Wednesday, April 16, 2008

If Everyone Understood Everything, There Wouldn't Be Any History*

(*Peter Schjeldahl- "the Happy and the Unhappy")
The line that is the title of this entry is from one of my favorite pieces of writing- "the Happy and the Unhappy" I can't do justice in describing it, only to say that if you wonder if you are a happy person or not, you should read this. It probably won't clear anything up for you- but it will be entertaining. Unfortunately, it's a bit hard to find- I know that Harper's reprinted it some years back from an arts journal called Parkett(sp?) .

I am contemplating a new project, prompted by a conversation with a colleague. I am considering undertaking a large painting- say 7 feet by 10 feet- and documenting every major step along the way, from composing to execution and revision.
If I do this, I will also keep a separate blog and document it there. The project would probably start in June with a deadline of October. Hmmm,....

4 comments:

Penelope Lentz said...

Dear Mr. Tracy,
I saw your work at the SLO Art Center Tuesday night. A bunch of us were looking at it and we all loved it. The sketchbooks are great! What a good idea to change them everyday.
Do you really get up that early everyday? If so, what time do you go to bed for heavens sake. Do you have any other habits that have led to your being such a great artist?
Signed,
Penny the wanna-be painter.

Mike Tracy said...

Dear MS. Lentz,
Thank you for your kind comments. Yes, I do get up at 4:00 each morning (I am usually asleep by 8:30-9:00 P.M.) I suppose I have many habits (some I am probably not aware of) that cause me to want to do this work. Mostly, I do it because it is fun, and, as I have fewer days ahead of me than behind, it seems like the least wasteful way to use my time.
Good luck,
Mike

Anonymous said...

Hey Mr Tracy.

I definitely think you should blog about your process of creating a painting. I find it very inspiring to see how others work, and to hear why they made what choices. Going through a process like that also helps the artist sort out his own feelings and decisions at the time they are happening.

Best wishes!!

Mike Tracy said...

Thank you, Brad- you are an inspiration-
Mike