Bliss

It seems unbelievable that tomorrow I will have been in NYC for 2 weeks. Like a child, I wish I could stop time....but obviously I can't so I am making an effort to enjoy every moment. I will genuinely relay the depth and excitement of this experience at a later date when I have time to reflect and focus on my progress and accomplishments.
The past two days were pure bliss! Is this for real? I have uninterrupted time, supplies, space and am surrounded by artists and the art of New York City! On Thursday I painted for nearly 15 hours. I have abandoned the romantic idea of pulling all nighters because I am ,after all 45, and although I can manage one now and then, it takes me a day or two to recover. So is it worth it? Yes!!! I'm saving up prior to the exhibit when I'll need to create and complete work:)
Yesterday, not only did I paint but went to the Met with a beautiful German painter, Sabine, to see the Roxy Paine and Francis Bacon exhibits. Both were incredible! Roxy's welded steel Maelstrom provided inspiration for my new painted piece. And I have a new affection for the genius of the very tortured, tremendous and macabre talent and mind of painter Francis Bacon. Sabine and I had Indian food afterwards and it was back to the studio this morning. I cannot however seem to transfer the ideas quickly enough. I was advised to concentrate on technique and quality...and so I shall:)I wonder if I'm sleeping. If I am don't wake me. I need to finish painting first!

Inextricably Linked: ART~SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS~Human Genius

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a high regard for both human thought and human creation. I am fascinated by all great thinkers, be they philosophers, mathematicians, scientists or artists. For me, art is at its best when ideas emerge that inextricably link all of these disciplines. The date of my studies in New York City this summer,coincides with the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the English naturalist, Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species. Charles Darwin,born 200 years ago,determined and presented evidence that demonstrated that all life forms have evolved over time through a process termed, "natural selection". His ideas and discoveries, now widely accepted,form the "basis of modern evolutionary theory."
In Shrewsbury, England,The Shift Time festival unites more than 30 artists and performers, who have created work inspired by the scientific theories of Charles Darwin."Sparking debate and questioning the very roots of human existence, Shift Time directs us through art, performance and spoken word to find an answer for that age-old question – what is it to be human?"
Reading about this festival and the participating artists, I was particularly awed by the work of Dutch engineer and kinetic sculptor, Theo Jansen. He also reminded me that I have a particular affinity for, and an undying love if you will:) for sculptors (and architects) who create works based on scientific and mathematical ideas. For me, this marriage of thought and it's physical manifestation as "art", demonstrates the beauty and limitless potential of the human mind to think and create.
Artist, Theo Jansen creates kinetic sculptures from plastic tubes and lemonade bottles. His "creatures" are designed to move and "survive" in the environment, based on scientific, mathematical and physical premises. Rather than explain the sophistication of his creations, I invite you to watch a video that will better reveal the genius of Jansen's ideas and work.
Also while in NYC, in close proximity to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I will have the opportunity to visit and "experience", Maelstrom the 130-foot-long by 45-foot-wide stainless-steel sculpture, created by American artist Roxy Paine (b. 1966), specifically for the Museum’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden. This is Paine’s largest and most ambitious work to date. The Met states: this "latest in a diverse body of work, this sculpture is one of the artist’s Dendroids based on systems such as vascular networks, tree roots, industrial piping, and fungal mycelia. Set against Central Park and its architectural backdrop, the installation explores the interplay between the natural world and the built environment amid nature’s inherently chaotic processes."

I hope that you enjoy and appreciate the work of these exceptionally gifted artists, as I do. Roxy Paine....he makes me want to weld:) Just saying....melt my artist's heart!