Category Archives: Discussion

The Necessary Element

I may be simplistically stating the obvious, but I truly feel that the subjective component an audience provides any work of art is one of its foremost strengths, contributing immeasurably to the work’s endurance across demographics and through time. And while the multi-layered backstory of any artist is deeply embedded within everything they make, it is our personal histories and perspectives as viewers that fortify and move the work forward, in much the same way that each added voice in a musical round deepens and enriches a tune.

Last Friday I caught the tail-end of the Pat Steir exhibit at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe and it was exactly what I needed at that point in time. Kudos to the HDAC website for supplying visitors with links to videos of the artist at work and an eye-opening interview, all of which enhanced my experience before I even walked into the gallery. What has stayed with me after-the-fact is that, despite my dismal outlook at the end of a weary and unsettling week, Steir’s paintings provided a 30 minute reprieve by offering a much-needed sense of solid ground; her visual language seemingly echoing the weight of what I was feeling, while simultaneously bolstering my spirits with strength, determination, and certainty.

I have come to discover, when exhibiting my own work, that the unsolicited responses and stories viewers relate (which may or may not have anything to do with my intentions in making the piece) are often the most rewarding. A formal artist statement may lift the veil between maker and viewer, but we are not beholden to that vision. Subjectivity is the necessary element that reminds one there is equal compensation in just letting the experience of a work of art wash over you as you are in that moment.

On Another Note…

sda-exhibit-web-square

If your travels take you near Rutland, Vt in the next month, I have 4 pieces included in the exhibit Surface Expressions at the Chaffee Art Center, November 9 – December 9.

16 South Main St., Rutland, VT 05701 802.775.0356 info@chaffeeartcenter.org

Occupational Hazard

While catching up on my blog feed this week I ran into two moderate length videos on the Sketchbook Skool blog: Part 1: The Creative Block and Part 2: Turning Problems into Solutions. Filed under “Art Therapy Thursdays”, they feature illustrator Koosje Koene, drawing teacher and co-founder of the Sketchbook Skool, laying bare the struggle of her current creative dry spell. My first reaction was empathy for how deeply this is affecting her (who among us hasn’t been in her shoes at one time or another?), and then I couldn’t help but think how brave she is to share her struggle so publicly. That in itself may be part of the answer.

Scissors © Elizabeth Fram

Acknowledging the problem is one thing, but how do you find your way out of it? Both her musician husband Pascal Oetiker and, in the second video, Danny Gregory offer concrete suggestions of what has helped them in the past: a) return to basics, b) give yourself a problem to solve, and c) get out of your regular routine by exposing yourself to new stimuli. But it seems the core of what she is experiencing is the lack of joy in working, which makes it all the more scary.

I was reminded of a story I heard a couple of years ago on NPR about Sting as he was emerging from a decade-long creative drought. His TED talk about his experience drills home the fact that it’s a phenomenon to which everyone is susceptible. That fact doesn’t make the issue any less painful, but it’s helpful to hear how others have coped. Brain Pickings, one of the best resources for exploring just about any idea in depth, quotes Chuck Close, Isabelle Allende, and Tschaikovsky on the subject as a preface to referencing two books that tap the knowledge and recommendations of 90 and 50 artists, respectively:

Break Through!: Proven Strategies to Overcome Creative Block and Spark Your Imagination by Alex Cornell
Creative Block: Get Unstuck, Discover New Ideas. Advice and Projects from 50 Successful Artists by Danielle Krysa

What works for me is to first be forgiving of myself, take a break, and then just start something, anything. The physical, repetitive movement of working — whether via the rhythmic action of the needle going down and coming up while stitching, or mindfully following the contour of whatever happens to be in front of me with pen on paper — seems to be a tonic in itself. Work begets work, letting the ideas begin to flow, however slowly.

Coffee © Elizabeth Fram

I have no doubt that Koosje Koene will see her way out of this current slump and will re-find her creative mojo. And while the very thought of it is scary for any of us, it’s comforting to know we aren’t alone and there are resources to help stave off any future dry spells.

Final Note: In compiling this post and adding the links, I see that Koosje has added another video to the series, The Creative Block – Art Therapist #3, a discussion with writer Suzan Colón. I realize it’s a big ask for you to watch all three of these videos, but consider filing the links for the next time you may find yourself in your own creative rut.

Networking Reframed

I keep reading about the importance of regularly attending art openings in order to meet new people and to build one’s network. I appreciate the theory, but not necessarily the means. How do you feel about networking at openings? Are you good at it? Is it something you engage in consciously? Do you feel pressured to make an effort? I’m not referring to when you are the exhibiting artist; I think what is termed as “networking” unfolds naturally when you are in that mode. Rather, when you attend an opening as a viewer do you feel compelled (or follow the frequent recommendations) to reach out to people you don’t know in an attempt to create a connection for your work?

I have been dyeing this week. I will never tire of the patterns that emerge.

Irrationally or not, I find approaching someone in what is in essence a “cold call” conjures up negative images of self-promotional awkwardness. Is that because it’s work encroaching on what is essentially a social situation? Or is it just that generating conversations with folks I don’t know is challenging? Being caught on the other end of this scenario has likely flavored my opinion: it’s no fun listening to a person you just met who only seems able to talk about themselves and their work. There is a fine line between striking up a conversation with a person you don’t know that sparks a genuinely mutual discussion about shared interests, and purposefully approaching someone with business objectives in mind. I admire those who can do so successfully, but it’s a skill for which I have little aptitude.

dye2web

However, I’ve had a bit of an epiphany which makes me realize that, as with so many things, perspective is all-important. Perhaps I’ve been looking at this concept of networking at openings a bit too literally. I had a couple of lovely opportunities, in separate gallery settings, to exchange ideas with folks last week in such a way that it made me realize that an art opening is a celebration and should be enjoyed as such. Occasions to connect with someone outside your circle should be approached as a joy, not as a directive. It is an opportunity to learn and perhaps to help someone else with their goals. It seems to me the act of networking is best served if reframed from an action with an objective, to an interaction that simply makes the world a little wider.

Never Too Late

We’re on ‘stay-cation’ this week — taking time to explore and enjoy our corner of Vermont during this particularly beautiful time of year. Studio time has been next to zero.

Mid-process stitching

A special thanks to my artist mother-in-law for getting me off the hook with the suggestion of this post’s subject: ageism doesn’t factor into being an artist. She’s been reading lately about Françoise Gilot, 95 and Carmen Herrera, 101, two artists who have proven that making art can be a life-long endeavor. The above links lead to wonderful interviews that will inspire you.

I’ve been doing a bit of research since she brought up the idea, and have been heartened by what I’ve found.

Check out Hilarie M. Sheets’ 2013 article for ARTnews, ‘You Become Better With Age’, for a discussion about many artists, past and present, who didn’t / haven’t allowed age to thwart their practice. Quotes from living artists emphasize that accumulated years often bring a sense of liberation and renewal, paving the way for new and significant discoveries while at times generating a measure of success that had previously been elusive.

Also, Ermine Saner writes for the Guardian about how age affects the practice of women artists.

The benefits don’t stop with professionals. Lata 65 of Lisbon, Portugal is a wonderfully uplifting example of older folks who are finding new ways of appreciating and making contemporary art while beautifying their neighborhoods with a spray can.

In our youth-obsessed world where technology rapidly makes jobs obsolete and athletes age out of careers in their mid-thirties, isn’t it reassuring to know that there is no shelf life on creativity?

Embracing Transition

I love September. Some may think I’m crazy, but I gladly welcome the cooler and grayer days, earlier evenings, and the sudden sense of sharpness in the atmosphere. Among other things, it brings a renewed energy to the studio.

gardengold

No matter what the season, it’s always a treat to watch the colors change and evolve, but late August through November is special. Lower in the sky now, the sun casts everything in a richer light. The garden is beginning to wind down and in a month or so, after a couple of weekends of fall clean-up, I will be able to plant my garlic and call it a season, leaving more time to concentrate on stitching and drawing.

Detail 1

I am continuing to explore this idea of transition in my current piece (what you see here are detail images from it that are about 12 x 15 inches each). I am incorporating layers of silk organza that have been hand-stitched and then dyed to create lines and swoops of pattern. As the pieces are laid over one another, interesting variations in color and depth are appearing and the passage from one section to the next is becoming the meat of the piece.

Detail 2

I am at the point of starting to puzzle out how I am going to push this idea further — how to create an interaction between the dyed patterns and the embroidery that will be laid on top.

Stay tuned.

The Reward of Getting it Wrong

Every now and then I think we could all use the boost of being reminded that the issues which dog us individually, challenge all artists – regardless of experience or acclaim.

Listening to Antrese Wood’s podcast interview with the painter Kathleen Speranza this past week drilled that point home. There was so much that Speranza had to say, on many subjects, that was directly relatable and refreshingly honest. I felt an instant sense of camaraderie. A warning though: at more than 1-1/2 hours, the interview is longer than most. But if you can work or drive while listening, I think you’ll find it’s worth your time.

One of Speranza’s most resonate points is that you have to make a lot of art in order to glean a handful of pieces that could be considered truly successful. She assumes about a 50% success rate for herself. I love that she debunks the often mistaken impression that pretty much everything an accomplished artist creates turns out perfectly. It’s our flops that move us all forward.

In trying to steer clear of the cliché that “it’s the journey, not the destination” that is most rewarding, I still have to acknowledge that much of my emotional connection with my pieces disappears once they’re complete. I’m not exactly sure why that is other than perhaps it’s my in-process engagement that serves as the fuel to push me forward. And that, in turn, leads me to wonder, where would I be without those unexpected mid-stream “accidents” or missteps that require a response, often missing the mark or, less frequently, pushing the whole piece above and beyond to an unplanned new level of discovery. In other words, without the challenge and the risk, what is the point? If every piece turned out exactly the way we wished, wouldn’t we soon become bored?

This line of thinking allows me to fully appreciate the fact that even with devoted practice one can’t hope to get it right every time. Rather, the true gift is gaining and developing enough facility within one’s medium that it becomes the hook that lures one to keep trying.

Censorship is Not Okay…

…but is unfortunately alive and well.

Last month Kathy Nida’s art quilt “I Was Not Wearing a Life Jacket”, part of a Studio Art Quilt Associates’ (SAQA) traveling exhibition entitled People and Portraits, was pulled from the American Quilter’s Society display during Quilt Week in Grand Rapids, MI by AQS management. Furthermore, AQS decided that the piece would be removed altogether from traveling further with the exhibit, despite having already shown in four other AQS venues without complaint. You can view the piece here.

The controversy surrounds a non-existent penis that was imagined by one, or several, very upset viewer(s) — exactly how many has not been definitively ascertained. The complaints apparently were forceful enough that the show’s management summarily removed Nida’s work from the exhibit. The overwhelming irony is that the piece depicts only women, so said anatomical feature simply does not exist within this artwork. It adds insult to injury that Nida’s second piece in the show was also removed, not because it was found offensive in any way, but because each exhibiting artist in the show contributed two pieces, and it was deemed inappropriate to display only one piece by Nida.

Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood of CraftSanity has written a concise recap of the controversial situation and includes a podcast interview with Nida, which can be found here. SAQA’s board of directors offered their synopsis and response. The Craft Industry Alliance discusses the aftermath, outlining how AQS further bungled the situation by refusing to address the outcry until 10 days after the piece had been pulled from the show, and even then with a woefully insufficient statement from Bonnie Browning, the Executive Show Director for AQS.

I find it extremely distressing, though sadly not surprising, that such a blatant misperception would be allowed to deprive other viewers the opportunity to assess for themselves the merits (or lack thereof) found within such thought-provoking imagery. And while it’s disgraceful that such antiquated viewpoints are allowed to take precedence over reason, thank goodness we can openly express our scorn for such provincialism and outright censorship.

Finally, if you have questions about your rights under the First Amendment, Artist Rights is a resource that was created to provide answers.

On a Much Lighter Note…

After a lonely year, my studio is a happier place with the arrival of a new model and goofy partner in crime. Gentle snores and a thumping tail once again provide the comforting background music I have been sorely missing.

Wrapping Things Up to Begin All Over Again

It always feels good to cross the finish line.

While it may seem that I’ve only been sketching, reading, and gardening this summer, behind the face of this blog there have been untold hours of stitching as well. The plain, hard fact is my textile pieces have so many layers and levels of process, mostly hand-done, that sometimes they seem to crawl along at a virtual snail’s pace. The Rio Olympics provide the perfect analogy: sketching is a sprint, textile work is a marathon. Happily, neither impinges upon the other and working at both seems to have reciprocal advantages.

And I’m sure you can appreciate why I need both.

Poseidon’s Garden ©2016 Elizabeth Fram 26″H x 22″W, Stitched Resist, Dye, Discharge, Stitching on Silk If ever there was a piece for which it was particularly satisfying to tie off the last thread, this is it. My previous posts “How Do You Define Success”, “One Note Changes Everything”, & “Share the Wealth” discuss the process and, perhaps more significantly, the struggle of working my way through it.

Last month I finally finished the two pieces shown here, and now need only to tidy up behind them with proper photographs and documentation. Neither of them came together easily, yet they both represent the best type of workhorse. They are rich in lessons learned along the way that, while obvious to no one but me, add measurably to my toolkit for the future.

Capriccio ©2016 Elizabeth Fram 12″ x 12″, Paint & Stitching on Silk Made in response to the prompt “lyrical” for the 2016 Journal Project, an undertaking you can read more about in my previous post “Creative Yoga”

Work begets work, so the door is now open to fully concentrate on the two new pieces that I began a couple of weeks ago. And boy, does it feel good to start fresh and shift my focus! However, there’s something to be said for setting aside a few moments to mark the transition, to make note of and be grateful for the ground covered, and to hope that what was learned can be applied to the challenges that lie ahead.

On Another Note…

I can’t help but share the most important and thoughtful article I’ve read this week. In her blog post Why “good ideas” never happen & WHY YOU CAN’T AVOID DIFFICULT DECISIONS, Nela Dunato discusses why and how maintaining a mindset that includes the capacity for change is both a necessity and a powerful ally in achieving success, especially for the creative professional. Check it out; it’s a valuable reminder that even small steps can reap large rewards.

Tilling Ideas

I was chatting with a couple of artist buddies earlier this week and one of the things that came up was the havoc that summer can wreak on devoted studio time. Considering our drawn-out Vermont winters, paired with an elongated mud season, there isn’t any question that being outside during this very limited time of sun and warmth becomes a priority. In addition to a host of other outdoor activities, most folks I know have a garden to tend. So it’s no surprise that, despite the days being longer, July and August pose an even greater challenge than usual for squeezing in everything one wants to accomplish.

Garden Study 1 © 2016 Elizabeth Fram There is one section of my garden that has been blowing me away this year. The plants are so lush and, at certain times of day, the light catches their diversity of color so beautifully. These little studies don’t begin to do the sight justice, but it’s a true pleasure to be outside with my paintbox, learning as I practice, immersed in the color and shapes.

This certainly isn’t a new or unique problem and doesn’t only occur at this time of year. When my kids were little, it became something of a quest to try to figure out how to carve more time into my schedule so I could be in the studio most days — or let’s face it, to try to carve out any time to be in the studio most days. The theories and advice surrounding ‘productivity’ which have become so prevalent in articles and on blogs now, just weren’t as easily accessible then. I did my best to make it up as I went along.

I was so excited to find the book A Question of Balance: Artists and Writers on Motherhood by Judith Pierce Rosenberg, which at least let me know I wasn’t alone in trying to devise a way to squeeze creative time in with the myriad of daily chores I had to cover. But truthfully, I found the book pretty discouraging because it seemed that those who were most successful, were so because they had hired a full-time nanny, or had a spouse who covered all bases on the home front, neither of which was a consideration for me. The most valuable wisdom lay between the lines in what a minority of those interviewed wrote: it all comes down to compromise, commitment, and some good old-fashioned ingenuity. There is no magic bullet.

One of my friends from the aforementioned conversation said that although she is spending long hours moving earth and pulling weeds these days, she is still thinking about her art and working through ideas while she’s in the garden. She may not be in her studio, but she is creatively active nevertheless. Her point reminded me of Adam Grant’s TEDtalk “The Surprising habits of Original Thinkers” which touches upon the fact that moderate procrastination can foster greater innovation and better creative solutions. To be fair, having an overflowing schedule that keeps you away from the studio isn’t quite the same as procrastination, but Grant’s theory offers a positive way to frame the frustration you may be feeling when you aren’t able to put in as much active studio time as you wish, highlighting that having time to consider and develop ideas can provide a more successful outcome. And it’s quite likely that the interruption from her usual schedule will provide a fresh perspective that will make for positive progress once she can get back to the studio more regularly.

For what it’s worth, another solution which has been very successful for me is one that I learned from Cal Newport of Study Hacks Blog. (I’ve mentioned him before; he is the guy who champions the idea of “deep work” in order to make concrete strides with what he calls “knowledge” work.) Newport asserts that scheduling is key. Don’t just add an item (i.e. studio time) to your to-do list, schedule it. It’s a rare day that everything on one’s list gets checked off, but with a designated time-slot on your calendar, priorities will get done.

Please leave a comment with your solutions for tackling this common dilemma. Thanks!

Words of Wisdom in 15 Digestible Bites

One of the few attributes of long travel days, despite the many hours spent in airports and on planes, is that there’s not much to do but read (and sketch, of course). How many days in a given year does one have the luxury of being able to sit with a book for hours on end?

A couple of weeks ago, while heading back and forth to and from California — after I’d had enough of my book, and the people I was drawing in the waiting area had all begun to look the same — I caught up on several months of articles I had saved to Pocket. Do you know about Pocket? If not, you should. It’s an app that offers a way to save all the items you come across on the web but don’t have time to read right away, making it possible to access them when you do have time — across all your devices…and it’s free!

Waiting 2 ©2016 Elizabeth Fram Most waiting travelers, regardless of age, are plugged into their devices. The advantage is they are oblivious to a lonely sketcher. The downside is there is little variation in body posture as most have nearly the same bend of the neck and hand placement while looking at their phones or tablets.

Aside from the ongoing slew of links that I stockpile, digest, and then discard, I have a few items saved in my Pocket that I’ll keep permanently. I hold onto them to reread from time to time because they’re just that good.

Entrepreneur and writer James Altucher’s excellent post entitled What I Learned About Life After Interviewing 80 Highly Successful People is one such piece. I am happy to return to it from time to time, not just as a means of giving me a bit of a boost when needed, but also to help me remember to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground. It contains 15 short maxims; points that seem appropriate no matter where we stand as we strive to keep moving forward with our goals. It’s too lengthly for me to transcribe here, so please follow the above link. I think it’s well-worth sharing and hope you agree.

Do these ideas resonate with you as well? I keep coming back to “Many moments of small positive, personal interactions build an extraordinary career”… or, one might also say “life”… don’t you think?

❖

In case you can go: This month members of the Vermont chapter of the Surface Design Association are exhibiting at Frog Hollow, Vermont State Craft Center in Burlington, in a show entitled “Material Matters”. We have an active and motivated group across the state and the show reflects that commitment.

The term “surface design” was coined to identify “manipulations of textiles that go beyond woven constructions”. Legendary textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen explained the term best by expressing his opinion that surface designers are interested in fabric as geography, in providing unlimited options for dimensional and structural enhancements, greater possibilities for opening interior spaces, and more opportunities for experimenting with color, texture, and design.

Frog Hollow has created this catalog of the exhibit, which you can browse through at your leisure. It offers an idea of the breadth of work on view and includes information about the participating artists.