A continuum. That’s what time is, color is, life is – a continuum from one end to the other. If you can even tell the end, that is. It’s often hard to tell where the start and end of something really is. Defining “the start” can be the source of great debates. Does life start at conception or birth? Do you start counting from zero or one?
All I can do is choose is the best place to begin the story I am trying to tell.
When did I become the artist I am today? Do I start the story in childhood, with my fingerpaints? With my love of painting watercolors and Georgia O’Keefe in high school? Or do I start with the desire to capture moments on film, or the shift to an iPhone and abstraction? Where do I start?
Realizing all of life is a continuum – moving from one thing to the next to the next, sometimes in big steps and other times in tiny shuffles – means I’m not required to “start” anywhere. I can pick the story up anywhere I want. I can go backwards and forwards and skip around if I choose to. Someday at “the end” (however the end is defined), someone can put the continuum in order and figure it all out. Until then, I don’t have to worry about it.
So let’s pick up the story where I am right now… It is one of color, of shape, of mixed up, as-yet-undefined media. It is a story of someone who is experimenting and discovering what works and what doesn’t, both in life and in art. It is the story of me, in pictures and words.
The story changes daily… even I don’t know what happens next. Stay tuned for the next episode. I will be.
Wow… I didn’t expect that to come out when I sat down to write about the image I found as this month’s Photo-Heart Connection. 🙂 I guess it comes out of the continuum of color in this piece – where does the yellow end and the green begin? Which parallel the recent thoughts about my art – where does the photograph end and the painting (or whatever you call this art form) begin? Where does representation end and abstraction begin? Thinking about it can make my head hurt. But the idea that I don’t have to pick a start or an end to anything is liberating to me. No need to worry about being “one” or “the other.” It’s all a continuum and I can move back and forth as I please. That’s really nice. I’m going to keep that idea with me.
How about you? What is your Photo-Heart Connection this month? Review your June images and see what comes up as the strongest connection for you, write about it, then share with us here. The link up is open July 1 through 7.
Hi Kat! I haven’t visited you in awhile, and it’s exciting to see what you’ve been doing. I love this painting-photo — the colors and design create such a happy image! It really represents this wonderful burst of creative energy you are experiencing. Perfect! I think your idea of a continuum helps us look at life from a different perspective — very right brain. The artist in you seems to be overtaking the engineer. 🙂 xo
p.s. I’ll be back later in the week to share my photo-heart connection.
I love that you said you didn’t know “that” was what you were going to write about today. That’s the coolest. It happened to me today too.
I really like this piece. I like it better than the tree images you’ve been doing tho I can see an echo to those in it. I think I like the vibrancy of color and the turn from silhouette as light rather than dark.
Interesting thoughts on continuum. I suppose life in general is like that and therefore the wisdom of hindsight which can only transfer itself to new experiences, often only in a subconscious way.
Thanks for the opportunity to PHC each month.
Beautiful piece. I love the bright colours and the abstraction. Interesting thoughts about continuum, too.
I like this idea of “the continuum” – of moving back and forth – of not having to define being “one or the other”, of not having to define things.
Love the beautiful abstraction and bright summery colors of this image.
I love your post and what you´ve said, I feel that quite often the need to explain what is happening ruins the whole fun. I understand that stop doing such thing can be liberating. Have a nice week
I love your artwork, Kat! To me this looks happy. I think it reflects your excitement in your new adventure.