Art among the Sharks

Wetland Fence, oil on linen, sold at  Shiawassee Art Center

Well, the dreaded glacier out the studio window has melted leaving new grass struggling to break through the unattended oak leaves. Spring is rolling in like a magical natural Michigan event. The early spring art shows have almost completed their cycle with some welcome sales and a sense of gratitude for all the kind words and support.

When artists gather for a little huddle and comradery we somehow get to the processes we use to keep going in this creative environment. We all deal with the stress of everyday life in different ways. In very young people we can relate to their stresses because we too have been in their place. We all have developed our own techniques to keep the rough waters from deterring our creative spirit. Sometimes we can pull this off and sometimes we just have to out swim the sharks. The swim can be risky but we have to swim fearlessly to receive the lift offered by making art.

I was talking to a young artist recently who has many reasons to feel the shark nearing… we both said to each other, “a day without art is a very bad day.” So, we all should try to find our own way to make creating art or music or writing or dance or engineering so we can control the sharks and make a safe and better world.

Welcome Home, acrylic, sold at Shiawassee Art Center

Three sales this year were centered around the Smithsonian Water Project presented at the lovely Shiawassee Art Center in Owosso, Michigan. I am honored to have been a part of that project and grateful for the sales that support both  SAC and Joel Ellis art.

    - Waiting for Spring, Joel