Rockford's Fall ArtScene

So Fall ArtScene is here as I'm typing this…  I meant to get this blog post out before the event but have been busting tail to get ready for the show!

In my opinion, one of the best events Rockford has to offer local artists has to be ArtScene. The Rockford Area Arts Council puts on ArtScene twice a year, both in the Spring and the Fall. It is a great show that gets the community together two-fold. One is to let the general population know what local businesses actually support the arts and the other is for artists to show off what they have been up to the past couple of months.

For the past two ArtScene's I have been fortunate enough to show my artwork in a great location, Bennie's Cleaners. Some other great locations include The Allegory Project, North Main Studios and State of the Art Gallery. There are 38 different locations this Fall and it was hard to mention just a few. You can pick up a map at each location or check out the Fall ArtScene website.

Last night was a great time to see old friends and network with some new folks. ArtScene is also a good time to show new artwork, kind of like a testing ground for other shows! :-) It's always awesome to chat with folks that appreciate going out in sometimes inclimate weather to check out local artwork.

Just so you know… Tonight (Oct. 4th from 4-9pm) is the last of Fall ArtScene! Maybe we will see each other! :-)

The Creative Process

I've been getting a good amount of questions about my art recently…
Questions like:
Why do you make art?
How do you come up your ideas?
What does your artwork mean or represent?
How do you come up with the color combinations?

Here is my favorite - I really like your artwork but I just don't get it?!?

This is my attempt to explain my CREATIVE PROCESS and to maybe get you into the MIX of making art as well! ~ Cheers!

Let me start off by expressing that I enjoy the PROCESS of making art just as much if not more than the finished piece! That being said, I think that our consumer-oriented society has squashed a lot of DREAMS not only in the fine art world but in all other areas of being creative including writing, music, drama and so on. We have all inherited the obsession of "THE PRODUCT", whatever that may be for each of us individually. So, when we see a piece of art… we are always thinking of it as a finished product and forget about the PROCESS of creating it.

What that renders down to: That thought process will squash us down before we even think about beginning a creative project. When always faced with thinking of an acceptable finished product, our project has come to an abrupt stopping point before even putting paint on the canvas.

My suggestion to you is to, "JUST DO IT!" Start! Paint! Throw down some colors and see where it takes you!

As an artist, I believe that one of my goals is to go out on a limb or to try things/techniques that I've never done before. It's how I find my way to the next expression. That's really hard to do when an audience is expecting a particular product. I believe that it is important to follow my creativeness inside and not a market. Artwork must be deep and real within to be worthwhile, first to me and then to the viewer.

Where do you find creativity? I believe that it is in the PROCESS, not the product. Creativity is an action, it is active and never complete always morphing and becoming.

It's always fun and exciting to go into the studio knowing all that is waiting for me is a blank canvas or even one that is in PROCESS but yet to be finished. The freedom to play with my artwork by building up layers and finding new textures is where it's at for me. Being spontaneous and without a preconceived path is what I live for not only in my artwork but also in life…

Now, there are times for more developed ideas especially when working on commissions where clients have set out specifics like the subject, color theme or size of the artwork. I also develop more of a plan when working on some of my digital artwork. It seems that I have more of a storyline with my digital collages than with my paintings. Having different creative outlets contributes to a really nice balance of spontaneity and more deliberate kinds of artworks.

Most folks that have taken the time to read this aren't looking to be professional artists. There are no deadlines to be had for galleries or commissions, you aren't painting to fill a gallery wall for this weekend's show. So have some fun in the freedom of just creating, embrace the PROCESS! Pick up a brush! Play with a new technique! Let your guard down and CREATE something! Get out of your head and into your heart while letting the work flow. Dive deep into the PROCESS and with no worries about a finished product.