Art & Life Deep in The Heart of Texas

December ~ Home

2009-12-31T09:31:00.003-06:00

It's New Year's Eve, and all of us are whipped from our trip to Atlanta. Actually, I think I'm whipped from all the trips I've made this year. We arrived home last night, went to bed around 8pm, and most of my family is still sleeping. I'm waiting for a slight rise in temp before I take the big, red dog out on a Sabbath Walk - reinvigorating for both of us.

December has been a whirlwind month. My father died earlier in the month at the age of 88. I was with him for the last six days of his life, came home to spend Christmas with my family and then we all left the day after Christmas to attend his memorial service, bury and spread his ashes. I'll say it again, I'm exhausted right now. My exhaustion, however, is taken care of easily by some morning yoga, Sabbath Walks, accupuncture, journaling and talking.

A year ago in November, I had to move my father to a nursing home, hire a geriatric case manager and an elder law attorney. They were both invaluable to me in what was a very difficult situation. My father had saved for his retirement years all of his life, but he lived longer than his money could provide for. I had to enroll him in Georgia Medicaid, find a nursing home that would take a medicaid patient, change doctors and get to know his new caregivers; all the time dealing with the profound loss and abandonment he felt due to the fact that his wife was being cared for at home by her daughters. The separation from his wife was, at times, too much for him to bear. What was difficult for me was dealing with the anger projection, from what seemed like all sides.

Being the child who lives out of state is an extraordinarily difficult situation to be in. If you find yourself caring for an aging parent with chronic health problems in a situation where a sibling or step-sibling lives out of state, please extend some grace, pay attention to your anger projection and realize that, even though we live out of state, we love them too and want the best for them. In the situation with my father, I had to step in to make sure he received good care. I'm so thankful for the staff at Grace Healthcare of Tucker for their extraordinary kindness to my dad. Thom Corrigan, my geriatric case manager with Metta Johnson & Associates in Atlanta, also went above and beyond the call of duty to step into a very difficult situation. He supported me and guided me well. The attorney, Patti Elrod-Hill, expedited the medicaid process and made things easier for us all. Crossroads Hospice in Atlanta loved him well during the past eight months.

Truthfully, I didn't have the closest of relationships with my Dad; there were old wounds that were just difficult to heal. I did, though, experience healing for myself and for him during his last few days. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to care for him this last year. I provided him with a safe and caring home to live out his last year, and I accomplished my goal of making sure his passing would be one with dignity and that he would be surrounded with love. All creatures deserve that.

Here are some final thoughts ~

When he died on December 12, he was mourning yet another death, that of Emily, his wife, just two months earlier. I called him on Sunday, December 6, his birthday, to wish a happy birthday to him and to let him know that a gift of cookies was on its way. We had a short conversation; he seemed happy to hear my voice. The last words he said to me on that day were “I love you.” I responded in kind saying, “I love you too, dad.”

The next morning, I received a call from Carolyn Nobles at Grace Healthcare telling me that he was unresponsive and that I probably needed to come into town. I arrived in Atlanta late that evening and saw him the next morning. He couldn’t move his arms or legs, could barely speak and slightly opened one eye. I met with the medical team later that morning to plan for his care. He’d been hospitalized about six to eight months earlier and during that visit had asked me to agree not to send him to the hospital anymore. During that visit, he was placed on hospice care. On Tuesday morning, I asked him if he was in pain. Leaning in close to hear his answer, he managed to say “no.” I told him that I’d met with the medical team and had made the decision to make him comfortable, to ensure he would not experience any pain and to let him go peacefully. I said to him, “Is this okay?” Leaning in close so that I could hear, he replied “okay.” That was the last word my father spoke to me, and on the following Saturday evening, he died peacefully.

So, a new year begins, and I pray that memories be blessed and that all of us know and experience the grace to care for one another with loving care. God knows, we need it in this world.

Part II - Art, Life & Coffee with Dallas Artist Willie Baronet

2009-11-29T21:51:00.006-06:00

At the end of Part I, Willie and I were in dialogue about the creative life, and he reflected that at the root of any type of creative endeavor, he believes that we're all trying to find a way to feel like we matter and that we're loved, a universal yearning of the human heart. His comment comes from both his journey as an artist and as a man. The conversation continues with a very intimate and personal twist. Enjoy!

The drawing above is original art by Willie Baronet.

CH: So you were referencing The Mankind Project?

Willie Baronet: Yes.

CH: Tell me about that.

Willie Baronet: Sure. It's an international, non-profit organization. There are centers all over the US and several other countries, including South Africa, Russia, New Zealand, several countries in Europe and Canada. It's an organization formed in the mid-80's by three men who saw a need for a modern day rite-of-passage to replace what used to happen in ancient cultures and tribes for thousands of years, basically that boys had ways to become men. Elders in a tribe took a young boy in the middle of the night away from his parents to teach him, through some ordeal, what it meant to be a mature man. When they brought him back from the tribe, he was now transformed. In all different kinds of cultures, there are all kinds of ways that happened. It was a very common thing that happened for men.

In the United States and in the western world since the industrial revolution, when men began to go to the cities to work and boys began being raised by their moms, they no longer had the experience of being an apprentice to their dad; for instance, working on a farm alongside their dad, grandfathers or another man. In the western world, in some cases, that had been the tradition of how boys became men, being next to a man and absorbing what that meant. So for several generations, I believe, boys did not have that. The 50's came along with John Wayne and Gary Cooper, and boys at that time learned that they were not to have or show any emotions. They were supposed to be the way the guys in the movies were. The 60's came along and there was a resurgence of the Women's Movement, and men were trying to figure out who they were in relation to women. Were they now to be "touchy-feely?" I personally think there was a feminization of masculinity around that time. So there were a lot of Men's Movements that developed in the early 80's, and I think it was a reaction to the questions of "who the hell are we? I always feel guilty. I never feel complete."

The weekend which is called the New Warrior Training Adventure is the core experience for The Mankind Project and was developed to give men a modern day rite-of-passage. It's based on the traditional Hero's Journey of descent, ordeal and re-emergence. It's an intense, emotionally exhausting experience that men from all walks of life and all religions choose to do. I did my weekend back in December of 2000, and I'm proud to be a part of my 35th weekend, as a staffer, in London in December. It's just been an amazing, magical experience for me, to be a part of men doing this work. What happens after the weekend event is that men form what we call "I Groups', the "I" stands for integration. I've been in my group now for nine years. It's a group of 10-12 guys I meet with once a week, doing this work and integrating it into my life. Just watching them do this, having a profound experience and then work to make what they've learned a part of their lives, for me, well, it's the best game on the planet as far as I'm concerned. I've read a lot of works on self-awareness and self-development, and I've done lots of therapy. All of it's good in different ways for me; it's all been great, but this experience in particular [The Mankind Project] has been magical. I've experienced healing doing this work that I simply wasn't able to do any other way. I grew up afraid of men, so this experience has been powerful for me.

CH: I wondered if there was some connection between your work with The Mankind Project and the video project [2 Letters - A Work in Progress] you're currently working on with your dad?

Willie Baronet: Without a doubt. My first therapy experience started back in 1989, and I was in a therapy group in 1993 when my dad and I exchanged letters; that's the basis for the video project. That was long before I became involved with The Mankind Project, that exchange marked the beginning of that journey. It's been miraculous, the relationship we've re-created together. My mom died in 2003 of lung cancer. She died five weeks after diagnosis. That was yet another big experience that Dad and I went through that I think continued to strengthen our relationship. I'm so grateful for that. The Mankind Project added to the work I'd begun with dad. As I became more aware of myself, I became more compassionate with him. He's an amazing man. In the era he grew up in, therapy really was not an option most people chose. He was John Wayne. For him to be open and in this process with me has been amazing.

CH: I found it to be very moving. It was incredible to watch it unfold. It's beautiful. I'm looking forward to seeing your dad read his letter.

Willie Baronet: Well, I've already got that on video. I just haven't edited it yet. His letter is amazing. The truth is - me reading his letter? I broke down immediately. I could hardly get through the first paragraph. He was very composed during his reading of it. I was impressed. I was not composed [laughing].

CH: I think it's harder for children who've experienced fear with their parent(s)...to come to a point to really understand what that fear or trauma has done to their heart and capacity for compassion. In my experience with my own father, I've seen how extremely difficultand courageous it is to reach that deep part of oneself and take responsibility for the harm done to another human being. It's hard work, but worth it, to get to that point of accepting responsiblity and holding oneself accountable, for the harm we've done and ask for forgiveness.

Willie Baronet: Yes. [pause] Yes. And he did it so beautifully. At the time I wrote the letter to him 16 years ago, it was confrontational. In my mind there was no one who could stand up to my dad. I'm the oldest kid in my family. I wrote it, sent it and had the support of my group at the time. I was scared. In my head he was going to get this letter and either never speak to me again or drop dead of a heart attack because it was going to be that big of a shock to him. From the time I mailed it to the time he responded, three months later, I was a basket-case.

Yet during that time [of waiting] I had a really profound dream three or fours days before his letter came to me. In the dream, he shot me. We were at the dinner table, sitting at each corner and my brother, who is 11 months younger than me, was sitting off to the side. I don't know that any words were spoken, but my dad pulled out a gun and in slow motion he shot me. The bullet, in slow motion, went through my heart. I had a physical reaction to the dream, and it felt like my heart turned upside down in my body. I woke up gasping for air.

Fortunately, I had group the next day. I shared the dream in my group; I was so shaken and afraid. My therapist, who I've known for a long time - I trust him and have a lot of respect for him - reframed the dream for me. I was so distraught. He said, "what if I told you that this letter you've written to your dad is a really significant event and what you're wanting to get out of this, the growth that you're seeking, is like a rebirth?"

CH: Yes.

Willie Baronet: "And for that birth to happen, something has to die. There's a piece of you that has to die so that the new you who is not afraid, who is a man who can stand on his own - all of that can happen from what you're doing." Well, I'm soaking that up like it was the best thing ever, and I thought "that's it." The dream was transformed for me. I was just floating after that session. Three days later, his letter arrived. I had to write myself a letter before I could get to the point where I could open the envelope. I had to put his letter down three times while I was reading it just to cry. He wrote things that made sense of my whole life.

CH: What a gift.

Willie Baronet: Oh,...yes. I don't know if it's in the rough cut of the video, but his letter to me is my most prized possession.

CH: You did say that.

Willie Baronet: It's the truth.

CH: I wish it could be that way for everyone.

Willie Baronet: Me too.

CH: I found it to be very moving. I loved it. I love how you're bringing this project, your journey, to life.

Willie Baronet: Thank you.

Next and final installment, Willie and I talk about art, technology, advocacy, his own creative process, the soul and art, as well as, thoughts on turning 50. Check back in a few weeks!

Art, Life & Coffee with Dallas Artist Willie Baronet

2009-11-19T13:50:00.016-06:00

Last Friday, I sat down in the West Village Starbucks with my friend Willie Baronet, an Artist and Lifecoach here in Dallas. Willie was the founding partner of the advertising and design firm, MasonBaronet. He recently sold his portion of the company and has returned to graduate school at The University of Texas at Dallas where he is working toward a MFA in Art & Technology.

This interview was so enjoyable and fascinating. Willie thinks and feels deeply, and his voice and art reflect that depth. The interview will be posted in three parts. In part one you'll read about Willie's thoughts on the creative life, his recent solo show "Home?" which is still showing at the Hal Samples Gallery in Deep Ellum, and his thoughts on fear and the creative life. In the second installment, we talk about culture, rights of passage, integration, relationships with our fathers and Willie's work with The Mankind Project. In the final installment, you'll read about Willie's thoughts on art and technology, the conception of artwork, his creative process, the soul and art, as well as, thoughts on turning 50.

I hope you thoroughly enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it with Willie. Sit back, read, learn something new and enjoy a peek into the heart and process of Dallas Artist Willie Baronet.

CH: Willie, when did you know that you were an artist?

Willie Baronet: That is a really complex question because I have been drawing avidly since I was a little kid. In fact, my mom framed a drawing I did of Snoopy at age seven. I remember entering and winning a local coloring contest at the local butcher shop. I won three art books with supplies. I immediately got a sketch book and drew everything in those books. I came from a family where art was not part of our conversations, but my parents did their best to support me. In some ways, I think my parents were baffled by me.

So, when you ask about when I knew I was an artist, the truth is after my entire professional career in advertising/design where I was a Creative Director and an Art Director, I didn't come to think of myself as an artist until a couple of years ago.

CH: Has that understanding happened while you've been in graduate school?

Willie Baronet: Probably before I began graduate school, but just before I started.

CH: You're working on your MFA?

Willie Baronet: Yes, in Art & Technology. I'll be finished in another year, year and a half.

CH: What has that been like for you?

Willie Baronet: It's been incredible. I had interviewed a local gallery owner, Marti Walker, who owns a contemporary art gallery. She was kind enough to talk with me; I was interviewing her because at the time, I was taking some painting classes at the contemporary art center. Marti talked about her graduate school experience, and I knew before that conversation was over that I would go back to study art in some way. I began the process of interviewing schools and checking out grants. I knew that what I really wanted was the stimulation, the structure, and the rigorous feedback. It's hard to get that. In the advertising world, I was always getting feedback from clients and co-workers, but I didn't really have it as I was exploring my art. Graduate school has given me that and deconstructed my brain in some ways which has been very, very, fun, exciting and difficult. I feel very alive being in school.

CH: What's the most profound insight you've gained, from the experience in a MFA program, about the creative life?

Willie Baronet: Probably redefining for myself what art can be. I've taken Art History, and I've learned about art and artists up to Picasso and Matisse. Yet, for the last 50 years, I found that I was ignorant about a lot of contemporary art even though I loved going to contemporary museums - MOMA and such.
In this last couple of years in school, I have been bombarded by examples of art that's been created in the past three to four decades, and it has completely expanded my brain around what art can be.

Art doesn't have to be an object. It can be a happening,something that exists in digital space only. I've also participated in a Virtual Art Show that happened at a social networking site. It lasted for some days online, and then it was gone. That's probably been the biggest insight, expanding my belief about what art is. What that means for me is that I realize now that I don't necessarily have to make a "thing."

CH: What do you enjoy doing the most in your creative life?

Willie Baronet: At different times, I enjoy different things. I enjoy the ideation phase, when I'm trying to come up with ideas for something, maybe from nothing, but it may be also about an idea like the homeless show, exploring where all that can go. At other times, I love drawing, getting lost at either looking at something or drawing from an idea in my head. Then other times, I love seeing art, talking with other artists, getting feedback and discussing art with other people.

And, of course, I've had my first experience of doing a solo show. There were parts of putting that show together that were grueling and inbelievably difficult. Yet, it was very rewarding to bring that project to fruition, seeing other people there, talking with them about it, and seeing them have the experience of new insight or transformation. I loved seeing people at that show experiencing that.

CH: I, too, loved the show. I especially loved the video you made as part of the show. My experience of watching that with others was very moving. I loved hearing all the different reactions of the people. Most of our reactions were deeply felt. It was obvious that folks were deeply moved. I stood in the room and listened to our sighs and heard people connecting with the plea of the image. Also, because the images made us feel uncomfortable, there was nervous laughter, which is only a natural human response. As human beings, when we're faced with something that makes us feel uncomfortable or afraid, sometimes our first impulse is to laugh, but then we catch ourselves and realize what we're witnessing. I'm interested in how people observe and respond to art. The show really worked to provoke deep thought about the reality of suffering in the world and the plight of the homeless.

Willie Baronet: Well, you know I did not get to, even once, go into that room during the show. So, it's very rewarding to hear you share that.

CH: It was great. I loved the sound you included - the cars, the traffic, it was so effective.

Willie Baronet: Yes, that was me driving and recording for 35 minutes. I had to record it a couple of times to get the sound I wanted. There was also the mix of the radio at a low volume, my own car accelerating, and the sound the traffic nearby. It was quite a process. I've been taking digital video and sound design in school which has also expanded my awareness about what is possible and some of the tools I can use to execute a vision for my work.

CH: You mentioned it was grueling. What was the most grueling thing about bringing the show together?

Willie Baronet: [emphatically] Hanging it. Hanging it and possibly creating some of the mirror pieces. There were some broken mirrors that I had to reassemble, lift and glue together. It was a lot of manual labor. I think I had 14 pieces hanging in there. The packing, loading, unloading and hanging was just tough work. Moving the pieces, lifting, packing, loading, unloading - it all became part of my msucle memory. So, I was physically tired after hanging the show.

CH; I have my own thoughts about the pieces which were mounted on mirrors, but I'd like to hear your thoughts behind it. What were you trying to create in the viewer?

Willie Baronet: I think what I was trying to do was to provide a space for the viewer to bring whatever the viewer had in him or her to those pieces. I didn't have any expectations of what I wanted them to think, but I wanted to provide a space that would allow them to confront themselves in whatever way that might be - attittudes, beliefs, themselves.

CH: I thought it was very effective. When I looked at those pieces, I saw myself moving across the mirror, then caught myself gazing, almost hiding, at the sign and message. I was very much aware of my discomfort. I realized if I focused on the sign, I wouldn't have to confront myself so visually, thinking about the possibility that a catastrophe could happen, and that could very well be me. In reality, homelessness affects all of us.

Willie Baronet: Yes, especially in these days. It's becoming more real for a lot of people.

CH: Yes, I felt a commonality and deep compassion. It was a real confrontation for me. I initially felt uncomfortable, but as I befriended my discomfort, it waned and my discomfort changed to compassion. I began to imagine the story of the person behind the sign.

Willie Baronet: What's interesting about your reflection is that this whole project began because of my own discomfort with homeless people and my trying to figure out a way to be less uncomfortable. That desire is what provoked me into buying the signs from people on the street in the first place.

People who know me well know that I'm the kind of person who likes to make others uncomfortable in a certain way. I like to confront people, not that I'm mean in the confrontation, but out of my own curiosity. All of the questions I can't answer for myself, I seek answers by provoking others.I've been thinking about that ever since the show's been up. The curiosity, questioning, and provoking a response is just a part of who I am and always will be. I like to see people squirm a little bit. I believe that in those moments, real growth and real learning happens. I enjoy it. When I was working in advertising, the work I most enjoyed was the work that was provocative and controversial. As long as it's not boring, I'm happy.

CH: Yes, I understand that.

I'd like to switch to a different focus. Let me ask you about your personal style. In my research, I read some of your previous interviews. I especially enjoyed your interview with Texas Design. You were asked about creative people and your management style.

Here's the quote - your answer (from In Transition with Willie Baronet, Texas Design). "I believe that all people tend to rise to the best of their abilities when they are really listened to, and really understood, and also when they are encouraged. I guess the word compassion is what comes up for me because most people, I believe, tend to not live up to their abilities when they are afraid. And I believe that when a manager can be compassionate and encouraging on a regular basis, I believe that really is a big key to helping people really excel at the level that they can. Does that make sense?"

When I read that, expecially the part of your answer about not living up to our abilites when we're afraid, my thoughts turned to artists [and honestly, myself as well]. This probably sounds stereotypical, actually it is, but I do believe artists deal with fear in many ways because it takes courage to put your work out, and it takes a lot of discipline to continue to work in the studio day after day. Speaking for myself, I'm plagued with nagging questions like "How are people going to react to my work? Will I ever sell my artwork? Am I going to continue to have this creative spark?"

So I'm wondering what you would have to say about art, creativity and fear? What would you say to artists about fear and the managment of themselves as artists and with respect to the inner life?

Willie Baronet: Well, you said "managing themselves;" that is a really good way to put it. My belief about fear is that fear is hard-wired in us. Somewhere in our ancient history, it's what saved our asses. We were scared, so we ran so that we'd not be eaten by a saber-tooth tiger. So there is an element about fear that is self-preserving, that is healthy and good. For instance, I'm walking down a deserted alley and I hear footsteps coming behind me. Fear happens because there's something in me that says "now's a good time to pay attention because your ass is in trouble here." So because of that, what I believe about fear and when I'm coaching somebody about fear, what I want them to understand is that fear is good. Fear is a signal to pay attention.

When you spoke about managing onself, what I really believe the drill is, is this: that we not try to keep fear from occurring because it will occur. Fear is a natural part of being human. Fear can be useful if we're aware of it. What I've done in my life is that I've let fear debilitate me or cause me to lash out. When I'm conscious about it, when I'm aware of it, then I let it be a tool. I let it be a light that shines on something for me. I really belive fear can motivate me, it can drive me and can show me, perhaps, something that I need to be aware of.

I believe that fear is about the future. It's about what might happen, not necessarily at that moment. If I have that awareness, I can be better at making a decision right now. I used to get paralyzed, scared, would wait to the last minute and cause myself all kinds of additional stress, additional constraints that caused my work to be less than it could be. If I'd used fear in a better way back then, I might've let it motivate me to take some steps to do what I wanted to do.That was convoluted, but do you follow me?

CH: Yes, I do follow you. I don't think your answer was convoluted at all. So, would you say that's true for artists as well?

Willie Baronet: Yes, and I'm in the camp where artists are no different from anybody else. What I believe is that everybody has a piece of themselves that is creative in some way, and we have a desire to express that in some way.

CH: I agree.

Willie Baronet: Some choose to create in different ways and at different levels. People who label themselves as artists are people, who I believe, most of the time, are people who've decided that some portion of their time is going to be spent doing this stuff they label as art. I just don't think artists are different from any other person. A lot of what I judge to be the stereotypical traits people place on artists happens because I do think a highter percentage of people who call themselves artists are people who have been terribly wounded, or who maybe felt very misunderstood more than a lot of kids, and art is a way for them to feel more accepted or a way for them to accept themselves.

CH: Maybe to express what can't be put into words.

Willie Baronet: That too, yes. I also do a lot of work with men in a men's organization I'm a part of [The Mankind Project], so I get to hear men talking of their pasts and their issues. The more I hear, the more I believe that, in many ways, we're all the same. We're all trying to find a way to feel like we matter, that we're loved, and there's an infinite number of ways we can go about that to make it happen.

CH: I think what you just said is a universal yearning of the human heart.

Willie Baronet: Right, yes it is.

Next installment - Willie and I talk about culture, rights of passage, integration, relationships with our fathers, and his work with The Mankind Project. Check back in a few weeks!

Recent Drawings

2009-11-15T16:52:00.001-06:00

A recent portait - David.

Landscape of Desire ~ Woman

2009-11-15T16:50:00.000-06:00

Another abstract nude - this is Landscape of Desire ~ Woman. It's currently showing through the month of November at It's a Grind Coffeehouse in Dallas.

Recent Drawings

2009-11-15T16:48:00.000-06:00

I'm posting some drawings I've done in recent months. This is Landscape of Desire ~ Man. It's been sold.

The Art of Production ~ A Conversation with Justin Nygren, Co-founder and Producer for ArtLoveMagic

2009-11-11T21:52:00.010-06:00

I recently sat down with Justin Nygren, Co-Founder of Dallas' own ArtLoveMagic. Justin's passion is producing live events for artists and art lovers. Here he talks about his thoughts on production and the magic behind the "magic."

CH: What do ArtLoveMagic's live events do for the community?

JN: Simply, when we produce a show, we believe we're changing the cultural landscape of Dallas [more on that later in the conversation].

CH: What led you to this point in your life, your work with ArtLoveMagic and your passion for promoting artists?

JN: A few years ago, I had an experience where my whole perspective on life completely and totally changed. We were coming back from an artists' gathering in Colorado, and a friend of mine was driving the car.We hit a patch of ice, at 75 mph, and found ourselves between two semi-trailers, spinning between them. We were thrown into a ditch where the car tumbled end over end and finally stopped on the other side of the road. We all walked away - me, my wife, my 11 month old son and our friend who was driving the car.

I had been pastoring a church at that point for seven years, and it caused me to ask myself this question. If I had died, if that day had marked the end of my life, would I actually have been satisfied with the story that my life told? It wasn't a bad story, but it wasn't my story. My life to that point was a story someone else had given me. When I'd experienced a desire to lead, to make changes, I became a pastor. However, the whole time I was in that role, I was fighting, punching the confines of the box. I just wasn't satisfied with pastoring a church.

CH: So, you experienced a transformation, trying to find your life's purpose?

JN: Yes, I've gone through different seasons. The latest season has been since the wreck in Colorado, when I basically had to take inventory of my life and discover what I'm supposed to be doing as an individual.

Coming to know my life's purpose informs all that I do as a producer. For me, production stems from identity, who you are as an individual, because what you create is an extension of your heartbeat. When I work with people who want to produce, I begin by asking them: "Why are you doing this? Why are you creating this event? What do you want to see as the result?"

Our tag line from the beginning of ArtLoveMagic was simply that our live events would tear down the wall between the creator [artist] and the spectator, thus changing the cultural landscape. In a standard gallery, you walk in and find art on the walls, but where's the artist? If you're at the gallery reception, you may get a few words from the artist, but you'll never watch them in their element, you'll never watch their creative process. You'll never see them bear their soul, if you will, to the world. It's not our normal perception of reality to be able to see into the artist's world.

What I'm passionate about is artists. My art is creating space to understand artists, to create space for artists to live out who they are in public.

CH: I've experienced, in the live shows, a real community spirit being formed. Working in one's studio day after day can sometimes be an isolating experience. Would you agree?

JN: Yes. We are drawn to community as human beings. By nature, we feed off of another's experience. We feed off of their negative and positive critique. We need that feedback to move forward. So this is also a part of my passion. This is my desire, to create space for healthy artist relationships.

CH: What are your thoughts about The Girl Show?

JN: The Girl Show came from the realization that, in the first two years of ArtLoveMagic, 75% to 90% of the people who stepped up to make the organization solid and help it move forward were women. We try to keep a good balance of men and women in all the shows. Yet, we're also aware that women experience exclusion in our society. Look at the workplace, churches, everywhere else - typically the men go to the forefront of the organization. This is not the way it's supposed to be. We're all human. We're all beautiful. Let's make it that way. We realized that our sisters were making this organization happen. We decided that we needed a night just for them. We needed a night that would make them shine. It was a great success. Why? Because the heartbeat of the show was to celebrate our sisters. This is the message. These women rock. I see it as a celebration.

CH: Tell me about production in general.

JN: When we create shows at ArtLoveMagic, there's always a theme. When people come to a show, whether it's Underground, Girl Show or the monthly Art & Coffee gatherings, people walk away with a good understanding of what we're trying to do. They understand the spirit and the theme.

I encourage producers to (1) figure out what you love to do, what's your personal passion and (2) who do you love as a people group, that is, who are you drawn to and who do you want to encourage? Finally (3) what tools do you bring that can drive you to create something magical?

Good organizational tools are key to good production. For the producer, that typically means pulling together diverse people and connections to make an event happen. You also have to have a vision, decide what your big picture is and work to make it a reality.

To summarize, those who are interested in producing have to ask themselves "What am I passionate about? Who do I love? What skills do I bring to the task?" For production, all these elements go into creating an event.

CH: Thank you Justin. Enjoy the magic!

Autumn Trees

2009-11-03T14:00:00.001-06:00

Ok, here's the final image - no. 3 filter, 40 sec exposure - it'll be framed and turned in tomorrow for the show!

Darkroom Work

2009-11-03T08:49:00.004-06:00

Yesterday in the darkroom, I worked on this image, refining it, testing different filters and exposure times. I really like the image, but I may go in one more time and make a minor adjustment - testing a lighter filter.

This image will be the one I print for my first 16x20 fiber print tomorrow. Hope it turns out well.

This is also the image I'll be submitting for a Student Show - only one piece allowed. The show will held at The Arts Gallery on the campus of Collin College from November 16 to December 5, 2009.

All Hallow's Eve

2009-11-01T20:07:00.005-06:00

Halloween was so much fun this year! I love this fun, crazy holiday. I also adore making kids happy and filling their pumpkins with candy. As an added treat to my neighborhood kids, we lit Tiki Torches out front, four to be exact, lining our path and steps as the kids approached our home. One little boy exclaimed, "Mommy, I walked through fire!" Let's see, we met an assortment of Princesses and Queens (Cleopatra among them), a golfer, Spider Man, Super Man, ghosts and ghouls, witches and firefighters ~ all very happy.

After the stream of kids to our door died down, Peter and I, dressed as dead poets, went to Carol's Halloween Party in Dallas. I'm part of a group of artists, writers and musicians who meet weekly to discuss the creative life and process. Carol Peyron, a local visual and book artist, facilitates our group. She and her husband also kindly open their home on Halloween and give us a place to gather and party on All Hallow's Eve. Sappho, William Carlos Williams, Georgia O'Keefe, Salvador Dali, the Sun, Zorro, Indiana Jones, a few witches and other fun people filled her home. We had a great time. It's so good spend time with folks who share common values, a passion and curiosity about life and a creative spirit.

Miscellany

2009-10-30T21:05:00.005-05:00

So many wonderful things happened today. Two of my works are on display at It's a Grind Coffeehouse in Deep Ellum. I met Amanda early this morning to learn, from the master, the art of hanging a show. It was a great morning, and I'm so thrilled to see my work displayed in a unique venue such as this. It's a Grind is a venture of The Demeter Project, an organization whose goal is to change the American workplace by providing opportunity and a living wage to service workers. The project's values fit my own. I'm quite honored to be able to show my work there. Getting to It's a Grind is easy. Simply hop on the DART Green Line, exit at Baylor Hospital, and as you walk off the rail platform you'll be greeted by It's a Grind. My work, together with other ArtLoveMagic artists will be on display and for sale during the month of November.

I'm also preparing a photographic piece for a Student Show at Collin College. I've been learning the techniques of black and white photography and recently shot several rolls of film on the theme of spirituality. I learned quite a bit while shooting that project, not only about the camera, light and composition, but also about myself. I set out to our little spot of urban wilderness and began shooting trees.

Being drawn to trees, mountains and the wilderness comes naturally for me. I always feel at home in the woods, connected to wonder and mystery. When I was a young girl growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, I spent quite a bit of time at the Fernbank Science Center, and I can still picture in my mind the lushness of that urban landscape and hear the lectures about the life cycles of trees and the wonder of nature. I was hooked from a young age.

So as I walked through the woods near our home, really seeing and noticing the environment, I decided to photograph trees and try to capture the falling leaves - Autumn in its glory. Each composition, each photograph was a lesson in learning to see and hear, as well as, a lesson in patience. The image would be set, and I'd be standing with my camera & tripod waiting - waiting for the perfect moment to open the shutter, waiting for the perfect moment when the wind carried the leaves down to the earth. For some of the images, I stood in complete silence for 30 to 40 minutes. I stood among the trees, listening for the wind, feeling its presence, learning to be patient with nature's unfolding. As I stood in the silence, I listened to my deep, inner self and realized I was being taught to be patient with my own unfolding as well. It was holy time, sabbath time, divine time. I was blessed.

Oil & Oil Pastel Paintings

2009-07-28T15:19:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking about a project and jumped into it today. My goal? To create as many paintings as I can with only the materials I have in my studio. I just finished one today - I've been working on it for a couple of months. It's part of a tryptich - 3 paintings on birchboard. I lay down an initial layer of oil pastel and then using a palette knife, paint with oil on top. I do like the affect! It has a very dreamy quality to it, dream-like with lots of action and energy!

As I was working today, I became aware of why I like to paint on birchboard - I'm a very physical painter. I put a lot of emotion into my work and the creation process itself is one of great physicality. What's great about working on a board is that I can push the paint around as energtically and aggresively as I like, and I'll never poke a hole in it!

Today was fun!

Joy, Spontaneity, Playfuness - Dance

2009-07-20T07:50:00.006-05:00

This past weekend was one filled with dance and joy. On Friday evening, we dropped in on Obzeet in Plano to grab a light dinner and listen to some live music. When the band started to play, an older couple (probably close to 70) began to dance, and they danced with abandon. I love to watch people dance, especially those who feel so comfortable with each other and within their own skin, that it matters not how the body moves. They exhibited an exhuberance for life and moved their bodies with abandon, smiling and laughing the whole time. Watching them dance filled me with happiness.

On Saturday evening, we ventured to Fort Worth to attend the 6th Annual Modern Dance Festival at the Modern. Oh, what a wonderful evening! My favorite piece was "Choking the Earth? Just Take Off Those Clothes and Join the Water in D-Flat." It moved me in so many ways - a sad recognition of how soul-robbing our modern technology can be and the joy availabe to us in life when we shed the clothes of our technology dependence and overwork. Of course, our technology helps us to stay connected with each other and work more efficiently, but when we allow it to overtake our lives, it can rob our souls of the joy, playfulness and spontaneity of this embodied life. Once the dancers "shed their clothes," the joy and playfulness returned. It was a beautiful piece to watch.

Seeing women of all shapes and sizes feel so comfortable in their own skin, moving with such beauty and using their movement together with music to uplift and challenge the audience was a beautiful art.

Living with spontaneity, joy and playfulness, being comfortable in our own skin and moving with beauty are aspects of living we can all possess. Turn on the radio, put on a CD and move your body. It will open up closed places inside of you and fill you with joy!

Craighead's Sacred Marriage

2009-06-12T09:23:00.006-05:00

An image from her series titled "Sacred Marriage."

More Musings on Meinrad Craighead

2009-06-12T09:04:00.014-05:00

Craighead's work continues to fill my thoughts. Perhaps this has something to do with the vivid dream-life I'm experiencing right now. Inspiration? Appreciation of the beauty she creates, the depth of emotion I feel when viewing her work? Probably all and more. Additionally, this year marks a significant milestone in my life - my husband and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage. About 10 years ago, Craighead created a series titled "Sacred Marriage" based on the Song of Songs. The images of the lovers which came to her are magnificent. I think of these images as we work on creating a ritual meaningful to mark this day in our lives.

So, I'd like to share with you some of those images and a few of my favorite pieces of her artwork. To learn more about Meinrad Craighead and her work, check out her website, http://www.meinradcraighead.com/.

The image appearing in the top left corner is of her original work titled "Mother and Daughter."

Peace,
Charlise

Meinrad Craighead - Who is the Artist?

2009-06-09T16:30:00.012-05:00

I've found myself thinking often in recent days of the artist Meinrad Craighead. Painting out of her dream and spiritual life, her art is so deeply moving to me. I first met her at workshop in seminary; she has such a calm countenance and a beautiful smile. Then last year I read an article about her published in the National Catholic Reporter. The image created in my mind still moves me.

It is Craighead's ritual to rise each day and pour half a glass of water onto the soil outside of her New Mexico home. She lifts the cup and then drinks the remainder of the water. Her prayer in this ritual is "You have given me this life. This is my daily prayer. You're going to take care of me." She begins her day with gratitude and trust.

I try also to begin my days with gratitude and trust, gratitude for this life I have, for the creative fire within me, for the ability to translate that fire into works of beauty, narratively and visually. Trusting is the true test for me, as I believe it is for all who undertake to live life honestly, but especially for those of us who work hard to live with honesty and creativity. It is a daily ritual of trust to live an artistic life.

I like to collect quotes from artists of what we believe art to be or who an artist is. Craighead's response to the question of "Who is the artist?" is this:

"The artist is one who needs to behold, then lets that beholding enter her, lets it inhabit her and then moves it back out into the world. What artists express are the mysteries they have pondered inside them. Artists live a spirituality of epiphanies. Our work too is sexual: the work of conception, gestation and birth."

May we all have days of deep gratitude, unwavering trust (mostly), eyes to behold and hearts open to let the beholding enter. Make something beautiful this week!

Peace,
Charlise

To view Rich Heffern's article about Craighead, click here: www.ncronline.org/news/people/art-and-spirituality-name-mother.

2009-06-08T18:38:00.003-05:00

A Great Day! My art website is up and running. Please check it out at www.charlise-hill-larson.com. I must say it's been a very exciting journey thus far, and I'm excited to take this leap!

Follow your bliss,
Charlise