I believe one quality that many artists posess is the ability to SEE - see objects and surroundings in a way that translates into art in their mind. It becomes an automatic sense and fills and fuels their creativity and ability to move their visions into their chosen medium.
I have had the privilege of spending time with some artists that I admire and had the opportunity to follow them and see how they see. I was fascinated to listen to their reactions to their surrounding and even mundane things. They find inspiration in so many things and are able to save what they saw and recall it - bring it back and use it.
Last summer I spend a week with Kaari Meng, artist, designer, author and entrepreneur,at her annual retreat. We were joined in the glorious South of France by a few other artists - her sister and friends. As expected we learned a lot in classes, creating bracelets. weavings and books. I learned equally as much watching Kaari peruse the old linens in the market place - saw how and where she found her inspiration for her fabric collections. The tattered bits of antiquity found their way into contemporary fabric because of her vision.
October brought Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably to our shop for a lecture and workshop. He is a multi disciplinary artist with an earned reputation for the ability to create and combine bold pattern and color. I immensely enjoyed following him around for an extra day and marveled at his reaction to the photographs in the hotel lobby and the sky before a storm over the Atlantic. We visited museums and it was a treat to listen to their reactions and interpretations.
While I enjoy taking classes and learning tips and techniques from creative people whom I admire, I believe the time spent with them simply listening and trying to see what they see is amazing. I look forward to seeing what other artists see in the near future.
