Time is waiting in the wings

Reading the blog of a friend who has just returned from an art symposium in Russia; the whole time she has been out there I have been transfixed with the images coming back and the looks on the artists' faces - it just said 'life changing'. Its a cliche I'm well aware but it is amazing how much connection can be achieved through art and artists; for a small space of time I am quite sure that all the participants felt that anything is possible and that we actually could do the decent thing and sort out this world of ours. Lets hope they all stay feeling that way and manage to spread a little of the vibe out to their surroundings; that has got to be a move forward in a small way.

One of the artists at the symposium, whose work I am now in awe of is Anna Sikivonchik; please go look her up on Facebook or the internet at large and see her magical work; it is very 'me' it has to be said, in that it is the kind of work I always fall in love with. Mystical, magical, a little narrative and a little darkness worked in. Questions without answers and stories to ponder.

Which could also apply to my new and long overdue crush; Max Ernst. Resorted to the internet to have a looksee (hello Google) and found many images that made me think that I need to see more. Didn't manage to track down even a Taschen book in the limited time I looked so I will have to go back with renewed vigour as I think he is someone I need to know more about. I have feelings that I have read about him in proximity to Picasso in Paris and the wee blurb I did read mentioned that he was 'that rarest of creatures, a German accepted and appreciated by the French artists of his time.' Back to the art history; there is so much to look at - the only regret I have educationally is that didn't just go for a history of art course, sparing myself the years trying to find a creative course that fitted me at the time. Long since decided that such a thing didn't exist, mind you, and that was more to do with me than with the education system. Maybe one utopian future day I will return to study, but I think it would be in the history side rather than the practical; for now there are libraries, galleries and the computer and I can get on with that.

Had one of my stupid 'lack of time perception' days today; started with the aim of doing a postcard sized piece for the Art on the Rock auction in Stirling (I think I am misquoting that name; must look it up...) and then finish another piece and start a third - maybe even finish that too?! The postcard took me two hours, then had to do the shopping, clean the house and get prices for window boxes and plants for the cash job (don't ask - just be careful what you volunteer for). This took me up to lunch, which I ate while tying up wysteria and honeysuckle and murdering rosebay willowherb and dock.

This afternoon I completed the big pic I had been working on - 'Over the Roof' which is about the meeting of the angels over the northern 'trade routes'. A Far Eastern and a Swedish angel fly over the northern forests, where a mixture of animals stampede; the cause unknown. There is a bit of an apocalyptic thing going on, or maybe that's just in my head. I like the fact that the curvature of the earth gives you that feeling of the angels' 'all seeing' nature and their constant travels around the globe. The Swedish one is a bit of a rock chick with a Taylor Momsen/Avril Lavigne vibe going on; I like that, she may well become a regular!

And that was that; spoke to mums, checked emails and sat down to blog; next painting not started, let alone finished. Dinner not made, books not read... these days really need to be longer. One of my more brutal mantras of the moment is 'you can sleep when you're dead'; to be used at times of sleepiness during valuable painting time. Didn't snooze today and still things to be done at close of day - roll on full time painting - how many days to go??