Why do I need a new blog?

Why do I need a new blog? I have many, too many to count and I never blog on my live journal account. But that is not the point. I am creating this blog for my advanced painting class at UTD, to let John and the rest of you know what I am doing to get an A. This is my intention. My instructor John Pomara graciously let me do independent study. So here we are in "art class" via the Internet super highway.

Here is the assignment for the semester.

Since it is the advanced painting class I am not giving assignments but expect everyone to work in their own direction and develop their vision. I am giving the theme of developing "Personal Identity" I am giving only one assignment which is the first one and only one.

1. Imagine you are invited to be in an Exhibition with the title and subject is "Re Framing Painting". It can be interpreted any way you see or think as an artist to make a painting in a new way or perhaps a more conceptual way or just straight ahead traditional painting So I am asking the whole class to start with that theme with a personal connection that speaks or addresses their own identity in some way. This is the only assignment other
then.

1. developing a body of work
2. keeping a sketch book or image book of related ideas to your work and process.
3. read the art magazines

This blog is my online sketch book or image book of ideas. Since my art is so digital in process this makes more sense than a regular book. I do plan however to place it in a Word document and print it out to hand in at the end of the semester.

I told John I have managed to paint a bit since I took his class. I have a group of works going that I want to finish up too along with the assignments. Since my work is very much about personal identity I am grateful to be on the same wave length as the assignments and will not have a adjust my direction much.

I have been mulling over the first assignment this week and have two “paintings” in mind. I will begin blogging about them tomorrow along with the work I have in progress and the new work I plan to do.

This week I have been stretching canvas and priming it with gesso. While I was in my back yard cleaning brushes I wrote a poem. It is the darnedest thing. If I paint I have to write these poems down that just seem to come out. So this one is going into the first assignment.





Motives
The moon
marks out time
it mocks me
measuring
my hearts response
it waxes
and it wanes
it never stays the same
never lies
always wise
and it shines
it's light
on me
surrounded in
mystery
knows my hopes
my fears
my relief
it enters in
my peace
explores
my motives
lays my
heart bare
then
it waxes and wanes
it never stays the same
it never lies
always kind
opens my mind
to see
this mystery
called love…

I also took these pictures that day too and they are going to be four canvases. But not the work with the poem in it. That will be a grid of masonite squares with images of the moon and the poem. I will have my ever present self portrait in a large square in the corner. I will have the masonite cut tomorrow at the Home Depot. I have another work in mind for masonite so I will get that cut too. I have canvas stretchers to order also and some canvas to purchase. ..

I need a list.