Things are going well with the urban landscape. I worked on cooling off the shaded parts and I think it’s coming along. Next time I will focus on the sky and the pillars and see how that makes me feel about the shaded underside of the freeway. It’s hard to judge a section of a painting you’ve worked on when the surrounding sections are still in the beginning stages.
Yesterday I was at an intersection by my house and realized it would make a great painting. It’s near the intersection that I’m painting now but has more businesses around it. Eventually that area is going to get gentrified and I want to capture it before it changes. It looks like the current freeway itself has been around for a while too, so that may change as well. Right now it has a cool feel I want to capture.
Yesterday I was reading an article in Texas Highways Magazine about artwork in the state of Texas. The author asked his readers for their opinion on what the best piece of artwork in the state is and they gave him a multitude of answers. He started the article off with a visit to Arbol de la Vida: Memorias y Voces de la Tierra (Tree of Life: Memories and Voices of the Land), an art installation here in San Antonio. It’s down on the river walk extension by Mission Espada. I haven’t been there yet but they mention it several times in the latest issue of the magazine.
He also mentions that Michelangelo’s first painting, The Torment of Saint Anthony is in Fort Worth at the Kimball Art Museum. Pretty impressive. There’s also a life-size sculpture made of Cheez Doodles called The Cocktail Party at the McNay which is a must see for me.
Last night I met some friends at the San Antonio Museum of Art for free Tuesday. One of my friends is a docent there and gave us a great tour. I didn’t realize how big that place is. We didn’t even cover the whole place and we were there for an hour and a half. My favorite piece is done by local San Antonio painter Jesse Trevino. It’s a painting of his mother holding a basket of laundry. To me it just looks like San Antonio. That inspires me. I’d like to capture my environment in my work too.
I don’t think about it until I take the time to do it but seeing other artist’s work makes me want to work harder on my paintings. It inspires me and helps rekindle my passion. I have been making more trips to museums lately and it always leaves me feeling uplifted. There’s a lot of great stuff at SAMA. Sometimes I blow off going to local museums because I think I’ve seen it all. But depending on my mood, what’s going on in my life at the the time, I usually see something different than I saw before. Or I see it in a different way.
Sometimes it’s hard to look at other artist’s work, especially when I’m not being very productive. When I go look at public art, I feel like I’m not doing enough. Other times I feel jealous and envious, and other times I feel like I don’t measure up as an artist. These are all things that I constantly have to work through and be vigilant of. My negativity can creep in at any time and capture my attention. It can take me hostage.
I think part of why I’ve been visiting art museums lately is because I’m productive these days. It’s easier to feel impressed or inspired rather than envious when I’m feeling good about myself. That may sound childish or temperamental, but I have to be honest. When I like myself, I like others. When I’m working hard, even if I’m struggling, I feel good about myself. When I’m investing time and energy into my work, I appreciate the time and energy others put into their work.
I’ve been thinking it’s time to read The Artist’s Way again. Julia Cameron has created so many ways to nurture our creativity and I think it’s because she encourages us to nurture ourselves first. An ‘artist’s date’ is self-care. It’s a way to treat yourself like you matter. The more nurturing and care I experience the more nurturing and care I have to give. In the past I always waited for others to come and nurture me so I could feel cared for, but people like Julia Cameron and others have taught me that I need to nurture myself rather than expect someone else to do it. Wisdom.