Bessesdotter's Blog
Mailing my card today! I’ll be selecting from the cards I’ve already made and it might be one of the cards in the above photo. here you go Danny Nickerson! For those who wish to participate here is the speed version of Danny’s address. This was on channel 6ABC news and is legit.
Danny Nickerson
P.O. Box 212
Foxboro, MA 02035
Winning an award is always cool. Happening in Bucks County–my home–is the greatest. Many thanks to the judges and The Tinicum Civic Association for making the show possible!
Celebration of the 4th – this was painted from a memory of a decade of the 4th celebrations spent by the lake in Galeton, PA. The town has one of the best firework displays every year. We sat on blankets lakeside in the dark and find ourselves dotted with ashes when the show was over. Yes – we were that close. A resounding echo of the booms from the fireworks was softened by the forests. The view was spectacular, ink black mountains posed against the smokey twilit sky, the fireworks extensive and bold, reflected in the dark still water of the cold mountain lake. Wherever you celebrate enjoy the splendor of the summer. To my Banana Factory friends and colleagues have a safe and wonderful holiday under the stars!
I look forward to this event more than most tasks concerning the business of art. Yesterday morning I was able to spend several hours collaborating with my photographer Ken Ek who makes my art look the best it possibly can. We met about 2 years ago and he started photographing my textile art and watercolors. Every time I complete a series the first thing I do is have Ken come into the studio. First I cannot say enough good things about Ken, his work ethic is exemplary and his skill set is varied, he has a great eye for color and finds creative ways to place the work in its setting to show it to best advantage. He is not just a technical wizard but a creative one too.
The new flower series, Bloemen, was done yesterday with a few pieces of miscellany thrown in for good measure. Working with Ken is such an inspiration that I am starting a new series of prints that will be photographed soon and I am planning on having him work on the older prints from my early years as a printmaker. Documenting art is something I don’t take for granted, its one of the most important tasks associated with my business. If you are fortunate enough to be close to KenEk Photography by all means call him soon and make plans to have your work photographed. But where ever you are find a good photographer and have your art documented.
On another note, I also use several online servers to preserve the photos for future reference. I don’t use hard media anymore, but I do have external storage drives that I can back up to if needed. Stay tuned to see the new work photographed properly and my website updated in blooming color.
Continuing small works as warm up for extending to the larger pieces I work on later today. Maybe a coffee is needed.
This is the third painting in a series I started this week after a long cold winter. The studio needed a swift clean up which I did while some backgrounds I painted earlier finished drying. Then I set to work laying out some ideas that I sketched while in bed with the flu this year. Once backgrounds are set, I choose paint colors and mix them in small batches. Then make notes in the sketchbook near the sketch about the colors and using a small hog bristle brush, I paint color mixes and tints on the page for reference. This painting is titled ‘Flower Cafe 3’ and is 18″ x 24″. I hope to finish this piece soon. The completed pink painting is 6″ x 6 ” titled ‘Flower Cafe 2’. The cream and white piece is 8″ x 10″ and first in the series.
Regarding Sherlock Holmes and his ignorance of Copernican theory, “What the deuce is [the solar system] to me?” he exclaims to Watson in A Study in Scarlet. “You say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work.” And now that he knows that fact? “I shall do my best to forget it,” he promises.
My art is mine, its not inspired by anything in particular or anyone. Simple concept or it should be. Well just try that on in the modern world. There are labels slung at the work, me and the style. Comparisons are made with no regard to my thoughts or feelings. I prefer the enigma that naturally exists in the creation and the process. I don’t intend to create and make statements of any kind. I’m not that pretentious. I wonder who really cares about my opinion…and do I actually care to use my precious work as a tool to provide statements to the public? If you’re a long standing friend we may find ourselves discussing it but otherwise I’m likely to say a little when queried about the art I make.
The reference to Sherlock Holmes? I read Conan Doyle in my youth and the realization of what Holmes referred to in the Copernicus statement stuck with me. What do I need to know–to shape my life as I want it to be….and what do I need to forget? I don’t want to know about the art that came before me or even really of what is being created right now. Keeping it simple, I have little need to know about artists, it impedes my progress, infiltrates my brain and I fight to keep it out. I’ve been told that I’m wrong, that if I had gone to art school or college I would know that I should build on the structure of artist who created before me. Now I have to forget that too! I met Ian Frazier several times and he told me he has had a similar experience. He said the internet contains so much information its difficult to filter when doing research for his writing. I explained my Holmes theory to him and he chuckled and nodded his head.
To all who know me, please stop telling me to change my mind on this subject. I paid dearly to avoid art school. I consider myself an iconoclast and being institutionalized doesn’t work for me. While working low paying full time jobs, I painted during my precious time off. Not having knowledge of art history doesn’t make me not bright. Figuring out processes by experimentation doesn’t make my work unsophisticated. It does make me an outsider for the most part. What I didn’t get by going to college…I struggled, worked hard and experimented a lot. I found out that I am an innovator, a risk taker and improvise on every piece I make. I’m happy with my work and proud of what I do. I am pleased and humbled every time someone acquires a piece. I’m impressed with those who collect my art, as they are an extraordinary group of people.
Boundless 