My second solo show of 2011, PixelNation, opened on Friday, in a beautiful old Victorian house in downtown Plano. The paintings and my digital iPad look as if they had been designed to hang on those walls, separated by over a hundred years in aesthetics not withstanding, and I was so flattered that so many people took the trouble to visit, and stay wandering through the rooms, and discussing it with me. [Take a virtual tour…]
I will post a virtual exhibit later today, from my pre-reception walkthrough.
I am now recovering from the physical and mental exhaustion of this year of concerted working towards this goal. I always feel as if I’ve taken a spin in a washing machine after such an event – cleaned out, but drained; fresh, but in need of stretching out flat.
Mountains and Plateaux
I think a good analogy would be climbing a mounting – it’s hard work, but you love it and it’s a personally compelling undertaking. Along the way you see sights and experience things that no other person has seen, or very few. It changes your life, and makes it vital. Then, the day comes when you reach a large plateau (usually celebrated with complimentary refreshments and an opening reception). The climbing stops, and the walking begins. The sun is shining, and there is a distant horizon on this new higher plane, and you decide to investigate it. You set off, deciding to explore it,with your sketchbook in hand, and your pack of supplies on your back. Although your muscles are welcoming the break from climbing, there is a spring in your step.
Off you go across the fields, towards the distant woodland you see, and even further your eyes discern the foothills of your next mountain….
C’est la vie; C’est l’art.