Trashing the Studio

Yesterday I leveled my studio. Today I wade through and climb over the creative destruction that resulted in a new painting. Time is condensed when I paint and there is usually some memory loss. I have no memory of trashing my painting room. Last week as I primed on my sun porch the big plastic container of gesso mysteriously was left partially closed. I believe the memory loss associated with intense painting sometimes sneaks over and onto canvas construction. I was furiously priming the canvas and picked up the gesso to shake. The top came loose and the gesso spewed all over the sun porch. Gesso is a lovely opaque paint like substance, so its’ mark is permanent and unforgiving, especially in large quantities. At this juncture I had the choice of either racing to find rags and towels and clean water, lots of it, or I could continue painting the entire porch. I chose the latter, although the porch is half white and half concrete now. Hmmm…project for another day. Today I will start a new painting and work on a portrait. First at hand is tidying the studio before another paint catastrophe occurs. This process helps me to clean my mind of the past body of work and also set the studio up to be able to work without drowning in piles of the past

The summer of 2007, I took a position with The City of Atlanta, teaching 35 children art, which culminated in the creation of a collaborative mural. I worked at The Police Athletic League’s facility that mentors “at risk” kids through a boxing program. You walk into the city building that is long in need of repair and are faced with a boxing ring. It was almost surreal. I watched the children transformed the minute they entered the ring. The boxing instilled confidence and a sense of self. It was a beautiful thing to observe.

I used my observations of the boxing ring to teach the kids art. The temporary art studio was a dingy and uninviting room connected to the boxing ring room. In the beginning I wasn’t sure how I was going to get the children interested in making art. There was reluctance and general disinterest. I came back daily to perform my duties only to be frustrated when I couldn’t reach the children. I continued to watch them box.

In the mornings, when I arrived at the facility, the kids were usually dancing. I started joining in with the dancing which immediately sparked a connection. I brought my camera and photographed the dancing, and the boxing. I developed the photos with photoshop using different enhancement techniques. I shared the photos with the children and learned that they loved seeing themselves in action. We used those photos through out the summer session as a reference to paint and create art.

We painted boxers and dancers and ourselves. We painted a memory that reached far beyond the confines of that government building. I consider it a privilege and an honor to have worked with Dorian McDuffy, The City of Atlanta, and all of the wonderful staff and children at A.R.Williams Recreation Center.