i’m here in italy … and … wow … the light, the energy and of course the food has me wishing to move abroad for a period of time. to experience a completely new way of living would most certainly inform a different studio practice.
Archive for laelia e. mitchell
oh to be an ex-pat
Posted in laelia e. mitchell with tags laelia e. mitchell on May 28, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellback in the studio
Posted in Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, mixed media, work on paper with tags Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, mixed media on May 21, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellafter what seems to have been an eternity, i believe my life is smoothing out. i spent part of each weekend day at the studio and i’m going bsck today. i’ve been told that doing something 3x begins a habit. so … hopefully my studio habit will re-emerge fully.
printers ink and graphite on paper
couch surfing
Posted in Art, laelia e. mitchell, mixed media, museum with tags Art, laelia e. mitchell, Links, mixed media on May 7, 2012 by laelia e. mitchelluntil next week (i hope only until next week or i’ll implode). i’ve had a few visits to the studio, yet they yielded only a few scribbles which i won’t torture you with. hopefully soon i’ll return to a more consistent studio practice with samples.
in the meantime, here’s a link to mark bradford’s work at the san francisco museum of modern art
hello new chapter
Posted in Art, current events, laelia e. mitchell, news with tags Art, laelia e. mitchell, studio practice on April 30, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellwe moved out of our old place, have yet to move into our new place so i am a bit homeless and therefore have no art update. this is an experiment as to how I maintain my identity as an artist while I navigate the changes in life. I will physically get to the studio this week, however, getting my head/heart into the studio practice may present some interesting challenges. in the meantime i’ll enjoy the springtime weather
moving this week
Posted in Art, internet, laelia e. mitchell, landscape, Photography with tags Art, digital, laelia e. mitchell, Photography on April 23, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellsoon art making will return
taken with everyone’s favorite new “enemy” …. instagram
i WILL get to the studio today, dammit
Posted in digital, laelia e. mitchell, Photography, World Bird Sanctuary with tags abstract, Art, laelia e. mitchell, Photography, studio practice on April 9, 2012 by laelia e. mitchell
just drawing …
Posted in Art, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, mixed media, work on paper with tags Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, mixed media on April 2, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellgraphite, charcoal and oil stick
I am so blessed …
Posted in awareness, digital, laelia e. mitchell with tags Art, laelia e. mitchell, life, Photography on March 26, 2012 by laelia e. mitchell… to be in my life. I’ve been working all week (hence no art making) in the city of Phoenix. my take away is how heartbreaking the amount of homeless are here maybe it’s where I am in life, however, i can’t help thinking “it’s simply one step in a different direction and it could be me”. the women and men I’ve seen this trip … heartbreaking … so next time I bitch about not having enough studio time, I’ll think back to this day and quietly know how effing lucky I am
photo taken while walking the streets of phoenix
no studio time makes laelia cranky
Posted in Drawing, gesture drawing, laelia e. mitchell, work on paper with tags Art, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell on March 12, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellnot once last week did i enter the studio … nor did i make the little spare time i had into ad hoc drawing time. this makes me a wee bit grouchy, HOWEVER, here’s a drawing from a couple weeks ago that i kinda like. this week is all different with a couple days dedicated to …ME! 
back from the beach and back in the studio
Posted in Art, art on paper, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, mixed media, Work in Progress, work on paper with tags Art, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, mixed media, sketch on March 5, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellafter a much needed warm weather excursion, i’ve spent some productive time in the studio. my last post spoke to the dilemmas i face when placing my studio practice on the back burner. when i wrote that i’d be taking some oil sticks, pencils and a sketchbook on my vacation, i obligated myself to actually draw… which i did, happily on the beach. it was a necessary excercise to stay in the game, to make sure my practice is as much a part of my life as … oh .. drinking coffee. the results are below. i also spent some time in the studio upon my return to make certain my practice stayed on track when i’m not at the beach. while i can say i succeeded in my commitments to draw consistently, i can also assure you that time spent at the beach is really, REALLY nice!
beach time
this was done in studio. acrylic and pencil on black plexi 4"x5"
what happens to me when I’m away from the studio
Posted in digital, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, Work in Progress with tags Art, Drawing, iPhone, laelia e. mitchell, studio work on February 20, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellfor long periods is that I forget I’m an artist. I forget I have a creative language and I forget to articulate this language, as evidenced by my lack of anything to share. this is quite alarming. plus I leave tomorrow for a mini vacation …. I also know there’s an element of laziness involved. I’ve made mention of the need to do something everyday … advice I need to be more in line with, clearly. all this said, at least there’s a phone picture to post!
I am taking a sketch book and my oil sticks/graphite case with me. I’m intend (operative word “intend”) to sketch. I hope to forget that I’ve forgotten how to be an artist. I hope to forget that I’ve not practiced my creative language and I hope that this time next week, I’ll have a sketch to share. til then … bon voyage
fun and struggles in the studio
Posted in Art, art on paper, laelia e. mitchell, Work in Progress, work on paper with tags abstract, Art, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell on February 13, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellthat’s the sum total of my experiences in the studio as of late. i go … i draw … i have fun. i go … i draw … i struggle. and it’s like that, all the time. some days the ideas flow with grace and fluidity like it’s a gift from the ether. other days (like saturday) i draw and i might as well be dumping the cat box on the paper it’s so horrendous. there seems to be no way i can gauge the day or my temperament.
the drawing below is from one of the studio days that left me feeling like i know wtf i’m doing. my mark making is developing into some weird language of repetition and movement and it seems to make sense to me. i used a charcoal pencil then smudged. i made 4 pages of this. one page i added a gel medium to each mark and topped it with some oil stick. i’ll photograph it and share next time.
a late post
Posted in Art, art on paper, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, mixed media, Work in Progress, work on paper with tags Art, doodle, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell on January 30, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellspending a couple days in the studio this week has refreshed my soul. even though i didn’t really make any art on one of those days, i was able to putz around and feel that creative movement is steadily chugging along. it’s really about the little movements towards making work that eventually end up with work getting made. huh? well … you know what i mean. just something everyday eventually gets a big pile of art made. i have a few drawings done and some canvas on the wall in the studio with a first pass of mars black … where it’s going? not effing clue
ink, graphite, acrylic and oil stick on paper
i’m back with a new project
Posted in Art, art on paper, digital, laelia e. mitchell, Photography with tags Art, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, Photography on January 9, 2012 by laelia e. mitchellas I started the new year, i felt it important that i have a disciplined small project to keep me on track. I bought a new sketchbook and commanded myself to draw something everyday. as the new year approached, i was excited and kinda nervous. drawing was out of my comfort zone. i’m a photographer. maybe my self imposed limits needed to be stretched. my good fortune came through twitter where @stelth opined “should I do a drawing a day?” to which I replied ”yes and I’ll join you”
i am using the iphone and paper based drawings in this project. it’s a terrific exercise for me to open up and play. it’s helping to be part of a group … accountability.
todays sketch has yet to materialize, however here’s a link to the project and yesterday’s sketch
today’s studio play
Posted in art on paper, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell with tags Art, laelia e. mitchell, works on paper on December 12, 2011 by laelia e. mitchellmessing around with watercolors today
in some sort of transition …
Posted in Art, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, mixed media with tags Art, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, printmaking on December 5, 2011 by laelia e. mitchelli’ve concluded that there’s a substantial part of me that has always wanted to be a painter/printmaker. the move to a studio has allowed me to open up to other mediums … and i’m eager to investigate. the generative process of printmaking is especially appealing as it requires me to fiddle around with a mechanical component (which i love) and it provides multiples (which i also love). drawing is also calling to me as it enables me to play and be spontaneous. it’s all very unnerving having spent so many years as a photographer. what is apparent, however, is that i’m still working within a frame. that’s the photographer in me and that’s ok as it provides some sort of platform.
this is acrylic on paper and ink. image is approx 7″ x 7″ .
monday
Posted in laelia e. mitchell, monotype, printmaking with tags Art, laelia e. mitchell, monotype on November 28, 2011 by laelia e. mitchellthis is an example of the prints I’ve been playing with. the handcrafted experience as opposed to photography seems to resonate these days. all play in the studio is good! (this post is being written on an iphone…. ahhhh technological gadgetry)
new work … no pics, yet
Posted in Art, art on paper, laelia e. mitchell, monotype with tags Art, Drawing, laelia e. mitchell, printmaking on November 21, 2011 by laelia e. mitchelli’ve been working with the monotype as a means for creative development and i’m finding the process to be a great way to both have fun AND mine some deeper ideas. i’m not a trained printmaker and my forays into the plastic arts in college were abysmal. yet, this time, i’m finding a real draw to printmaking in particular. i can only guess it’s my inner finger painting child screaming for more attention … yet, it might be a bit more. my drive to pick up my camera has dropped to all time lows and i spend more time drawing and playing with paints and papers than ever before. additionally, i find little interest in looking a contemporary photography. it all seems so contrived and well .. i dunno. i’m sure to find my way back sometime.
so… while i’ve samples of this new direction, they’re all at my studio and i’ve not had a moment to foto them for this entry ( i know … what a loser) i’ll be sure to post some soon
in the meantime …. this is a detail of an ink scroll 4″ x 48″
still feel like s#*t …
Posted in Art, banksy, laelia e. mitchell with tags laelia e. mitchell on November 14, 2011 by laelia e. mitchellit’s been 3 days since i returned from an overseas trip that involved 18+ hours of travel each way and spanned 9 time zones and i still am flummoxed. during my trip however, i had the great fortune of seeing a bunch of films; “exit through the gift shop” , “the world according to anish kapoor”, “looking for lowry” and “basquiat: a life”. all were really interesting art films and i highly recommend them. additionally i viewed “chasing madoff” and the hilarious “greatest movie ever sold”. all good and all worth seeing.
as far as making art … well i’m still in a cycle of experimenting with different mediums. i did take my camera on my travels, however, the ONLY picture i took was at the hotel as i was leaving – pathetic. i’m heading to the studio today and hopefully a bit of my “art self” will appear. until then below are a couple of phone fotos …
only pic from my travels
iphone picture during the daily dog stroll
nyc
this is all i have today …
Posted in laelia e. mitchell, monotype, printmaking, work on paper with tags Art, laelia e. mitchell, printmaking, work on paper on November 7, 2011 by laelia e. mitchell
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