The Portals Series

Pushing Possibilities From the Unknown

In creating oils on canvas, I often like to make a series of paintings that relate to a theme, and shift my creativity from an unknown place. Some of us artists thrive on that unknown place. It’s called exploration. I push myself with this to grow. It is my intention by doing a series of similar abstract explorations that I delve deeper and learn from the doing. In setting an intention, it automatically improves my skills. It creates a vast amount of shape ideas that relate in each painting. In 2020 I will show these pieces that I am creating in a series of pieces that explores Portals. Why "Portals." To me, Portals is a name for something that is an opening. It could be your mind; could be your heart; it could be a new idea. I am exploring how we humans can look deep into something that is entering, exiting or contemplating into something way beyond our limits. My objective is to examine, contemplate and direct a fresh look at a contemporary idea such as the relationship between art and reality, memory and fantasy, existential ideas and existing pattern. Opening my mind, and hopefully inviting the viewer to do the same. In a series of artistically related pieces, I hope to show a dynamic and constantly evolving relationship between the materials, ideas, and technique as it evolves. And as each piece of art presents itself into the theme I express and explore the endless realm of possibilities with shape and color. Leonard Cohen inspired me with his writing, “a creak, a crack is in everything, that’s what lets the light in.” It’s the discovery that is so exciting to me with an opening for the light and possible change it brings. Too Cool for school? Hope so. It’s the viewer that will have to decide.

Artists turn out work with two things in mind. Curiosity and fear. We are curious about our ability to create something through our subconscious, and we become fearful that it may not work out. So, it is all about being afraid not to do it as well. Fear is a great motivator. It becomes the discipline to overcome that. I am not afraid of the unknown possibilities because I enjoy the process. What a creative life demands is that we take risks. They may be calculated risks; they may yield entrepreneurial fruits, or they may simply enrich our own personal lives. Creative risk taking might not turn our life upside down but, rather, might make right the drifting ship of our soul. When we make ourselves available for the inflow of spirit, we accept not only generative power but also an ability to shake whatever stands in the way of our full aliveness.

I once flew weekly taking photos for my marketing job in my early twenties in a tiny Cessna airplane which was fearful as well as exhilarating with excitement. The commercial builder/pilot I worked with, opened the window and tilted the plane so I could photograph his resort building project. I thought he was joking when he asked me to fly with him to take construction in progress photos because he liked the photos I took for our marketing work. This was new to me and I said to myself, “pretend you know what you are doing!” And I figured it out. The camera did the work, but I prepared for it. Much like painting today for me. I feel painting is exactly like that. I keep figuring it out. Preparing. Adapting. Exhilarating and fearful. Yassss, it is all that. I keep pushing myself from the time I flew with the pilot every month, to today’s tasks. That taught me confidence.  So, to push yourself into making similar works of art that stay in the same genre is exploring the curiosity of achieving personal success. A good series makes a statement in possibilities. It feeds my soul and gives my collectors a story and hopefully they see the value in my work. 

I find that pushing myself into the making of a cohesive body of work gives me a personal satisfaction of completing a goal. After a couple have been completed, the next few are easier and the fear goes away. It is that feeling of satisfaction that a "stick to it" pattern of working gives me to do it again. Then you wait for the curiosity of inspiration to hit again for the next series. Growth as an artist is achieved if the intention is as great as the curiosity. Curiosity continues and the art gets better and better. It is all about discovery and its intention. 

This is the first newsletter blog on my upcoming 2020 showings with this series. However, two of the Portals Series are offered for sale and debuting at Hagan Fine Art in downtown historic Charleston, SC for their Large Works show In December, 2019. They also have some smaller ones I did that gave me the idea of the Portals series. Others are in the works in my studio in Highlands, NC. I am letting it slowly flow. 

“Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life.” John Lubbock (1834-1913), The Pleasures of Life.

Enjoy reading this segment from the noted deceased Californian artist Richard Diebenkorn:

“Notes to myself on beginning a painting" by Richard Diebenkorn

1. Attempt what is not certain. Certainty may or may not come later. It may then be a valuable delusion.

2. The pretty, initial position which falls short of completeness is not to be valued – except as a stimulus for further moves.

3. DO research.

4. Use and respond to the initial fresh qualities but consider them absolutely expendable.

5. Don’t “discover” a subject – of any kind.

6. Somehow don’t be bored but if you must, use it in action. Use its destructive potential.

7. Mistakes can’t be erased but they move you from your present position.

8. Keep thinking about Pollyanna.

9. Tolerate chaos.

10. Be careful only in a perverse way.

This says it all about discovery...

"the artist ought to know nothing whatever about the nature of the object before him…but should concentrate all his powers on a representation of its appearance. The picture was to be a consistent vision, a reproduction of the area filled by the eye." -John Singer Sergeant-

Karen Weihs

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