Anatomy of a Collection: Anticipation
Creative influences and focus come into play
I really enjoy the impromptu series I started, Anatomy of a Painting, in which I dissect how a painting came about. It often involves mood boards, imagery, and some key ideas or emotions that I am pondering. Recently, I have been working on this literary passage and the storyline in my head around it. I mentioned it in a previous post, and it has led me down an unexpected path.
I really embrace the idea behind painting in collections. It suits my nature as a creative person. I am preparing for The Other Art Fair in Brooklyn at Zero Space, OCt. 17th-20th, and this gives me the opportunity to explore and unite a more significant amount of work at one time. (Discount access ticket code here. I am in Booth 70. Please come visit!)
The fiery drama that often ignites my canvases has mellowed for this show. I find myself in a unique space, where I'm painting a Villa akin to Monet's Mediterranean works for a specific set of pieces, and then I'm drawn into a more ethereal, dreamlike landscape. It's a journey of evolution that I'm excited about and still digesting.
When I began painting for this show, I wanted to revisit some of my work as inspiration, work that had moved out of my hands too quickly and left me wanting a bit more.
So here I will try to break down some notes and thoughts I jotted in my journal about this painting,
Idea: Waiting on the Italian Coast for a lover to return, suspended in time
Palette: Intense golden hour glowing on old faded buildings up against lush, fragrant nature.
Compositions: I wanted to play with depth of field, but as it turns out, as an artist, I can only paint the way I experience a “landscape,” and that is intensely close up. I could let this vex me, but I think as I type this, I will not let it.
Influences: My work was most likely influenced by O’Keeffe and Lilan Thomas Burwell, and it is influenced by the romantic pastoral paintings from our recent visit to London for my Birthday, where we saw a fantastic exhibit of Vincent Van Gogh. I say “most likely” because when you expose yourself to a lot of artwork and museums, you never quite know how it impacts your creative path.
Marks: This was an interesting “play” point for me. I finally must accept that I don’t have to have a linear narrative when it comes to the type of mark I make. I painted in a controlled, realistic fashion in some works and used spontaneous marks in other works.
The overarching consistency in these pieces is that they don’t feel aggressive as a grouping. They do, however, feel like anticipation, where some moments are filled with patience, and others have a soft but restless energy about them.
As I finish this article, I want to add this caveat: producing art with a soft energy took a fair amount of focus, which is not easy right now. I was speaking to a dear friend the other day, and I encouraged her to step back from the news for a bit for good mental health and clarity.
As we were talking, I told her that I had to really “work” at finding positive news, social media, and community. Bad news gets clicks, it makes headlines, and it actively finds us. I have had to really seek out things that put me at ease.
We are in the final days of an extremely important election. We have seen so many artists and friends in NC lose so much and have another hurricane making its way to the US. Wars enter our living rooms, and it feels like we are irresponsible if we don’t do something or say something about it all. My unsolicited advice would be to reach out to your loved ones and friends, make sure they are not overwhelmed, give where you feel led, and then go pick up a book, preferably one that isn’t trying to teach you anything or persuade you of anything. Slip on some comfy clothes and read for a bit. It is good for the soul.
I posted this “catch up with a busy September” carousel post on Instagram. Warning: be prepared for some seriously proud Mom moments.
Until next time, Monica
P.S. Feel free to contact me if you would like to collect any of these pieces before I head to the Fair!