Environmental Responsibility in the Painting Studio
You might wonder how I use my inspiration cache. Mainly, it is used for my own purposes and by keeping these elements (and they are not organized all that well) I seem to be inspired with more ideas than I can express. My journaling clearly helps me to clear out blocks in my own head and provides a place to list thoughts and ideas. I also use it to make visual/oral connections which gave me lots of problems in the past. I will be creating a page to explain this further. Photographs which are kept on my computer and an external hard drive, provide me with endless inspiration. Seeing the details and contemplating them often provides me with inspiration.
textures and reflections
As I looked at this photo, I thought about the textures and the reflections. The strands of dry grasses and the forest reflections in the lake became the important part of this photo as I looked at it. I am sure on another day I would find something else important in this particular image. While I contemplated these details, something was also happening of which I was not aware. I thought about this incredible environment these grizzlies and other wonderful creatures call home. I made a decision to make conscious, careful decisions about the way I live day to day and about the decisions I make in my studio. From this was born my Reflection Series (which will be posted to my web site soon) to be seen in another section of this blog in the near future.
reflection painting details
I try to reuse as much as possible in my studio. I am gathering bits and pieces of dried paint and applying them to my work. By utilizing items I already have, I am creating some interesting work in the Reflection Series. If you look closely at the above detail, you will see these bits and pieces. This particular canvas was also reused, so everything you see here is literally bits and pieces gathered up and attached.
looking beyond the obvious
So I encourage you all to contemplate and look beyond what appears to be in front of you. As artists, we never know what might inspire us or how that inspiration might manifest itself. I also encourage you to take a look at your studio practice and think about how you might take environmental responsibility there. Clearly, you cannot address everything and particular choices must be made in order to keep your art going, but think of what might be possible and how it might make a difference in your work and for the world.
I am fully aware my studio practice is not fully sustainable, however I am trying to make positive choices with the environment in mind.
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There are 3 Comments to "Environmental Responsibility in the Painting Studio"
Thanks for this suggesting to look closer into our studio and work practices! Your post also inspîres to go and use USED material and things….. I think I will pay more attention to this now, ready to find a solution to use leftovers better! Your painting has made something completely new out of bits of paint, leftovers. Something so complex. It looks like the deep ocean full of unseen things.
oh and I love grizzlies! (from far, naturally!)
love
Andrea
Personal little bits and pieces–re-used, transformed into objects of beauty. Yes, these little bits add up. The key is for all of us to contribute our bits and pieces to make a difference in our Big Picture.
Inspiring post, Kim.
Thank you both. I am glad you understand what I was trying to say. We work hard in this family to make a difference and there is no reason for me not to carry that right into my studio, too. I do get on jags about certain things – like now it is the BPA which comes in contact with our food and wrecks havoc with our endocrine systems. I am glad, Andrea, you are going to take a closer look at your studio practice. San, any little bit can make a tremendous difference. It makes a difference to all of us and sometimes the most difficult choices are the most profound.
Andrea, living in grizzly country requires a specific lifestyle. They are majestic animals who require great respect. The thing is they can move very fast if they need to or wish. This summer, my husband and son came upon one when they were hiking in Glacier National Park. Yes, it sure made their hearts pound, but they kept their heads and were left alone in the end. It was the first time that had happened to any members of our family in years and years of backcountry hiking in Grizzly Country. There are not a lot of these creatures remaining.
Thank you both!