Tools...

This post is far overdue. Like the feel of a holding a pencil or the weight of a good pen when writing a letter (is that still done these days?), an artist grows a connection and bond with his or her tools. In this post you will find pictures of my "new" art tool. Thank you to my dear friends, and especially my best friend and companion, Dan, for surprising me with this early birthday present: my easel.

It was found at an antique show. There was actually a younger mate to this easel. But something about the datedness of this one drew me in immediately. With easels these days, brand new from the arts & crafts stores (where scrap-booking seems to have taken the lead), I feel it's easy to become lost in all the bells and whistles they offer. Countless nooks to store paint, brushes, and medium and an infinite way to position your canvas or support with knobs here and there just end up confusing me and getting me lost and away from actually painting. This easel is simple. It forces me to work with less. And if there's any rule I've learned in my years as a formal student, is that less is often more. A better painting will result when there are rules and restrictions to follow. Would it really be that different with your selected tools?

   

Take Anne Blair Brown, for example.  Her marvelous and amazing landscapes are painted with a larger brush to avoid getting caught up in the details. This is an intriguing idea and something I intend on experimenting with. I know well how easy it is to get caught up in the details.

Yet, above all else, the most irreplaceable part of this easel is it's character. It is old, but cared for. Evidence of previous use makes me wonder what paintings this easel has helped create. Or was it normally stashed in the back of closet, brought out for whimsical Sundays. This easel has a story. And similar to the content of my recent paintings, I may never know it.

I am also planning on taking this blog one step further. I hope to start writing more extensively on some of the local artists and exhibitions. Perhaps as a critique or review, or perhaps as a stream of conscience  where my thoughts and feelings in reaction to a show get be regurgitated (sorry for the visual). I've been sharpening my skills with writing about art and hope to get this started in the very near future.