Setting the stage for Art Night: idea-generating books, bright and diffuse light, plenty of art supplies and (off camera) tasty soup on the stove- spicy pumpkin stew with anadama bread...very inspirational!
For the last few years, PK and I have hosted a series of "Art Nights" as a way to encourage ourselves to paint more. It's been a great way to build enthusiasm for a project and to companionably share our artistic ideas with others. Some years we are more regular about it than others. Lately, we've had so many outside demands on our time that we haven't been having them as often as we like and the absence of shared creative time has been gnawing a hole in us ever since the summer ended. We finally dusted off our brushes and organized our first 2009 Art Night over the holiday break.
For the last few years, PK and I have hosted a series of "Art Nights" as a way to encourage ourselves to paint more. It's been a great way to build enthusiasm for a project and to companionably share our artistic ideas with others. Some years we are more regular about it than others. Lately, we've had so many outside demands on our time that we haven't been having them as often as we like and the absence of shared creative time has been gnawing a hole in us ever since the summer ended. We finally dusted off our brushes and organized our first 2009 Art Night over the holiday break.
PK and a friend in action...
We tend to hold more gatherings in the winter, mostly becuase our lives slow down a little when it's cold outside, and our thoughts tend to turn inwards, towards more contemplative and creative activities. The formula for a successful art night is simple: Invite people over, tell them to bring a current project, and throw some good, simple soup on the stove. These gatherings aren't really parties, they are working get togethers, and it's important to get that across right from the very beginning. When we first started having these, we ran into the "problem" that we have a lot of social friends who wanted to come over and hang out. This is a fabulous problem to have, but we had to be firm about the intent of the gatherings. By stressing that this is a great time to experiment with something new, and by emphasizing that our definition of creative activity is really broad, we have been able to stay true to the focus of the evenings. We've had folks over doing all kinds of activities: Painting, drawing, writing, scrapbooking, fly tying, collage, photoshop and computer art and much much more.
I spent the evening doing watercolor exercises. Like my abs, those muscles have been left unused for far too long. I can't wait to break out the brushes again at the next art gathering...
PK painting ducks...his favorite...
I spent the evening doing watercolor exercises. Like my abs, those muscles have been left unused for far too long. I can't wait to break out the brushes again at the next art gathering...
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