Art Connects Us

“Art helps us identify with one another and expands our notion of we—from the local to the global.”

                                                                -Olafur Eliasson

We have been in Florida for the past month. Although I am away from my studio, I still have found so many opportunities for continuing to paint, draw, and collage.

My weekly schedule includes an afternoon painting group on Tuesdays and a plein-air group on Thursday mornings. I have taken a book arts class and collage class at a local art center. I have  also been taking a collage class on-line. In all of these groups feedback is either through posting work on a facebook page or critiques at the end of class period. 

I’m always surprised at how different our creative visions are. Creation really does bring out the best in people. I am amazed by how much we all can love so many different styles and techniques. We use our style and technique when we work on our own interpretations in a watercolor or a collaged page for an altered book. The diversity of creation is eye-popping. People are remarkable aren’t they?

These past weeks I have worked with people from all over the United States and from all over the world. The most interesting part of these classes is that we make every day what all the politicians all over the world can’t: we make peace, we respect each other, we encourage each other, and we hold each other in high esteem. 

So I will hop off my soap box.

Today maybe a good time to post some pages from my book class. This book was created from two manila file folders. I will be teaching this class through community education (Alexandria, MN) later this spring.

Thanks for reading and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!