Art Consoles, 8 x 10, mixed media collage
"Art is to console those who are broken by life." - Vincent van Gogh
"Art is to console those who are broken by life." - Vincent van Gogh
My first ever real gallery exhibit is up and running through the month of October! I've dreamed of this for years. The opening reception last night was wonderful and so encouraging, a real confidence booster. The support from my family and friends was everything I could ask for, not only at the opening, but also in the preparation for the show and the kind words of encouragement from them and my facebook community. Thank you all so much! I appreciated it more than words can say.
The pictures are posted on my facebook page. I will be doing a series of posts over the next month or two on many of the pictures in the exhibit that include the stories and lessons the pictures are meant to convey as well as the process leading up to the show.
I hung the following explanation of my art exhibit and include it here to explain the underlying theme of pretty much all of my art. I love that my husband calls it "art that talks," and would have made that the title of this exhibit if he had said it before I sent the info off for advertising. Oh well, "Soul Gazing" also works.
Soul Gazing
With her art education, graphic design background, and her passionate love of quotes, Susan K. Leslie builds mixed media collages that are expressive of her life journey, documenting powerful insights gained along the way. Early exposure to artists such as Kathe Kollwitz, Georges Roualt, Edward Munch, and others invoked in Susan emotional reactions, enabling her to strongly identify with others, easing her sense of loneliness and isolation, while influencing her desire to help others in a similar manner. Her husband calls it "art that talks"."Anything and everything is fodder for an art piece. It's not about the tools of line, shape, color, texture, composition, etc. It's about the lesson, the message that is clamouring to get out. I believe every piece of art is the result of a desire to connect with others in a meaningful way. Emotional response is what every "artist" is looking for regardless of the vehicle used, be it fine art, music, writing, dance, crafts, even advertising and graffiti. I see the creative effort as a subconscious attempt to ease one's own loneliness and feelings of disconnectedness, while simultaneously sharing, and hopefully easing that of the viewer. In essence art is therapeutic.
"What really matters is if the viewer "feels" something that causes them to gain understanding, to think, to identify with others, and in that identification, be eased and comforted knowing that they are not alone. There is someone else out there who feels like they do. They can feel related, a part of humanity, important, valid in their existence. They may not be able to put it into words for it is often a subconscious thing, but we all want to matter to someone else.
"My art at its most basic level is meant to say, "I see you. I have gazed upon your soul and identified with you on a deep level. You are not isolated, invisible, nor unimportant. You matter. I feel with you. I see you."
Art is wonderful therapy. "I usually have a general idea when starting a piece, but it quickly takes on a life of its own, telling me what images to include, what colors to use, what technique will work best. I just jump into the flow and ride the wave. When I step back to take a look at the end result, something miraculous has happened. I find meaning that I didn't consciously put into the work. My subconscious takes over in the process and I learn much about myself and life after the work is done. I love that part.
"Soul gazing—observation of self and others—has become a tool, helping me to make sense of life in general and my life in particular. It is how I choose to connect with myself and with humanity, establishing relationships with the world around me and all it contains, while contributing back into my community through my artwork.
"There are whole essays buried in these works, which is actually my next major project—to marry in book form the pictures with the essays from my daily journaling—a contribution to my family and community for posterity."
Framing - I ended up making the frames for all the larger pieces. Not having done this particular task before, I found it had a rather steep learning curve and was highly frustrating at times. The end product turned out far from perfect. However, I will let you read the following bit on framing to get the whole picture.
Philosophy of Framing - Adapt and Adjust
Framing my own art turned out to be a monumental task, for which I am actually grateful. I struggled with wanting to put out perfect frames. We all like to put our best foot forward in order that others may see the best side of us. In the process I realized that perfect frames obviously weren't going to happen with the time, money, help, materials, and tools I had to work with at the time, not to mention my lack of experience. I realized I could give in to depression and stress about the situation, or I could choose to accept the analogy to life in general and go with it. I chose to intentionally incorporate imperfections into the frames, even though there is great personal risk involved that viewers would not get the "message." To me that is an unacceptable reason for refusing to take such a risk, however vulnerable it would leave me to the possible criticism and judgment of others.
When I look at this body of work as a whole, imperfect framing provides an underpinning for the overall message of the show, bringing it together in an amazing way. The decision to use these imperfections to intentionally accentuate and drive home the connection that exists within this body of art provides an example of adapting and adjusting, which I see as cornerstones of the artistic process as well as the problem-solving skills needed to live life. That is a big part of what "soul gazing" is all about to me. With that said, these are some things I learned or was reminded of through this framing process:
2) You have to work with whatever is available to you at the moment.
3) Dreams rarely turn out the way you think they will. This is often a good thing.
4) It's important to learn how to accept less than perfection, while doing the best that you can in that moment.
5) Lessons are everywhere, if one will dare to look below the surface to find hidden truths.
6) Have the courage to go with the flow and not worry about what others will think of you.
7) Everything is okay. Life is filled with trial and error. It's often necessary to "patch" things, while recognizing that some patches work better than others.
8) It's okay to allow others to see you as less than perfect. They know it anyway.
9) Accepting life's imperfections does not mean you are not doing your best, nor is it an excuse for not trying to do your best.
10) Imperfections are the norm in life. Acceptance allows learning and growth in understanding while building character and strength that enables you to withstand the inevitable storms of life everyone experiences.
11) Like everything else in life, art and framing are not really exact sciences, but rather, are indicative of the fluidness of life; and a reminder that balance is not a static thing, but something we must constantly work at on an individual level.
12) Whenever you try something new and you give it your best shot, be proud of yourself! You did it! Next time will be better.
13) Accepting and embracing imperfection makes room for joy in being you, allowing that joy to spill over to others, and what's not to love about enjoying life and sharing it with others?
Would love your comments below.
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