Thursday, July 23, 2015

Art Thought: What Kind Of Artist Are You?


You hear it constantly in articles about art that you need to establish a regular schedule or routine when making art.  That is true.  If you don't regularly make art, it eventually will disappear from your life. But all too often, creating a regular routine can feel confining and actually become a barrier to making art.  I think it is more important to realize what kind of artist you are, then from there you can discover what kind of schedule you are able to maintain.

What kind of artist are you?

The Dabbler
You are a person that dabbles at art.  You enjoy occasionally taking classes and, when there is time, you often find yourself pulling out your art materials and making something.  You probably have a busy life (maybe there are kids) and you don't identify yourself as an artist.  There is something else you do that you identify with more – maybe your job, maybe parenting.  This is a perfectly acceptable place to be.  You enjoy making art and, at times, it is really satisfying and helps you think about yourself and your life in a different way.  These are all great things.

Pitfalls:  You think that you should be doing more with your art... which leads to guilt... which leads to bad feelings associated with making art... which leads to not making art... which leads to not feeling fulfilled.  Although, as an artist, I want to say “yes, you should always want to do more with your art,” I also understand that there are times to be a Dabbler.  For a time, I considered myself a professional artist, but then I had a kid and several years later I had a divorce.  After both events I basically became a Dabbler in art.  Sometimes life is too busy to make art the primary or secondary activity.  That's OK.  It is especially important to understand where you are at in your life and what you are capable of.  There is no shame in focusing on other areas of your life when you need to.

Joys:  You are making art and you are keeping creativity in front of you as a means for achieving happiness and self-identity. I have had several friends who have studied art in school, got a degree and then never really made art again.  If you are still dabbling away, you are doing as well or better than many in terms of having art in your life.  There is no one way to do your life – there is only your life.  Do the best you can and be happy because you are being the best you can be and you still get to do something you enjoy! Make art when you can and share it with others.


The Enthusiast
The next type of artist is the Enthusiast, someone who is actively making art on a regular basis by attending classes and making things on their own.  The Enthusiast is called just that because they are very enthusiastic about what they are doing and like to share it with others.  They try to get friends to take classes with them. They have tried many different media and are starting to settle into one or two that they really enjoy!

The Enthusiast tends to give more time and resource to art than the Dabbler and might start to think about becoming an Artist (see below) because they enjoy making art so much.  Yet, they are still creating each project as an individual project and their work is inconsistent in many ways.  An Enthusiast will still have another way of identifying themselves other than being an artist – it is not yet a primary activity of their life.  They might still be identifying themselves by their job, or as a parent or some other role.  Art is important to them, but again, not primary.

Pitfalls: Enthusiasts think they are on the verge of being a Professional (see below), yet have no idea of what that takes and how to get there.  They over-estimate their talent and under-estimate their ability to position themselves to become a Professional.

Joys: You are becoming good at a technique or media, are feeling confident about your ability and are excited with each new challenge.  It is an exciting time do be an artist and this feeling can carry over into other areas of your life.  How awesome is this!


The Artist
Well, this is what you wanted to be – an Artist. Congratulations, you are here!  Art is a primary activity of your life.  You may still, and most likely, have a job for making income, but art is more important to you and preoccupies much of your mental space and what spare time you have.  You have a fairly regular routine for creating art and your work is following a path.  You have become very good at a technique or two and have created a series of work. You have started to craft a style to your art, making a small body of work that has consistency to it.  You are in a show now and again, sell some work from time to time and may have received a grant or two.  You might actually make enough money to file taxes on your “art business.”  It is a struggle at times, but a very satisfying struggle.  You have other artist friends and you rely on each other to learn about grant and exhibit opportunities and commiserate with each other.

Pitfalls: Wow, man, this is hard!  Where's the money and the fame and the.. well, the fun! Now, instead of having one job you have two and one of them doesn't pay for itself.

Joys: You are becoming wise.  You are exploring parts of yourself that you have never given voice to.  You are becoming very proficient and confident that you can take an idea and incarnate it.  Others recognize you as a talented artist and respect your experience.

The Professional
What, there's another step?  Yep.  The Professional is not only known by other artists, but is know by the established art community: art dealers, gallery owners, museum curators and many individual collectors.  Selling art is a common occurrence, even if you're not quite making a living at it.  Your “other” job, if you have one, is a vehicle for you to pursue your craft via networking, creating opportunities or by providing resource (other than just money).  Your daily activities and interactions are focused on your art.  You are doing outreach to other venues, perhaps in other cities and everything is working toward creating income or opportunity for more resource.

Your work is consistent.  Any work done outside your main body of work is for fun or to explore a new avenue in order to inform your current work. Many people know your work when they see it.  The theme of your work resonates with established historical references, yet takes them in a new direction that resonates with current sensibilities in the arts and your societal culture.  You understand that your art is not only reliant on you, but it takes several people to put your art in a position so that it can support you – so you can make more.

Pitfalls: Some people will just be trying to use you and then cast you off.  Others will be jealous of you, even if you don't actually make a living from your art.  You most likely will not be making an extremely comfortable living, or you will, but only for a short time. You have to be a business person as well as an artist.

Joys: You will meet some of the most amazing and giving people who absolutely love art and see your work as being worthwhile, maybe even a little inspirational.  You can take pride in the life you have created, even if it isn't quite what you thought it would be.  You are making art on a regular basis and your creative energies are consumed by it. Yeah,... you are one of the few.


Every artistic person will be in more than one of these artistic levels during their life, if they actually keep making art.  As mentioned before, there are stages of life wherein you will be able to maintain your level of engagement or you will not.  It is okay to not focus on art for awhile if you need to focus on other things.  Even when you are a Professional, there are other parts of your life to maintain.  I think the important thing is to be able to take stock of where you are at and what you see as possible for you.  If you know your current level of engagement is all you will be capable of for awhile, be comfortable with it and have appropriate expectations.  If you feel you could move up to the next level, take stock of where you are at, what you will need to do to get to the next level and make a plan.  Hopefully, this bit I have written will help you get there in a realistic manner.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Oil Painting: Button Mushrooms


Button Mushrooms
Oil painting on canvas
9" x 12"

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Interview on The Other Stories podcast


The podcast interview between myself and Ilana Masad went live today at The Other Stories website:
http://www.theotherstories.org/episodes/episode-16-claire-by-mark-granlund/



The Other Stories is a project where Ilana interviews new and emerging writers and then they read one of their short stories. It was a fun interview with Iana, discussing my writing process, The Book of Bartholomew and elements of the story Claire, which I read during the interview. Check out my interview, and the other interesting interviews at The Other Stories.


Friday, July 10, 2015

What I've Been Working On In the Studio



Rainbow Trout (unfinished)
Oil Paint on Canvas

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Art Thought: Why I Paint Food

My latest series of paintings is of food. Some of the food is in good shape and ready to eat, while some is rotten or moldy or the image is of the part of the vegetable that we throw away.


I am creating this series for several reasons.  One reason is that I am exploring food as an object. How do you create the pattern of carrot greens laying over each other?  What is the true color of an eggplant that is rotting? What does it look like when a tomato ages and leaks juice onto the plate? So often we purchase a vegetable and then immediately place it in our refrigerators without really looking at them – appreciating them for their physical qualities.  All too often, I have the pleasure to observe the changing shape of a rotting vegetable I find in the back of my refrigerator.

Another reason I am painting food is it is fun.  Food is fun.  On days when I do not have to be anywhere, I like pancakes, sausages and eggs for breakfast.  Making pancakes makes me feel free, like the day is special.  I'm not sure if I have ever seen a painting of pancakes before.  They are a fascinating thing to paint with the varying tones of brown in the middle and the batter-colored edge of the disk. And eggs, how do you show the color of egg yolk underneath a thin layer of egg white? I find certain foods to be fun, and the challenge of painting them fun as well.

I also paint food because it is such an intricate part of being human.  We eat, on average, three meals a day. That is a lot of food, a lot of decisions, and at times, a lot of cooking.  Our bodies depend on that food.  Most of the cells in our bodies replenish themselves every few months.  Where does the nutrients, vitamins and proteins come from to create those cells?  Food.  There is no way around it. If you want to live healthy, if you want strength and vitality, if you want balance in your life, you need to eat food. The healthier the food the better your body will work.



But our relationship to food has become so complicated, because it is such an intricate part of being human.  We have a tendency to think of food as something separate from ourselves.  There is a sense that as long as we put something in our bellies, especially things that taste good or make us feel good, our body will use that to maintain itself.  But many things that we consume can not be digested or used by our bodies.  Some things are actually detrimental to our health – even though someone else is telling us that it is healthy.  In these paintings I am also exploring this complicated relationship with food.

What is the difference between eating fresh caught rainbow trout and fish-sticks?  Physically, aesthetically, and socially?  Why do we need an apple, the Arctic Apple, that does not brown when cut?   Why do we need to pump chemicals into our environment in order to produce food?  These are all questions and concerns that also inform this series of paintings.



I would love your feedback as I display images of my paintings here and invite you to come to any shows I will have.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Oil Painting: Canned Corn



Canned Corn
Oil paint on canvas
40" x 30"

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Oil Painting : I Loved You, It Was Hard


Here is my painting that will be in Groveland Gallery's summer show: Love Letters from Artists, curated by Peter Kramer. The show opens, with a reception, on June 12 and has a closing party on August 15. Below are the details from the gallery's website.

Love Letters from Artists

Invitational Group Show
Opening Reception: June 12, 5-8 p.m.
Closing Party: August 15, 2-5 p.m.
Calling himself the “Curator of Love Letters,” St. Paul architect and artist Peter Kramer invited over 75 local artists, writers, art enthusiasts, musicians, teachers and creative minds to send a love letter to the gallery. Invitees were encouraged to “paint, weave, paste, fold and print what’s in their hearts,” promising a unique exhibition that celebrates the tradition of writing and receiving letters.

Monday, June 8, 2015

The Book of Bartholomew and The Other Stories

I had the great pleasure the other morning of being interviewed by Ilana from The Other Stories. The Other Stories is a great website that shares an unpublished short story from a writer each week. Ilana interviews the writer and then the writer reads his story. At this point in time there are ten stories at the site.  Its great to hear the writer speaking about their inspirations, writing habits, and their particular story.  One of my short stories from The Book of Bartholomew will be podcasted on The Other Stories later in June or early in July. My short story is Claire.  It takes place in a chicken coop in Claire's parent's backyard. Claire is commiserating with Henrietta, a chicken - except Henrietta's concerns are a bit more drastic than Claire's.

I will post the date it will be podcasted and, who knows, I might throw a podcast party. Stay tuned.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Oil Painting: Arctic Apple


Arctic Apple
Oil Painting on Canvas
36" x 24"

This is my latest completed painting. It is of an Arctic Apple - Granny Smith. Arctic Apples are GMO apples that do not brown when exposed to air.  I pared the apple in half to expose the flesh to air. I guess many people find that browning apples are undesirable. In typical agribusiness fashion, someone decided to create an entire GMO apple instead of following some centuries-old simple steps to prevent the browning of apples.  Here are some simple things you can do to stop apple slices from browning: http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-a-Cut-Apple-from-Turning-Brown.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Learn Oil Painting Without the Mess and Cost: No Fuss Oil Painting Class at Jack-in-the-Pulpit Studio

At Jack-in-the-Pulpit Studio, starting in late April, you can learn how to oil paint without all the fuss of material costs and mess.


No Fuss Beginning Oil Painting (6 Sessions)

Have you ever wanted to try oil painting? Have you hesitated because of the mess and cost of materials?  Learn the basics of oil painting in a relaxed and supportive environment without purchasing materials. Materials are provided and you can keep your wet messy canvases at the studio until they are dry. Class includes instructional demonstrations, discussion and plenty of time to paint. Class will cover choosing subjects, creating a composition, and mixing color while working your way through the different stages of creating a painting from start to finish. At the end of this class you will feel comfortable approaching a blank canvas and creating your own unique painting. And you will know if you want to invest more in oil painting.

Wednesdays, April 22 - May 27, 2015
6:30pm - 9:00pm
Cost: $175
Register for and see other classes here

Friday, February 20, 2015

Oil Painting: Eggplant



Eggplant
Oil paint in canvas
46" x 40"

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Oil Painting: Carrot Tops



Carrot Tops
Oil Paint on Canvas
28" x 36"

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Art Thought: Representation or Life?

As I paint the mold on an eggplant, I am thinking about that point in a painting when you choose between trying to accurately represent what is in front of you or putting your own energy into your subject.  Often, when I focus on being accurate I find my paintings become dull and lacking life. There is a fine balance between capturing tone and hue while pushing values and intensity to better represent form or volume.  I think it is similar to the dilemma of trying to locate a subatomic particle and measure its mass - you cannot do both at the same time.  It is hard to see what is in front of you accurately in the 3-dimensional world and recreating it in a 2-dimensional setting.  And how do you paint mold, anyway?





Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Oil Painting: Sprouting Red Onion



Title: Sprouting Red Onion
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Size: 20" x 10"
by: Mark Granlund

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Jack-in-the-Pulpit Studio One Year Anniversary

Today marks the one year anniversary of the opening of Jack-in-the-Pulpit Studio.  It has been a fun year!

 Many classes in watercolor, botanical art and drawing have been offered.  There also were a few workshops and an oil painting class. I would like to thank everyone who has taken a class here at "the Pulpit."  I have enjoyed meeting each of you and I thank you for not only sharing your art talents, but also your lives.  Classes continue with the current round of classes beginning tomorrow night.  Check them out here.


I also have enjoyed having a well lit and spacious studio for my own painting.  It is the best studio space I have ever had -- and I am painting more because of it.  You can check out my most recent oil paintings at my personal website: markgranlund.com.

I am looking forward to this next year.  I have mostly promoted the classes through word-of-mouth and hope the Pulpit will slowly grow as a place where people can learn a solid understanding of how to create art and also have an opportunity to take the ol' creativity-car out for a spin.

My hope is that there will be some big changes this second year with the studio teaching space moving to the house next door to mine.  I am in the process of buying the property and am excited to have a separate space just for classes -- plus it will be really cute when I'm done.

I am also hoping to announce a project I am working on with World Without Genocide.  But I will wait until we hear about a grant we applied for.

Thank you all for your support!

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Art Thought: To Sketch or Not to Sketch?

Someone asked me yesterday if I sketch out my paintings first?

My answer was "no" because we were talking about oil paintings.  I do not sketch out my oil paintings ahead of time but sketch as I go, drawing one or two shapes, blocking them in, drawing the next couple of shapes, blocking them in, etc. until the entire composition is complete.  Of course, with oil paint, you can change things as you go.

For my botanicals I do several studies first and sketch the final detailed composition on the watercolor paper. For general watercolors, I do a combination of the two styles, sketching out  large parts of the composition with my watercolor brush and a neutral color before beginning to block in areas.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Oil Painting: Breakfast Plate


Title: Breakfast Plate
Medium:  Oil Painting on Canvas
Size: 18" x 24"