Tag Archives: artist inspiration

Editing

June 28, 2012 by Chris | Comments Off

 

This morning, we decided that we needed to thin the bumper crop of apples growing on our apple tree. For anyone that knows anything about growing apples you can plainly see that this was a decision that should have been made some time ago. Of course we know that by decreasing the amount of apples we will make them larger, healthier, and tastier, and the overall tree health will improve. But sometimes, despite facts, pruning/editing is a difficult thing to do. This is evident in our own lives; sometimes we need to remove some of our own load to improve the health of others and ourselves. And increasingly our role as editor of our own lives is becoming overwhelming, as more and more information is coming at us and more decisions are required. Continue reading »

Move Your Hands

June 7, 2012 by Chris | 1 Comment

One the road

Kyle and I are on the road – heading to one of our favorite shows in one of our favorite neighborhoods, the Old Town Art Fair in Chicago. We are excited to have a full extra day in Chicago to see some galleries and spend some non-work time with our friends (and gracious hosts) Gregory and Clark.

So while my face is planted in the windshield of our van, I thought I would share a piece from our great friend Lynn Whipple. I have a print of it above my desk and I LOVE IT! If you endeavor to make anything, from cupcakes, to artwork, to the next great american novel, this is the guide for you. You should buy one here!

 

The Arc of Making Something – Lynn Whipple

 

The Arc of Making Something by Lynn Whipple

 

From Lynn-

Heres how it goes:

Step 1 MOVE YOUR HANDS!!

Step 2 Happy moving hands will let your instincts take over- follow them

Step 3 WHOOPS! Now, you might have a big ol’ mess- no worries- that is perfectly normal, perfectly healthy

Step 4 Take a break, relax, chill, your brain will continue to solve the problem

Step 5 Return to your work with enthusiasm and feeling refreshed! Keep going

Step 5.5 Positive Feedback

Step 6 Go for the big finish, edit, be clear about your bigger idea and what you want to communicate

Step 7 REPEAT!!

Step 8 This is super important. Keep the cycle going and going…….

MR. DEADLINE!! He is kind of bossy, but he’s a poophead that keeps you in line and causes a FINISH, which is very important! Now you can relax and start again….and again…..and again!!

 

What do you want to get your hands moving on? join the conversation

If you find yourself flagging

May 31, 2012 by Chris | 4 Comments

Smart Phone

Six weeks ago, my friend Christina and I started following a fitness program. After not running since my soccer days (and only then either chasing or being chased), we started training for the 5k ColorRun. We’re following the very sensible Couch to 5K running program and dutifully following the verbal instructions given us by Get Running – an application on our phones. As we work our way through the training intervals, a very pleasant British female voice tells us when to start and stop running, and periodically gives us words of encouragement. Her accent adds a sense of sophistication as we sweat our way around the park.

We often talk back to our British foe friend, and I would be less than truthful if I said that everything said to her was nice. In fact, for weeks we have made fun of her when she has offered one particular suggestion, sarcastically thanking her for her “sage” advice. When we embark on our longest running interval she offers in her most pleasant and helpful way, “Remember to moderate your pace, and if you find yourself flagging, slow back a little to a pace you can maintain.”  This is followed a bit later by, “Don’t forget you can slow your pace a little, should you need to.” For weeks Christina and I have laughed about this, imagining a person running full speed about to fall out, but not knowing how to solve their problem. We picture the person with their hair blown back, cheeks flapping as if in a wind tunnel, painfully sprinting past without the common sense to slow down.

But, last night as I was making my way around the park, it occurred to me that what seems such obvious common sense in running is not applied to other areas of our life.

Indeed, what if in those times when our lives are running at a blistering tempo, a voice could remind us occasionally:

“Remember to moderate your pace, and if you find yourself flagging, slow back a little to a pace you can maintain.”

or

“Don’t forget you can slow your pace a little, should you need to.”

I hope my artwork can be that pleasant reminder – minus the british accent.

Mile Marker 261, 16x22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pick of the week, May 28

May 28, 2012 by Chris | 2 Comments

“this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees & for the blue dreams of sky & for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.” ~ E.E. Cummings

 

Mile Marker 275, 22"x34"

 

Post Rock

May 24, 2012 by Chris | 1 Comment

Post Rock

One supposes something should be said
about these rows of earthen posts–
stones only in composition, stretching sandstone-yellow red

as far as wire strands will lead them, hosts
along some prairie pasture, or down deserted tractor lanes,
hunkered up against the snow and wind, lost

out in fields of swishing grain,
not rock or post to the untrained eye,
rather an innuendo of both; the plain

truth is how alone the sky
can set them off the best.
After a rain perhaps, their rich brown dye

infests the air around them as if to test
the theories of application. Whoever thought
that quarried limestone could bless

this flattened landscape, then wrought
stones from the earth and fought them–
each a squarish, irregular gem–into place . . .
his mark the winds have not erased.

Jeff Boyer

 

Jeff and I met last summer while I was doing a show here in Kansas City, and we had a great conversation about art, literature and the Kansas Flint Hills. Thank you Jeff for sharing your work with us – it is beautiful.

 

Have you seen post rocks? Are they used anywhere besides Kansas?

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Pick of the Week, April 30

April 30, 2012 by Chris | 0 Comments

“The wideness of the horizon has to be inside us, cannot be anywhere but inside us, otherwise what we speak about is geographic distances.” Ella Maillart

 

MIle Marker 237, 23" x 35"

 

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Pick of the week, April 23

April 23, 2012 by Chris | 0 Comments

“Is the spring coming?” he said. “What is it like?”… “It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine…” ― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

MIle Marker 266, 11" x 14"

To add this or another piece to your collection please contact me.

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Signs you’re in Texas

April 19, 2012 by Chris | 0 Comments

It's a lie about the driving.

Kyle and I crossed the Red River into my home state Tuesday night on our way to the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival. And though I haven’t lived here since I was a small child, and I often hear, “You don’t seem like a Texan” I was definitely raised as one – complete with the Texas flag flying in front of our house on holidays…in Missouri. So while I know instantly when I have crossed into the “Holy Land”, as my grandfather called Texas from the pulpit, for others it might not be so clear.

Some Signs:

  • You can hear a horse whinny from your hotel room…at the Hyatt.
  • There are images of barbed wire along with your room number outside your door.
  • The two pair of cowboy boots tucked away in your suitcase seem inadequate.
  • The glasses of iced tea are bigger than your head.
  • The state flag is everywhere you look.
  • You hear the words “boot” and “scootin'” used together in a sentence.
  • The stars at night are big and bright.

*signs may vary – there might be a few others

Some Visual Signs:

Babe's ChickenTractor seatsFancy tractor seatSouthern foodDessert? Who raised that cowboy?Lots of feet have walked those stockyard bricksHog and sheep buildingThey are everywhereLonghorns

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Pick of the week, April 16

April 16, 2012 by Chris | 0 Comments

“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!” ~ Sitting Bull

MIle Marker 258, 16" x 22"

If you would like to add this piece or another to your collection please contact me.

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Changing Hats

April 4, 2012 by Chris | 0 Comments

Being an artist requires a lot of hats and sometimes I have a hard time changing them quickly.

My creative process is less like a light switch and more like a fire that takes some time to get stoked. So a week like this is glorious – not a single meeting and big chunks of uninterrupted studio time. As last week was given over to writing, proposals, and taxes, this week is all about creating! I already have some exciting new pieces to show for it and the week isn’t even over yet.

 

progression of sizes

 

35x51

 

Now the waiting begins!

The largest pieces take 6 – 8 weeks to dry making these pieces ready to frame in mid-May. So if your name is on a sticky note on the bottom of my computer thank you for your patience. And, if you would like your name added to the list of people waiting for just the right large piece for them, please let me know.

 

Waiting for a piece? - I see your name everyday!

 

Don, I think this one might be the one for you!

 

Don’t want to wait?

Have an aversion to sticky notes? I have four great large pieces that are ready to go to their forever homes. You can see the pieces that are framed and ready for delivery here.

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