Blog

Maybe it's because I have been living in a small studio apartment for the last couple of years, that I have become more aware of the efficient use of space and the constant awareness of want versus need. I'm always asking, where would I put it, if I had it and is it really necessary.

Add to that, lately I seem to be getting exposed to an abundance of information about stress and the need for simplification. As I talk to friends, read articles or even watch a movie, a core message tends to emerge to cut back, reduce consumption and continually strive to occupy a smaller footprint. (Consequently, I find myself very interested in he whole "Tiny House" movement and living off the grid as much as possible.)

So what has all of this have to do with art? This month's painting is about getting away, at least for awhile. Life just gets so busy, so full of......life and stuff, that sometimes we just need an escape, a break, a respite from it all.

We have short and long vacations, a weekend retreat to the mountains or beach, or maybe just a day trip to a favorite spot for lunch and catch a sunset. Regardless we need to get off the daily treadmill, get out of our box and spoil ourselves.

I get that everyday through the marvelous world of art. Whether it's viewing it on line or in print, at a gallery or museum, or creating it, art transports me and enriches my life. It serves as a portal to another place, time and emotion. I don't have to understand it, or know how it was created. It's serves as a time out to just enjoy that moment.

The painting above was an escape for me from the controls of my past to the ever current pursuit of freedom, space and relaxation. The presence of the recurring grids or boxes are the controls and maybe boundaries that have been set for us, or maybe the walls that we erect ourselves for a sense of protection and security for all of the stuff we collect.

The rest of the painting represents a sense of freedom, fun, relaxation and the openness to explore the unknown and maybe for a brief moment of just letting go and "Living Off The Grid". 

Thank you for following my Creative Journey...........Jim

Here is an image I call “Reflection” and was taken several years ago when I was totally focused on my photography and before I started painting. Whenever I post it on Face Book it receives a lot of likes, positive feedback and it has been a very lucrative image for me. Why do I bring that up, is because it almost didn’t happen. I thought that those that have liked the image might also enjoy the back story as to why, it almost got away.

On a mid-October afternoon I was driving around the country side, just south of Fort Collins. My attention and focus had always been to the west that day, as I was in pursuit of that classic autumn backlit shot of aspen or cottonwood trees. After a few hours of not finding what I was searching for, I had decided to give it up for the day.

As I was turning the car around and as I looked directly to the East, there was the shot. It wasn’t a backlit shot of trees; it was a front lit shot of cattails and grasses in a swampy area just off the road. It was the same road that I had been on several times, earlier that day and an area I had completely ignored every time I had driven by.

By this time it was almost 5:30 in the afternoon and the sun would quickly be setting behind the foothills to the west. It was that perfect, low in the sky, sweet light that is almost over as soon as it begins. I quickly pulled the car over, got my equipment set up and started composing the shot.

After a few exposures had been taken I became aware of movement around me and as I stopped to look around I saw clouds of mosquitoes buzzing about. Now you need to know that this was several years ago and the West Nile virus had just been found in this area of Colorado and the awareness of its presence and concern was very high. Here I was so wrapped up and excited about getting a killer shot, that I had completely ignored the fact that I was standing on the swampy banks of the perfect breeding grounds for West Nile.

I went back to my car, dowsed myself in DDT and started shooting again. After a few more shots I looked over at my car and saw the hood that was all nice and warm from driving, was covered with mosquitoes. I said out loud that no shot was worth working in these conditions, packed up and left.

Since this image, Reflection, was originally introduced it has generated more revenue than any other single image that I have captured. So even with all of the best laid plans, intentions and pre-visualization, sometimes you just have to be in the moment and seize the opportunity. And the best part, I didn’t get a single mosquito bite.

Thanks for following my creative journey.

Jim