Lakeland Light
(detail)
© Nicki Ault, 2019
Between the big solo shows planned for this year, Assiniboia Gallery is doing a few smaller monthly features on some of their artists and I am the "Feature Artist" in March! Preparing paintings for this has been my main focus over the last couple of months. I will be taking new work down to Regina next week including the largest painting of the bunch, "Lakeland Light", 36x48 (detail above).
In other news, as I could have predicted, I am now feeling a bit silly about my blog post the other day. As much as I needed to get those things off my chest, I am not sure it was a constructive undertaking other than the small release it gave me from my anger.
I wrote my last blog post to express thoughts and concerns about how rough the art community can be on itself. I have definitely struggled with the notion that, in general, the art world at large looks down its nose at landscape painters, but then when other landscape painters within our smaller community take that a step further and look down their nose at "beautiful" landscapes, well, let's just say the rage has been building.
The thing is, I love landscapes. Right now they are the
vehicle, or muse even, that resonates with me as a way to explore light, mood
and emotion in my paintings. And since I don't have any interest in painting something that isn't of beauty, I will stay the course.
All I know is anger isn't a good look on me or anyone else, and sequestering myself from the community isn't the answer either. So on my "To Do" list:
1) Get through this rough patch of S.A.D.
2) Help my son with his physio
3) Explore more ideas in the back of my head using Landscape as my muse
4) Take deep breaths and let things truly roll off me when I feel "dissed" or...
5) Politely ask for clarification when I feel I have taken a jab
6) Look for a "yoga with goats" class to help with my anxiety... or maybe a coffee shop with kittens :)
and maybe most important of all...
7) Focus more on how supportive the art community can be. Somehow I allowed myself to veer off course in this regard and pay too much attention to the negative side of things. Thanks for the many emails, messages, texts and comments - they were a great reminder of this very thing.
All I know is anger isn't a good look on me or anyone else, and sequestering myself from the community isn't the answer either. So on my "To Do" list:
1) Get through this rough patch of S.A.D.
2) Help my son with his physio
3) Explore more ideas in the back of my head using Landscape as my muse
4) Take deep breaths and let things truly roll off me when I feel "dissed" or...
5) Politely ask for clarification when I feel I have taken a jab
6) Look for a "yoga with goats" class to help with my anxiety... or maybe a coffee shop with kittens :)
and maybe most important of all...
7) Focus more on how supportive the art community can be. Somehow I allowed myself to veer off course in this regard and pay too much attention to the negative side of things. Thanks for the many emails, messages, texts and comments - they were a great reminder of this very thing.
