Behind the Scenes: What Goes into Making an Art Collection?
I finished the last two piece of Elements of Rest the other day. Layers of pigment, rust, limestone, and texture medium carefully applied, dried, and varnished. Stepping back, I admired weeks of work now beautifully displayed on thick rectangular canvases, mounted in gorgeous maple wood frames. These were the two largest pieces in the collection…and they gave me the most trouble. I use the word “trouble” but really the proper word would be “indecision”.
I went back and forth for weeks trying to decide how I wanted to apply the paint to these two pieces. While the smaller works stacked up piece after completed piece, these two struggled to tell me how they should start and end. (Notice I passed the blame to them…not me, never me…) The first layers on both of the 24”x36” canvases stayed untouched the majority of this Collection’s formation. I would come back to them and think for a bit then walk away to work on another piece. I almost decided not to include them in this Collection release. They were becoming a headache. Finally, a decision was made, we all agreed on the course of action, the canvases cooperated, and here we are. The first and largest pieces I started on, were the last to be completed. They are absolutely gorgeous!
Had I not told you all this, you’d have never known the trouble, I mean, indecision, these two pieces gave me. This got me thinking of all the other behind the scenes things that the average person may not know happens when an art collection is forming. So, I figured I’d give you a little glimpse into the process.
Inspiration…
Before I can create, I have to be inspired. Inspiration can take various forms. Sometimes its literal: I see something I love, something that I find beautiful, and I want to recreate it. Other times it’s a more abstract form of inspiration. A concept or a feeling may come from something I see or experience, evoking this deep need to be expressed artistically. This latter was the case for the Elements of Rest collection. You can read more behind the meaning of this collection HERE.
Forage…
Since I use materials to paint with from the earth itself, foraging is a part of my creative process. Often my eyes are pointed downward on our walks as I seek out interesting stones, pigmented soil, shells, or fallen branches. This past winter burnt coals and wood ash were added to my pile of foraged materials. Foraging never happens all at once, nor do I always set off to intentionally look for a particular material. I may be off traveling, out on a date night, walking the dog, playing with the kids at the park… It doesn’t really matter. If I see something I’m curious to work with, I grab it. My husband especially loves this part of my process when I get stopped at every airport security line so they can open my carryon and ask why it’s full of rocks. He’s very understanding…
Experiment…
Everything I forage for gets categorized, labeled, and stored away in my studio. Then comes the fun part: Experimenting! This stage is unrushed. I allow it to take as little or as much time as needed. It may take just a couple days for me to work out usable color with my natural materials or several months.
For Elements of Rest I worked on processing and experimenting with the found materials for a couple months before even attempting any paintings. The addition of foaming rust water to my pigment arsenal added several additional weeks while I waited for the rich amber pigment to form in little jars of water. If you’d like a more detailed look into how I process rocks check out this post HERE and HERE.
Create…
Equally as exciting as the experimental stage, this is where the collection begins to come to life. Seeing how the pigments interact with one another on the canvas and the emotions they evoke gives me a better idea of the direction I’m wanting to take with the works as a whole.
For Elements of Rest I began to tell a story of lessons learned in the slower winter months. Every stage of creating this collection forced me to slow down, quiet the noise, and be present in what I was doing. The materials used required a rest of sorts in the form of time left undisturbed, to really showcase their pigment. The whole process became very therapeutic and restful. I talk more about this HERE.
Prepare…
At some point I look up from the weeks or months that I’ve spent crushing, mixing, layering, and painting and realize there is an entire gorgeous collection of artworks staring at me saying they’re ready to find new homes.
Not going to lie…I get a strange mix of excitement and sadness at this stage.
Sad: My babies are ready to leave me! WAH!! (*note* my actual children are rolling their eyes at this)
Excitement: I get to share this beauty and the joy it brings with others! YAY!!
A release date is set, announcements are made, canvases are framed, photographs are taken… The Collection is ready.
Release!
Elements of Rest is being released on April 29th. As with past collections I’m always excited to see where my art pieces end up. Whose home will welcome one onto their walls or shelves? What story will it continue to tell with its new Collectors?
Original art is personal, meaningful, and emotional. It brings a depth to a space and a beauty that is necessary. When original fine art is collected you take the story behind it from the Artist and build on it with your own. From start to finish, the process of creating is always much bigger then how it may appear on the outside. Hopefully this behind-the-scenes insight into my process has shed some light on this fact.
Enjoy!!
