Art: Just have to do it sometimes

"Containment" - collage/mixed media

I was inspired to "just create something" after Friday's local Art Walk here in Grand Junction. Specifically, Faye Timmerman Traudt's three dark gray oils on birch at the Oakley Gallery, Elise's all-red acrylic on yupo at +1 Gallery, and the collages at The Art Center all caught my attention reminding me that it has been too many months since I last sat at my art table.

The past few weeks have been somewhat overwhelming: the outrageous heat, the fires, growing business, moving to our new offices, looming deadlines, a lot of new and interesting observations and discoveries.

Apparently all of this in combination is reflected in the piece I ended up assembling this weekend. I had to use what I had around the house: a lone piece of yupo, some metalic acrylic paint, a foil yogurt top, a piece of textured red paper, a dab of pearl-x powdered pigment, a shiney piece of confetti that Faye picked up for me at a Bette Midler concert, netting from a grapefruit sack, and a piece of turquoise from a broken earring.

I'm calling it "containment" for now. I still can't decide though on its orientation: I turn it all four angles and they all seem to be the right one. Odd.

Glad we went for First Friday. Glad I used creative time and space to channel some stress and overwhelm. Feel much better as a result. Whew. I can focus again. Art. Just have to do it sometimes.