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Clippings. Friday, October 26, 2018. I am writing this as I sip a glass of wine. I got my clues from today’s news.  Well, not exactly the real news. 

As I sipped a cup of coffee this morning and mostly skimmed through three newspapers, l did see headlines about priestly abuse, postal bombs aimed at a few, and immigrant border issues. All very upsetting. So perhaps my unconscious eye was seeking comfort in small print and reading between the lines.  I was pleased to discover non-news worthy scraps to consider.

As I checked out the comics I came upon this strip…

…and so, heeding the comic strip, I am drinking wine as I write.  The second panel veers into an explanation, which resonates with me.  Start loose and then tighten is one of my most useful creative principles.

I then wandered into uncustomary sections of the Friday paper.  An ad featuring multimillion dollar condos hit me in the “Mansion” section…

…and so I cropped the part that meant something to me. I ignored the advertiser’s intention and chose to meditate on the pleasures and benefits of surrounding oneself with personally selected art. 

Still strolling though the “Mansions” I learned that Robert Redford is moving from St. Helena.  I never knew he lived there…

…and I never knew he had a much younger wife who is an artist.  He’s taking her away from her studio. An art studio is not only a place, but also an idea. It is the personification of one’s creative life.

Then I went to the Art and Culture section. I began reading an article about an artist whose work bootlegs Mexican and American icons. A few sentences caught my eye…

…and it reminded me of the the theme of Austin Kleon’s “Steal Like an Artist.” Making an image or idea one’s own is a challenge and a responsibility.

Images and ideas come from surprising places..even in the back pages of Section 2. So, as I glanced through an article about single-use items, this tidbit appeared…

…and, likewise, this English woman never expected to find a solution to a contemporary problem in her garden. Her aha moment reminds me that living in the present and being open feeds creativity.

Edited Saturday October 27, 2018 as I sip a cup of coffee. Now back to the Saturday paper. 

On the street. Sometimes a work of art or the work of an artist “just speaks you.” That’s what they say. I was surprised to be caught up in such a conversation a few weeks ago when I descended into the 57 Underground gallery. What I saw were huge murals on unstretched canvas by Jeanne Andersen depicting music making on the street.  Wow. I was speechless.

I was able to get Jeanne’s phone number from upstairs at the dA Center for the Arts. I had a fantasy of purchasing one of her pieces. I dragged my husband over to see these “murals.” He loved them. We came home, measured a space, and sadly realized that our wall could not accommodate a five by eight foot canvas. Then Jeanne returned my call. I told her how much I loved her work and that I would be interested in smaller pieces. A week later when I again descended into the 57 Underground, there she was taking down my beloved magical musical murals. 

I decided I was ready to reply to Jeanne’s “The Pulsing Beat” pieces and to complete the conversation.  I love drawing, color, people. You have it all. My heart skips a beat as your visual images beat on.  Although you are hiding underground, you are happening on the ground. You are a celebration of music, joy, and humanity. Thank you.

And so I emerged above ground. Uplifted. On the street.

*Location: dA Center for the Arts, 252 D. Main St., Pomona, Ca 91766