Barbara Rachko's Blog, page 5

Pearls from artists* # 654

West Village, New York, NY

*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.

The cynical art world, where ‘nothing is a miracle,’ benefits from disempowered artists who have been tricked into feeling devalued, and trained to live at the mercy of the marketplace. But the exact opposite is true. The art world would collapse without our coveted holy vision. Artists are born with unconventional gifts that mark them as innovative thought leaders. Society is only beginning to understand how these gifts may be employed. We possess the power to expose what is going on beneath the surface, initiate difficult conversations, and help people process an increasingly complex world. We fire bullets of truth to pierce the ever-thickening wall of relentless lies. We see things more clearly, precisely because we are on the outside. We foster empathy and point out our common humanity. We remind people that they do not have to go along with this; there are other ways to live. We have the conviction to scream at the top of our lungs when society is veering terribly off course. That the antidote to capitalism is meaning. At our best, through a rather miraculous process, artists change the world.

Kate Kretz in Art From Your Core: A Holistic Guide to Visual Voice

Comments are welcome!

Q: What’s on the easel today?

Planning my next painting

A: In preparation for my next large “Bolivianos” painting, I made this preliminary charcoal drawing.

Comments are welcome!

Pearls from artists* # 653

Barbara’s Studio

*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.

Watching online markers of approval climb into high numbers releases dopamine in our brains, which can become addictive. If we crave ‘likes,’ and consciously or unconsciously make more of what our audience wants, we become supply-and-demand widget makers. We start catering to the lowest common denominator, asking ourselves what kind of widget will get the most likes or shares. Would you allow a committee into your studio to dictate your next work, to tell you what goes and what stays? How is catering to ‘likes’ any different?

… Every time your work grows, you will gain and lose fans. The more followers you have, the more individuals will need to adjust to the shifts that are happening. Some are guaranteed to disapprove of any new direction, regardless of content. Those who cannot tolerate change will be replaced by supporters of a higher caliber who approve and encourage you to grow.

Kate Kretz in Art From Your Core: A Holistic Guide to Visual Voice

Comments are welcome!

Start/Finish of “Harbinger,” soft pastel on sandpaper, 26” x 20” image, 35” x 28.5” framed

Start

Finish

Comments are welcome!

Pearls from artists* # 652

Dyke Marsh, Alexandria, VA

*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.

And now my old dog is dead, and another I had after him, and my parents are dead, and that first world, that old house, is sold and lost, and the books I gathered there lost, or sold – but more books bought, and in another place, board by board and stone by stone, like a house, a true life built, and all because I was steadfast about one or two things: loving foxes, and poems, the blank piece of paper, and my own energy – and mostly the shimmering shoulders of the world that shrug carelessly over the fate of any individual, that they may, the better, keep the Niles and the Amazons flowing.

And that I did not give to anyone the responsibility for my life. It is mine. I made it and I can do what I want with it. Give it back, someday, without bitterness to the wild and weedy dunes.

Mary Oliver in Upstream: Selected Essays

Comments are welcome!

Q: Is there anything you wish you could change about life as a visual artist?

Barbara’s Studio

A: While there is much to admire and maybe even envy about being an artist, it does have some downsides. Among these, for me, is that enormous amounts of solitude are required to create art. I wish this were not the case.

Our work is entirely unique and because it starts as an idea in our heads, we must work solo to bring it into the world. We spend our days pondering, looking, and reacting, rather than speaking to anyone. As typical workdays go, it is rather odd.

I sometimes envy filmmakers who require collaboration with a large team of experts in order to practice their art. They have fellow professionals with whom they can discuss their ideas and they can solicit advice on how to make improvements. Artists rarely have this luxury.

On the other hand, visual artists don’t have to wait for anyone else to do their jobs before we can get to work. We don’t have to deal with personality conflicts or other people’s agendas. Our individual creative process is generally free of obstacles created by others. When you really think about it, the only thing that is required of an artist is to go to the studio and get to work! We are free to make our own rules and our own schedules, and, creatively speaking, are largely responsible for our own advances and setbacks.

Comments are welcome!

Pearls from artists* # 651

Barbara’s Studio

*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.

We are engaged in a mission that can be perplexing to those around us. We are playing a long game that no one else can see. Every time we walk into the studio, it is a mini act of defiance against all of those who believe we are wasting our time. If you do not shore up and internalize this right to make art until it becomes a part of you, outside forces will repeatedly rise up to challenge it, creating conflict. Understand deep in your being that making art is a vital part of who you are, to be your own strongest advocate. Be greedy for the time and space your work requires to be actualized.

Kate Kretz in Art From Your Core: A Holistic Guide to Visual Voice

Comments are welcome!

 

Travel photo of the month*

*favorite travel photos that have not yet appeared in this blog

Dune Beach, Southampton, New York

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Pearls from artists* # 650

Some of Barbara’s Mexican and Guatemalan folk art collection

*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.

Art objects are not just gifts for the viewer: they can hold profound, even mystical, revelations for the maker. When actualizing work that comes from your core, one of the greatest sources of pleasure is the recording of your art life journey, with the serendipitous connections, the seminal players, and meaningful symbols that return again and again. Art is an unconscious language that knows more about you than you know about yourself.

Kate Kretz in Art From Your Core: A Holistic Guide to Visual Voice

Comments are welcome!

Q: What’s on the easel today?

Pastel painting in progress

A: Here is the latest progress on “Showman,” soft pastel on sandpaper, 26” x 20”.

Comments are welcome!