Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Attack~Caress~Stretch

model

Last night in class we did a musical chairs exercise where we jumped around to different drawing boards and reacted to the model in either an attack mode or a caressing one. I loved it. I feel that is the essence of how I approach my art making best. In the attack mode you are moving quickly and expressively, losing yourself in the physical aspect of art making. In caress mode you are healing the wounds of the attack. Paying close attention to the model and treating your lines preciously. The back and fourth action between the two, and then moving to a new drawing board and trying to improve upon an image you were not previously invested in, is delight. it buries the artistic critic that pops up so much, especially in art school.

I also wanted to share the value of stretching. I had forgotten how much my body carries that needs release. This morning I was feeling so angry. Namely at some laundry thief who stole my favorite pair of jeans- really my ONE PAIR that were not paint spattered or ripped and actually made my butt look decent. People even complemented them (funny). I am so poor and can't even afford a new pair! UGH. OK, I am still a bit upset! I went for a jog/walk to the park and stretched for longer than I ran, and remembered being in touch with my body. Hello there body, I had forgotten about you!

I think that is the biggest lesson I am learning is that when I am in my head too much, it is not a good place. It is critical and small and worrisome and sweating… the small stuff.

I need to get back into yoga, even if I don’t have the cash. I can do work exchange again.

Oh how nice, I am integrating caps again into my writing! I forgot that that was the norm☺

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, do hurry up and come home! We will have so much fun. Just hurry up.
PS-please tell Hugh his CD got me through another race, this time the big one!!

said...

ooh horrible mean laundry thief! thats so mean!

and thanks for reminding me to stretch-- i am dwelling too much in that worrisome critical head space.. need to get out!
:)
t

zelia said...

okay, Mati, we need to be friends, like the kind that get together and have tea and talk about the small worrisome head spaces, and the making of art, not just the reading each others blog kind of friends.

also, let me know what size and brand preference and style of jeans you want, I'll hook you up...i'm a professional thrift shopper ya know. This week I have banana republic, bcbg, jeans from Anthropologie...all acquired for less than the price of a chai latte.

Anonymous said...

awww, that's real sad about your dreamjeans getting ripped off...don't those no good theives know what us girls GO THROUGH to find a good pair of rear-enhancing jeans?!

i love your painting though~guess art compensates for loss more than we realize, even the jeans. :)

mati rose said...

ohhh, you ladies are so what i needed to come home to read! thank you for reading & your support:) i'm on the look out for someone wearing my perfect jeans! as if they'll fit him... her... oh the agony of findin' jeans that FIT right!