Studio Mates

Sol, Luna and Astra sit on the worktable in the window. Here they are holding a series of peacock cards using a Magenta design. Yes, a little Latin as a dangerous thing. Sol, Luna and Astra... sun moon and star. It would be a good name for a new age bookstore too. Hmmm.....

Solar Plexis

I probably shouldn't explain too much of the work. Explainations may lessen some of the awesome, but then again, for those of you who are here to see how art is put together, translated by the artist or for inspiration, if I don't point out a few things then you've wasted a trip.

I have always loved the fleur de lis motif. I don't know why. I know it is the symbol of French Kings, persons for whom I have no use and less respect. Although, I like them more than Henry8. As I said, the french king's symbol, Le Roi, the sun kings. With all the gold dripped throughout their palaces it may have been fitting in an artistic sense.

The Solar Plexis is about Identity and in some respect our accomplishments. The vessel is classically called the Trophy Urn. I didn't know that before I chose it. It just felt right. Sorry. But sometimes that's how art goes. Its 90% inspiration and 10% conscious choice. And, in some cases there is an extra 5% to accomodate puns, riddles and humor. I entertain myself quite often by connecting dots. In this case Language and Art.

"Sol" is Latin for our sun. Yes, our sun has a name. Our planet has a name in latin too, Terra. So sol is the basis for solar and related to all things attached to solar; flare, panel, rays, winds. In the latin existential concepts, the solar plexis covers the abdominal region because they considered this area the seat of the sun within man. Take a direct hit here and you can't breathe. Without that breath you die. The sun keeps the solar system alive so the solar plexis was thought to be where the source of life is in man. Talk about anthropomorphism. And thus yellow is the proper color for this chakra. The obvious color. But what is not so obvious is what I learned about myself.

I have despised the color yellow for most of my life. It'll never be a staple in my wardrobe as it washes me out. But I wondered about the aversion I had to this color.Then suddenly it started leaking into my other work. And as we learned about this chakra, I understood... the solar plexis is the self. By the time I added the flower, representing the healed and whole chakra, I was happy happy and loving what came out.

Heart Chakra

Originally the homework for Verta's class came out as a 12x12 scrapbook page on canvas with Dad, Grampa and Sting featured prominently. I redid it to look like this, fitting the concept I developed during work on the Solar Plexis.

I had a duh moment with the Solar Plexis and turned it around to rework the Heart.

The main motif in this one is the damask pattern repeated in the background. Texture is one of the things that I can get "lost" in. Damask is smooth, satiny and cool to touch even when the fibers seem to be coarse and dense. But it also reminds me of my grandparents, the first source of safety.

Albums on Facebook makes no sense

I did what I thought was going to be a great thing because I have so many connections on facebook. I put an album of work together. Then three days later they decide they own the work. Now they don't... again. How long that will last I don't know. But there it is.
Why wouldn'ti put it here? Good question. Let me see if I can articulate the answer.
ME: Ambivalence.
YOU: Huh? That makes no sense.
ME: Well...
YOU: I'm waiting.
ME: Um... (looks for help from the sides) Well, it's like this. I am an artist. Have always been. I've never made money at it. Don't know that I have too. But part of me thinks that I am not really an artist if I don't make money at it.
YOU: Soooooo....(taps foot, scrunches face)
ME: So... um... well, MIchelle says art is to be shared money or not. Bro says nothing is worth doing if it doesn't get you cash. I don't know who I believe.
YOU: You suk.

And that is how ambivalence works in my head. It comes down to needing to decide who I believe, why I care and who has my best interest at heart. But then... it also depends on me. I have to make some decision about how I am to interpret myself, when I will believe in me, believe my own convictions. When I will cease to suck.