Wednesday, April 1, 2009

This is NOT an April Fools joke....really........

(All photos courtesy of Lu Ann Edwards. All rights reserved)
......it is a series of photos of me, taken yesterday, in the wet studio in the
basement. Probably the worst part was having to get all gussied up (hair, make up. jewelry) so that I could look normal...........quit laughing!!!! Managing the stairs was no problem, and I had a good straight chair to sit in and could get back UP, so that was fine. However, I had to pick clothing that would contrast good with the room and also---things I could easily get ON.
And I did manage to get every single one of the pics loaded so you can click on them and see a bit more of the *stuff* that surrounds me when I make art!

I had to submit a photo for the Fort Wayne Museum of Art's members exhibit* (see below), and of course, I had never bothered having a photo taken of myself in the studio. I was always rushing to shoot a quick snap of a piece of art to send off somewhere or post here. For me, it's always the ART.
But me? Working? Absolutely nothing.

So one of my dear friends from high school came over, and unbeknownst to her when she arrived, she was on "Camera Detail". (which sure beats Latrine Detail.....) Lu has a good natural eye for photos, and we have known each other so long that it was not hard for her to take a slew of photos quickly and really get ME at work.

My eyesight being what it is...ahem!.....sometimes things have to come up closer. I like this one though; there is something classic about the pose.

And then there is the action shot, which aptly catches me on a good day, wishing I was a Hindu deity with six or eight arms, to grab everything at once. I don't mean that with any disrespect----really, I always seem to need one more hand or to be able to hold two paint brushes at the same time. You know what I mean!

Even though this is a bit dark (no, I didn't have the inclination to do any digital manipulation to make it better!) I am very fond of the shot because it captures the sense of peace and separation from the world when I work. I love that basement studio, even though it is very, very small. It is perfect. I descend the stairs and leave the cares of the world behind. Here it's only Art. The moment you're in the zone and time holds still. You and your creative process.
Nothing more needs to be said-----it's wonderful.
Glad you could see my little cubby-hole of creativity! Never feel like you have to wait for the *perfect* spot or the *right* time or you won't get anything done.
Oh yes, those glitzy studios they show are nice but I always think, gee, the money they've spent could buy a LOT of supplies.......
Have a day of accomplishments!
Hope you find your zone quickly and make good use of that feel!
_____________________________________________
*If you are an artist member of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, you can submit a piece of your work into a non-juried show they sponsor annually. Your work hangs in a real, bona-fide museum. They are a museum of strictly American art, and this is one of their outreach programs they have to encourage all economic walks of life to come to the museum and be part of the activities they provide. Yes, there are still very high end functions that are geared for those who financially can help keep the museum going, but they have not lost touch with the current artists, who, for all we know, might be part of their collection in the future. It is such an unusual view for a museum that I do as much as I can to support and promote them. I feel they have found a niche other institutes have overlooked, and wish them great success!

10 comments:

Tristan Robin said...

Great photos - and you look gorgeous (but, then, you always do when I see pics of you).

YOu seem to have created a wonderful little art nook for yourself, with all your supplies around you at arm's reach.

... and I love that little hand you've painted on that box-painting-collage-whatever-it-is!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

I'll have to get a good pic of the box canvas with the hand----it is pretty cool with a lot of color subtleties that I'm not sure will show up in a photo. It is a stamped image of a forune telling hand, on gessoed antique book paper.
Maybe if I feel inclined to waddle to the cellar today, I'll shoot that for tomorrows post.
And thanks on the comments; the lAST thing I wanted to do yesterday was clean up. I wanted to lay about, pout, be cranky and of course, NOT do my hair and NOT put on make up.
But then I'm too vain....... ;)

Jan said...

You probably think this blog is about you....
Love the photos of your nicely contained paint space. Is that good enough light? I was trying to figure out what that "thing" is to your left and it suddenly hit me that it is probably your cane. The black long thing with a handle on it, gotta be a cane. Am I right? Love the pants. And Tristan said it true: You look gorgeous. Red is great on you. Okay, can I keep complimenting you or is that enough;-D

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Oh that was enough for now....save a bit for later! SNARF!!!
Yes, that's my cane down there, and surprisingly, the light is very good. We just chose to shoot without fill flash, so that's why it looks so dark. And those flourescents at the table are quite bright, so everything else looks darker.
I'm not blind yet!

Julie Zaccone Stiller said...

Oh I dearly love these photos Anne. They really capture YOU, in your element, making that ART, searching for the meaning, and arriving in the Zone. I'm rooting for your quick and thorough recovery so you can get back to creating.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Thanks so much---it really portrays me and I love the space.
I recently got a book called "Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers" It seems to fit with my work and the concept, while hard to get your head totally around, is great for supporting the Zen moment of the work process. You might enjoy it; it's a quick read and fairly cheap on Amazon.

Leslie said...

Man o Man, I should only look half as good even with makeup. Wow!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey, five pounds of industrial grade grease paint makes anything look good!!! HAHAHA!!!!!

Lutra said...

Love the pictures of you....
I always think you look great!
Nice to see your working space...
Man I wish I had a basement....
It would be mine... all mine....
I kept your blog up so I could listen to your play list while I did the dishes....
Very nice....

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Thanks; I worked hard on that playlist to get it to have good flow. I need to dig through the vaults and see if I can't get a few more tunes added that will fill it out a bit longer. I often leave it on during the day so my birds can enjoy it---they love it and yes, are incredibly S*P*O*I*L*E*D.
My basement space is very small, at the most 8'x10'. It is easy to work in because everything is close and I can only drag down so much junk. And believe me, I can DRAG JUNK! ;) I am not a proponent of these huge studios they show in magazines; I believe art can be made in very small places. A table in the corner, a small closet that can be redone (take off the door, slip in a workspace like one that folds down from the wall and a few shelves plus adequate light) or just anythng you can claim for yourself. Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to look at a current living space and say "There---that will work". Ask a friend who has artistic talent, or e-mail me a photo. I'd be glad to help scope a little space!
And go make art!!!!

Post a Comment

Talk to me Dahling!
I'm waiting, breathless...... ;-D