All my monotypes of the day are part of the series “The Inner Life of the Artist”. In it, I make the distinction between the artist with a small “a” and The Artist with a capital A, who represents the universal source of all creativity. the artist is simply the glove for the hand of The Artist.
Behind the Veil, Monotype of the Day #146
The orange kept its brilliance when is dried fully on last night’s print. This makes me very happy! Still trying to get the hang of layering and using color. Many rejects tonight 😊
the artist in prayer, Monotype of the Day #145
Have you ever seen a color that just stopped you in your tracks? That’s what happened with this orange. It just moves me to the core. This is an experiment. Tomorrow I will see if the ink maintains its color when it’s completely dry. So fun to try something new
the artist breaks out, Monotype of the Day #144
Feeding Time, Monotype of the Day #143
I have been on a liquid diet since March due to issues with my esophagus. Recently, I have been able to reintroduce some solid foods and am on the road to recovery. I love that my figures this week are coming out so plump and well fed, it bodes well. Every physical challenge can be seen as gift for spiritual growth. This is a core idea that runs through my work and my life. Every moment is ripe for the picking and this is especially true of our most challenging times. I love the mystical concept of the dark night of the soul. In moments of greatest darkness, we are being held closest by the Divine, so close that we are literally blinded by the Light. Divine reason often appears to humanity as chaos and darkness. I take comfort in this thought. So I stay the course and keep harvesting the fruit from every moment.
The Messenger, Monotype of the Day #142
the artist is finally fulll, Monotype of the Day #141
Sometimes a good meal changes your whole life.
the heart of an artist, Monotype of the Day #140
the artist lives in the contradiction between the joy of making art and the constriction of having to. An artist must create or die. There is not much choice if an artist wants life. Freedom comes when the artist submits to The Artist.
reaching into the dark, Monotype of the Day #139
The Reflection, Monotype of the Day #138
the artist moves forward, Monotype of the Day #137
Something is shifting for me. I’m excited to see what’s next.
The Visit, a temple for hearing, & the artist arrives, Monotype of the Day #136a, #136b, #136c
I loved being able to play the piano. Even though I can’t do it anymore, I use what I learned in my art practice. One of the exercises my piano teacher taught me was to play a piece very slowly so that I could get everything perfect and then so play it as quickly as possible forgetting everything and not even worrying about hitting the right keys. When you go back to playing the piece normally, it is transformed. So tonight, I’m working quick again, suspending my mind and judgement. Here are a few examples titled respectively:
The Message, Monotype of the Day #135
I felt I was getting too careful and tight yesterday so I remade the image and forced myself to be quick to release control. I also switched to a smaller plate-harder to get details and so I could get back to my colored papers. The cream was killing my mojo 😊.
the artist gets information, Monotype of the Day #134
The Ladder, Monotype of the Day #133
I’m still thinking of this idea from yesterday. I like the concept but I think this image is a little over worked. I blame the paper. I can’t get inspired by the cream anymore. I have a stack if grey waiting but it’s hard for me to tear on my own and my studio assistant isn’t on until Tuesday!