The Night Launch - Elizabeth Bauman http://www.elizabethbaumanart.com
I'm into the first few chapters of Julia Cameron's The Sound of Paper, and the first assignment to unleash/unfreeze/redirect creativity, (and get my crazy self back writing my novel), is to cull images and words from magazines and paste them to a large poster in an hour's time, with the intention of opening a door into the subconscious. Collage as guide/therapist isn't a new activity. I've been doing this for nineteen years and have my own name for it - voodoo collage - if you've been reading this blog you may remember, or check out the collage posts under the tag my art or how to make a voodoo collage.
With this collage I'm still working on, (no, I did not adhere to the one hour rule), I really tried to stay away from default images and themes by gathering from magazines I generally don't read. I started my new voodoo collage with the intention of getting out of the box I've put myself in. Turns out I traded the box for a small boat, and I think this is a good thing. Over the last few days I've cut out at least a dozen boats, but then last night edited them out and kept only the ocean, lake, pond, and liquid images instead. (I'll post images of the collage once it's completed).
I have been a great admirer of Elizabeth Bauman's paintings and discovered this particular painting just today. Of course it features a boat.
If I were to paint a self-portrait today, I would place myself heading toward the horizon in a boat small enough for one and title it after the gospel song, Wouldn't take nothing for my journey now.
And there it is, the message that has been hiding under the surface all this week. I am enough. I don't need research, or a new desk, or yet another lined notebook, or better technology, or facebook, twitter, connections, or more time, or more money, or whatever. I only need myself. Myself and pen and paper. And the journey.
Elizabeth Bauman bio:
I am an artist living in Keizer, Oregon, with my husband and daughter. I received my BA in art from Willamette University.
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