I was just looking at the blog from the Vermont Studio
Center and was wondering what I would say in response to some of the questions
they asked the studio participants.
So here we go
In the Studio with Jane M Johnstone
Jane M Johnstone is a visual artist working out of her home
and her studio at ArtSpace Maynard.
Do you have any
routines or rituals while you work?
No. I tend to work in different rhythms at different times. Nothing
is a set routine or ritual. Lately, I have been enjoying the winter morning sunlight
at home; sitting with a cup of coffee, the dog at my feet, and a sketchbook
with pencil, pen or gouache to observe the blooming Christmas cactus on the
table next to me, or the slumbering dog on the sunny rug. At the studio, I either
work on a painting that is in process or start a new one depending on what
calls to me when I enter the room. Sometimes I listen to music, sometimes to
NPR and sometimes to silence. I also have a chair in the afternoon sun inviting
me to pause, step back and observe what I am working on, sometimes saving that
overreaching mark that smothers the work.
What one material/tool
could you not work without?
If I had to only have one tool, it would be two, a
mechanical pencil and paper.
What inspires you
besides other art and artists (movies, good food, songs, books, birds, etc.)?
Nature is the biggest inspiration for me, whether it is a
walk in the woods or the light on a living object in the house. I am drawn the
line and energy of life .
What is the best piece
of advice you have ever received?
Do it
What are you working
on now?
I am learning to paint. I have been working as a printmaker
for years and am reaching out to add new media to my work.
What role does
identity play in your work?
My life and my experiences definitely influence my work but
my work is not about my life and my experiences. My work is about observation
and medium. I am not interested in work as autobiography, rather as connection.
Often when titling pieces I find out how particular experiences have influenced
the aesthetic choices I have made.
When the narrative becomes title it is usually because the work has
taken some experience that I have had and made it feel more universal. I choose
untitled when I want the work to mean what it means to the viewer without
words, allowing observation and medium rather than narrative guide the viewing
experience.
What does community
mean to you?
Community is amazing, which is why I maintain a studio space
in a studio building. I have contact with other inspiring artists when I want
and I have privacy in my studio when I want. We encourage each other, inspire
each other, motivate each other, critique each other, show our works together,
and gather for art movies, openings and art outings. We remind each other of
the value of art-making in a society that often doesn’t prioritize the arts.
No comments:
Post a Comment