One Artist's Journey

I am so sorry! It has been over a week since I wrote. I don’t know why I can’t stay on track. Maybe I am just human.

Now I need to do like 30 paintings in the next 3 weeks. Weeks leading up to Christmas. Yea, right. Like I am going to have time to do this.

But I have to. I wrote a press release and sent it to a friend at the Sun newspaper. He said they would look into doing a story of me. Cool. Don’t know when it will happen, but isn’t that what every artist wants? Coverage?

Now, however, I must get the 100 paintings done or die trying. How would that look? “Here is an artist challenging himself to paint 100 paintings in 100 days. That is interesting, so we are doing a story on him. Oh wait. He wimped out and didn’t paint 100 paintings after all.” Nope. That can’t happen.

I have about a dozen panels left. I have some canvas and can do works on paper too. Over the next few weeks I am going to need to get pretty creative. This has been a great experience for me. It has pushed me harder than I expected, but it has been fun and enlightening.

I really hope to make some exciting stuff over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Shaun Ellsworth (Me) and Abigail Herrly as "Sun" and "Moon" in Iona Dance Theater's first production of "Worshiping Sun"

Hey, I thought you might find this interesting. When I was in school in Hawaii, I was part of the IONA Contemporary Dance Theater. Then it was called “Iona Pear.”

It was so much fun. The choreographer, Cheryl Flaharty, held classes at a local church. * calasses for $80 or something like that. I had seen a performance, “Mythology of Angels” and was totally addicted. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.

When I heard about the classes, I decided to go. I had to take the bus an hour and a half to get there, but it was worth it. I loved the class, even though it was really hard. The dance form is based on Japanese butoh, a meditative “anti-dance,” with Cheryl’s special twist.

After taking the classes, Cheryl asked me to take part in a fund raiser, (I think). then I worked back stage, then I had a little part, then I was asked to be the “Sun” and a dancer in the first “Worshiping Sun” performance.

Well, last night, I was poking around on the internet and found IONA’s web page. There is a picture of me (above) playing “Sun” with the moon, Abigail Herrly in the “Early Years” section.

They are based in Hawaii, but come to the West Coast. If you ever have a chance to see them, you must. You will never look at performance art the same way again. It is unbelievable. Love you IONA Dance Theater!

Check them out at: http://www.iona360.com/

Expressive Drawing 2.1 "Above and Below" - Graphite and gesso on paper - $300

PAINTINGS COMPLETED TODAY: 3
PAINTINGS COMPLETED TO DATE: 64

I am really trying to get the hang of this cover up technique. I see art that uses it and I really like the idea that there is a hint of something that was lost and covered up in a painting. “What can it be?” “Why was it covered?” These are some of the questions that are asked when things are covered up as you paint.

It adds depth – not just physical depth, but an emotional depth to a piece.

I can talk about it, but it is difficult to cover something up that I have put into the painting. It isn’t like you cover up a mistake. It is something good, but it is just less essential to the art you are working on right now.

The following three paintings are designed to help me learn how to cover things up. I think I was successively more successful.

Castles in my Mind - 18" x 14" - Acrylic and graphite on Masonite - $500

I am really trying to loosen up to be able to create pure stream-of-consciousness abstracts. I started out doing this one, drawing lines and shapes as they came into my mind. I erased some lines and added more and before I knew it, I had come up with this castle. Why are my free flow drawings turning into castles? Any psychoanalysts out there? It might be interesting to look into.

I am reading a book about Modigliani right now and it focuses on the neurosis and mental instabilities of Modigliani and some of his contemporaries. When I die, will people look into my art to decide who I was and whether I was mentally unstable or not. I am sure there is something to it, but some of it is a bit of a stretch.

Me with one of the "dwellings" paintings I submitted to the "Off the Wall" show in Riverside

Tonight I went to the “Off the wall” Artist reception/show in Riverside. The art filled two galleries, pretty much from floor to ceiling… well, at least 10 feet high. It was really interesting. Some of it was fabulous, but some of it was not. Enough said about that.

Two of my friends, Richard Manookin and Serena Potter, exhibited their art too. It was fun to see their work. I didn’t see them, though.

My beautiful wife, Christina, was kind enough to accompany me, so it was a mini-date night.

Three of my paintings are hung on this wall. Can you spot them?

After the show we walked outside to the car and there was a band playing in front of a local church. It was fun to stand and listen to them for a little while.

It reminded me of living in Honolulu, where on the weekends, you could wander the streets and hear bands and see performances here and there. I miss that part of living in a large town that supports the arts. I love the mountain town I live in, don’t get me wrong, but large, thriving cities have a lot to offer.

Halloween Mashup of the Ellsworth Family October, 2009 - Click to watch ours and then make your own!

I have never done one of these before. It is really fun to do and share. Check it out and make your own! This only took me about 10 minutes.

Send me a copy of what you make to shaun[at]oneartistsjourney[dot]com.

Check out ours and make your own at: http://www.monstermashup.com/d35534

Lake Arrowhead with Sailboats - 18" x 14" - Acrylic and graphite on Masonite - $300

My first painting at the 18 x 14 size went OK. I like how it turned out, but it took a little finagling. It is a picture of a sailboat race up here on Lake Arrowhead. There is a high horizon, so I placed it on the top third of the board. That left two thirds of the painting to be filled with lake water. It took about 4 tries to get the water right. I had to keep reminding myself as I painted, “it is just shapes, it is just shapes…”

Finally, I got it to where I am happy with it. It isn’t perfect, but then most things never are. I am convinced we artists are continually seeking a standard that we can’t reach, so we need to relax a little and enjoy the journey. I know that when I can enjoy the journey, my inner artist will blossom and I will be happy with my paintings. That kind of negates what I just said, huh? Oh never mind…

I have really been seeing the correlation between art and music lately. Music has its meter, tune, beat, musical “hook”. Is the vocalist a male or a female or a group? Is there harmony, a little bell in the background, cowbell? When does the chorus come in? Is that as good as the verses? Does it carry the theme or change it completely? All these parts create the whole and determine whether the piece is fun to listen to or not?

Art is the same. What colors are you using? What is the size? Is it vertical or horizontal? What size brush are you using? What is the medium? How is the energy? Is it hurried, energetic, fun, crazy, languid, smooth?

A lot of planning goes into creating a work of art, whether painting, sculpture, music, poetry, literature, etc. I am really appreciating the elements that go into a beautiful work of art, and they all need to go together well.

"Swim LIke a Duck" - 12" x 12" Acrylic and graphite on Massonite - $200

I have been wanting to get back to were I was when I was doing art full time 13 years ago. But you know what? I don’t think the search ever ends. I can get back to the level I was at, or better – but I hope that when I get there, I am still driven to be better and better.

Aren’t the great artists always searching for the next great breakthrough in their art? I don’t think that for a true artist, that journey ever really ends. Henry Moore, the sculptor said, “There’s no retirement for an artist, it’s your way of living so there’s no end to it.” I think I have to agree Once one has chosen this path, it becomes a way of life, and there really is no end.

I am going to make an effort to live in the moment and follow my bliss. I keep trying to catch up. I need to enjoy where I am.

Going to the studio. I have 1.5 hours until the boys get home. Let’s see what I can come up with today – being in the moment.