Art, motherhood and religion – oh my!

There is no such thing as the perfect parent and what works for one family may not work for yours. the best advice I’ve received is to do whatever works for you. all of these subjects make me think about relative roles in the home and workplace. there is still an expectation that women will stay at home to raise their children, that their careers are temporary (as evidenced by the very large gap still in pay rates) and that we have a duty to surrender to our children. a few artist dads spoke out in the comments of this post, they find it just as challenging to balance their careers with their children. all working parents have this dilemma. the problem is that because so many artists are passionate about their jobs (and enjoy them!)

the effects of denying women artists the nude

this sounds like an interesting concept, I don’t know if I agree with a central precept, however, that the nude is no longer central to painting. it’s a crucial part of training and still a key subject, from art history to now there is no single subject that has been covered as extensively as the human body. it’s an interesting parallel to draw, that the lack of access to the nude for women artists impeded their growth as artists. but it is noted that other factors probably contributed as much.

Bill Henson: my impressions

The speech last night was excellent. Listening to Bill Henson discuss various cultural references, I looked around at a variety of young, blank, faces and I felt how true some of his statements were. we do need to expose our children to art, to history, to culture. art is the expression of history and the cumulation of our civilization. I was struck by Henson’s self effacing nature. watching him you would never know that someone so apparently shy was embroiled in such a shocking controversy that rocked the art world two years ago. It was interesting how little he cited his own work, preferring to discuss literature, composers and classic painters.

the paintings that never were..

I sit in my studio, around me are images that have been painstakingly posed and rendered, they are all inspiring in different ways. in my mind I can see how each one will turn out. this one will be a watercolor, that one is begging to be an oil painting. I might try experimenting with…

In Memoriam

I, on the other hand, am wound up tighter than a swiss watch. when I find everything getting to me it’s like I hear her voice telling me to just go with the flow. especially when I’m painting. she always taught me to relax when creating and let my art flow through me and I want to remember that always. now, I know that there is nothing that will make me forget, she’s etched in my memory, but a visual reminder that’s always there just when I need it. that sounds wonderful to me!

10 Ways to beat post exhibition blues

Interlaced – 12×12 Oils on Canvas by Jennie Rosenbaum Something that I never knew when I started exhibiting was that it’s very common to have the post exhibition blues. in fact, almost every artist I have spoken to has had this issue. there is a let down after the huge event. you spend so much time focussing on it all, creating artworks, hanging, publicizing, it becomes a massive high capped off by the opening. then, suddenly, it’s over. and your life can seem.. empty, it can be crippling- my first exhibition had me lost for over a month in a deep depression. after that first experience I decided that this should be something that can be avoided and I’ve been actively working on it ever since. these are my tips for beating that post-exhibition depression.

the decade that was – Stuff I learned

Release 12×12 Oils on Canvas by Jennie Rosenbaum fate is a bitch. if you aren’t doing what you are supposed to be doing you might just get kicked in the balls. don’t get into a car accident with a cop- it turns out that they are always in the right, even when they aren’t. if…

the decade that was – part two

Composed 10×12 Oils on Canvas by Jennie Rosenbaum Most of that was 5 years ago. since then I have: had many exhibitions, solo, group, juried, international and local developed signature styles studied photography at RMIT and drawing and painting at Curtin University, all online learned how to use 3D modeling to give me access to…