June Penland Update
shamanic scarecrows
I am trying not to beat myself up for the last two newsletters being late. I remind myself: If I have set the days for myself, I can also shift them around when my mind and body are needing time.
I’ve been at Penland School of Craft for the last week and a half and have about a week left. I was asked to attend as a studio assistant, so I’m helping the instructor while also having the studio and materials available to me. I toe the line between student and guide, and all of it has been a gift.
One thing about art and craft school is that you introduce yourself by your name and then what studio you are in, or what art you make. It is so refreshing to be surrounded by others that see your passion for art not as frivolous or silly, but profound and meaningful. The cross pollination that happens between studios is simply magical.
My new friend made a yellow dye pot from local flowers in celebration of the summer solstice. I brought some white cotton underwear and now I have yellow summer underwear. My other friend is in photography and took some pictures of me swimming which have been in my head for a long time, and turned out perfectly. I made some paper and traded with some friends who cooked a meal for me. Exchanges like these remind me why I do what I do: it’s all relational as much as it is a personal and intimate process.
I haven’t used charcoal and conte pencil much since dropping out of college. It’s common of course in learning to draw but it wasn’t something a lot of us stuck with. Returning back to these materials after some time away has awoken something primal in me: perhaps the colors reminding me of prehistoric art that I’ve always loved. From sketching in the forest to drawing from a live model or (yes, an old nude of myself ha) … it has a richness to it that I live for.
We have had collage days in our drawing class to help spark ideas / storytelling. The course is in “Narrative Drawing” so naturally we are all looking for stories. The humanness of seeking meaning, narrative, myth and truth….
I brought some familiar materials knowing I would not only miss painting, but mentally NEED it after hours and hours of pushing myself. I’m constantly seeking that balance and it takes a level of self awareness and honesty to reflect to yourself what you need: When is it time to keep pushing? When is it time to quit? When is it time to seek comfort?
Maybe you are beginning to see how immersive this week and a half has been. We have eight hours of class Monday through Friday and then I’ve been staying up late either writing, painting, drawing, or spending time in small groups (I have been honoring that I get overwhelmed in big groups). Any “free” time I have left is sleeping.
I find comfort in my large unstretched canvases as you know, but this time I am pushing for the idea of storytelling and narrative. What is interesting to me is that this piece has a lot to do with some of my recent abstract pieces, but no one would know that from simply looking.
I’m exploring themes here of guardians, secrets, the spiritual and natural worlds … much of what I explore in my abstract pieces. It is far from finsihed, but have felt encouraged by my instructor and classmates and my own inner voice that I’m heading in the right direction.
To finish, here are two pieces on campus that have made a spiritual impact on me. My paid subscriber one will focus on the piece on the right. I do not have a name of the piece or the artist- it is an installation in a yard up the mountain. My friend described them as “shamanic scarecrows”.
Until next month (when I’m hoping it slows down, but you never really know.)