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My kindergarten teacher had bright red lips and dark hair. She was beautiful.
Her continual anger and frustration towards me still remains an unsolved
mystery. I remember her clearly, along with the other worries and fears
of being a child.
I also remember my childhood joys; the sun on my back sitting by the creek at Grandmas. I remember lying in her field listening to grass hoppers, watching the clouds go by while trying to discern where the sky really ended. Did the sky end at the mountaintop or at my feet? Did it go all the way through the earth and out the other side? I remember the confusion, hurt, joy, and warmth of youth. And somewhere in this growing up, in between Grandma's field and angry red-lipped teachers, I came to realize the best I could hope for, being human, was mild inconvenience. With this knowledge, I was left with only one obvious choice; become an artist. This June over 100 artist studios will be opened to the public. Artists are brushing up on their business skills, sending post cards, and the range of anticipation is as varied as the artwork represented. Along with this "business talk" are conversations regarding acceptance and rejection; worries and fears most artists face at some point in their career. These conversations, will the public like my work, how it will be received, are at best mildly inconvenient and at worst creative suicide. I do admit, I stand unmoved in front of some art, while other paintings make me want to be a better person. I may not relate to all art, but I always relate to the process of creating; how brush by brush the canvas is filled with color and hopefully a greater understanding of being alive. So this June, I open my studio with open mind, open heart, and the knowledge that art is a journey. The journey is not about acceptance or rejection. Art is a journey with the aim of understanding the human condition. Art is simply an attempt to answer questions about where the sky ends and why the teacher with bright red lips is always so angry. © 2005, 2007 Libby George |