Monday, November 12, 2007

It doesn't matter how much milk you spill as long as you don't lose the cow.


'Human being, classification: Female'
Laminated collage HMBT (2006)
Available for sale
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My quotes for today:
***

I assumed that everything would lead to complete failure, but I decided that didn't matter - that would be my life.
~Jasper Johns

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Failure is an opportunity.
If you blame someone else,
there is no end to the blame.

Therefore the Master

fulfills

her own obligations

and corrects her own mistakes.

She does what she needs to do

and demands nothing of others.

~Source: Tao Te Ching

***
Nietzche was the one who did the job for me.

At a certain moment in his life, the idea came to him of what he called "the love of your fate." Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, "This is what I need."

It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment — not discouragement — you will find the strength is there.
Any disaster you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life. What a privilege!

This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have a chance to flow.

Then when looking back at your life, you will see that the moments which seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage were the incidents that shaped the life you have now. You'll see that this is really true. Nothing can happen to you that is not positive. Even though it looks and feels at the moment like a negative crisis, it is not. The crisis throws you back, and when you are required to exhibit strength, it comes.
~
Joseph Campbell (1904 - 1987)

***
Good Morning everyone.
Well, it's Monday again and I have worked all weekend on my practice paintings for the big commission. So far...well, I have played around with the knife a bunch, and that is fun. I have to give it up to any knife painters out there, it's freaking "A" hard to do and do well. I also figured out trees, and foregrounds....that's all good.

I don't have any that really pull off the main feature of the commission yet, but today I tackle that project.

I have figured out the ultimate nature of a Heather Landscape. It don't look real at all. That's the key I guess, livid color, tons of texture and a bit of weirdness thrown in for good measure.
Here is one of the practice
works to prove my point.


'One with her nature'

24" x 18"
oils

picture taken indoors with a flash.

See?

The trees are really good though, even though you can't see them in this picture...sorry about that.

This is the sun my patron wants...and the trees too...so I got two of the elements in this work. In this next one, I just wanted to show what a hard time I am having at becoming a knife painter. OMG HARD! ARGH!


This one does not even deserve a name...so it's just a throw away.

I did learn a lot with this work as far as, the way of the knife goes. So, it's no complete failure, just a real crappy painting. This picture was taken indoors with a flash...sorry about that...again. It's still dark thirty here, gimme a break.
Well, I must get my children up and moving, pack lunches, pull up today's client list, and prepare to cook three dishes for this weeks family menu.
Fun huh?
Yeah, that's the ticket.
Failure is an opportunity.
Ok, I can deal with that.
Have a good day all,
Heather

8 comments:

PennyBlue said...

Ahhh, just gesso over the second one and turn it into something else. And be careful with that knife....don't get too frustrated! lol OH and as far as cookin....have I got a journal page for you! Check out my blog. Have a happy and creative week!

Cynthia said...

The second one is not a throw-away - keep it awhile and see what you can do...

I liked knife painting when I was painting - it's fun and liberating when you're not trying to place a brushstroke just exactly there.

The Joseph Campbell quote is right on! Love JC...

San said...

What you call the "throwaway" has real potential. There's primal energy there. Your mountain looks like a big mountain of ice--a huge crystal rising out of an inky ocean. I find that a lot of the fun in painting is going in the direction a "mistake" leads me.

Sweet and Salty said...

Your are simply amazing! Now, I'm not an artist and am not qualified to judge correctly, but I can imagine that one being a throwaway.
I bet you can "get down to it" and come up with something. I can only compare it to the music writing process, and sometimes there's this solid base which, by itself, isn't much, but you push and think and tinker, and next thing you know, you have something really awesome.

I absolutely LOVE "'One with her nature."

Heather said...

Blue: Hey Grrrl! Good thing painting knives are dull...or it would be bloody ovah here!

Cynthia: JC rules! Painting with a knife is Waaaay harder than I thought it would be. I have to get into a really weird head space to "see" it like that. It is fun though, you are right.

San: Well, maybe...I dunno. I don't like the flatness of it (the throw away) but I like what you see in it! Primal energy, huh? Really...well...OK maybe! *grins*

Pavel: Thank you my friend for your kind words...really you so freaking rock! I'm going to "get down to it" you betcha! I need some solid gold back up singers now and it'll be perfect! You busy? *Wicked grins!*

jafabrit said...

err, ahem! THe second one a throw away! noooooooooooooo! I love the second one,, the colours, the waves, the lights. The second one gives me the feeling you get when you are consumed by nature, the power of it, that I am just a mere creature. I think it is quite powerful.

Love the quotes.

Heather said...

Thanks Jafa! Ok, I'm not going to throw it away. I don't know what I'll do with it...but I won't round file it.

andrea said...

These collage pieces are MAGIC. Keep doing them!