'On Simplicity'It is a glorious Monday morning, and I am pumped. It is as if I am enrolled in a course of study, a course of study of all the things I love.
Art-wise that is.
Yes, here I am in this day, on Ocracoke Island, in the midst of my self-inflicted hermit's pilgrimage, ready to begin the day. A day which follows a routine, a rhythm spurred by my proximity to the sea, influenced by the ebb and flow of the tides.
Tea. Spiritual Reading. Walk. Coffee Shop. Three Hours of Art. Lunch. Short Walk. Read. Nap. Two Hours of Art. Evening Art Prep. Long Long Walk and Sea Study. Supper Prep. Beer. Supper. Evening Art. Kick Back. Bed.
Perhaps it is the fact that I am away from life's usual distractions, but it actually seems manageable to be able to immerse myself in my work. All of the wheels are turning in order to give me the space and time to do this.
In a moment of anxiety, of feeling the pressure to produce some decent work, (in the days before I arrive here), I spend time accumulating and listing all of my art ideas, starting points, exercises, visual material, to ensure that I don't find myself with nothing to do. But those fears are unfounded. I have so much to work from in this place, that I will draw from it for years.
I am (finally) in the midst of practising my art.
And all wrapped up in the idea of practise, is the concept of order. Not being the most organized person, order at least gives a wayward daydreamer a pattern to follow. And the notion of order reminds me of the monastic life of which I have a deep interest, a life of routine and spiritual study and simplicity.
I read an article on abstract expressionist Agnes Martin. I can't get enough of her work, her life, her imagery. Imagery which is simplicity writ large, (if that's not a contradiction in terms), composed of soft graphite lines, grids, and subtle colour fields. Simplicity, order, pattern, organization of space. Minimalism.
I am drinking in the systematic patterns of Agnes Martin. I see washes and delicate lines which come from within her, from a place not of intellectual analysis or study, but from deep within. These works are personal, spiritual, simple and spare. They are intuitive. Peace and joy.
I am seeking this simplicity.
Regular daily life - so often fraught with complication, desire, abundance, selfishness. While I'm here in this place, I vow to follow a simpler way, perhaps easier here as I am on my own and immersed in my work. But I want to carry it home with me, for the simplicity to stay in me, and for the work I do to come from this place deep within.
Chester and I head for the sea after a day filled (for once) with satisfying work and few breaks. He is bounding ahead, up and away along the boardwalk toward our first glimpse this day of the sea. We are rewarded by jewel-toned blues and turquoises glinting with golden end-of-day light. Regular gentle waves, a reminder of rhythm and simplicity.
As I take in the whole wide-open scene, I see the sea, both delicate and vigorous, and think of Agnes Martin, her work, my own work, and the place deep within.
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