Escape Artists - Day 2
Copyright Peter Griffen 2008
It’s almost 7pm and I am completely “bushed” after another fascinating day of abstraction!
Remains of the day!
We finished the day with all groups coming together for a Bar-b-que dinner… with convivial banter over a well earned glass of wine!
I confess to feeling somewhat mentally disjointed tonight. And no… it’s not the wine! [grin]
Day 2 of Peter Griffen’s “A Line Takes a Walk” Acrylic Workshop was as exhilerating as it was confronting.
Copyright Peter Griffen 2008
Exhilerating… because for once there was no vested interest in the finished piece. Just play. And experiment. And learning.
Confronting… because the process takes us back to our roots. It involves the making of something out of completely nothing. And that’s surprisingly hard to do!
An idea. A random mark. A line…. followed through to it’s natural conclusion. And sometimes not… (for there IS no conclusion… well not yet anyway!)
My awkward process - fear not… for tomorrow it shall be gone!
The approach begins with a line… drawn… scratched… sploshed… or poured onto the blank surface and swirled around in purely intuitive and uninhibited fashion… finding the line… the “flow”… and then following it’s calling without question.
There is something primordial in it.
Childlike. Taking art back to the place where it all began. To a time in some far off distant past… when every mark led on to something else. A time when there were no mistakes… only marks. Marks which meant something… and said something specific and unique about their maker.
From there we were encouraged to take the work and tear it up. Yes… tear it up. Or cut it up… and use the collage to create something new. With an entirely different perspective.
Over two days I have used around 30 sheets of cartridge paper. I now have around 8 random works… none of which I feel particularly precious about. And I believe that this is the purpose. (Well… at least… it is for me)
Eat drink be merry - for tomorrow it will be gone! (laughs)
The last two days have been about detachment… letting go of outcomes… and focussing on a variety of differing potentials. It might not be the same for all participants… but if this understanding is the only thing I take away from this workshop… my time will have been very well spent.
Until tomorrow! 
(I hope the rain stops) *wink*
July 16th, 2008 at 2:47 am
My gosh, what fun, Jean! I can’t help but feel that Travesty would love it!
July 16th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Hey Jean,
Been meaning to send you this link to a great photographic site - http://pauldymond.blogspot.com. Paul is a local photographer – and I find the way he talks about his photography really inspires me. I see similarities between your art and his art – not sure why but I do. I think it is about your passion and the thought process that leads to the creation and the ultimate completion of a piece.
The acrylic course sound wonderful. Isn’t it nice to have the boundaries pushed?
Have a beautiful day,
AG
July 16th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Travesty would be right into it John! Triumph tragedy disaster n’ all the gloriously treacherous steps in between! (laughs)
I reckon this process brings out the best and the worst in the creative nature! I was confounded by the notion of black (and white) paint… (something a watercolour artist doesn’t usually even contemplate) Consequently I got pretty dark on the first day flashing around all that luscious black paint. I surprised myself how “dark” I could go! (((LOL)))
Printing out some words this morning to (hopefully) glue into the mix somewhere today. You know me and words… got to get one (or two) in whenever and wherever I can! Not one to miss an opportunity… LOL
July 16th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
When is next years event?
July 16th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
On the one hand I find this a very fascinating process, on the other hand it feels so purposeless and gratuit..do I miss the point?
July 16th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Roger… same time next year! I can let you know in advance and give you a list of tutors if you are interested? The abstract workshop is only one… there are specific workshops for every medium as well as pretty much every subject.. wildlife/botanical/portraiture/landscape/en plein air… in watercolour/acrylic/oil/pastel… you name it!
July 16th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Jan… it IS a fascinating process! And I understand and appreciate your suggestion that this process may be purposeless (not sure what gratuit means… but I get the drift - (grin). I thought that too at first. But I was looking for something. And I think most artists are? The best way I can describe it is… I was trained in watercolour where the quinessential priority is to “get in… make the mark… and get out fast”. The emphasis is on a concise minamilistic result. If you can say it with a couple of strokes… say it with one. The very best watercolours are made this way… and I know you understand this because many of yours are made this way!
What this workshop teaches is freedom from the notion of perfection first time round. It is a freeing up process… both mentally and physically. One that says… okay… if that doesn’t work… try this. Generally with acrylics there are so many more options… paint over… collage… glue… stick… more paint… change… whatever. The possibilities are endless… and only limited by the artist’s imagination.
So… does this process have a purpose? Yes… it’s purpose is to show that many outcomes are possible… not just one perfect one! For a watercolour artist chasing the perfect wash… the quinessential stroke… this can be quite the epiphany! LOL
Not that I will change what I essentially do. It will just open my mind to other possibilities and surely… that can’t be a bad thing!
Great to see you here btw!
July 17th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Thanks Jean. You probably have to be in the flow to understand and enjoy the proces.
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:48 am
Hi Jean! For some ridiculous reason (unknow to myself!!!) I have been sitting at the beginning of this blog, waiting for more!!! Then it dawned on me that “Day 2″ meant something..LOL!!! What a wonderful amount of pure fun, tinted with adventure and sub conscious luring! I think that this will surely have a subliminal effect on you and your art!
July 24th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Yes Jools it was great fun… and exhausting too. Did you find the other days? There are 5 in total… all good fun!
July 30th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Thanks Jean! I am wondering just how much this “excursion” has influenced you. Have you painted again on your own since doing these classes?