In which a waning head cold leads to a productive weekend
February 2023
It's long been one of my goals to make art that’s affordable and accessible to many. I don’t think art ought to be a sequestered thing, existing only in the rarified air of galleries, museums, the homes of the wealthy. For years, this led me down a line of thinking that I ought to create art that might appeal to (at least some) people. A fool’s errand. There’s no predicting what might spark interest or a glimmer of recognition in others. We can only truly know what appeals to ourselves. If an artist isn’t following her own interests and explorations, it can be felt in the work. So finally, I simply stopped caring (or even thinking) about how my work might be perceived by others. I began making art for myself again –for the enjoyment of making it, following what interested me. I’ve found that I’m connecting storytelling to my work; just enough to open the door and invite others in. Brief descriptions that create a bridge. The thrilling result (perhaps predictable) has been increased interest in my work. I’ve been selling pieces pretty regularly over the past year or two, and people have told me that the way I write about them influenced their decision. I still price them to be affordable to many. I don’t want my works to pile up around me, never to be seen. I want them in people’s homes, offices, or wherever they will be seen by others. Art is about connection; first, a way for me to connect with myself— it’s a way to find what I can’t find in words. And then, after I find the image, I’m able to find words to live alongside it and it can connect to others.
Part of what got me thinking about this was a complete overhaul —not entirely planned– of my art web site this weekend. Wednesday I came down with a head cold, and though I was feeling better by the weekend, I was still pretty congested and space-brained. A perfect scenario in which to undertake a time-consuming and fiddly endeavor! I've only begun keeping track of all my art in spread sheets and documents over the past year or so. As I've been compiling titles, descriptions, etc, I was struck by how many of the paintings needed to be noted as ‘sold’. It made me happy to know that my art has been connecting with more and more people. So, whether you're someone who owns a piece of my art, or someone who is just interested in it or likes it— Thank you. That connection means a lot.
Until next time—
xx Liz