Happy Halloweeny Genie!

I've been working with Bay Area Artist Nicholas Wilton in a variety of online workshops aimed at assisting artists at all stages of development refine their work, learn more about their own artist voice, establishing a recognizable 'style' so when you see the art, you say, "Oh! That's p'anne ally's work! Yeah, well. Like a lot of artists, I am an 'idea person'. That means I am distracted by my love of image, my fascination with all the ways to express oneself visually.. Which then leads to a myriad of so-called styles and approaches. Here is an image I created about ten years ago while I was immersed in a fascination with Polish Poster Art. The drama, oh! the drama! My favorite is the category of Opera and Theater. Which I still l-o-v-e by the way. Did you know there is a university in Quebec that, in their art school, offers a 'degree' in Polish Poster Art? Too late we learn, eh?

Anyway, this 18x24" piece on stretched canvas did sell a couple years ago. A soul mate obviously. If you find this creepy. . . well, it IS Halloween. I didn't name this piece. It was, as is a lot of my work, an experiment. I don't know why I love it, I just do. We don't have to explain it, do we?

Here's the thing: art reveals our 'self' to ourselves. If one is open to it. When I create a piece like this, I am 'letting it all fly' I have an idea, a flitting dream that lingers in my consciousness. I am excited. I know I am off the grid, flying low, allowing some voice in me to just shout it out. I let go of trying to understand wtf is happening. I know I am in new territory and it might yield nothing. Oftentimes, I paint over these excursions into the unknown, satisfied with the journey. Other times, I save them and maybe, just maybe, put them out at an Open Studio. This is what happened with “Max” here. (Whoops! Did I just name him? A genie named Max. I like it.)

When I was eleven years old, I discovered Toulouse Lautrec, my first favorite artist, still one of my all time favs. He was, you know, the father of advertising. The first poster artist. Of course, I love him. I am sure everything I do is influenced by all the images I've seen which he created. One of my all time travel highs was to see his original work in the D'Orsay Museum in Paris. Speechless, I was, heart swelling out of chest. I love art. I love getting lost in artwork in museums. It's a little like getting lost in yourself, some unexplored or under-attended region of the soul, Halloween inspires that same soulful voice in me, the weirder the more wonderful. I totally ‘get’ Day of the Dead. You don’t have to be Hispanic to appreciate and be touched by images that are in fact a celebration of life. I love the point of Halloween oft lost in the event which is to celebrate life spirit, yes? Happy Halloween to you and all it inspires in your big ole' heart!

This whole discussion brings up for me a recognition that, in the studio, this is my lovely struggle. To bring soul energy into my work. It is many layered and ever evolving, this finding one's unique artist 'voice'. I am currently signed up to experience Nicholas' new program SPARK, A 21-day event exploring one's own singular evolutionary artistic 'voice' working in an art notebook creating images. Why not? Google it and join me; I’d love to share this experience with you. It will be fun at the least and at the most, well, maybe I'll learn how to bring all the musical art notes together in some new way that is uniquely p'anne ally! We'll see what happens.. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, Happy Halloween! May the spirit be with you!