creative

Today is the 3rd anniversary for the Artscapes Blog. It is hard to believe that I have been doing this under my own motivation for 3 years! I have included this photo of an old ruin from Fraserburg, Ontario, because recently I found out I have deep connections with the Scottish town from which it was named.

I never thought I could write so much, nor did I expect how much of an influence the blog would have on my work and my creative direction. Journaling is supposed to be the best way to flesh out ideas or thoughts simmering beneath the surface and the blog has certainly served that purpose for me. When this blog began in 2007, I had not even discovered yet where I was going artistically. It was an experiment – an experiment that helped lead to a series and now to a book. I am hoping to have more news on that soon. In fact, there area few exciting things to come….

There are hints in recent posts of where I plan to go next, how my fourth year blogging and the beginning of my third year as, pretty much, a full time artist will unfold. (I still do some graphics work from time to time so it is now the part-time job!) I am still paying my dues, however. I know I can expect another few years of what, at times, feels like banging my head against a wall, even though I think I have been off to a great start. The blog, for the time being at least, is certainly a part of my plan. I have accomplished a lot here.

Since the the first post, I have had my first solo show, been involved in a few successful group shows, won awards and hung my art, albeit briefly, in the McMichael Gallery, where my love of art was born. I have been elected to two national and international arts organizations and I have felt the warmth of the traditional media more than my fair share, for which I am eternally grateful!

Blogging, as much as it it a personal experience, is also a community. I have made many virtual friends, wonderfully creative people that have been with me since practically the beginning and newer friends whose support and encouragement have been so important to me. Sharing and learning from each other has made blogging invaluable. I want to list them here because their blogs are wonderful and worth following; my oldest blog friends, Lana Gramlich (amazing artist and photographer), Ingrid Schmelter (the creative KaslKaos), Jennifer Rose (Fuzzy Dragons – coloured pencil work like none I have seen), Kinsey (I hope I am like her when I grow up), Linda Blondheim (my long distance mentor) and Jean Levert Hood (who paints the best chickens ever!) – and more recent friends such as Robin Easton, (whose excellent inspirational book I am currently reading), Arti (a fantastic blogger on culture and entertainment), Debbie Lamey Macdonald (my east coast sister and wonderful oil painter), Patrick Morand (French photographer extraordinaire), Henry (SoulMerlin), and Eddie (thoughtful imagemaker on the West Coast), Chrissy (wonderful UK artist), Ed (our Muskoka HDR man) and our once local blogger Jenn Jilks.

I know there are many of you out there who read the blog silently and your quiet presence is also greatly appreciated.

So there it is. To the next 3 years!

Many writers and artists will be able to attest to the power of music in the creative process. Music has an incredible ability to emote.

’52 Gibson, 24×30, acrylic, Collection of Gerri Hynes and Paul Musgrove

Music has often inspired both my writing and my art. Images and words will come to mind when listening to any kind of music. I love classical, electronic and ambient music. Even the occasional pop song might spark something – love, sadness, longing…

Once in a while, though, I am inspired by the objects that make music.

My paternal grandfather used to play guitar and sing popular songs from the thirties that he might have learned while working on the railroad in the farthest parts of Northern Ontario. I remember him playing “You are My Sunshine” the most. He passed away in 1994.

When I moved in with my grandmother to attend college for graphic design a couple years later, I rediscovered his 1952 Gibson guitar. I was searching for things to photograph for a black and white darkroom class. I wanted a reflective surface so I could play with light effects. I scrunched up some foil and shot a spotlight on it. The result was an almost abstract image. I loved it. I am not sure that anyone else knew what it was. The image meant a lot to me for both the visual meaning and the memory of its sound.

Several years after that, I was going through my original college portfolio and I found the photograph. I felt like it could say even more as a painting. I embellished the metal parts as they are chromed on the original instrument, but I felt brass was better for the painting. I was very pleased with the results and I think my grandfather would have liked it very much.

I don’t play guitar, so it has been silent for many years now. To see the painting, instead, now reminds me of the music it once played and the love that inspired it….

3rd Blogiversary

'52 Gibson Guitar – Music and Art

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