Creative Synergy is the 2024 Theme for the Artists’ Workshop April Show. What a heady concept! It was a difficult theme for Artists’ Workshop to work with and the struggle became an example of the whole being greater than the parts.
I recently sat in on a webinar about some new research on the topic of art and neuroscience being mutually supporting and enhancing brain pathways through the act of creating art. The webinar was offered by the Canadian Art Network that is a free organization for senior artists of all types. It was encouraging to learn that the brain can add new pathways for better functioning at all ages!
In my painting titled Leaving, I was in part exploring the convergence of technology with art. Leaving started with photos taken from an airplane window that became an iPad sketch. The 30 x 60” canvas started with a monotype created by application of paint picked up using sheets of plastic and pressed manually onto the canvas creating an abstract pattern. The ipad sketch was blocked with lines as was the canvas so that the small drawing could be copied to similar scale on the canvas. The oil painting was then created on the canvas and utilized the texture from the under-painted monotype with the iPad drawing plus the photos forming ongoing reference. This process created synergetic convergence between technology and art.
In Gladioles Murielae 36 x 24” I address another aspect of creative synergy that being complementary involvements for enhanced outcome. In my garden I am not the gardener and am not the plant, Gladioles Murielae, but I am the painter. The relationship is mutually advantageous.
The small painting, Guelph 7:17 a.m. is only 6 x 12”. This painting draws on one in a series of photos marking every few minutes from first light to completion of a sunrise. The photos were taken from a 12th floor window. Six paintings from that series will be shown in the Artist Workshop show. As the artist I was part of the global audience for this stunning experience.
Artists' Workshop Saskatoon 