Rules

I want to break a rule, my own. My own self imposed rule about my 100 day project. There I said it. I am bored with the acorn. I want to try something else and stick to the medium for longer than a week. I just get into the swing of things on Sunday night. Then I start all over. It is the artistic equivalent to the movie Ground Hog Day.

It seems to me that we get use to rules. There are rules that are suppressive, and wrong, there are others that help us live in harmony.

To  break some rules can be seen as a sign of strength, break others it is a sign of weakness.

Challenging rules can be freeing and a good thing. 

But, when we put forth a set of self imposed rules and break them ---we have let ourselves down and dare I say “failed”. These self imposed rules, regulations, and restricitons may have no rhyme or reason, they may just be trap to keep us from exploring possibilities.

Self imposed rules may be the thing that keeps creativity under lock and chain. It may be the very thing that needs to be avoided.
So while I mull around my own set of limitation for this go around I am going to dedicate the next few posts  about rule setting; abiding by them, the purpose of them and of course breaking them.

 Here are a few quotes to get started as  I am contemplate my dilemma

Thomas Edition said, “Hell, there are no rules here; we're trying to accomplish something.”

Emerson said, “Be true to the highest within your soul and then allow yourself to be governed by no customs or conventionalities or arbitrary man-made rules that are not founded on principle. 

To blossom forth, a work of art must ignore or rather forget all the rules. (Pablo Picasso)

Direction

Take an object. Do something to it. Do something else to it. Do something else to it. (Jasper Johns)

finding reality

benda

"What is real is not the external form, but the essence of things... it is impossible for anyone to express anything essentially real by imitating its exterior surface. "Constantin Brancusi:

"When you see a fish you don't think of its scales, do you? You think of its speed, its floating, flashing body seen through the water... If I made fins and eyes and scales, I would arrest its movement, give a pattern or shape of reality. I want just the flash of its spirit. "Constantin Brancusi:

Simplicity

Constantin Brancusi: The Newborn

"Simplicity is not an objective in art, but one achieves simplicity despite one's self by entering into the real sense of things.  Constantin Brancusi

things to do with your 100 day project

I now have dozens of acorns around my house and on my table. At this point I am wondering why the acorn? What  can I possibly do with it, to it, for 100 days? I am at the 33 day mark. 1/3 of the way. I wonder what will become of all these acorns and what will they morph into in the next 64 days.
Here is one thing I have done. Made some gift tags. I knitted the bag and felted it. It will be a Christmas gift for someone this year. Notice the tag in the corner.

Color

painting by Hans Hoffman

"The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the
mystic realm of color. Our entire being is nourished by it. This mystic
quality of color should likewise find expression in a work of art." Hans
Hoffman, Artist

Display

I have found that with my past project display is key...watching them grow, as in the case with the above photo. I did a bird a day for 100 days. ( sometimes I did more). This time around I have not hung up my acorns. I miss this aspect to the project and see the value in display. Especially when you feel like you are stuck, not uncommon of a feeling about 1/3 of the way through.