The art of talk

Well, such excitement - I am so honored! I was interviewed by Paul Weagraff, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts, on the radio! It is a 20-minute interview and it just went so quickly! He was so professional and made me relaxed in no time. I felt like I was just having a chat with a friend. Grab a coffee or a glass of wine, and have a listen :
http://www.artsdel.org/podcasts/120609_de_state_of_arts.mp3

I took a couple of paintings along - as a visual person, it was a good aid

and then - please,  tell me what you think. Feedback is a great way to learn - I don't know what folks think unless you tell me. To repay you listening to my interview, I won't write a whole lot today!
Thank you for listening and taking the time! My facebook page is often updated - check it out and "follow" my page. I'd appreciate it!
have a grand weekend!

The Art of Caring

I’ve wanted to do more abstract work for a while, funnily enough health irritations (flu and now a gimpy back) have made it happen. I can’t work on the Vukuzakhe Project - canvas too big - with my back in this state, so I got out smaller canvas’ - 18x24 - and at the end of last week I started on a subject bubbling in back of my mind.
Now I have 2 “Within Ourselves” abstracts done. I used canvas, acrylic, burlap and oil pastels - decided to use a limited palette - more of a challenge and can be more dramatic. I joked on my face book page my gimpy back has delved in to some deeply Freudian areas, it’s showing in my art. And there is something in that statement - for a couple of reasons..

Within Ourselves

First, I have a family member fading fast, hard as it is we hope for quick and painless. At the same time good news from the younger generation, we will welcome a new member to the crazy clan. Another family member is slowly taking on more of the caregiver role. It got me to thinking on how life starts with you being cared for, you grow up, are free for a while and then you care for the next generation.
But with age comes another kind of caring - caring for your partner as they fade. Some fade from their body in to another place called Alzheimer’s, some fade battling disease. It doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman doing the caring, it is never easy but it  is done with love.
Second reason, I am pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. I’m getting fed up with right wing religious conservatives trying to ram their beliefs on abortion and marriage into repressive laws. For people who yell “government is too big, we need smaller government and less interference” they seem to miss the irony of their tunnel vision of right/wrong being imposed on everyone else. I wish they would shut up and go away. Sadly they won’t.

Within Ourselves II

I’m just stating facts as I see them. Abortion and marriage are strictly personal and no one else’s business. It’s just important to love someone enough to care under all circumstances.
I feel there’s too much false emphasis on eternal youth and money in today’s society. It’s a simple path of life - you are young, then you grow old. Money will not save you. Deal with it.
And if you are lucky, you are loved enough and you love enough to care. Warts and all. Nothing is more important.
That is what I’m trying to show in these paintings - the circle of love and caring, no matter who you love.

The Art of Change

Another new place to live ... again

New experiences, new languages, new countries, new friends, new lives are not unknown to me, nor do I fear them. I have dealt with a lot of change in my life. So much so I sometimes need to smacked upside the head to notice change.

Not one to need a lot of security, I move from place to place with ease. I immediately explore my surroundings to get a sense of place and settle down to enjoy it. I love finding a new place to settle in, put my few possessions about and make it a home. It doesn't matter if the country drives on the left or on the right... either way I hop in a car and drive. I don't seem to need an adjustment period. Nor do I have a fear of driving anywhere. Whether it's the chaos of Istanbul, Cairo, Rome, a peaceful drive in rural Delaware or the vast, empty fascinating distances of the Western U.S. I'm going somewhere and I'm happy.

It's so easy to talk about taking things to another level or changing the way we do things. When I started thinking about this Vukuzakhe Project I'm doing with the Amandawe Support Group in South Africa, I blithely thought... it'll take my art to a new level. It took me a long time to work out how I was going to do the paintings, and I wasn't at all sure it would even work.

So what is this new level I'm taking my art to? Is it a big step in another direction? No one can accuse me of sticking with one style. I seem to change style or subject at the drop of a hat, or just by being in a new location. And that's when the smack upside the head helps.

A few days ago I realized I really have taken my art up to another level this time. I seemed to struggle with the first one, and then suddenly it was clear to me what I had to paint. So I started the paintings and now they seem to paint themselves. By that I mean - the idea behind the painting comes to me with time. I stand and stare at the wooden panel with the little fabric landscape placed on it. And I wait for it to tell me what to paint. And that's why I struggled with the first one. I didn't give it time to tell me what to do, I was trying to push it out when it wasn't ready. Or I wasn't ready to accept it yet. I guess I was trying to treat it the same why I have treated change all my life. Face it head on and dive in. My art has finally smacked my head enough for me to realize I need to think about it and let it perculate. It will come to me.

I'm quite beside myself with happiness at this knowledge. I believe this has taken my art from being "just a pretty picture" to something with meaning. I'm not knocking pretty pictures, the world sure needs them. I now know my Women of Courage series was the start of this change, I just didn't realize it. Now I'm feeling all grown up and more mature as an artist - and I still have SO much to learn. Gotta love and live change! Isn't life grand?

The art of asking for help

the offending piece - the flash messed up the colours but you get the picture

If you’ve been following The Bag of Hope story,  http://thebagofhope.com , with the Amandwe Support Group, you’ll know “Vukusakhe” is Zulu for “stand up and do it for yourself.” An admirable sentiment under any circumstances, but more admirable considering the life these women face on a daily basis. They are proud and will not ask for handouts - they want to help themselves and the orphans in their area. These fine women make good role models - they are humorous, strong and determined. If they don’t know how to do something, they ask to be taught and they learn.
And in this I could take a lesson from them. I have always been a poor student. I too often confidently think “I can do that.” Some times this is rather unwise and turns out a dismal failure. Other times I hit lucky and it all falls in to place. But too often I just am bull-headed and obstinately keep trying to do something that’s not working.
A few days back I started on my new art project of collaboration with the Amandwe Support Group with enthusiasm. I chose the first 2 fabric landscapes and got down to prepping the wooden panels. Then came the time to start painting. Painting 1 started off fine but on day 2, I hit a snag. It just wasn’t working. I scraped, I painted over, I changed colours. All I managed to do was dig myself deeper in to the mire. Painting 2 sat there prepped and ready to go but I ignored it. I was getting myself in to a funk after a few days of this.
Then I set off on my daily walk with my friend and fellow artist, Rosemary of http://livecheapmakeart.com . As we strode around town, I told her about my problem with the first painting and my excitement about my idea for the second one. Rosemary looked at me as if I‘d lost my marbles and said, “Anne, why don‘t you just leave the first painting alone for a while and start on the second. You‘re excited about that one.” Well, hello and duh me. Later at home I started telling Lee the same saga, and before I got to Rosemary‘s pearls of wisdom, he looked at me all long-suffering like and said, “Anne, drop the first one for a while and do the second one. There‘s no order you have to do them in.”
So, why couldn’t I see this simple fact days ago. I’d got myself so focused and obsessed with the first painting, I couldn‘t see the forest for the trees. If I’d asked a few days back for feedback, I’d not have wasted those few days of obfuscation.
So, please feel free to stop by during the next couple of months and see how I’m progressing. I’m all fired up about this project but I obviously need a someone “with clear eyes” to whack me upside the head and say, “What are you doing?“ A good dose of reality on occasion is not a bad thing.
I never make New Year’s resolutions but I think I will try a tad harder to ask for advice on how to do something, instead of just doing it. It might eliminate the all too often “OOPS,” that follows. But, I am calling the project, Vukusakhe” because, well, I do usually just stand up and do it for myself.
Wishing you and yours a peaceful and prosperous 2012 - it’s going to be a grand art year!

FYI : I’m chronicling the progress on my gallery face book page and am starting a page on my website about it…if you’re interested, go to http://annejenkinsart.com  or http://facebook.com/annejenkinsartgallery

The Art of Collaboration

Some of the tools I'll be using, oh my, me and a drill?

Collaboration, or working together, dominates my mind these days. I am about to embark on a brand new art project with the Amandwe Support Group in KwaZulu Natal & The Bag of Hope http://TheBagofHope.com. They have done their bit and now it’s all up to me. It’s a pretty scary, and exciting, prospect. And I am so looking forward to immersing myself in this over the next few months.

But this working together towards a common goal got me thinking. I am very big on working with other artists, businesses or anyone really, to further my art/business/town. I think some of it stems from going to all-girls boarding schools at a young age - the first time I was 9, it was not a match made in heaven, so the less said the better. Then at the ripe old age of 11, I went off to another school. This was much better, my older sister was already there and a number of my friends from my small town were also enrolled. I was as happy as can be - made life long friendships and learned strong values and liberal ideas.

We all also learned at a young age that we could achieve success at whatever exciting venture someone dreamed up - good and bad - if we worked as a team. One girl distracts the authority figure and rest sneak off on a daring adventure. We had a high success rate, but naturally, some failures as well. Just like real life. We never lost our individuality, nor the strong influence our parents exerted on us, but boarding school sure shaped my life in more ways than I could have realized at that tender and wonderfully, silly age. And since the launch of face book, I am reconnecting with many of my class mates from school - now strong, independent ladies living all over the world. What a treat!

Americans pride themselves as being highly individual characters and sometimes have trouble seeing the benefits of working as a group - Congress springs to mind as an extreme example. However, we’ll not go there. In this economy, I think it’s pretty obvious - for instance, I can’t afford hundreds of dollars on adverts, but if a group of us get together and each put in a small amount, we can advertise. Or if we can show people outside our area all we have to offer in one place, we become a much more interesting prospect. And so on … I’ve never felt I’m in competition with other artists. We each have our individual, unique style - and everyone has different preferences and tastes - and there’s the obvious conclusion, we’ll all get a slice of the pie. If there are different things to see, different styles of art to buy, concerts to attend, nice places to eat and sleep - more people will come.

So, meet the Art Ramble in Milford - our permanent, self-guided studio tour. Here we’re clustering our art-related businesses, listing events in town and a map to show how everything is in walking distance. Please check out the website and bookmark it! And let me know what you think… feedback’s always good  http://artramble.com

Meantime, while the Art Ramble is getting built up and we all promote each other with enthusiasm, I am working on my African collaboration art project. Do stop in and see how I’m doing whenever you can. I’m like a pup wagging it’s tail with happiness and excitement. It will take my art and imagination to new levels. I always did love a challenge!

The Art of the Muse

My Africa, acrylic, burlap, canvas - ©2006 Anne Jenkins

When I was a small child in Africa I had an imaginary friend. I used to potter around having these very earnest conversations with her. I have no idea what her name was or if she even had one.
My godmother, a tough, funny lady from Yorkshire, was fascinated by this invisible friend. I would toddle around our two acres of garden and then off in to the woods chatting away to my imaginary friend and hardly aware of the entourage traipsing along behind me. Close to my heels was my dog, and whenever she visited, my godmother tiptoed close by, chortling happily. Ambrose, our night watchman, who had a special place in his heart for me, followed behind. He wasn’t instructed to, he just guarded me fiercely, nothing untoward would ever happen to his “nkosianne.”
When I grew older my family slowly forgot about my imaginary friend. Ambrose never wavered in his devotion. When I announced I was to be married, he traveled miles to come and inspect the husband to be while I visited home one weekend. He didn’t wax lyrical with enthusiasm. Perhaps I should have taken note, the marriage didn’t last.
Ambrose is no longer with us, hamba kahle my faithful Ambrose, but I am sure he is still guarding me in spirit, and no doubt shaking his head often.
But, I still talk to my imaginary friend. Only now I realize she is my muse. And I suppose she always was - she gave me more than fellowship as a tiny tot. She offered advice when I was going to be the world’s greatest ballerina at age eight, “why not?” and then as I kept growing taller and taller, She muttered, “Well, perhaps not.” She encouraged me to draw and experiment with colour, and slyly “do not keep inside the lines.” She practically held the pen and said “Write, damn it!” as I dithered over whether I could weave words together.
Muses are different things to different people. Some have real people or countries or cities. I have a non-existent friend/muse in my head. Thank goodness. It’s good to have someone else to argue with in your head, than just yourself. Maybe sometimes we have the good angel/bad angel thing going. Note to self, let the good angel win more often.
I don’t know if all creative people do this, but I can have long periods of what looks like inertia. I look as though I am doing nothing. But I am actually thinking a process through, or trying to work out how to do something, or what to do. Or I disappear in to fantasy land to see how it will all end up, or how I’d like it to end up.
All this in the mind experimentation is too much for one person, so an imaginary friend/muse is just what is needed. I’m glad I have had mine for so long.

Successful art show opening reception

Okay, so I didn't post last week because I was getting my act together for the opening reception of my first show, "Canvasing Delaware," in my new gallery. It was very successful and sales were made! How sweet it is!
Lost track of time and taking photos but luckily one of my new friends, and excellent photographer, April Abel was on hand to snap some shots for me. Thanks for these April! Here's a short video just for fun..
http://animoto.com/play/nLK6NFemTUD4NViIYR0PCQ

Enjoy and I'll update you next week on joining a focus group for the Delaware Division of the Arts, more how sweet it is!!!

Must say Delaware really suits me just fine, thank you. Great wee state!

Exploring Delaware back roads

Yesterday & Today, Delaware back roads

We explored the back roads of our new state for two days and what a grand time we had. We lunched at an out of the way tavern with newspaper for tablecloths, and met the fisherman having lunch with the owner, his boat still tied up outside after delivering the catch. You don‘t get a plate of flounder much fresher than that!
Completely deserted beaches with miles and miles of sand beckoned. We drove down roads marked ROAD CLOSED (well, it didn’t say DO NOT ENTER, okay?) and entered a wild, quiet area with a wealth of bird life - herons, cranes, egrets and more. We wandered around lonely marsh docks with old dilapidated fishing boats tied up alongside. Restored one-room school houses popped up in the middle of nowhere and falling down barns elegantly sat waiting for time to take it‘s ultimate toll.
We stood awed at marshes older than time with a thin strand of sand and trees protecting it from the ocean. And marveled how man can take these barrier strips of islands and turn them in to ugliness when surrounded by such beauty. Luckily Delaware has protected much of these areas and man is huddled in one corner. But I worry in time they’ll want more. They always do and then it’s ruined.
Little flat Delaware continues to impress us with it's big sky - and it certainly puts on a show with clouds and sparkle! It keep coming up when I paint it - and I just can't resist painting it!
We stumbled on a farm where they sell pork and veal direct to the public… “no preservatives, milk fed and humane slaughter” (is there such a thing?) Definitely must buy some with a group of friends as they sell either the entire pig or half pig. We bought direct from a farm in England and it was pork to stir good memories - tasting like pork we ate as children. I mean, it actually tasted like pork, not the stuff you get in mass supermarkets today.
A yummy Italian deli with charming staff and irresistible fare tempted us to spend far too much money on cheeses and salamis and wafer thin speck. We’ve savored two meals on the purchases already and can’t wait for the next one.
We never turned on our cell phones, didn’t touch a computer at all or listen to the news. We wanted to enjoy the time standing still and we did. Such bliss.
I’ve painted 2 of the scenes and have more still trying to jump out of my memory on to canvas. This one displayed is the painting of a strip of barrier island with the humans encroaching from the right. I’ve called it “Yesterday and Today.” I prefer the “yesterday” part, I don’t trust man to show any respect for the natural world. I also believe I am turning in to a cranky old fart as the years slip by!!

Red Farmhouse in Delaware

Red Farmhouse in Delaware

I decided to have a longer break from seascapes so I don’t get old on them, when I say that I mean, so I don’t get tired of them. Lack of enthusiasm shows right up there on top of any painting. You can’t hide it, at least, I can’t. Now the marsh scene I did recently was such a disaster I didn’t want to go there. Failure twice in a row would be too much. A while back I saw a lovely old red farmhouse nestled in the far end of a field - the crops went right up to the house it seemed. The farmers in Delaware do not waste an inch of land. I guess because there’s not much of it! And the scene has been at the back of my mind.
So I did a 16x20 study of it to see how it worked. For some silly reason I cut the canvas in half with sky and land, instead of thirds or more of one or the other. It looks wrong but at least it was on this small study and not a big canvas. I cheated and cropped it for a nicer effect in the photo. I like the feel of it though, so I think I will do it big. The wheat fields really turned out well in this one - lots of movement.
I’m not painting for a couple of days to get some rest, and get some writing I need to do done. Then Lee has a day off Monday, so we’re going to explore the back roads of our new state and I’ll take the camera along. And I’ll be back with lots of ideas and scenes to paint on Tuesday. It’ll be so nice to have the break!
Just hope this drizzly rain goes away, not that it matters that much but it would be nicer to visit the cool backroad bars on a sunny day!

Startin' over by the sea and lovin' it!

Okay, I know I haven't been too good about posting lately - just had a tad much to handle I guess. But - now I am settled in my lovely light little apartment and my studio/gallery is up and running, so - I will do better. I have also been trying to take a little time to paint. I'm back in the mood to paint big. During the economic slowdown I painted small but now, to hell with it, I want to paint big again. I love it. So here's one I did - a 36x48 of Slaughter Beach which is 6 miles from our new home. I am just so happy to walk on a beach again. I knew I'd missed it but didn't realize how much. I had a commission to paint but put it aside and HAD to paint this. The sea was calling....
I am now going to try to post at least once a week

The end of the daffs

I don't normally do still life, so 2 of the same subject in 3 days is something, wonder why? But I'm enjoying doing them, maybe it'll start off a new trend for me. oh - and the shine is because the paint's still wet. Size is 16x20

Spring daffodils

Lee came home Thursday with a little bunch of lovely spring daffodils for me. We put them in a big coffee mug made by a ceramic artist friend, it's a deep wonderful turquoisey blue. I love daffodils. I always think of walking through London's parks in spring. Happy memories. So I decided to paint them - the paint is still wet thus the shine!! Size is 16x20

Opened an ETSY shop....

I've opened a shop on the website ETSY - smaller pieces, easy to ship. Please go and check it out, bookmark it and return often and perhaps buy a piece! I'll add more pieces (one piece I added yesterday, I had to take off because I sold it this morning in the gallery!! YEAH!


http://www.etsy.com/shop/AnneJenkinsArt