mcauleyhouseartists: October Happenings

Sunday, October 20, 2013

October Happenings

October has been a beautiful month- as it usually is here in New England. The art group has been going strong and looking forward to their February 2014 exhibit.
Here is a photo of Maria holding a paining of herself with her daughter. Linda is the talented artist of not only this portrait, but many portraits that have most recently adorned the walls of McAuley House. Linda has not only painted the guests, but volunteers and staff members. Thanks for sharing so much of your abundant talent with us Linda !

The above painting is a recent work by Linda ( LLK) The inspiration for this work was a random piece of graffiti . Upon discussing the work with Linda I was reminded of the art of Glenn Ligon and José Parlá .

Here are some new paintings from Maria. Maria has developed this great folk art style which at times seem as if they're influenced by her native Dominican Republic.

Daniel continues to work on his architectonic drawings as well as his beautiful seascapes.
Way to do Daniel !

Last but not least we say goodbye to our good friend and loyal supporter of many years- Sister Theresita Donach. Sister T was honored this past week with a farewell party with the afternoon crew, volunteers and many guests. Sr T will be moving to Illinois to continue her work with her community. Sr T is determined to return in February for our annual "Art from the Heart" exhibit.

About the Art Program

5 Ways to Grow as an Artist

So how would a Cassatt or a Henri or Picasso approach painting differently than we do today? How might this heartfelt fear of others controlling our painting process impact our self-understanding as artists? Here are five possible answers:

1. Making a successful picture is not the goal. Think of periods, such as childhood, when we grew, our self-understanding changed and we became more of who we are. There was an endless stream of events where we expressed ourselves and slowly began to discover the things that pleased us. As with the sense of freedom characterized above, the entire payoff was growth. The events of life when we grow are the things that happen along the way. Making art should be exactly the same. Paintings are just the series of events or steps we take. Let them go. Keep moving. Or as Henri implored, “Keep living.”

2. The painting process is always a beginning. As soon as the freshness evaporates (we are bored or lost or acquire interest in something else), stop. Do not think in terms of finishing. Picasso lectures eloquently on this. Finish is the death of our work because it means we are painting an expectation or “to be like” and that puts the brakes on painting to see and feel more deeply. Every beginning is a new prompt, a new point of departure. Begin everything. Finish nothing.

3. Ignore non-artist authorities. Juries, the grantors, the gallery, the direction from above are just so many fingers in our pie. All external measures are dangerous because they not only push us to performing, as opposed to creating, but their sense of worth takes over our own. This is precisely what Parisian artists fought against.

4. Get into a prolonged creative process. Have dozens of paintings in your studio that have been abandoned for one reason or another, left in various stages, unfinished but always complete as expressions of who you were at that moment. Work on several paintings simultaneously. You are not making shoes.

5. Furnish the world with your beauty, let the world see, touch and feel who you are. Scary I know. It is so much easier to hide within safe fortresses, the sources of praise and dignity that we can count on by pleasing our audience. This is the dreaded condition called style. We cannot be free to be who we are if we are not always risking being who we are in front of others.