies me into inaction.

the irony wink winks.

like you, i desperately need to create

beauty & meaning. to add value. to matter.

to not waste my time & yours.

(where time=life)

unlike you(wink wink), i fail daily.

oh, i seek help. i'm so full of help

my head buzzes with a cacophony of wisdom, well

meaning advice & conflicting self help nuggets

first thing in the morning

every. single. day.

supposedly, 96% of our daily thoughts

are a repeat of yesterday's.

they mostly add up to 1 idea:

'you are not (good) enough'.

i find this to be true. of me, again, unlike you.

 (i process things best in conversation.

just now realizing where this is going)

but, SO WHAT!

the fierce battle of thought & quest for truth

between you're not enough - yes, you are -

no, you're not has been driving me nuts for years.

what's the point, i ask. why does it even matter?

whose standard is it? 

why do we even need to compare?

gifts+weaknesses+time=me

i love. i am loved. i've got time.(for now)

i do what i can.

(in which what i can<what i think i can)

SO WHAT!

more or less we are all comprised of the same

elements.

the sun shines on the good & the bad.

perhaps we should all just savor

the honey sweetness of the light.

a necessary reminder

lest this gets overbearingly existential,

here are a few snapshots of recent anca times

to be savored and celebrated:

after months of sparse-to-no sales

(no sales at the solo show either),

sales! 4 small pieces & 4 large pieces

-including the commissions pictured-

within a couple of weeks.

sleeping under the stars,

that campfire smell you can't get out of your hair.

cake & steak for breakfast. lots of rain
bringing life on its green wings.

blackberry limeade spiked with an entire bottle of tequila.
oops!

sand dunes & sand between the toes & sand everywhere.

good talks with better friends.

surprise flowers. tomatoes from the garden.

picnics & cuddling to live symphony & chicago skyline.

sun & sun & oh so much water that like a child

you refuse to come out of.

the bawling embrace of mom, as i share

how intensely loved i feel.

sushi & korean pancakes & steamed mussels

with crusty bread

& the morning light on the patio.

lovely friends giving birth to new lovely friends.

stealing kisses and drowning them in red wine.

a generous gift of art supplies.

painting for days. finding just the right books

at the corner library.

being invited to contribute to just the right book.

i'd be a fool in the face of all this abundance

to bemoan my undeserving nature.

well, i am a fool.

but occasionally i remember:

SO WHAT!

'don't look at me, ok?' 36'x48' mixed media on canvas

and now back to egg shells. t-1month till

delivery of the art prize piece.

the next 30 days promise to be

meditative & nerve-wrecking.

exploratory & back-breaking.

but mostly filled to the brim with life

waiting to be savored.

(if we are ever so lucky as to be alive)

take a juicy bite! 

shockingly pretty stacks.  love it when work sneaks up on me.

getting to know alice fox

rust. tea. stitching. soft earthy tones. natural materials.

delicate and decisive work.

sensitivity and restraint.

texture heaven.

meet the wonderful alice fox,

a uk artist working in mixed media. 

i am thrilled to introduce her,

as she graciously shares with us her work,

inspiration, and creative process.

 

some things you love:

pottering in my garden; eating things I’ve grown; 

the feel of my children’s hands in mine; 

making music with others; wind in my hair; 

dirty feet from having them bare all day; 

an open fire; being read to in bed; 

the smells of the seasons…

some things you love about yourself 

(go ahead, brag a little):

leading a full and stimulating life

what you're working on at the moment:

my residency exhibition in the old lighthouse 

at Spurn Point.  It’s a really challenging 

space and I’m excited and scared 

by it in equal measure.

where do you draw inspiration from?

the detail of the natural world; 

the way material is sorted by wind and water; 

macro and micro landscapes.

what is your creativity nemesis?

feeling the need to deal with paper work   

in order to clear the way for the creative stuff… 

it’s difficult to switch off 

from the list of things that should be done.

and your most effective weapon against it?

keeping to a routine and assigning time for each.

something you've learned the hard way:

you can’t always count on support 

from those you hoped it would come from.

would you please recommend a book?

The Wild Places, Robert Macfarlane

favorite natural food to snack on:

anything picked straight off the plant

when i say feminine you say...

curves

something you need to do less of:

sit in front of my computer

something you need to do more of:

drawing

your perfect day:

walking, drawing, singing

 thank you, alice for giving us a glimpse 

into your inspiring path!

for more of alice's work, studio, 

process & inspiration, please stop by her website.