The art of plenty

I always enjoy getting the art supply catalog from my favourite art supplier, Cheap Joes, I leaf through it wishing I could just buy whatever I like. I buy online but searching through the actual book is more fun for me than surfng the website! I received the 2013 one a few days ago and started my ramble through it. I had gone a few pages thinking "Ooh, wouldn't that be nice..." when it dawned on me... this year I, happily, CAN make up a wish list, and probably buy it all using my award money... art supplies are allowed. I guess the reality hadn't properly sunk in yet... it sure opened a whole new way of looking at the catalog. You can't believe how many pages have been bookmarked with a sticky note.
That led me to thinking about the "further education" option attached to the award. I can use the money for... classes? workshops? but not degree-related study. What media/subject/style shall I go after? I really don't have much interest in taking painting classes, but I have always fancied trying my hand at sculpture.
So, I thought.. why not? Take a couple of sculpture workshops and incorporate sculpture in to my one-woman show I have to have by the end of the year. It would give it a good texture and the 2 and 3 dimension appeal.
For the past couple of days I've been searching the internet, and really, there is surprisingly few workshops on offer, but I am finding some. Even with a grant some of them are a bit steep $-wise, but I've already sent off a couple of queries. This is so exciting. Another new world opens up to me.
Sculpture makes sense. I've always adored it, during my travels I've tried to see the all time greats from the David to the Burgher of Calais... some multiple times. Whenever I see any work by Rodin or Michangelo, Claudel or personal friend - marvellous French/Spanish scupltor in Mallorca, Nana Berthelot, actually, if truth be told, just about any good scuplure, in front of me -  it just takes my breath away.
Getting stranded in a small rural French town during a blizzard led us to a free tour of Matisse's (one of my very favourites) home, now a museum. The lady was so happy to see visitors in this appalling weather, she let us wander at will. We saw paintings, sketches and sculptures we'd never known about. It was in the same town the very large dog at the auberge ate our cars tail lights... but that's another story.....that whole blizzard episode remains one of those unplanned marvels of  travel.
Maybe my new interest in figure sketching... abstract and free form, are the first steps in a new direction... or at least, an added dimension to my art. Ain't life grand?

© Anne Jenkins   A couple of 5 minute scribbles, January 2013