CHANGING THINGS UP IN THE STUDIO
By Dustan Knight Tarbell
Dear fellow artists. Sometimes it is just fun to try different materials than you are accustomed to using. I have been painting many small canvas of birch trees for the holiday season and, yes it was fun, and everyone was unique and each showed me a new combination of elements and colors. Shapes and formats, but I got a tiny bit bored.
So as 2022 roared into town I thought I would try something
new and surprising.
I visited some of the woodworking shops in the studio
building and found interesting wood scrapes. I was so excited.
Something about sorting through a heap of wood blocks and placing them together is so relaxing and meditative.
My initial excitement changed to me feeling overwhelmed by
the options of how to use the new
material, paint them…. All one color?... add glitter….splash and drip
paint….put them on canvas….add metal pieces. For several days I didn’t know
what to do.
Then I needed to stay simple, move slowly. That helped. I
have a drill and a bottle of wood glue.
One day I built three sculptures. It took all day. It was wonderful and I had wood glue going everywhere.
My head was full of self-congratulations that evening
leaving the studio.
The next day when I attempted to hang the pieces on the wall, they all let go. They fell to their original pieces.
Suddenly I remembered that this was why I had decided not to
use these materials in the past!
This morning I am filled with resolve to fabricate them
using hardware, nails, screws, glue and my drill.
This is the fun of being an artist, the excitement of making something cool from nothing, the magic of it and taking on the challenge of it.
Happy New Year, Dusty
