Susie Monday . El Cielo Studio

Five-year-olds -- New World Kids --  at the Aldrich explore light.

Having spent a good deal of time in the world of arts education this summer, I have been pondering its value, meaning and limitations. On one hand, I don't want to see the arts belittled and smudged with the all-too-easy to get "oh, that fluff stuff," that many in the academic world (at ALL levels) seem to assign to arts education. On the other hand, I wrestle with the struggle to go beyond the simple teaching of technique that often seems to pass for arts education. And I know that what I do in many of the children's programs that I teach goes beyond art as a field and into creative process -- skills and approaches to problem solving that apply to disciplines far beyond the "traditional" or even the "alternative" art world-- even though I am using language like space-shape-line-texture. But I also deeply regret the loss of art-as-art in our world,  swept away by a  overwhelming tide of commercial entertainment that seems to hold little lasting aesthetic value.

Then coincidentally, I found this great post today, and because I can't improve on it, I am lifting the essence of this blog entry from JaneVille, Jane LaFazio's blog. Thank you, Jane. (I have decided that Jane and I are undiscovered soul or maybe sole sisters after reading some of her posts, seeing her art gallery website and reading about her arts ed program Mundo Lindo.) 

I needed to clean the studio and set it up for the next Burning Woman workshop -- this weekend -- and since I have a record 9 participants this time I wanted to maximize the visual and actual space. How restful it is to take away a few layers of clutter, archeology in reverse, with the sediments gradually becoming more sparse, more bony, more available.

 Did the same in the living room. Although we are committed to keeping some degree of simplicity in our living spaces -- after a former life in what often seemed like a 35-year collection of all-too-precious clutter, we moved here, a bigger house after all, with less to fill it. But it is amazing to see what sneaks in: little glass turtles, an embroidered hankie too pretty to put away We imbue all kinds of meaning to objects; there's bound to be ancient history to this. Surely some prehistoric cave woman looked at the corner and said, " I think I need a few more old bones over there. Just in case. After all, if we get hungry, even a bone will look pretty damn good."

I am the kind of person who needs constant checks on my compulsive desire to keep stuff. After all every old dress could be part of a quilt; every piece of junk mail might be the right piece for a collage; every strange box could be just what the next workshop calls for. What helps? Coming to terms with a belief in abundance. That  is: what is needed will turn up when it's needed. That space for what's needed is the space that there is. That there might never be a big enough set of shelves, bin of drawers, stack of boxes, so I better make peace with the ones I have. Am I perfect at this attitude? No way. But I have found that these nearly-every-month events keep me on the straight and narrow.

If I want to make a living doing what I love, I gotta have room to fit the people into the space as well. So what I do is keep the flow going. I try to furnish as many materials as I can for the workshops I teach, believing this keeps me in the exchange of energy. When I let stuff go, I tend to find that when it's time, the stuff appears -- someone has a fire sale of dye or paint (as happened this week -- I bought at least $500 of materials for less than half that, enough for all my dye needs for ages); someone gives me something -- like the Bernina that Donna essentially gifted me for the cost of its recent tune-up; like the wood scraps my neighbor has waiting.

This sense of abundance has been nurtured by a wonderful book The Soul of Money, by philanthropist Lynn Twist. Here's her website and some info from her letter on the site's intro page:

In a world where huge proportions of financial resources are moving toward consumption, destruction, depletion, and violence, the Soul of Money Institute's mission is to inspire, educate and empower people to realign the acquisition and allocation of their financial resources with their most deeply held values -- to move from an economy based on fear, consumption, and scarcity, to an economy of love, sustainability, and generosity.

As the national debt of the United States grows and citizens experience greater financial challenges, there is a clear need for more and more people to invest in socially responsible businesses and critical social issues, and to find ways of using money in service of their highest commitments and the common good.

We invite you to be one of these people. We encourage you to take a deep look at how money influences your life, and to shift your use of money away from fear and greed to begin using it as a conduit for commitment, heart, and the affirmation of life. Through reallocating the use of your financial resources, you can connect with the taproot of your own prosperity.

The Soul of Money is a wise and inspiring exploration of the connection between money and leading a fulfilling life.

"This compelling and fundamentally liberating book shows us that examining our attitudes toward money-- how we earn it, spend it, invest it, and give it away--can offer surprising insight into our lives, our values and the essence of prosperity. Through moving stories and practical principles, Lynne demonstrates how we can replace feelings of scarcity and guilt with experiences of sufficiency and freedom. Lynne shares from her own life and work, a journey illuminated by remarkable encounters with the richest and poorest people on earth, from the famous (Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama) to the anonymous but unforgettable heroes of everyday life." (from the website -- and I agree!)

 

 

So I did it. Spent 7 hours with only a break for supper in the studio on Saturday. Hello artist. Glad to make your acquaintance. Where you been?

OK, I used that sneaky strategy discussed in a previous post, did not start something grand and new and itching at the back of my eyeballs. Did not even start work on either of the two commissions that I have in the works. (Sorry, if you are one of the collectors waiting, but I did tell you my summer was shot.) Couldn't do either of those scary tasks just yet. But I could and did take on something swimmingly ready for completion: a collaborative art quilt by San Antonio children who attended the Botero Library Family Days this summer.

As one of the hands-on projects, I had grided a print of one of Botero's paintings, copied and enlarged each rectangle, make sketchy place-holder lines on tracing paper, then copied the lined images onto cotton backed with WonderUnder that I ran through the printer/copier.

 At each workshop. kids and parents added color with fabric markers and watersoluble crayons, then others added stitches and buttons and beads. Probably 60 or more children actually contributed to this art quilt. What was interesting about the process was that the boys were the ones who really were turned on to the stitching. I think sewing is so rare today that it has become "de-genderized." When I first taught, sewing was one of those things that most of the boys considered "girl stuff."  Maybe now the needle has a certain dangerous appeal?

Anyhow, I spent the day's work assembling and free-motion machine quilting, finishing the art quilt. Tomorrow it goes to the central library for display.

Was it the work I need. long, to be doing?  No. But it did the trick. I put in miles of thread on the new machine, quieted the critic who says, " hmmpf and you call yourself and artist, "  made peace with the studio walls and the silence of working on my own, took a stand against multi-tasking. And made something that is, if not beautiful, interesting to look at, and interesting in its process. And nailed the lid on the Botero Library project, too. That little task that no one would have known needed doing, except me.

"The Village," Inspired by Fernando Botero's painting of the same title.

Take a look at the promotional materials for INDIE Arts October 1 release. That's the next issue of this year old dvd-format arts magazine, and one that I think needs to find a space on every artist's video shelf -- and not just 'cause I'm a featured interviewee in this next issue. (One of two artists being interviewed about creativity, and the other is Nick Bantock, author and mixed media artist of Griffin and Sabine fame. ie hot company, my dears.)

No, really, this dvd series does the trick when I need a dose of real artists doing real work and facing the same studio gremlins that get my goat, surf my moat, steal my thunder, run me amok, undo my confidence and make me wonder why I don't have a nice corporate job with benefits and retirement. You get the picture.

I like to watch INDIE Arts as I do routine studio roundup -- it's yet another helpful strategy for getting me into the studio and onto work (and actually beats out reruns of Project Runway on the useful media scale). IN addition to the features with artists, the video magazine also includes good sources from art support folks -- coaches, (like this issue's Jennifer Louden), gallery owners, suppliers, etc. Many of the artists featured during this past year have been fiber and mixed media artists, too. In this publication "we" aren't a second tier group.

Here's what the publisher says about INDIE Arts:

In the spirit of the independent film genre, Indie Arts Productions creates a visual adventure in every issue and you are invited to join us.

This “magazine” is a cross between TV shows, home movies, slide shows, documentaries and DVD movies. The DVD advantage is that you can sit back, relax and watch it on your TV or DVD drive on your computer.

IndieArtsDVD.com will add another dimension by providing the information you need to preview current and upcoming issues, submit artwork, subscribe, read interesting related articles and connect with the featured artists and other networking possibilities. The website will be an evolving forum and you are invited to make yourself at home here.

INDIE ARTS: the adventure begins!