A New Start

At the beginning of the year, 2012, we realized it is another year to get organized and the inventory is still not under control. Not that we haven’t tried in past years. About three years ago we began a numbering system that helped in this new project.  Creative work as a way of accumulating and without some organization much of the work is likely to languish in the bins unaccounted. We’re talking hundreds of items.  The holiday season had an empty ring to as we saw the dreaded job ahead.

After many soulful discussions, we made a plan. The first day we arranged twenty paintings to photograph with their number and hand note them on two cross reference inventory sheets – one numerically and one alphabetically by first word in the title of each painting. We went through all the steps with no major glitches. In one full week, we worked six hours a day each, photographing and checking every painting in every bin noting the paintings that were also out at exhibition. Some paintings were sold and not noted on the old inventory sheets. Some, as art goes, were refined or painted over without an updated photograph. The inventory is now completed and recorded in the computer, but the challenge today is to keep the process going.  It is a good start to the new year.

With the inventory in control, I felt I could spend some winter nights reading without guilt. My good friend Karmen suggested Van Gogh: The Life by White and Naifeh. This 900+ page book has put together all the pieces of this genius’ life. After all the books I have read about Vincent, the gaps were so constant: how did it feel to live in these areas, what caused his illnesses, what was driving him. The big surprise confirmed some of my own considerations about the artists supposed suicide. I don’t want to give away this surprise, because though the book is a long read, the 10-year research and writing have been a treasure to those of us who really want to know about this prolific writer and artist – Vincent VanGogh.

Simply, Van Gogh said “I want  to paint what I feel, and feel what I paint.”

Okay, with that inspiration it is time to get back to work and fulfill the potential of this new year.

I intend to share the progress and thoughts of the artist’s day in this blog. If you want to check some of my newest paintings go to www.joelellisart.com . If you would like to contact me, e-mail is the best source paintings@joelellisart.com . Thanks for taking the time to read my restart of the Joel Ellis Art Web Log.

Joel