in the last few weeks, I’ve found my way back to drawing and am playing with various ideas about tangled-ness. Grasses. Vines. Sometimes it moves more toward the more complex and sometimes less is more. But only if the “less” still embodies more.
"Nest" charcoal, graphite ©2012 Nanci Erskine
Now that I’m noodling around more in the studio …drawing more, aimlessly trying things…. I’ve been painting these little gems. Almost like more fully exploring small areas of former paintings. (see industrial landscapes). Lots of layering, painting under, then over. Carving out deeper spaces….. my kind of fun.
When I go visit my elderly mom in California, I sometimes try and get a flight into San Francisco on a Thursday, so I can head up to the SFMOMA and take advantage of their late hours that evening. Last November, I had been looking forward to seeing the Francesca Woodman exhibit. And I was not disappointed.
Feeling a bit voyeuristic, knowing how her story ends, and realizing the brief intensity of Woodman’s creative life as a photographer. (died at 22- 1981) 
You almost find yourself looking at each intimate image wondering if any clues are being revealed through the work itself. As if each image was a small step in leaving.
Some of my favorites show Woodman sitting with her hands beautifully posed, or small patches of light falling on a portion of her body. Many of the images were printed quite small, so of course we are drawn into her world.
Some of the series are haunting, (blurred passages of movement through decaying rooms) some a bit troubling, (what looks like blood smeared on her body) and some more lyrical and playful (her polka dot dress inspires a series)
One of the final ones in this exhibition design shows her posing with a copy of her birth certificate, which was particularly poignant. It links her to other people who experienced her appearance in their lives and then her loss. Almost as if to say, “I was here too.”
50-some miles south, another survey of work- Joan Brown’s paintings at the San Jose Museum of Art. (Joan Brown- d. 1990)
Unlike the Woodman show, this group of paintings spanned several decades- from the accomplished student using thick slabs of richly pigmented oil, (see Berkeley/Elmer Bischoff) to the woman who was documenting her emotional/spiritual journey on canvas. 
Loved the humor, and the domestic mix of animals, kids, favorite dresses, the swimming scenes, partners…the unflinching directness of her self portraits, the bouncy color. Yet, you didn’t get the same sense of self-revelation, these were more a series of snapshots of an artist’s life and relationships and interests. But without the emotional context.
Two women artists -both of whom left before realizing their full potential perhaps. Both who utilized their bodies in their work. One as a vehicle, to reveal an internal emotional life — and one as a subject, creating a screen through which her life stages were viewed.
Night Tangle 12x12x1.5 oil on canvas ©2008 Nanci Erskine
Purple Morning Glory 12x12x1.5 oil on canvas ©2009 Nanci Erskine
Years ago, in another career path, I entered juried shows quite regularly. Although there was a selection process occurring on my end as well. I looked for shows that were well established, in great venues, with jurors of substance, and where I could see previous participants work to get a feel for the quality. Of course a lot of this activity was generated by the academic necessity of “professional activity”. Never mind that for my former chairperson, showing in local churches and restaurants also filled the bill for some coworkers.
After a long absence from having any presence in Denver, I decided to pop a couple pieces in to be juried by William Biety.
He used to work at the Sandy Carson Gallery on SantaFe, and has a great eye. More importantly, he knows how to curate shows- put interesting work together cohesively. Maybe he’ll have something to say about how the show is hung.
These two little paintings will be appearing at Spark Gallery, 900 Santa Fe, Denver…..from Feb 2 – through Feb 26.
1. more drawings but about generally tangled environments (perhaps not specifically vines?)
2. keep researching and contacting new potential gallery prospects… thought I was done with this avenue, but I might want to reconsider if the fit is right, and it’s closer to me than Seattle was.
3. not get involved in activities that don’t in some way directly feed the studio work (sorry- no more birdhouses for charity, or decorated transformer cabinets)
4.maintain and increase contacts with art consultants who might help me find a niche- I’m thinking medical / hospitality…
5. do the annual studio tour in Fort Collins. Since giving up my more public studio space downtown, there are probably some folks who are curious about what I’ve been up to- plus who doesn’t love a deadline to get cranking on new pieces? More on that later.
6. cook more with bacon-man! have you tasted that Black Forest variety at Whole Foods?
OK, maybe this comes from last night’s bacon-wrapped blue cheese filled dates at Cafe Vino, with Barb Gilhoolyand Ayn Hanna- stellar Fort Collins artists. Check them out!
another piece that might have seemed finished but really wasn’t. Moving out of former studio into the one at home, there were bound to be paintings that I hadn’t totally wrapped up, but had to get out of there anyway. This was one. Rewrites are no problem for me!
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I have been working quite a lot with taking things away, trying to find a balance between the tangled elements and an atmospheric, poetic space that envelopes them.
This also marks the end point of these paintings in some way that I probably don’t yet understand. I can imagine that my palette will become darker. I much prefer richer deeper colors,colors that you can’t quite name- and it’s winter, so airy bright atmospheres feel a bit odd.
But there will now ensue lots of drawing, hopefully some monotypes, and some serious ruminating on all sorts of ideas that will lead to the next batch of work. Whether that’s going to be painting or not- I am open to find out.
Blue Winter Vine 30x32 oil ©2012 Nanci Erskine - finished? yes! (color is also more accurate in this shot)
…it’s happened again, another piece that I felt was wrapped up has been up on the painting wall again.
earlier version - with annoying leaf at top and other things I eliminated.... can you find them?
I know how this happens now. Aside from the fact that revision and editing is one of the pleasures of the working process for me.
It seems that I can’t get enough distance on things when working on them- either because I don’t allow myself enough time for simple garden variety rumination, or physical space (until recently, my studio was about 12 feet long on a good day).
But there is also the space and distance of time- being able to look with fresh eyes at something that hasn’t quite revealed itself.
When I used to teach beginning drawing, and wanted people to really see what they had done, while we talked about the work, I would usually take them out into the hallway. We’d lean the thing up against a wall, and then walk back about 20 feet to look at an 18 x 24″ drawing. Now, that is some distance, but it almost takes on another identity. Something glimpsed… all the parts of the whole more visible…. formal qualities and elements standing at attention.
Hard for me to do that now- but, it seems to happen once I photograph a piece and then see it in a much smaller scale on the laptop screen. Then the faults that are working against what I intended are more blatant. This doesn’t happen every time, but it’s my version of looking at the painting backwards in a mirror. Flipping it on it’s side or upside down, whatever you employ to hit the refresh button.
So, now I am happy with the painting, and also with the other two – one finished, one almost revised- that are still living on the painting wall.
Authors often talk about the revision process- how many drafts they need to burn through before the prose is clear and the flow of the narrative works. To me this is the same thing- not being complacently satisfied with what I’ve made, just because it’s a picture. But not letting it be anything less than a successful painting.
During the recent week winding down after holiday festivities we got it together to drive up to Wyoming for a little xc skiing. I don’t think I even made it up last year – maybe my knee was still a little funky from the running injury.
It’s always interesting to go up to the area called “happy jack”, since you approach it from a typically dry and brown I-80, and it looks as if there will be no snow to play in until you round the bend and pull into the parking lot.
Suddenly, you see into the woods and there is plenty of the white stuff to ski on. Along with copious wind!
Opening the car door without it ripping off the hinges proved quite challenging. 
Once we’d schussed around for an hour or so and stopped for a handful of almonds I looked over and saw this pair of aspen trees and was immediately struck by the contrast in how they had grown-one so straight and conventional-the other going here and there as it reached a similar height… Like it couldn’t quite decide which direction or perhaps got distracted several times along the way.
I had to have a picture to remind me that we all have our own individual path and mine is what it should be.
I might sometimes think I’ve been derailed or distracted by other events, but there is still a direction.
It’s been interesting to hear from other artists how much they are looking forward to this new year as a time to refocus and renew their practice. Me too.
the "before" shot
= how big my 91 yr. old mom’s new life is- a cozy studio apartment in an assisted living building. Just spent the last four days moving her in, unpacking, sorting, hanging pictures, making it wheelchair accessible and making sure all is going smoothly.
300 square feet = how big my studio area is in our basement. At least I’m not trying to sleep in mine too! I look forward to getting out more paper, and working on drawings/prints and other things that are flat and not stretched canvas.
Anyone want to buy some larger stretcher frames and canvas?
loaded up on seed for the birds
Seems like my other tasks are winding down- and now I’m moving back into my “art-self”.
Finally.
I am looking forward to what some quality hours in the studio bring,
after getting my mom settled in her assisted living apartment, hearing about my daughter’s trip to Israel, holiday festivities, baking fruitcake and cookies, and snow!
(What a treat to see the WordPress snow falling again- love it!)
