Home made charcoal

Last evening I made some homemade vine charcoal. It was so easy I am amazed that they sell vine charcoal for the amount of money that they charge. I wondered around the backyard collecting twigs and sticks of all sorts. They ended up being from the sisso tree, the Brazilian pepper tree and even some lantana.I wrapped them all together in two layers of aluminum foil. This got thrown in the fire pit with a bit of wood and some newspapers to get it going. After about 25 minutes I took it out and opened the package. It had sticky dark tar like residue on the inside layer and then lots of nice soft vines of charcoal! All just as easy as that! Today I walked the dog and picked up more sticks at the park. This could be habit forming!

Happy Birthday Jackson Pollack

Just want to say Happy Birthday to Jackson Pollack. He put so much of himself out there on the altar of paint...Wish you stayed around longer...Sometimes I feel I live a life of too much routine and safety. Is this the life that gets passion on the canvas? I don't know, but it does make for more longevity...

Excellence

I've been thinking about excellence. The "miracle on the Hudson" airplane landing made us all appreciate what a job well done looks like. Excellence on the job saved over 150 lives. I find that the striving of the artist is the seeking of excellence. What does an excellent painting look like when it has never been painted before? With experience and training we can begin to recognize it when we see it. How then do we ourselves create it? It is a balance of turning our training on enough to use our experience, but also we need to turn it off to let the muse take us to new places. Step into the unknown with the trust that our preparation will guide us to take the right paths. It also means the dedication to this quest of excellence. The practice of our craft is not always pleasant- uncertainty, fears of falling short, the raw reaction of an audience- this is part of the package. The other night I watched my niece Jane Hilton play with three other musicians in an Irish band. The individuals all displayed an expertise that could only be attained by hours of solitary practice. The joining together and performing could only come after those lonely dues had been paid. This too is part of the deal- the solitary quest to find your expression that no one else can say. No short cuts exist for true excellence- but the safe landing makes the effort worth while and sometimes even life saving.

Buying Creativity

Ok - so maybe I can pretend I am being patriotic by spending ..but really I am attempting to buy my way to creativity with just one more art supply purchase? It was on sale...and I had a discount coupon too..so I ordered one of those little palm plein aire paintbox/easels...Will I suddenly work better with this adorable wooden box? Will I venture out to the great outdoors on a more regular basis? I don't know..but I am thinking that this will be a cool little tool for easy mobility. I have painted out with the wheeled cart, the portable folding easel, the collapsing table and folding stool. Yes the results were worth it, but the task is still daunting- load the truck, unload and drag the stuff...It is too easy to give up on the idea before it is begun. So this little box has a thumb hole in the bottom to hold and you can work on little panels..ofcourse you need the discipline of a limited palette as well. I think it could be a good exercise for me to get out there quickly and frequently..or else I am indeed just trying to buy my way to creativity instead of putting in the sweat...but it was on sale!