Back in October, I started a new, year-long project to document my ongoing practice of visual exploration. I think of this exploration as central to the work of the artist. I’m calling the project simply “365” and the end result (to the extent that a project like this ever ends) will be 365 small watercolors presented at this year’s Gowanus Open Studios, October 17-18.
I started the project on or about October 19, immediately after last year’s Open Studios, and we are now more or less at the six-month mark. So I’m evaluating how the project is going and taking a first crack at formulating some sort of artist’s statement about the work. I’m also beginning the arduous task of scanning some exemplars of the work. I’m certainly not going to scan all 365 pieces I create!
The project is bookended by the Open Studio event that happens each year in October. I’ve taken part in Gowanus Open Studios every year since 2007, and I’ve often experienced it as the beginning and end of my artistic cycle.
So what goes on in my typical artist’s year? This project seeks to outline just that. It represents a year in the life of the artist — or in other words, a year of practice, process and exploration.
As I said, all of the work created for this project is small (between approximately 3×5 inches and 8×8 inches) and all of the work is watercolor. Included are portraits and self-portraits, improvised sketches and landscapes real and unreal, life-drawing, completely abstract work, flights of the imagination and studies for future larger paintings. All stuff of which the artist’s practice is made.
365 pieces will be displayed in October, and all will be offered to the public on a “pay as you wish” basis. Here are some exemplars of the work created so far. Mark your calendars now! Gowanus Open Studios 2015 is October 17-18.
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