To Clay or Not to Clay - Making Natural Clay do Unnatural Things

Clay is a fine-grained natural rock or soil material that combines one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Clays are plastic due to their water content and become hard, brittle and non–plastic upon drying or firing.

Many artists won't work with natural clay because it cracks and often falls apart. But there are ways to minimize the cracking problem by applying a thin layer of foaming glue to the surface. Using rubber gloves, you can apply the glue to the surface of the clay immediately after you finish sculpting with it. By using a minimal amount of glue and rubbing it lightly and uniformly across the clay surface, you can create a shell casing around the clay. Because the clay dries slowly and the glue quickly, it will form a hard outer layer within a few hours. The precaution is though that you need to watch the foaming glue for at least 20 minutes. If the glue foams to high, you need to use your finger to gently deflate it again. Once it hardens, you will have no further troubles with it raising and your clay should remain firmly encased while it dries. Cracking can be virtually eliminated leaving your original sculpted shape.

In the photo  you can see the yellowish white of the glue beginning to foam around the base of the ruined tower structure. In this case I want some cracking to occur higher up, so I've left most of it exposed to natural drying. But I don't want the bast to fracture or large chunks to break off. Gluing the base allows a lower protective shell to form. Once dried (usually 2 hours) I can paint over both the clay and the glue further reinforcing and minimizing the cracking. 

You will want to give the clay at least 2 days to do a total surface drying before working more closely with the piece.

If you do a partial glue casing where some clay is exposed, and you encounter severe cracking after drying it should terminate at the shell. You can use a clear jell glue to fill the cracks. I suggest GO2 glue by Loctite. Whatever you use make sure that it is both clear when dry and that it is not a liquid like a basic super glue. This just drips through the crack. Using a gel glue lets you fill the cracks cleanly and wipe away the excess. Once dry you can again paint over it and the crack will for the most part disappear. Dry time is about an hour with GO2 glue. Others may vary. 

Keep in mind that you can also use the foaming glue to create texture on the clay. After letting it set about 5 minutes you rake it with something as simple as a plastic fork or use a dry sponge on it and it will retain the pattern. This may take some experimenting to get the hang of the best time to texturize. If you do it too soon it will melt back and refoam. If you do it too late it will be too hard to be of use to you. But with a little playing around its pretty easy to get the hang of. 

As an example, the cliffs in this photo were built with clay stretched over styrofoam. This traditionally wouldn't work because the clay would just break off of the foam as it dried. But by applying an overlay of foaming glue and working with the texture to create a rock looking surface, there was no cracking and the sculpture is solid enough that it can be hung on a wall and won't budge. I even applied natural small rocks embedded in the glue before it dried to add to the natural feel of the cliffs. 

SO the advantages of using these techniques means that you can use clay as a medium without having to heat it in a kiln. Natural Clay is great for so many things and if you can overcome the cracking problem the possibilities are endless. 

One word of warning! With any glues, please be careful. This should not be attempted with the bare hand or a utensil. Use rubber gloves and allow your finger to work over the clay gently. Utensils can gouge. 

Have fun and feel free to share your questions or experiences!

~Grey~

I'm a Very Bad Artist (According to Some)

"Extremists rewrite history. Realists accept the past and work to change the future"

Sometimes its impossible for me not to allow my views and deeply held beliefs to come out in my sculptures even when I don't have any plans for doing so.

Tonight an article by a right wing extremist claiming there was no evidence for Michelangelo being gay, threw me into a rage. It is so easy these days for extremists to rewrite history to suit their own agenda. It makes me sick to the heart.

Of course without even consciously realizing it I'd placed my anger at extremism into my current sculpture. For those not aware, the current work is a 6 foot miniature New Orleans cemetery, complete with tombs, crypts and headstone and most labeled with names, deaths, etc.

I've been trying to mix the names up a bit. Using authentic Louisiana surnames on some, generic names on others and names of significance or mystery to make people look closely.

So long story short, before even realizing WHY I was doing it, I'd chosen the names of the four extremists that horrify me the most and added the names to 4 crypts along with a pentagram above each just to really be a bastard. Then I stopped and realized I'd been so mad about the earlier articles that I'd translated directly to the sculpture.

So I questioned whether I should stop and not use the names (and no I'm not going to tell you who they are because I want you to at least pay attention to the photo work when it comes out even if you can't ever see the actual sculpture). I really soul searched this for a few moments. But then I decided that I as an artist and an activist am always preaching to others that they should place their beliefs in their work, so why would I remove something that did the same? Mind you the face-plate for each is only about a half inch in size, so its not like its glaring out at everyone and taking away from the work. In fact I doubt anyone would even take notice if I hadn't written this damned blog entry.

But you know, I pride myself on hidden meanings and subtle workings in my art and this particular piece is filled with them. These four small names will just be a part of the whole.

But the greater discussion of how art and activism relate to each other is still out there. I notice that while I write about it often, most artists remain pretty silent on it. In fact its almost taboo in some circles of the art community. I've talked before about activists creating art that is still beautiful and abstract but makes a direct statement. Beauty and activism CAN go hand and hand.

As an artist, what is your view? You know mine, but what do others think? Share it here, or if you prefer to remain anonymous, email me and tell me your thoughts! gcsartno@aol.com

Creatively,
~Grey~

OCTAS

illuminati
[ih-loo-muh-nah-tee, -ney-tahy] 

persons possessing, or claiming to possess, superior enlightenment

What is OCTAS?

It simply means "Observe Closely There are Secrets". This is my way of telling you that this creation is more than meets the eye. When OCTAS rears its head, pay attention because there is a lot more here than meets the eye. Most will only observe the outer layer of the creation, but like an onion there could be more than one layer. A good early example of OCTAS were the cube sculptures I built in the when I first began as an artist. Unknown to most (until now) some of these 2' x 2' cubes have things hidden in them. Not that people should go around breaking them open as there is nothing of major value within them, but if they are ever broken, you just might find a surprise.

Other OCTAS are not physical things, but messages, signs, symbols and secrets laid out in various sculptures. Some are obvious with a little looking, others are very obscure. Some may never be discovered.

The point of OCTAS is to make people observe more closely rather than just seeing the outwards appearance and walking away.

Its NOT just a pretty picture.

The Performing Elephant in the Madhouse of Art

For the record I have to admit that I totally get off on sharing the complicated construction of my sculptures. In a way its sort of like performance art. I'm not only working towards the end result, but every step along the way with its successes and failures gives me pleasure to share to the broader world.

With each and every step the work is photographed, described, discussed and questions are asked. I find the whole thing a blast but from a purely psychological aspect I suppose its fulfilling my need to be a teacher also.

I don't give a frigging rats ass if the piece sells (although I should). Its all about the process and the development of a following that looks forward to the next creation and all its smaller aspects.

This very unique type of sculpture is really many smaller sculptures put together into a single entity. So while it may take me months to complete a piece, I am also completing smaller portions every few days and that always give an audience something to follow. Yes my audience is mostly made up of other artists and I hope they are gaining something regarding technique that they can use themselves.

I've often considered putting webcams in the studio, but I think that wouldn't work for me. A lot of what I do is small and intricate and I think watchers would get bored pretty fast unless I decided to do all my art in the nude, then hilarity would ensue.

But seriously, about my second year as a photographer I began doing body painting live on stage (usually to a bar full of drunks) but it developed into these huge extravaganzas where I would organize a specific theme and orchestrate it much the same way a conductor organizes a band and bring in other artists under that theme to paint sometimes in excess of 30 models at a time. I stopped putting on live shows because they were immensely time and resource consuming, but I absolutely adored the performance aspects of it. In a way this is the same thrill without all the problems.

One of my dreams someday is to have a gallery where the art is shown in the front, but I work live at the back and tourists and visitors can stop by, have some wine and watch the show while I work.

So, in the coming weeks as I develop this current project fully, I hope others do benefit from it and keep watching and commenting. It pushed me to do better. And while I've already shared a lot of details about the Walking in the City of the Dead project, there are a few more surprises yet to come. Its almost like Pee Wee's Playhouse!

Enjoy!

~Grey~

Of Tired Spirits Far From Rest

Of Tired Spirits Far From Rest

In New Orleans Ghetto of the Dead

 

By Visual Artist Grey Cross

 

Every city has one. That place where the poor and destitute go when they move on from this life and leave behind only the wilted remains of a body once full of life. Here is the ghetto of death in New Orleans. 

 

This series is dedicated to my friend and fellow photographer John Sevigny, who understands the depth of what these places represent.

 

Prints available. Contact the artist for details: gcsartno@aol.com

Click to access the complete portfolio

Walking in the City of the Dead - The Sculpture

Background

New Orleans graveyards are like no others. Because of the water table, in much of the surrounding land it is nearly impossible to dig a six foot hole and hope a body won't end up under water. Above ground family crypts and hot boxes line our cemeteries and create miniature cities of memorial to the departed.

I've been fortunate as a professional photographer to capture images in many of the Cities of the Dead. Images as simple as a crypt under the full moon...

Or glimpses of the disjointed remains of the dead....

To odd orbs wandering the streets of the dead at night.....

These are all parts of the experience of the Cities of the Dead.

A few months back I began working on a surreal set of images aptly named "Walking in the City of the Dead" with the intentions at some point of putting them into a book. You can see the photo work here.
This ongoing photo series will be added to I am sure in the coming months and years.

At the time I began this photo series I had a great desire to also do a large scale sculpture of a graveyard. Unfortunately other projects got in the way until now. But now I am beginning a 6 foot sculpture that will also be named "Walking in the City of the Dead"

Details

The completed work will measure 6 feet long by 4 feet wide, resting on a 1 inch deep frame. Like many of my sculptures this piece will be made to hang on a wall as if you were looking down into the cemetery from above.

It will incorporate details from many of my photos and will use real graveyard dirt obtained from several locations around the city. The dirt before it is used will go through an authentic voodoo blessing and be laid on a New Orleans altar prior to being added to the sculpture. So when complete, the fresh graves you will see throughout the piece will use real graveyard dirt to cover them. At no time will I use real bones or break the sanctity of any grave. The dirt will be obtained legally in small quantities from multiple cemeteries in order to not create any holes or desecrate any graves. When the piece is completed it will also go through a blessing before being opened for purchase.

When it is completed, several signed prints from the photo series will also be offered with it.

With that said, if you would like to follow the development of the piece, you can do so through twitter by going to the hashtag #GCSart100

All details are being shared there with special emphasis on the artistic process. Please feel free to comment back to me here on the blog or via tweets to my twitter name at: @GreyCrossStudio


WORKING NOTES

As of the time of this writing, I am 2 days into the creative process. Here is a current photo of the sculpture as of Saturday 03-14-15

03-17-15 UPDATE 

I am now 4 days into this piece and some new things have developed with it. In the center mausoleum there will be 4 crypts. Each of these crypts will hold a minute pinch of dirt from the graves of four of New Orleans dead and each of the crypts will be inscribed with their names, in memorial to them.

I've also begun buying several saints icons from the most important of the New Orleans voodoo shops. These icons will be added at various points to the sculpture.

I may also work to see that all the names used in the sculpture on the various crypts and hot boxes are authentic also (although I reserve the right to say that might be a bit too much work, but we'll see).

During this process I am also adding work to the "Walking in the Cities of the Dead" photo series as well as creating an additional short series called "Of Tired Spirits Far From Rest"

As of tonight on the sculpture, the three large trees are finished as well as the center mausoleum (minus the crypts) and the first of the icon (a Madonna statue).

Next up will be the additions of the 4 crypts and adhering the mausoleum to the canvas. Here are some photos taken in the past few days.

03-25-15 Update

Time moves quickly when you are totally absorbed in creating. I've worked just about 30 hours in the past 2 days, literally with only a 2 hour sleep period to break it up. I've made a lot of progress in the past two days The first two tombs are built, and a moss covered memorial burial mound with marble column in the center. I also completed 13 individualized tombstones with iconography that will be scattered around the sculpture. I've begun the detail work for three connected wall tombs as well and should have them finished tomorrow.

Each small addition is a task in itself and can take anywhere from 5-25 hours to complete. But when completed every part of the whole sculpture is an individual work of art.

I am now 12 days into the creation of this piece and 90% of the canvas remains empty. There is a lot more work to go. For now some sleep is finally in order.

04-01-15 Update

There are now 6 free standing crypts completed. Three rows of wall tombs. And one of two sepulcher mausoleums which will rest at the very top of the sculpture. The second of the hilltop memorials has also been completed as a memorial to Hurricane Katrina.

I've lost track of hours on this one. I am usually more disciplined about keeping a record of hours put have just been so caught up in the whole project that I let my discipline slip but I would guess I have to have about 60 hours of work in at this time and I am not yet at the halfway point of completion.

As a side note, I've decided to add a body sculpture to this set. In the coming weeks I will stop production on the sculpture itself in order to bring a model into the studio and create an airbrushed sculpture that is themed to match the Walking in the City of the Dead and then photograph them in one of the cemeteries itself. I will share more details as it comes closer to the actual date.

Here are some updated shots of the sculpture taken over the past week or so. The final photo speaks for itself.

Update 0416-15

Well I took a week off from the big sculpture to focus on creating some miniature tombs for sale individually. I created three for the time being in different sizes. I'll show photos of them at the end of this update.

I am now back hard at work on the main sculpture and have completed several more crypts for it. This piece is really taking a lot of time. I'm focusing all my skills into each individual crypt and I am placing a huge amount of complexity and mystery into the whole piece. There are secrets at every turn and the whole piece will read more like a mystery novel I think. I've enjoyed placing so many things into this piece. Even though the piece is not political in nature, the activist in me can't help adding a few small

It Frightens Me

subculture
[v. suhb-kuhl-cher; n. suhb-kuhl-cher] 

The cultural values and behavioral patterns distinctive of a particular group in a society.
A group having social, economic, ethnic, or other traits distinctive enough to distinguish it from others within the same culture or society.

It frightens me the similarities between what some in our society are doing to alienate LGBT persons and what occurred prior to World War 2 in Germany.

No, I don't mean Nazis. I mean the general population of Germany. The German people did not just decide one day to hate Jews. They were encouraged by their leaders over and over again with phrases like "Jews are unclean", "Jews want to dominate you", "Look at Jewish history and see how horrible these people are. Why can't they stay in their synagogues where we don't have to see them?"

I see more and more articles of how awful LGBT folk are. Unclean, disease spreading. They want to steal our children. They want to subvert our population. We are often compared to Pink Nazi's. The Gay Gestapo, Big Gay. They are out to destroy our way of life.

Do these things sound familiar? It doesn't take a degree in history to see the comparisons and realize that history can and does repeat itself.

There are many kinds of people in this world. If we begin labeling them there is no stopping the hell we can create others. Labels breed more labels and hate breeds more hate. When does it end? When each of us exactly a carbon copy of the other? But isn't that what some descry? Even the loudest conservative voices cry out that they will not lose their individuality, yet they would cast this upon the rest who do not match their own labels.

As an artist, I try to let my creative voice take the lead in crying out against injustice. I try to always keep a balance of respect of others individuality and viewpoints even when it may harm my own. With even the most brutal I try to see the other side and what I see isn't that others are bad, but that they are lead, lead by the same voices that so long ago in Germany tried to destroy a whole subculture because it did not meet with their norms.

Is that really what our world is about? Or is it about acceptance and escaping that base instinct to kill anything that is not like ourselves?

I can say without a doubt that I am not part of any "Gay Plot". In fact I know of no one who is (despite what some would claim). If I was a Jewish shoe maker in 1935, I doubt I would say I knew of any "Jewish Plot". I would just be a shoe maker as I am an artist now. But the need to point fingers at any group of people who does not meet what you consider "the social norm" automatically places blame on the accused party.

So please, take a moment to see that we are all just the same, just trying to make it through this world on the gifts we've been given and the sweat of our brow and try to love everyone instead of just those that look and act just like you. It may save my life and yours someday. Because the finger that you point can easily be turned towards you the first time you do something that your neighbor disagrees with.

~Grey~

When is Photography Considered Fine Art?

As a mentor to aspiring artists, it always depresses me to lose a talented artist to the "photo bug". Now mind you this is coming from a man who devoted many years to his photographic talents and still uses them often. But it seems that the ease of point and shoot cameras and pretty images often lures the talented away from amazing careers as artists. Instead of augmenting their photographic eye to align with their artistic eye, they drop one for the other.

I suspect this blog entry will piss a few people off who have done exactly that. My apologies in advance because this is a question I have struggled long and hard with.

Everyone these days thinks they are a great photographer. And some are. Some have an amazing knack for it. But I am unsure they are reaching their true potential. When I see artists who have a true calling towards being a painter then set it all aside to pick up the camera, I honestly cringe. I want whats best for them of course and what makes them happiest. But sometimes its not done for happiness. Its done for ease. Its far easier than worrying about paints, canvas, technique, etc. Instead just say "ooh pretty", snap and edit.

I am biased I admit. I had too many years of people saying to me "oh wow you must be a good photo shopper" instead of seeing the true art of the image. Its the primary reason I put aside professional photography and plunged headlong into being an artist. I wanted an image that I could truly say was mine and was created from the depths of my soul and the skills of my hands and mind. So I suppose I am the last one to be judging others. But again I wonder if the lure of the camera is just too easy now.

Its kind of like a horrible singer who can turn into a maestro just through the chemistry of a mixing board and a great sound man. Or a writer who is absolutely sure they are the greatest author of all times because they've self published their first poem. Does it make either a singer or a writer?

My partner and I have debated this in length. His writing career was stellar and even in retirement he is still a total success. But he is as soured to the current publishing trends as I am to the current photography trends.

So is photography art? And if it is when does it become so? The same applies to the other creative mediums. What signifies success in any creative venture? I refuse to believe its just about the money. I remember an author back in the 90's who made a mint on the most atrocious fantasy novel of all time because Walmart picked up the rights to the book and put it in all their stores. And no I wont mention names. But simply creating something doesn't make it true art. Sometimes I feel we are selling our souls for the easy way to create.

I am an idealist I admit. Its great when it comes easy to someone, but I think the person is cheating not only their audience but themselves. And that is where I come back to artists dropping the brush to become photographers. Don't cheat yourselves when you have so much potential to be more. Stop and think about it for a time and realize that your selling yourself short if you think you can't do both.

Transcendence - Artists and Higher Consciousness

Does the artists mind transcend to a higher level of consciousness when they are creating?

This is a question I've thought about for many years. It is a question that many artists refuse to even consider or acknowledge. Its almost like they are afraid to admit that their mind goes to another place while they work.

But time and time again there are indications that we reach into a special place within ourselves when we are in the act of creating. A place that disappears instantly when we return to the daily dynamics of life

It is often like being on a roller coaster. We can lose ourselves in the highs and the lows and the only way we can control it is by distancing ourselves it occurs. We refuse to be labeled lunatics or new-agers so we stay silent about what might be going on within our brains and our spirits.

But it does occur. Whether its strictly a mind place that we go when we seek deeply into ourselves for that creative energy, or something more transcending to our spirits, I cannot say. But when we can admit that it does happen, I think it opens up new doorways for our art.

I do not think that artists have a monopoly on this. I think anyone who uses their creative talents in a very deep way allow themselves to open up to this ability. But each of us, whether painter, musician, or writer also face the pitfalls of being brought flailing back to earth to deal with the wall of life that involves survival of both ourselves and our creativity. It can be very frustrating.

To reach as high as the Gods, and to be cast down to the depths of the Devils is both our greatest joy and darkest nightmare.

That is a depressing thought I know, but face it, the rate of suicide within the artistic community is high. There must be a correlation that causes this to be.

The thing is, if used properly, it can also bring a person out of depression and create stability from mental instability. Believe me, I am one of them. My mother was also. But I've seen how art changed her life in her later years and allowed her a focus that she did not possess in the 60 years prior. I've always fought with depression but I found this early and I've used it to the maximum to keep myself stable and directed.

But it is also a fine edged sword that can come to bite you if your not prepared.

Its easy to listen to the voices around you that tell you that the world has no transcendence. We are grounded in this world and the rest is just our imagination. But I think artists know better. They sense they are touching something much more infinite in their work that they cannot even begin to describe to those who haven't been there.

So why am I so caught up in this tonight? Because my mind focuses on my own mortality right now. Some know that a year or so ago I was very sick with HIV. Not just HIV, but over the edge into AIDS. This is something that is a bit rarer now that medicine has become better, but my immune system reacted poorly and crashed and burned quickly. It is not something I hide although I don't often talk about it either. In fact I am sure it was the best thing that could have happened because it allowed me to face some other health problems I probably would not have known about for quite some time.

I've recovered well over the past year and I am perhaps more healthy than I've ever been. But unfortunately my immune system is still in perilous shape. It takes years to build back to a healthy level. And while it is ever a concern and I sometimes tire easily, I've come back from this even more determined to create and grow as an artist and to share those abilities with others so that my own skills are not lost.

So why worry about transcendence if all is going well? Because I've just come away from my first real battle against a very poor immune system. What I thought was a cold quickly decided it would become pneumonia and placed me in the hospital. And I found this distressing. I ask myself whether this will continue to occur and weaken me more and eventually destroy me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not depressed. In fact my art gives me stability to at least consider that this is not something I will totally bounce back from without fearing the idea. But after having been told countless times in the past days that I had to stop working and stick to bed rest, I still find myself back in my studio, slightly out of breath and not working at nearly the stellar speed of light I would usually work at. But working nonetheless. And feeling better for it, despite doctors telling me I had to lay around and do nothing.

So I come full circle back to the transcendence issue. Am I doing myself more harm by working or am I doing myself a service because in transcending through my art I am in turn healing myself? There is some evidence to support this. Coming from near total disability a year ago, I forced myself into my studio to work non-stop and I can't help but think that this in turn made me stronger, quicker. And even if it hasn't, has it not made me a happier person and a stronger spirit for it?

So are artists healthier in body, mind and spirit because of the work they do? Have their been studies regarding this? I do not know. What I do know though is that spending my second evening after having been in the hospital working slowly but diligently in my studio has been better for me than all the medicine they gave me to take. And my mind can't help but focus on these things even as I practice them.

So I ask again, does the artists mind transcend to a higher level of consciousness when creating? We may never know for sure.

Art Activists Don't have to be Dicks

activism
[ak-tuh-viz-uh m] 

the doctrine or practice of vigorous action or involvement as a means of achieving political or other goals, sometimes by demonstrations, protests, etc.


Recently the street artist known as Sabo spoke at the annual CPAC conference last year. I vaguely remembered something about him and some posters that he'd illegally put up a year or two back. Frankly, I'd missed this fellow on my "art radar".

Since he stands for almost everything that I stand against, its funny that I'd never become more acquainted with his work till now.

After some research I realized that most don't seem take him seriously and that his inflated ego seemed to deflate any message he puts out there. But probably to the surprise of most who know me, I don't condemn him. In fact he represents much of what I say about the artist also being the activist. I cannot in good conscious condemn someone for doing exactly what I do, even if I abhor the message he presents in his art.

I've honestly had to do some soul searching over this fellow though because in many ways he's taken what it means to be an art activist and twisted it into something so angry that it no longer resembles what we call art.

I recently wrote an article regarding veiling the activist message in abstract beauty. (click here for the original article). It is clear to me that in order to be an artist and an advocate that you can't just throw your message out their angrily and hope that anyone except other really angry people will grasp it.

Sabo says that leftists have hijacked the art world and that its his job to stand against this and proclaim a conservative voice back to the world in his art. I really have no problem with this. But Sabo, as artist to artist I say to you, your message is lost in your madness. I know you are working to stop liberal artists, but I suggest that you also learn from those liberal artists.

If your art turns the stomach of the viewer, whether its a liberal or a conservative message, then there is little chance that anyone will learn anything from it or change their minds by what you create. In the end the reason that liberal artists are successful is because the art they create is appealing. It speaks to the heart and the soul, rather than to the anger and hatred of the human race.

Yes liberal artists make the same mistake. In fact some of them I count as friends even if I don't condone the way they put their message out there. But I appeal to you Sabo to set the anger aside and let the true message within you flow. If you claim to be an artist then you have a trust and responsibility to the world to not just sling shit out at your opponents, but to truly think about how the world will respond to what you do. If all you want to do is appeal to the anger of the right, then I guess I wish you well on your journey. But you can be so much more.

Art Activists DON'T have to be dicks. We can still get our message out there and yes even create the shock value that our message presents if we think seriously about what we are creating. Hell, we are artists, we have the whole world at our fingertips to craft our messages. Nothing is beyond us if we put our creativity to the task.

Art can change the world and it can change the minds of the viewer. This has been proven over and over again throughout history. But it has also been proven that anger just creates more anger and madness more madness. It serves little purpose if we forget the art and only focus on the activism. Then we are just another voice on the wind instead of a guiding star in the heavens.

We are often the lone angel trying to steer the world. But if the light stays on us, there is little we cannot do.

I wish you all the best,
~Grey~

What the Hell Do I Have to Share? Artists Encouraging Artists

Sometimes artists have blinders on. Because we often work in a solitary environment we forget to take time to help others.

Many of us are over protective of our techniques. We don't want to share anything that might make us a buck or give us an edge over other artists.

We don't want to waste our time when we could be creating. Let others learn as they may.

And most important I think we feel that we have nothing to share with any other creative. Why would anyone want to listen to what I say? Our confidence is shot.

I know I may be oversimplifying each artists situation, but can you honestly say that absolutely none of this applies to you?

Believe me when I say I see both sides of the situation. I'd be much happier pushing the rest of the world aside and just being left to create. But then what kind of a person would I be? I would merely be making money off my art without giving anything back. Perhaps this works for you. It does not work for me.

I have a partner who is a very talented artist and feels exactly the opposite to my own views. So I do see the other side of it and I understand where he and others are coming from. And more power to those who wish to stay hidden.

But for those of you who may wish to give something back of your talents and skills, here are some simple guidelines I use to do so. Keep in mind these guidelines apply mostly to relationships online and through social networks. There are three levels to mentoring:

• Informal Social Mentoring
• Formal Social Mentoring
• In Studio Mentoring

I am only going to discuss "informal mentoring" this time. Formal mentoring is more in keeping with what a tutor does for a student, while "in studio" mentoring is another whole universe that involves direct one-on-one interaction in a studio. I'll take up the other two types in later blog posts.

By "Informal" I mean a very basic relationship with another artist, where you share occasional ideas and swap moral support. We form these kinds of relationships all the time with others. But typically the closer relationships are left for family members and close friends.

We often hit the "like" or "retweet" button to symbolize our admiration for another artists work, but how often do you stop for a moment and send that artist a message telling them how much you liked what they did?

Yes an argument can be made that there just isn't enough time in the day to do this with all the artists we might come across. But wouldn't it be cool if we each just did it once a day? How much more encouraging would that make someones day?

This is where mentoring begins, with encouragement. Its quite simple really.

Where it goes from there is strictly up to you. For me, its about taking a little longer to look at an artists work. Its remembering the steps I went through as a new artist and watching for the same mistakes and missteps that I made when starting out and gently discussing better ways to be a professional artist. Its about seriously critiquing a piece of art to honestly help the person, without being a total dick and saying "that sucks". Diplomacy and mentoring go hand in hand. Even the worst artists can someday be the best.

I think a lot of people are under the impression that when you say "support a fellow artist" that it means providing them with funds or buying their work. Wow that would be nice, then we wouldn't have to deal with anyone else except fellow artists. But we all know that is not reality. "Support" means being honest about an artists works, ideas and chances of success. But doing so with care to not destroy their dreams either.

So the Informal process of mentoring is not terribly hard. I guess that's why I encourage more artists to do so. Each of us deserves more than to be immortalized with a "like" button. We crave substance. We want to know why someone liked us.

So those are the basics and what I consider the most important of the three types of mentoring. I find that beginning an informal relationship with another artist, often leads to Formal Mentoring and in some rare occasions has brought the artist directly to the studio. But it has to begin somewhere. If we don't take the steps to establish that relationship, then what we know and what we have learned, dies with us. And that's a bloody shame. You owe your own skills more than that.

I say in closing that this article is not aimed at new artists starting out. I am speaking to seasoned artists who have learned the pros and cons of their business. It is you who have the ability to mold and shape the artists of the future.

Art should always outlive the Artist, but so should their life lessons and skills.

~Grey~

Taking the Long View - Artists Looking Beyond the Now

Its interesting how the mind wanders when in the act of creation. You would think that an artist would be single minded to the task, always focused. But I find the opposite often applies.

When I am truly in "The Zone", I go into an autopilot mode. I've done all my thinking about what I am working on prior to beginning the nights work. I know what and how I need to accomplish the task and suddenly my mind is released to think about other things and wander the universe of my mind.

There were two CD's of stories of the mind that was done in the early 90's. Unfortunately the name of them escapes me after so many years. But one was of a man who would sit each day on cliff overlooking the ocean in Maine and his mind would leave his body and he would traverse the universe and go far away from his physical form. That's the nearest description I've ever heard to the almost out of body experience that truly immersing yourself in your art sometimes brings.

Sitting on my desk is a book called The Art of the Long View. I've read it many times and I consider it one of the essential parts of my studio, as important as my paints and supplies.

I think that especially in art, taking a long view of the world is crucial. What I mean by this is that sometimes we can become very myopic as artists, focusing on the brush stroke and the canvas but losing the perspective and meaning of being a creator.

I often say that "art should outlive the artist". I believe this because I believe in taking a "long view" of my work. When I create something, I want it to far outlast who I am. I want it to speak to someone 500 years from now and not just the moment I create it.

When I was first starting out as an artist, I took a very short view of each thing I created. I got frustrated easily when no one would hit the damned "like button" on facebook or say anything about what I'd made. Then I started taking the Long View and with it, I would like to think my work changed. It went from being simply a painting to being a creation. If you don't think there is a difference between these two things, then your not taking a Long View yet.

I'm not saying that an artist has to be an activist. That is a different thing. What I am saying is that if we don't take the time realize that what we do at this moment may and can impact someone years from now, then we are short sighted to the power our art contains. For example, I have a painting in my bathroom (yes my bathroom) of an Indian done in water colors. You can't see his face. He is facing away in the painting. Everytime I see him, I think of many things. I wonder what he's looking at. I wonder what the artist was thinking when she painted him. I think about my mother, who owned the painting before passing it on to me.

This painting has no political statement within it. But I think it is a simple fact that this painting has outlasted its creator who passed many years ago (yes I researched her just to find out more). It still speaks to those who view it, long after its creator has passed.

I ask you then. Does your art speak to the future? Do you take a Long View of your work?

Live in the moment to be sure. That is crucial as it freezes time around us. But live in the future also. Take the Long View and consider what your work says to those who come after you. Whether you are an artist, a writer, a musician or any other creative talent. Is your work fleeting? Or does it move on through time and make you eternal even if your body is not?

~Grey~

Of Inspiration and Frustration - The Artists Fight With Highs and Lows

I am often asked where I get my inspiration from. I think for most artists its a hard question to answer. I know for me, I see inspiration in everything. Sometimes this includes some pretty surprising places. But it all adds up to ideas, and cosmic beauty that the artist see’s and then tries to mold into something he can show others.I understand that it is a question asked in order for the viewer to understand my work better and I try to answer it gracefully and honestly.

The question I never get asked though is what destroys my inspiration and stops it from flowing. No one wants to hear about what frustrates an artist, what removes his/her ability to create. But truly it is more common that we face frustrations daily that cause us to mentally and spiritually black out for a time. I think its important to know not only what inspires an artist but what takes away from that inspiration, because there lies between the two, that amazing place where artist can cross the barriers of time and space and touch the universe for a moment in their work.

I can say truly that I use my art as my drug of preference. Depression and mania has always been a part of my makeup. My mother was a nut of the highest degree, my father not too far off that mark either. I loved and cared about them both though and tried to learn something about avoiding the pitfalls that I saw them suffer from.

I've made a study for many years of watching others who suffer from depression and other clinically psychological problems and I've seen for sure that creativity helps overcome many ailments of the mind. If I just force myself into my creative mode (no matter how hard it might be to do so), within an hour or so I can usually work myself back to a level balance and rediscover that inspiration needed to create good art. For years I've been able to keep myself fine tuned this way.

So again, I say its important to know an artists story of both inspiration and loss in order to really grasp their work in a deeper way. I’m not suggesting that you go around asking every artist you meet “why they are frustrated and lacking inspiration”. That will get you answers you probably would rather not know! But if you want to understand the deeper meaning behind a truly great artist, take the time to learn their history and you may find some pretty amazing stories behind their creations.

The Elements of Touch - An Artists Senses

Touch has always been the most important of senses for me. For as long as I can remember, the ability to reach out and touch a thing, was what made it real for me.

When I was young, my mother constantly scolded me in the stores for having to run my hands across every single thing I came in contact with. In a grocery store the feel of a bag of beans, or the cool sensation of fresh meat through a plastic wrapper was total amazement to me.

Later as I grew (and learned what I should and SHOULDN'T touch), I realized that this was an essential element of who I was.

I can’t wear watches, I rarely where bracelets of any kind, and gloves are the ultimate atrocity. Anything that impedes my hands from both touching and creating is anathema to me.

As an adult, my first foray into my creativity was to write books. I loved the flow of words and I loved the emotional reactions from readers. But without realizing it at the time, there was little to the sensation of touch involved in the art of writing. It satisfied the creative part of me, but still there was something missing (as well as the fact that writing barely put food on the table most of the time).

Later I began the serious pursuit of becoming a professional photographer. Again the creativity was satisfied, and I found, that part of my need to touch was more satisfied than in writing. I could touch some of the things that I photographed and to me that made them deeper and richer. In turn, my work as a photographer often focused on the dimensionality of a subject, the grain, the texture, the interplay of light and color and shadow. For me, they were all the things that were essential items to focus on. And I admit that when I viewed other photographers work, there was and is always part of me that thinks “geeze, they missed the most dynamic part of that subject”.

But as happy as photography made me, there was still something missing.

Then there came a day when I got tired of being told that photographers were simply photoshoppers and not truly artists and that photography had died with the dark room as a true art form, I finally lost my temper. Now it was personal. Now it wasn't just about satisfying the creative passion within me, but it was about proving I was a real artist, and like all other things in life, I went rather overboard with it.

But to my surprise I found something I’d never found in any other thing I’d pursued. It was love at first swoosh of the brush. I realized one day that I could be the happiest person in the world left alone in my studio with my supplies. Till then, while I was happy creating, I’d never felt quite this fire and passion that I was finding as an artist. I literally felt like a blind man that could suddenly see. And much to my delight, at the same time in this beginning journey, I found my life partner Billy and found a kindred soul! I was no longer alone in the pursuit of my art, but found another whom I could bother endlessly with tales of what I learned in the studio tonight stories and who actually understood when I walked past a trash can and my eyes got wide thinking about how a used board, or a bit of sparkly paper could be used to create something new.

Yet even then, it still hadn't dawned on me what was satisfying me about being an artist. It was a slow revelation as my work developed that everything I was doing had a commonality of touch. Subconsciously I was doing exactly what I’d always done. I wasn't just painting a picture to hang on a wall and be admired. What I was doing was creating something to be TOUCHED. It needed to be something that the viewer could walk up to and feel the texture of.

Before I even stumbled on this new reality, I had already been doing it in each and every piece I created. If the piece was too one dimensional, it frustrated the hell out of me. In the case of one canvas, it hung unloved in my living room for two months before I pulled it back into the studio and added dimension to it.

But it wasn't really dimension I was seeking; it was an element of touch. It was an element that made you want to reach out and get feel the energy flowing through it and the ridges and whorls. Before I even really understood the basics of painting, I was already exploring mediums to create texture. I've used grout, and silicon, and a variety of texture products. In one case I even used sheets of Kleenex (not the kind with the aloe, just plain old Kleenex).

So in the end my art (with very few exceptions) is meant to be felt up. I want people to reach out and add their energy to the energy already flowing through the elements of the piece.

The next time you’re in a store, don’t hesitate to feel those dried beans, or touch a rime of frost on the ice-cream case. No matter where you are (if your allowed), reach out and touch and see what new dimensions it opens for you. You may be surprised. 

Stealth Art - Creating Beautiful Art With a Message

Some artists consider themselves to be activists also. They create art that is often angry and full of loathing. It hurts the eyes and the heart in its harshness and in that harshness it gets its message past our biases and occasionally makes an impact on someones life. I have undying respect for these artists.

There is no doubt that I am both artists and activist. I believe that some art is created to each us something in a way that words cannot always do. But since I began as an artist, I started creating art in a distinctly different way from most activists.

I call this "stealth art". I've seen the term before, but I've not seen it applied in quite the same way I use it. Basically Stealth Art is the ability to create a piece of art which is beautiful and engaging, but which holds a deeper message often masked by that beauty.

I often talk about the theory of abstraction versus purpose. The same rule of thumb applies here. Engage them with abstraction, beauty, eloquence, but shock them by the revelation that behind the beauty lies more sinister"purpose". And sometimes that purpose can be ripe with multiple meanings.

In my studio is the completed "Mark of the Beast" sculpture (seen below)

During this past Mardi Gras season, there have been a lot of casual visitors to the studio who just see the place from the road and want to come closer. The 8 foot canvas on one side the room always catches their attention. The reactions are much the same. First there is awe by its shear size. They see the abstraction first. The colors and layout remind some of a circuit board found in a computer. Then they look closer and they realize "woah, there is a whole city in front of them". They sometimes take a step backwards. You can tell by their body language that something just clicked into place for them. They want to touch it. They follow the streets with their eyes and look at the wide variety of buildings and structures. And they shake their heads in amazement. The abstraction has them in its grasp, but for most, that's where it ends. They move on to the next sculpture, asking polite questions about how things were made and whether I show my work in a gallery. But most totally miss that their is another message staring them in the face. They miss the giant cross in the center, black and menacing. They miss the buildings at the core which are dark with the exception of a few tiny twinkles of light coming from a few windows.

At first I would let it pass. It was easier to avoid and let them just think it was a cool abstract piece of art. But others, you can tell will stop for a moment in confusion. Its subtle and its fleeting, but something else caught their attention. Its those folk I pay attention to the most. I casually mention the cross and they turn back and gaze it further. I try to explain to them that the cross represents extremism. When they seem receptive to that message, I go on to explain the whole story of what the piece represents and the concept came about. For those of you not familiar with it, I wont detail it now, but if you'd like to know the full story, check out the piece and its narrative here sometime (THE MARK OF THE BEAST)

Its then, and only then that the giant cross and the name of the piece merge together and snap into perspective for them. Most walk away, decidedly concerned. A slight frown on their face. Others shake their heads and thank me and ask if they can see more of my work online. A few even asked me to send them links regarding the historic data behind the theme.

The point is, they were caught by the abstraction and for most that was all it will ever be. But for a few, the purpose slammed home and made an impact on them. Stealth Art.

Mark of the Beast is subtle. Its easy to miss the message without some kind of information to explain what the artist intended. They make up their own stories and that is fine. Art is about making stories. But for those few, I hope it changes them in some subtle way.

Another piece that often gets attention is called "A Hell of Their Own Making". This is a monster piece, stretching 6 feet across and 6 feet high. It is 36 feet in surface area and I've had it described back to me as if the person viewing it could walk straight into hell through it.

The wax work flames and distant volcanoes catch the eye and hold it. The ghoulish faces surrounding it are like a haunted house.  The figure in the center seems inexplicable. Most think its just some Gothic horror painting. They smile politely while at the same time feeling vaguely disturbed deep down inside. Their is a message here. Its more direct than Mark of the Beast. It climbs out and taps you on the shoulder but most just ignore it. But this one is harder to ignore. There are things within it that make a person just have to ask about. Why is there a man in one corner without a head? Why are their skeletons on crosses? What is this?

Then I explain, simply and gently so they do not run off in horror, that the faces staring out number 12 and represent the twelve apostles who were with Jesus at the last supper. For some, this is enough to clue them into the bleeding reclining form in the center. The stiffened corpse who they suddenly realize come complete with a penis stiffened also in death. They blood is coming from hands and feet and drips slowly down the sculpture. I often leave the narrative at that point, especially if the viewer seems particularly disturbed. A few ask quietly "But whats it mean?" And I remind them of the title of the peace and how we all have the ability to create a hell of our own making, even twelve men and a wise prophet. They usually walk away at that point. I'd love to know what they are thinking and whether they ever thought about it again, or more pointedly decided to stay far away from the heretical artist who would subvert what so many believe. Again...Stealth Art.

I could give many more examples. but I think these two serve to make my point for me.

Sometimes beauty can serve a greater purpose and message. Angry art that is immediately shocking can turn a person away far before they ever learn anything from it. I prefer to lure them in with a bit of honey before I spike their art experience with Tabasco sauce.

You can view "A Hell of Their Own Making" and many others at the following link. I'd love your opinions on this, so feel free to tell me I'm full of crap. We'll get on famously!

CLICK TO SEE THE ART OF GREY CROSS