I took a look at Megan Marlatt's Substitutions for a Game Never Played at Visual Arts Center for Style Weekly, check it out here.

Something to remember always. And who doesn't love Tom Waits?

After a long hiatus from making collages, I forced myself to sit down and play. I say play because I felt pressure (self-inflicted, of course) to create a good collage, one that fits in a series nicely. This somehow grew into the need to create one that is the best I have ever done. I don't know why I felt this pressure. Perhaps it grew from the artist's guilt. Oh, you know artist's guilt, I'm sure. It's the voice that continually asks, "Why aren't you working on your art?" It strikes in the middle of a movie, during dinner, while out with friends...this guilt knows no time or place as it demands you to get your butt back to the drafting table.

Usually a bit of pressure acts as a decent motivator for me, but for weeks it was quite the opposite of motivation: I was bored with the whole idea. And collaging isn't always the most comfortable process, either, with the modgepodge all sticky and half-dry on your fingers, bits of paper and material floating around everywhere, and continually losing the x-acto knife underneath ripped magazines. Surprise! Another bandaged finger.

I convinced myself that it wasn't worth "the hassle" and as a result, I didn't collage for months.

Until last night, when I told myself to play. Not to create a masterpiece, not to add to any series of work, not to have a huge philosophical reason, not to even finish a collage. Just play. Just get something in motion.

It's something I want to improve.

Half the work is "just getting your butt in the chair." Or, as Picasso said, "Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working."

My article on Richard Roth's painting show at Reynolds Gallery was published in Style Weekly's Midseason Arts today, feel free to check it out in print or click here to read online. Many thanks to Richard Roth and Reynolds Gallery for their time, and always a special thank you to Amy Ritchie.

And since it is a dreary day, why not stay inside with a cup of tea and keep reading over at RAR? Lots of delectable arts content has been posted: ballet, photography, painting, it's all there to enjoy.

Today was the New Voice: Young Innovation artist reception at the Jacksonville Art Center in Floyd, VA. I had a marvelous time catching up with painting friends as well as checking out new artists in the area. Not to mention the positive feedback on my displayed paintings that I received from total strangers.

(And I was generously given a Julie Hawk original! What a good day.)
 
Lots of great work will be on display there through March 17. Go check it out!

Click here for more information on the show or the Jax.

Don't mind me, I'm just obsessing over Megan Marlatt's Substitutions for a Game Never Played at the Visual Arts Center.

Really. I went in thinking one thing, and came out completely changed on content I thought I had pegged. Nothing better for a transformative experience than art, right? Of course.

I want to expand and share my initial responses, I really do. But I'm working on refining such responses for an article at Style. So maybe we should rendezvous on this topic when it is published.

In the meantime, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with her work, in person if you can. It's at the Visual Arts Center in Richmond through March 13, 2013. Go!

In other news, I must keep myself accountable. Here is another work in progress.