A few weeks ago I signed up for an online course on abstracting and stylizing painting in watercolor. I watched a free “demo” first where the artist said a few things that I really connected with. I have been a bit bored with my painting practice lately, and this seemed like a good thing to try to help me get out of that slump. The artist giving the course has been painting in a realistic style, like I do, for over 25 years. Although he was successful at it, and sold his pieces at roughly 10 times the price I sell mine, he was getting bored with that way of painting. So he used his knowledge and experience to come up with a fresh way of painting, and this is what he would be sharing in this course. I have done a few abstract pieces in the past, but honestly I am not a big fan. I look at some famous artists’ abstract pieces that have been sold for millions of dollars (notice I didn’t say “are worth”) and I think “what a crock”. So abstract isn’t my “go to” by any stretch of the imagination! But this seemed different. Or maybe I have just reached that point on my artistic path. I signed up for the course and am very happy I did. The artist took us through three different ways of abstracting paintings, giving numerous tips and tricks in each one. One of the three styles I don’t care for much, but the other two I really enjoyed and absolutely love the results! I shared my first attempts on Facebook and many people seem to agree. I still have a ways to go before I can be happy enough with the work to put it up for sale but, for the first time in months, I am excited about painting again! And I see so much potential! Of course, I can’t share all that I learned, but I can give you the highlights. The first type of abstraction I learned is to start by finding a design in an existing image or structure. I won’t tell you all the secrets, but this was a game-changer for me! I can never run out of inspiration, I just need to know how to look for it! The second type that I like is a little bit more difficult, but the results are worth it! In this case, you have to come up with an idea and design of objects that you want to paint. But the way that you actually paint them is not at all realistic and, done right, creates a really dynamic and attractive painting that makes me smile! I just love it, and I hope you will follow me as I hopefully get better at it! I would love to hear your opinion on this new direction!
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I am pretty sure you have heard of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and how great strides have been made in the last few years to bring it closer to the decades-long dream of being able to act like a human. There is a lot of controversy about how AI is currently being used, because it isn’t all good. Of course, “good” is very subjective, but I am pretty sure everyone would agree that some tasks or domains that AI is being applied to are not good. And some are, of course. Take Art. Is it a good thing that AI is now able to create “Art” on demand? Some would say yes, and others would say no. Depends on your perspective. Like everything else, really. I, for one, am not thrilled to know that anyone, with no need for talent, and needing only a little time and even less effort, could generate a made-to-order “painting” they could hang on their wall instead of one of mine! However, I can see how using an AI generator could allow an artist to quickly visualize an idea for a painting, which they could then create physically with brushes and paints. Basically, help with the “study” part of creating a painting. But today, I am talking to you about another area where AI is getting a lot of press recently: writing text with ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer). You have probably heard the very legitimate fears that academia has voiced about how ChatGPT will make cheating easier. Cheating (plagiarism) is already a very serious problem, but until now it was relatively easy to spot and prove. A quick search of an unusually good sentence or even group of words would usually quickly locate the text that was plagiarized, giving the teacher the proof needed to accuse the student. But with ChatGPT, the text is generated for each request and no record of it is kept, making it impossible to search for it later. openAI, the company that created ChatGPT, has said it would address the problem, but let’s just say I am glad I am no longer teaching! But all this talk has made me curious. And although I enjoy writing, I figured I would like to try this thing out and see what it can do for me. One of the hardest things to write for most artists is their “Artist Statement”. This is often required when applying for a show or a competition, and is notorious for being vague and unintelligible by non-artists. I am sure some artists don’t mind being vague and unintelligible, but I do. So I thought this would be the perfect test for the abilities of AI. Below you will find my word-for-word “conversation” with ChatGPT. The only changes are that I added “ME” and “CHATGPT” to identify who was “talking”. The whole conversation took less than 10 minutes, and the last exchange was added hours after the rest. ------ ME: Can you help me write my artist statement? CHATGPT: Of course! To get started, can you tell me a bit about your art and what you want your statement to convey? This will help me tailor my response to your specific needs. ME: My art is realistic and i want my statement to convey that I am a no nonsense person, I don't like vague artsy text that is not easy to understand CHATGPT: Sure! Here's a draft of your artist statement: "I create realistic paintings and drawings that aim to capture the beauty and intricacy of the world around us. My work is inspired by the people, landscapes, and objects I see in my everyday life, and I strive to represent them with accuracy and detail. I believe that art should be accessible to everyone, and that's why I avoid using vague or abstract language in my work. Instead, I prefer to let the art speak for itself, letting the viewer connect with the piece on their own terms." ME: that's pretty good CHATGPT: I'm glad you like it! Is there anything you'd like to add or change in the statement? I'm here to help make it perfect for you. ME: I don't like the last sentence CHATGPT: No problem! How about this revised statement: "I create realistic paintings and drawings that aim to capture the beauty and intricacy of the world around us. My work is inspired by the people, landscapes, and objects I see in my everyday life, and I strive to represent them with accuracy and detail. I believe in the power of art to evoke emotions and spark imagination, and I hope that my work will resonate with viewers and allow them to see the world in a new light." ME: Much better. Can you translate that in French? CHATGPT: Certainly! Here's a French translation of your revised artist statement: "Je crée des peintures et des dessins réalistes qui visent à capturer la beauté et l'intrication du monde qui nous entoure. Mon travail est inspiré par les gens, les paysages et les objets que je vois dans ma vie quotidienne, et je m'efforce de les représenter avec précision et détail. Je crois en la puissance de l'art pour évoquer des émotions et susciter l'imagination, et j'espère que mon travail résonnera avec les spectateurs et leur permettra de voir le monde sous un nouveau jour." ME: intrication? CHATGPT: My apologies, the correct word in French is "complexité." Here's the corrected translation: "Je crée des peintures et des dessins réalistes qui visent à capturer la beauté et la complexité du monde qui nous entoure. Mon travail est inspiré par les gens, les paysages et les objets que je vois dans ma vie quotidienne, et je m'efforce de les représenter avec précision et détail. Je crois en la puissance de l'art pour évoquer des émotions et susciter l'imagination, et j'espère que mon travail résonnera avec les spectateurs et leur permettra de voir le monde sous un nouveau jour." ME: Thank you. That's pretty good! Can you now give me a flowery one just for fun? In English is fine CHATGPT: Sure thing! Here's a flowery version of your artist statement: "As I delve into the realm of realism, I am awestruck by the endless intricacies and nuances of the world that surrounds us. My paintings and drawings are but mere whispers of the magnificence I witness each day, yet they embody my soul's fervent desire to encapsulate the beauty that surrounds me. Each stroke of the brush, each line I draw, is a celebration of life itself, a tribute to the raw, unfiltered essence of reality. I hope that my art will transport you to a place of wonder, where the realm of possibility is as vast as the imagination, and where the simple grace of everyday life is forever elevated." ME: You're good!! How about an artsy version CHATGPT: Here's an artsy version of your artist statement: "My work delves into the ethereal realm of realism, where the mundane transforms into the sublime. I seek to unravel the secrets of the world, to shed light on the obscure and celebrate the overlooked. Through each stroke of my brush, I weave a tapestry of light and shadow, a symphony of form and texture. My paintings and drawings are not mere representations of reality, but rather a reflection of my own subjective experience of it. I invite you to join me on this journey of discovery, where the boundaries of what is real and what is imagined blur, and where the simple beauty of life takes center stage." ME: Sublime! CHATGPT: I'm glad you like it! If there's anything else I can help with, just let me know. (later) ME: I forgot to tell you that I work mostly in watercolor and printmaking. Can you work that into my plain artist statement (not the flowery or artsy ones)? CHATGPT: Of course! Here's a revised version of your plain artist statement that includes your focus on watercolor and printmaking: "I create realistic paintings and prints that aim to capture the beauty and intricacy of the world around us. My work is inspired by the people, landscapes, and objects I see in my everyday life, and I strive to represent them with accuracy and detail. My medium of choice is watercolor, as its fluidity allows me to capture the fleeting moments of life, while printmaking techniques such as etching and linocut offer me a unique way to explore the textures and patterns of my subjects. I believe in the power of art to evoke emotions and spark imagination, and I hope that my work will resonate with viewers and allow them to see the world in a new light." ------------ So, what do you think? I was pretty impressed with the whole experience and I can see why people would want to use it! I may not use the text as is, but it’s a great starting point, and is certainly better than what I would have taken a whole day to write myself! I have been feeling down for a few weeks. Probably longer, but who keeps track of such things? Could be Seasonal Affective Disorder, could be just January blues. In my early January blog, I mentioned I had started a 12-week program to unblock my creativity. That is going OK, if a bit slow. There is no way I can do the recommended exercises in the time suggested, but I am hopeful that I will see results. But it will take more than 12 weeks. This program is not helping my mood though, and in fact one of the exercises actually caused me to become a bit more depressed. I went out and bought some “fun” items that might spark some creative work, but instead, I was disappointed by the purchase and realized I had just added more “stuff” to my already overfilled space. This reality hit me this morning, and I decided I needed to do something about it. To be fair, we did try to declutter last winter, setting aside Tuesdays as “declutter day”. Of course, it didn’t take many weeks to have something come up on a Tuesday that prevented the decluttering from happening, then the following week something else happened, and there went that great plan. Let’s face it, decluttering is not fun. One of my problems is that I won’t start something if I don’t have a “system” to keep on track. Which means that often I don’t start. A classic case of “perfect” getting in the way of “good enough”. I know this is a textbook form of procrastination, but I am what I am! So of course I started on my quest for a decluttering “system” I could live with (I have read Mari Kondo’s book, but I stopped when she suggested I get rid of my books!! Not going to happen!) I remember reading some time back that clutter can make us depressed, or at least anxious. It might have been Mari Kondo, or it may have been someone else, but I believe it. So I went on the internet (of course!) to do a bit of reading on the topic, hoping to gather munitions for building my “system”. Lucky for me, it didn’t take long. Googling “depression and too much stuff” reminded me that the word I was looking for was “clutter”. So after rewording my search, I found this article, as the first “hit”: https://nourishingminimalism.com/clutter-depression-and-anxiety-a-vicious-cycle/ If you have any struggles with too much stuff, anxiety, or depression, I strongly encourage you to read it. The first revelation to me was that I am not alone! What a relief! Although we all strive to be “unique” (especially as creatives), it is comforting to know that we are not unique in our struggles. I found that the author (Rachel Jones) also runs a decluttering challenge and, in addition to having designed a clever “system” (a simple but powerful motivational checklist that I can use “as is”), she has created a Facebook group to go along with it! https://www.facebook.com/groups/nourishingminimalismyearlydeclutteringchallenge What could be better for someone like me who is "a bit" competitive? But who also needs support and motivation! I have of course joined and have already found comfort in reading some of the posts of fellow strugglers! If you struggle with clutter and the way it makes you feel, won’t you consider joining me, either for the 2023 challenge, the Facebook group, or both? We could encourage each other as we progress! And if you have tackled clutter and won, I would love to hear how you did it! This week I started a 12-week program to unblock my creativity. Maybe you have heard of it. It is based on the book “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron, which has been apparently responsible for helping out thousands of creatives in every domain, from poetry to filmmaking, including famous people such as Patricia Cornwell, Elizabeth Gilbert and Pete Townshend (although to her credit I had to look those up, she is not a name dropper!). As part of the program, I have to take myself out on “Artist Dates”, which briefly means going out and doing something fun, something I would probably not have done otherwise. So I took myself on a raid of a local thrift store. I love thrift stores, and that is one of the things I miss about not going to Florida anymore. They have dozens of thrift stores there, and I would have my usual haunts, although I was not averse to checking out new ones when I had the time. Around here, a few have sprung up in recent years in an effort to cut down on waste, and although there are fewer than in Florida, I still enjoy checking them out. So I decided to go in a different mindset, not looking for something useful as I usually do, but looking for something fun, perhaps something I could turn into an art project. One thing I looked at which I don’t usually was the puzzles and games table. I looked at many before settling on a 2000-piece puzzle of a candy display. I am not a puzzle person, but I don’t dislike them. I remember enjoying adding a few pieces to the partially completed ones that were always left out on tables in the library back in Florida. So I bought it! And paid all of $1! I sure hope it’s complete, but it will be a while until I find out! My oh my! What have I gotten myself into! I worked all afternoon and evening just trying to find and get the border done!! I worked as long as I could without the picture, but as I was (and still am) missing a few border pieces, I had to use it just to get the borders assembled in the right direction! And it is so big!! We had to add 2 leaves to the dining room table to make room for it!! It is going to be a while, but I am enjoying it. It keeps my mind busy, which is what it needs. I am constantly being distracted, and I just hope that this puzzle, as well as the “Artist’s Way” program, are not just other ways to keep me from doing art! I will keep you posted on the progress! As this year gently comes to an end, many of us are thinking of the one about to start. What will it bring us? Will it be better or worse than the ones we have just lived through? And for many, the thought of “what can I do better?” creeps into the mix. Even if you have given up on making “official” New Year’s resolutions (because you know you won’t actually keep them), the end of one year and the beginning of a new one will subconsciously pull at your desire to improve, to be better. It’s human nature. Babylonians were making New Year’s resolutions 4000 years ago! Check out this website if you don’t believe me! Although I am sure some people still resolve to pay their debts or to return borrowed objects, most people make resolutions aimed at improving themselves, such as losing weight, drinking less, etc. There is certainly nothing wrong with these noble thoughts, but I would like to suggest another idea, one that might have a better than 8% chance of success, if only because it is much more pleasurable than going to the gym or cutting out desserts or wine. And that suggestion is: Add some art to your life! Art is a wonderfully easy, guilt-free way to add beauty and pleasure to your life. This could be done many ways, but here are a few suggestions:
So, what do you think? Are you ready to be a better you by becoming a “patron of the arts”? Let me know in the comments below, and all the best for 2023! I have discovered yet another rabbit hole. I know. I have stopped counting. I sometimes feel like Sisyphus, but rather than being condemned to forever pushing a boulder up a mountain, it seems I have been condemned to forever try new things. I am OK with that. And although my life sentence does involve work, it’s a lot more fun, I imagine, than that rock-pushing thing. So what, do you ask, is the new thing this time? It’s called “gel printing”. It is a derivative of printing, and that is how I came across it. I think I first saw a gel (or gelli) plate at an online art supply store, but I had no idea what it was. I was undoubtedly looking for materials to use as carving blocks for printing. I remember thinking that these gel plates were much more expensive than their linoleum or vinyl counterparts, so I quickly dismissed them. But it turns out they are not meant for carving a design into just once, but rather as a reusable surface from which to print. Confusing, I know. The best would be to see one in action. And where could you do that? YouTube, of course. So I watched a few videos of the gel plate in action, and I had pretty much come to the conclusion that it was more for “craft” or “scrapbooking” types of art, until I found Mark Yeates, of the “Yeates Makes” YouTube channel. I had definitely underestimated the power and potential of the gel plate. Mark is an experimenter. A true experimenter. I am nowhere near as bold and fearless as he is. He tries anything! And doesn't mind sharing the process, warts and all! I have to admit that it is comforting to see that there are other artists out there who are a lot more experimental than I will ever be! Makes me feel normal! Anyway. If you haven’t already gone off to see a few videos of gel plates, let me explain how they work. A gel plate is a flexible clear silicone mat, about ½ inch thick. They come in various sizes, from about 3 inches square to a bit over a foot square. You create an image on the surface using a variety of mediums or techniques, mainly involving acrylic paint. Then you transfer this image to a surface, usually paper. You can transfer images or parts of images from magazines or laser prints, you can build layers of images, either right on the plate or by accumulating multiple transfers to the receiving surface (paper). Mostly, paint is applied to the plate with a roller or brayer, but you can also paint directly on the plate, you can use objects or stencils to add designs to the paint on the plate, and as my new friend Mark Yeates has shown me, you can even transfer your original artwork to the plate, which in my mind raises this technique beyond somewhat random colors and patterns to bona fide original art. I am still learning. It looks so easy when I watch them do it. So many variables can affect the result, not the least of which in my case is my lack of experience with acrylic paint. Most of the resulting prints have an imperfect, slightly grungy look, which I am also not used to, but which I quite like in others’ work. I just have to give myself permission to produce it. Pacify the perfectionist. Who knows? Maybe this will help me loosen up a bit in my other painting! What about you? Have you ever heard of gel printing? Have you tried it? I would love to know how you use it and see what you have done! Let me know in the comments. I love books. I love second hand books. That's all you really need to know about me, but in case you're curious, here is a blog I wrote two years ago about my art book collection. Things haven't really gotten any better.... and I finally did buy that copy of Richard Schmid's book..... (With apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning) How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways … I hate having to wear socks in the house because my ankles get cold … I hate to have to take 10 minutes just to assemble all the clothing I now need to be comfortable if I step outside … I hate feeling the cold bite my face or numb my fingers and toes … I hate walking on a snowy road or sidewalk in constant fear of falling and breaking something … I hate driving in the snow, especially when other drivers still think it’s summer! And I really hate seeing freezing rain in the forecast! Living in the country, ice storms can wipe out the electric grid and we can be without power for days. It has already happened more than once, and as our climate changes, it is likely to happen even more. If the power is out and the roads are unusable, that can become a serious health risk. But it wasn’t always like this. I used to get excited and couldn’t wait until the first snow came. Now I can wait and am disappointed when it finally does come. I used to love the sound of crunching boots that only happens when it’s really really cold. Now I still like that sound, but only because it reminds me of when I was a lot younger. I used to love sliding and making forts and coming in to a warm house after hours of playing, then wondering if my toes would get that strange unscratchable itch from having gotten way too cold. Now I am afraid of sliding onto my rump in a slushy parking lot and winding up in the hospital! So what happened? I guess adulthood happened. Responsibilities of getting to a job on time, regardless of how many inches had fallen overnight or if the plow had just closed the driveway in again. Maybe it happened that morning of my birthday when it was so cold the diesel in our Jetta solidified, and I had to wait for hours in an unheated store entrance for the tow truck to come and rescue me. This was pre-cellphones, so I had to stay where I could see the car. Needless to say that at 40 below I wasn’t the only stop the tow truck driver had to make!! And on my birthday! That may have been the tipping point, when winter went from wonderland to fool’s paradise. So, mostly, I hate winter. Things that have helped? Getting really warm boots that make my feet look like snowshoes but that ensure no more itchy toe syndrome! Heated seats (game changer… well, almost!). Paying someone to clear the driveway (best money spent-ever!). Parking the car under some sort of shelter. Being a snowbird for a bit more than 10 years (nothing quite like slipping your feet into sandals and being out of the house in less than 10 seconds!) Changing the wood-burning stove to a propane one (instant on/off, thermostat control, no more smoke, or dirt and bugs from logs, not to mention the stacking, chopping and carrying-- and it turns out propane is more environmentally friendly than wood!). Buying the super-size container of hot chocolate mix at Costco. Finally accepting that "helmet hair" is a small price to pay for not having your ears freeze off! Don’t get me wrong, there are some things I still like about winter. The snow is incredibly pretty, as long as you don’t have to go out in it. I love the hush that large fluffy snowflakes create as they slowly fall, or the sparkling "diamonds" in the air when it is sunny and tiny snow crystals are falling. I love opening the blinds in the morning and guessing what animals made the new track patterns across the snow. I appreciate that the cold ensures that we don’t have poisonous snakes and spiders the size of dinner plates! I also appreciate that the cold sets up the unfaltering return of perennial plants - quite amazing really! And that it also slows down human activity so we have time to rest and regroup for another year. So what about you? Love it? Hate it? Have an “it’s complicated” relationship with it? Tell me your winter stories in the comments below! I’ll go make some hot chocolate! I have been writing this blog for a little over two years. Every week since August 16 2020, with the exception of a few weeks when I took a break and “recycled” a few older posts, I have come up with a page or so about some topic I hoped readers would find interesting. Most of these were related to art, although I did occasionally use the blog to express my opinion about some important news event or to vent about something that had recently irked me. It takes me anywhere between two and four hours to write each blog, not including the time I spend coming up with ideas for my next blog. That is time I could be spending doing something else. But generally I find it enjoyable and worth doing, so I don’t really mind. Or do I? As almost no one ever leaves a comment, I don’t actually know if anyone reads or cares about my blog, and that’s OK too. As I wrote in one blog, I enjoy the fact that writing the blog forces me to stop and think about how I feel about a topic. It sometimes forces me to do a little research before I start giving my opinion, which is certainly not a bad thing. More people should do that. But I digress. Lately, I have been considering reducing the frequency of new blog entries. At the beginning of last summer, I changed my newsletter from once a week to once every two weeks. I know that means that the news is not as fresh, but I have had no complaints from my subscribers, and I have to admit it relieves quite a bit of pressure for me. I like to think the newsletter is better because of it. I want to do the same with my blog. So, unless I hear massive protests from you, dear reader, although I will still post a blog each week, I will now alternate between a new blog and a re-post of an old blog (which probably most of you either haven’t read or don’t remember). I like to write, so this new schedule will give me an opportunity to do so every week, one week for the blog, and the next week for the newsletter, and I will use the extra time to work on my art! Let me know what you think in the comments. Thank you. |
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