I’m working on my new solo show opening in a few weeks. Funny how I think I can have an idea, but the art has a mind of its own. It’s part of what I love about being an artist.
Artist Blog / Art. Process. Creativity. LIfe.
THOUGHTS FROM THE CREATIVESPHERE
"It’s human desire to be understood. And we always feel we’re not understood."
-John Baldessari
There is so much that goes into making art that can easily be missed when you look at a finished image. There are the the inspirations that spawn it, the epiphanies and breakthroughs that fuel it, as well as a slew of failures and challenges to overcome along the way. All to me are equally as interesting and important. This is what I call the Creativesphere. It's the magical place where overflowing optimism and possibility collide with the cold, hard realities of life.
Through decades as a professional visual artist and musician, I’ve found that our imaginations don't only fuel the arts, but everything we do. Whether you think you’re an artist or a creative person or not, the creative instinct is part of our DNA. It’s how we solve problems. It’s how we communicate and connect. And we’ve been doing it for hundreds of thousands of years.
This blog is dedicated to that process. The process of not only creating, but appreciating…attempting to understand…and finding ourselves in it.
Stepping Back to Reassess in Big Sur
I took an extra day in Big Sur as I’m gearing up for my upcoming solo show at Gallery 825 in Los Angeles. Articulating artwork for context is not a particularly easy task, but a necessary part of the process.
Reclaiming the Awful. Feeling Alive Amidst Chaos and Tragedy.
I thought I’d go numb. Like I usually do. Chalk it all up to present day “reality” and soldier on. But today I can’t do that. I’m feeling it. All of it. The worst mass shooting in modern American history happened yesterday, and one of my heroes, one of the beacons on my horizon, passed away. Tom Petty.
We’ve seen a rash of both over the past couple years. Mass shootings and the musical heroes of my generation dying too young. It’s easy to become desensitized and accustomed to such things.
And that’s how I was feeling. Until yesterday. A space opened up inside and today I feel as sensitive as I can remember.
Context is Everything
Art is as much about what is left out as much what’s put in. I took a quick work trip and had some time to think about context.
Half a Heart
I wrote this prose as a companion to a new series I’m working on called I Got This. I’m also modifying the text as a lyric to a new song. The visual body of work was originally inspired by my book Art. Now. More Than Ever. which I’m just putting the finishing touches on. These abstract portraits are an exploration of confidence, and how we feel about ourselves internally versus how we represent and project our identity into the world.