Essence Trading Post

I signed up for another art class in March. Would you sign up and pay money to be around encouraging artists in a room dedicated to making art? I would. 

To drop out of regular life to be expressive, curious, and open-minded in the ever depressing news narrative is a bold choice.

It is another thing to do, but it’s one of the best things to do with time. Time changes, it passes quickly, but with more ease because space widens and feels less constricting. 

In this environment, non-judgement is explored and exercised like calisthenics. 

Taking action and making efforts without concern of judgment is hard when much of our lives are reviewed, rated, compared, and evaluated.

Generally, risking experimentation with imperfection attracts critics who hover in the bushes, woodwork, under the sofa, and in the pantry. Do it anyway. 

Abstract art: how do you make something without making something? 

Now I look at art a little differently. I see that the artist’s energy is put into the painting. The mood and motion of the artist during creation is captured and holds that energy. I think that is what attracts people to a painting, the energy they meet when they see it.  

Abstract is a strange form because liking and not liking it has little to do with anything that makes sense. It seems to rely on feelings. I like some people’s stuff because I like their unseen essence that goes into their art, which is then seen. Sometimes I like everything they do. Art is even attractive when not attractive in the traditional happy way, like sunflower art (which I do love). Even art that looks dark, gross, sad, or unfinished… has an appeal. I think we want what balances something inside of us. What unifies parts of ourselves. Or even what makes us a little uncomfortable.

About opera. There are dozens of academic reasons to appreciate opera. I like opera for the energy of it. I don’t even want to like opera, but I do. For no reason I can explain. It comes from a passionate source. That’s often the source of art, right? 

I painted more. I liked it, I didn’t like it, I liked it, I didn’t like it, and so on. 

The painting can have no connection or synergy or unification for a while, maybe forever. Or maybe the art fairy glides through the room, invisible, and pulls it together, to a state that brings relief, into form, a surprise creation that came from nowhere and somewhere through mystery. 

If I had an art gallery, I might call it the Essence Trading Post. I think I’ll at least have a party around this theme.

Buying art is the purchase of essence. It is the essence of the artist that day. The artist creates with their essence, we look at it, which puts our essence in contact with their essence, and in less than one second, they fuse into a new energy. And we want it or we don’t. It might spark nothing within you. Or it might stir things you forgot about or you missed or things you’ve been meaning to address and bring attention to. The original essence becomes different once your essence has attached. 

With art, we can blend language without fussing over word choice. We can put out emotions that don’t necessarily fit dictionary definitions, cultural rules or obligations. This is probably why artists have historically raised fear among certain rulers, dictator, and leaders. 

Lordy the cat, mingling with the painting projects

This is what I am doing at home while distancing Covid-19. What are you up to?

2 comments

  1. “The original essence becomes different once your essence has attached” yes, of course, this is the point; a mutual communion without words, and often (usually)without both persons present…we confront a spark of the other, and join in that effort, and everyone is changed. for the better. Nice work, Sport. Love that Lordy is helping, too-

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