The art class all did very strong work this weekend and to me it’s interesting to see how artists can leap forward. I do mean leap. In this class, we’re not walking a straight line but darting off the path at odd junctures to see what’s there and bring back a souvenir. It would be nothing without the devotion these artists are bringing to the work. Not to mention their sense of joy and fun.
After we’ve done some work we hang it up and all take a look. We look for the strength in it and uncover surprises—a beautiful line, the juxtaposition of white space and shadow, a wild distortion, a brilliant exaggeration, a bold composition, a chance taken. I’m most interested in the chance taken. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work—something grand will come of it. That’s the way of art.
I saw some things this week that make me truly excited—brave new worlds unfolding. In this class we’re exploring possibilities so we can get closer to our true expression as well as build skills. That’s the fun of the class and the challenge too. We’re getting out of our comfort zones, into our learning zones then directly into awareness and expression. The leap is that we don’t sit on our learning but make art. It’s awfully good for the soul.
