Recently I discovered just how valuable my life as a visual artist can be. Several disruptive events developed in my personal life and my typical methods of coping weren’t working. It required mustering all of my positive energy reserves to take a fresh look at myself and how I deal with others in order to invent a new way forward.

“#5 – Seek First”

Usually I’m able to separate my work from my personal life. I was surprised to find that when I went into the studio I had to break the mold there as well. There were some display boxes sitting in a corner that had not been part of my plan for a long time. They suddenly looked full of possibility as a new way to display my Joomchi artwork. But first they needed a few not-so-minor adjustments.

I used a jig saw to cut random openings into the boxes, then sanded and painted them different colors. They were now ready to be used for the base of my new Joomchi artwork. Taking a cue from my “Koro Koro” series, I developed a way that the fused Hanji coated with a thin layer of wax medium will have the illusion of “floating” over the display boxes.

The two photos here show you the elements of an artwork titled “#5 – Seek First.” It is the first piece in my next series, “Crescent Moons.”

The twists and turns of this recent experience remind me of a quote from Oscar Wilde in his 1889 essay “Life Imitates Art.” In it he says that “the self-conscious aim of Life is to find expression, and that Art offers it certain beautiful forms through which it may realize that energy.” This is certainly so in my case.

If you are in the area, please stop by to see this new series during the Salida Studio Tour, September 28 – 29 from 10am to 5pm each day.

Thank you,
PJ