My Life.

Stare, paint, stare, paint, cry, paint, paint, nap, paint, watch sunset. Below are all works in progress.

 

Handmade signs of encouragement on the wall:

- YOU CONTROL WHETHER OR NOT IT IS EXCITING
- embrace your tendencies
- MAKE YOUR BEST WORK TODAY*
- DONT BE A BITCH. JUST DO YOUR SHIT.

I have a fluctuating way with words.

*Advice given to Emily by a visiting artist. It stuck with her, and now it's stuck with me. 

A Painter Without Her Paint: Laos

 

I should say that I am a pretty...particular...painter. I am slow. I take months to finish a painting. I find myself spending lengths of time making the tiniest adjustments to a painting to make it just right. Just so. I love the process and I love searching for that punch in the gut that happens when you nail it (rare, by the way) but it can be frustrating to work day in and day out, for hours, and not have finished pieces to show for it more often. 

The photos above, though thought about and considered, are snapshots in comparison to how long I labor over a painting. They are awkward. Angles seem off and shapes and colors are disproportionate to what I usually create in my paintings. They are mostly vertical while my paintings are mostly horizontal in reference to the landscape. I'm thinking about this discrepancy, and trying to figure out what these, and other,  tendencies mean. 

While my paintings don't look anything like the compositions above, they are helping my painting. This attraction to things being "off" is nudging me into some new territory, where I am letting go a bit, allowing things to be as awkward in my paintings as they are in reality.

It's all really, very exciting. 

Eventually, you'll get to see the paintings that result from all of this. Just you wait...I'll wait too. 

Forever yours,

Beatrice

A Painter Without Her Paint: Thailand

I took over 4,000 photographs while away - it would have been more if I hadn't lost my camera. I wasn't drawing or painting but I was constantly taking photographs that I knew I'd use later for painting reference. About half my photos are documentation of things I experienced, the other half are more...compositional studies. Below are some that I took while in Thailand. Eventually I'll post ones from all of the countries. 

I go through my photos at least every couple of days and it makes my heart ache a little each time. I miss these places. Going through and posting and writing about them slowly has become another way for me to process the experience. I'll be posting them along with painting developments. 

Thanks for reading and looking.

Your Friend,

Bea

Various States

It's hard to put photographs of unfinished paintings online, but I wanted to let you all know I am hard at work and painting, painting, painting. It has taken some time to remember how I best function in the studio (two months of no painting is disruptive, who knew?) but I am feeling the rhythm return. This is a good thing...I've got a solo show to prepare for...

So, above is evidence of how I'm spending my time. IN PROGRESS! BE KIND! 

Love,

Bea

Truth and Beauty

I memorized this poem in high school and find myself repeating it a lot. I thought you might like it.

I died for beauty, but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.

He questioned softly why I failed?
"For beauty," I replied.
"And I for truth - the two are one;
We brethren are," he said.

And so, as kinsmen met a-night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names. 

- Emily Dickinson

Invitational

Hi Friends, 

A few months ago I was  asked by Barbara Moody to be her invitee in the annual Kingston Gallery Invitational, this year the exhibit is called Dialog.  The concept of the exhibit is that each of the members at Kingston invite an emerging artist to hang a piece in the show along side them.  The opening is Friday, January 7th as part of the First Friday festivities. Details to follow. 

Thanks for riding the friend train! 

PS- Today is November 1st, that means 20 more days until I leave on my journey! 

I've got Georgia on my mind!

The state, not the country.

Today, March 7th, means that I will officially be an artist in residence at the Hambidge Center in EXACTLY ONE MONTH! I applied to the Hambidge Center at the end of last year in hopes that the residency decision making gods would shine in my favor. Since finding out that my application was accepted I have been excited...but now that it is so darn close I am not excited anymore...I am SO excited. Got that? SO excited. I will be taking a leave of absence from my job and hugging my friends goodbye on March 31st. The residency doesn't begin until April 6th but I have a few stops planned along the way and want to give myself a good amount of time to get down there.

First stop, New York City my friends! I love my brother, but I love him most when he moves somewhere cool and I get to go visit. He is currently living in the village and I will be making the trip down to stay with him in his wonderful, cozy (small) studio apartment and eating lots and lots of Vietnamese sandwiches. I'd like to see the Whitney Biennial, but if the weather is really nice a stroll through Chinatown is in my future. I won't be in the NYC for too long because I will be scooping Michael into the Subaru and driving down to my birth city of Washington, DC.** I can't wait to visit with my sister Katharine (currently a med student) and my dear friend who left Massachusetts behind for a wonderful internshipturnedfulltimejob opportunity. As always, a walk past my childhood home and a visit to Eastern Market are the two mandatory stops on this leg of the trip.

After a few days in DC I will say "so long" to my siblings and begin my journey to Charlotte, North Carolina. I made a wonderful friend while at the Vermont Studio Center, and when I knew I was going to Georgia, I pretty much knew I would be visiting her in Charlotte too! After Charlotte I will swing through Asheville, NC to visit another friend and check out the galleries. From there I will make the one and a half hour ride to my cabin/studio in the woods! I will be posting regularly while in Georgia, despite the lack of Internet connection in any of the studios (available in the main building.) So please follow and stay updated!

Thanks for listening, and be sure to click that first link, it's a gem.

** A few people have asked me if they could join me on this adventure, and I have told all of them (even Dad...sorry!) that this is a solo expedition. When I am in the car for long periods of time, I pretty much go all "Jung" on myself and access my life situation. I figure travelling alone will be a really good way to reflect on how I will be spending my time in Georgia. HOWEVER, when Michael asked if he could hop on board for the trip to DC I said yes, it is rare that all three of us (Michael, Katherine and I ) are together and I really love the bizarre conversations that happen when we are.

You're Invited!

This Collective Pull : A Mass Collaboration

February 6 - February 28, 2010

fivesevendelle

57 Delle Avenue

Boston, MA | 02120

OPENING RECEPTION : Saturday, Feburary 6th | 6:00 PM

(left to right)

Top: Jenna Antonangeli, Anthony Montouri, Hayley Perry, Julia Puriton, Catalina Viejo

Middle: Judy Brown, Peter Brefini, Bradford Rusick, Justin Bothwell, Kathy Archer

Bottom: Luba Grenader, Heather Counselman, Rose Olson, Mary Bucci McCoy, Counselman

This Collective Pull is a Beverly, MA based movement formed to raise awareness of Boston area artists while working to encourage a strong, collaborative community. Working in collaboration with Boston's alternative gallery space fivesevendelle, the members of This Collective Pull are pleased to announce this month long exhibition featuring the drawing, installation, mixed media, paintings and photography of 16 Boston based artists. Join us at the opening to speak with artists and learn how to become involved with fivesevendelle and This Collective Pull for future projects. We believe collaboration and community lead to the cultivation of new ideas and hope you will join in our efforts.

Visit and follow This Collective Pull's blog at www.thiscollectivepull.blogspot.com for updates on this project, future projects and to get involved! We are also looking for new friends to work with so drop a line!

Check out the Facebook invitation HERE for a list of participating artists.

See you there my friends!