Life and Art Making in Quarantine

At first I was thrilled at having to stay home. My idea of heaven was having all the time I wanted to work in my studio. And it was glorious, as well as highly productive...between March and June I created over 100 pairs of earrings, made several dozen small collages and completed a 30x40 abstract. (Which explains why I wasn't keeping up my blog.)

Watched blooms unfurl but there were fewer of them this year.

However, by early July, the bloom was definitely off the lily. It really started to irk me that I couldn't go shopping for needed supplies. Or enjoy dinner out at a restaurant. Or attend a concert, go to a movie, or even check a book out of the library.  Nor could I consult my doctor in a face to face appointment. Noooo...he and I had a "telehealth" type appointment during which he sounded like he was speaking from the bottom of a lake, and I couldn't understand 90 percent of what he was saying. God help us if that's the future of medicine.

So having all the time in the world to do something you enjoy so much, while under the severe constraints of mandatory directives imposed by local, county and state authorities, takes the fun out of things. In short, confinement is the pits.

What does all this mean for the future? Maybe a better question would be "Do we HAVE a future?"
The answer to this question can't come from others.You've got to look deep into your own life to discover the answer. Maybe make some art while you're pondering this question. It helps to clarify your thoughts. So let your creativity run loose. Take off its leash.We may be on the verge of a permanent change in our lifestyle, for good or for ill. Making art will help you stay sane in a world that's gone crazy.

Text and image ©2020 Lynn Edwards

A Thought for Sunday, June 1, 2014

"Artists can no more stop creating than they can stop breathing. As long as you are still breathing, living  your life out loud through love is your calling." -- Nicole Steiman, in Artstarters: A Spiritual Process for Using Creativity and Art-Making to Ignite Your Life

The Elements and Principles of Design, Revisited.

Came across a very useful book recently that's just too good to keep its title a secret. It's Design Basics (Fourth Edition) by David A. Lauer and Stephen Pentak (Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1995). A textbook that "demystifies the elements, principles and processes of design," it certainly delivers on its promise. The prose is clear and easy to understand, and the authors include plenty of examples and images to illustrate each point covered.

Don't let the fact that it's an older textbook put you off. This book is anything but dry and dull. Matter of fact, it's great fun to read while explaining in plain English (no woo-woo!) what the elements and principles are all about.

As a working artist I've read many books on the elements and principles of design and their application in the making of art. None have been as helpful as Design Basics. I just wish I had read it years ago when I was first learning to paint. Heck, it probably would have cut my learning curve in half.

So if you struggle with composition, are looking to improve your work, or have always found this subject boring, Design Basics is the book for you. And me. The copy I have is borrowed, so I'll have to return it, but I'll be buying one for myself. Soon!

©2014 Lynn Edwards