Conscious Connections

Color Complex – coming out as an artist September 27, 2009

when color showed up _ things began to get more complex.

Color Complex

So far, I’ve not been posting any of the backstory on these drawings so I’ve decided to start including such — maybe this is a bit of coming out of the closet as an artist.

Yesterday I spent the day with a bunch of artists visiting with Ruth Gendler at Kalliopeia Foundation’s lovely location in San Rafael.

This is the first time I ever went to an event as an artist. A bit shocking, I later realized.

[The Drawings started in Dec 2000, after I dropped in on a calligraphy class with Monica Dengo during a free weekend over at Fort Mason. More of that still unfolding story is here.]

So this piece showed up when we were in the last exercise of the workshop. We were exploring the themes of imagination and hands, and after awhile doodling along, I made the mistake of looking up from my work and noticed everyone else at the table was working in color.

For just a moment I had a “complex”. Then immediately looked back down, put pen to paper, and prayed urgently to have it be somehow magically dispelled. This drawing came to my rescue.

When I shared it with the group, there were sighs and chuckles of recognition from others, and Ruth said, “Sometimes it takes hours to make it that simple .. and you did so many!”

My dinner guest (a specialist in life cycle analysis and matrix math and an as-yet-in-the-closet painter) requested a copy too. So I framed it for him as he’s off to the airport this morning, and now I’m posting it in case there’s anyone else out there who is in danger of keeping a color complex.