Saturday, October 8, 2016

New Work: Easy to Dance With

Easy To Dance With
collage on paper
approx size 15" x 18"
On Thursday I left the house to go to the Bay Area, thinking that this piece was finished. I got back later that day and had a look at things. What had seemed good that morning just wasn't working that afternoon! So, on Friday, I futzed around with things until I had something a little different, something that didn't feel crowded and busy to me and that was a better "structure." Must remember that more is not necessarily better. And in fact, I find that when I am adding a greater number of smaller pieces I know that something larger is wrong or that I have missed something else entirely.

As I work on these pieces I take notes. Mostly the notes are brief and describe something I discovered or something that I am re-learning. There are lots of notes on re-learning! This time I was reminded (again) that very often there is a moment when things "click." I'll be going along, placing shapes and not knowing what is happening. My mind doesn't snag on anything. All of a sudden though, I will add a piece and there is this "a ha!" moment when the whole thing sort of coalesces into something tangible. I can see something that tells me things will work. I can almost see several steps ahead too which is better than stepping off the precipice into a complete void. I wonder why we set ourselves up to work like this? 

The title of the piece is of course taken from the song that I was listening to while working. I love Swing music, Big band, and whatever else goes along with that time period. The song, You're Easy to Dance With was playing. I thought about the movie with Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, Holiday Inn. I watch the movie nearly every year at Christmas time, of course. Watching Fred Astaire dance is a marvelous thing. Anyway, that was the inspiration as I was working.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Libby

4 comments:

  1. Dear Libby - there is just a very nice subtle movement in this piece. The angles really add to that feeling as well as the depth. Love those retro colors too. Hope you are having a great day. Hugs!

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    1. Debbie,

      Thanks so much for the kind words. I like the colors too and you are right, for some reason they feel a little retro. Just never know how things are going to turn out!

      Hope all is well. Thank you for your visit and thoughts.
      Libby

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  2. I immediately fell in love with this piece, Libby! I don't know exactly why, which is what I hear often about my work...someone who doesn't like abstract art will choose one of my pieces as "speaking" to them. Well, I DO like your work but I have never reacted so viscerally as I do to this one. I love the colors, but it is much more than that. That kind of intermediate warm blue at the top and repeated in the smaller stepped rectangles entering that gorgeous red/red-orange is just stunning! And the corners seem absolutely perfect for the "swinging angles" of the central pieces, framing them but not constraining them. Brava!

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    1. Carol,

      What a nice set of compliments particularly because I struggled with this one. It wasn't speaking to me for quite awhile and then all of a sudden it started to make sense. The corners too changed it from something that was grid like into something else entirely!

      I guess we just never know how the work is going to turn out and if it will appeal to anyone and for what reasons. Your feedback is important so thank you!
      Libby

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Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it! I reply back in an email if you are signed in and I can see your address. Otherwise I will post the reply here under your comment. I tend to cut and paste my emails too so that others can experience the back and forth which I think is integral to blogging.
Libby