Art Lab

Here's something new and different. You've all heard about the high vacancy rates in commercial real estate? What if a storefront became a temporary art gallery, rehearsal or performance space, a studio or classroom for sculptors, painters or photographers?

That's the idea behind Art Lab in Old Town Fort Collins, which began last summer:

"We’re on a mission to fill the empty retail space in Old Town Fort Collins with art, innovation, music and thought-provoking creativity. This concept is just taking shape, but watch the lonely store fronts in Old Town. You never know what you might see – ballet students, rock bands, videos, cartoons, robots…the list goes on and on."

The space is free for participating artists and for the spectators.

Ahmad Al Karkhi, Iraqi Painter

There was a beautiful story on NPR this morning about Iraqi painter Ahmad Al Karkhi. He had to flee his homeland in 2006, first to Damascus and eventually(after three years) to the United States. He has spent his time painting his memories of a peaceful Iraq and the people he remembers.

Art for the Animals Project

This is a blog about the Art for the Animals Project begun by Sheila Tajima and Carrie Jacobson, which encourages artists to visit an animal shelter or rescue, do sketches of one or more of the animals and donate the painting (or drawing). The shelter can use the painting however it wishes, to auction off, to donate to the person who adopts the animal or to a volunteer, to reproduce as note cards or for publicity purposes. The artist receives recognition and a donation receipt for tax purposes. The blog will also post paintings for additional recognition.

Not only dogs and cats are featured, but also horses, a lamb, a goat, a ferret and even a pig. I suppose most of the paintings are done from photos, but it would be more fun to do them on-the-spot from life. Good practice for capturing the essence of something in a limited time.

Of course, you should contact the shelter first to make arrangements. This would be a way to get motivated and also to try different techniques you've been thinking of, such as off-the-wall colors, dramatic compositions, close-ups, abstract brushstrokes or washes, etc. Invite your friends.

A Bad Watercolor Day for Hitler

This is funny, assuming you have enough distance between you & the Third Reich:

Trail Tale

A friend & I went out painting last week in a "natural area" near a trail that was being used by hikers, joggers, etc. We didn't have much time, since the sun sets early this time of year, and we were engrossed, ignoring the occasional foot traffic behind us.

After quite some time, I heard a voice from the trail say, "Could you start talking?" I didn't pay any attention, but my friend said, "What?" and the voice replied, "Just say anything...so he knows that you're just people."

I looked up and saw a horse & rider on the trail. The horse was standing stock-still, head up, ears alert, nostrils flaring. I started talking in a reassuring tone. I asked if we should stand up so he could see us better, but she said, "No, he needs to get used to weird things." It must have been the silver umbrella facing into the sun that struck fear into his heart. I kept coaxing, and eventually he walked up and sniffed my outstretched hand. Brave boy! He even walked over a wooden-plank bridge when they went on their way.

There have been many books written lately about new ways to relate to horses, from learning about "prey consciousness," learning their language, to Equine Assisted Therapy, to intuitive communication and tapping into collective consciousness by listening to our horses. I think these techniques are the same things we need when we go painting - to create calm, confident energy and a clear intention, to visualize the desired outcome, try looking at things "soft-focus," to silence the inner critic, to be in the moment, be authentic, be patient (and to patient with yourself).

And to be open to the magic of a chance encounter.

Swimming with Keats

In the new movie "Bright Star," John Keats describes poetry in a way that could just as well refer to painting. He says, "The point of diving in a lake is not immediately to swim to the shore; it's to be in the lake, to luxuriate in the sensation of water. You do not work the lake out. It is an experience beyond thought. Poetry soothes and emboldens the soul to accept mystery."

Mmm...and the colors of our paint are at least as much fun as diving into a lake. Maybe even better. And certainly we are dealing with mystery. The mysteries of light, shadows, clouds, wind & weather. We wonder what the painting will look like, a one-of-a-kind creation under the influence of mood, muscle memory, imagination and point of view. Accept mystery.

Sketchcrawl - Saturday, September 19th

Here's a fun idea - a worldwide day for sketching whatever you see. Get together with cohorts, or go it alone, then post your results on the Sketchcrawl website. It will make you pay attention to your everyday surroundings, maybe see things you've never noticed before. It's funny how even a fire hydrant can become a beautiful watercolor sketch. No rules. Take 20 minutes or make a day of it. All skill levels welcome, from beginner to pro. Invite the kids. Use a pencil, pen, brush-pen, watercolors (or those new watercolor crayons), colored pencils, pastels...

Enrico Casarosa is a storyboard artist living in San Francisco, working in animation by day, publishing artbooks and comics by night. Stuck between the gravitational pulls of Italy (his home country) and Japan (a cultural passion). Inspired by a bachelor party pub-crawl in 2006, he got the idea for sketching marathons and started doing it every few months, spreading the word until now it's happening worldwide.