July 21, 2007

Wading in the Stream of Consciousness...






John allowed me to transcribe his stream of consciousness today. The Questions? Why is he here ? What does he want to accomplish? John's thoughts for the day:

Hopes, dreams, aspirations…reality.
***Warning*** these thoughts are loaded with clichés, and confessions of a wanna-be.
Have I reached end of my potential? No - I need time - I’ve just begun.



<<<>>>
"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work."
Stephen King
<<<>>>



What took so long? - Fear of failure? Laziness?
Our journey to France for…Romance of French study, or where I need to be - or both?
This has been a "Fantasy Camp"! - Will I have to go back to my regular life when I am done?


Sensations: Difficult, satisfying - participating or doing something positive to achieve goals. What are my goals?
#1 Satisfy my soul.
#2 Earn a living in my art.
#3 Portraits?
#4 Murals?
#5 Art fairs?
#6 Teaching?
#7 Have my own studio.
#8 Balance of commissions and my own creations.
#9 Continue education.
#10 Transference of knowledge. (I now feel an awesome responsibility for continuance of a long tradition).


I am currently studying with “modern masters”. Feelings: Overwhelmed, sense of teamwork, building foundations, (“what does this structure look like?) - I like working in a group; to hear comments and suggestions for others, but also enjoy working solo. This course is about building…seeing…observing (not just rendering what you see), but looking for the humanity of each subject, “what makes them...truly them?”. I will not be bringing home large numbers of finished masterpieces, but studies of exercises - My brain is almost full now, but I am still digesting… There is a sense of urgency - the last few weeks! - Need to absorb as much as possible. Upon arrival, I felt as if I had“just fallen off the turnip truck”. These others are world travelers, some people much younger than I.. Am I now playing catch-up? No big egos, though - they are all struggling with their own inner voices. I feel... at ease, driven, time flies... The pace of this process is still unknown to me. I can visualize what I want to portray, I am driven to allow the investigation and journey of discovery to happen.



<<<>>>
“Why Make Art? Because I think there’s a child’s voice in every artist saying: I am here. I am somebody. I made this. Won’t you look?”
-Chuck Close<<<>>>





This (France for 3 months) was a good choice, but now I am hungrier - (where will we eat next?)



<<<>>>
"Art calls for complete mastery of techniques, developed by reflection within the soul." --Bruce Lee <<<>>> "Willing is not enough; we must do. Knowing is not enough; we must apply."
-- Bruce Lee<<<>>> "If the primary aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever." -- Thomas Aquinas <<<>>> "Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is."-- Will Rogers <<<>>> "A man who never made a mistake never made anything." -
-David Gemmell <<<>>>



Thanks, John - now our friends and family can understand more what we are trying for... M

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

J & M
We are glad you created the opportunity, and took the chance, to make this journey. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, we have been following & enjoying your blog for several weeks now. Your reflection on life is addictive, and inspiring… J & J VanOsdol

Anonymous said...

scotland and ireland would be nice places to paint . . . My passport is ready!

J/M said...

J & J - hey you two - great to hear from you - how did you find out about the blog? Put a comment with your email and we will stay in touch - or "my first and last name"@earthlink.net will get you through.
Marty