Realizing a VISION in Art: an update from Trina!

It has been an exciting beginning of the year in art. The girls have been working in their personal sketchbooks, met five local artists, and visited seven galleries and my studio in Pioneer Square.
The weekly assignments in the sketchbooks to this point have been a means of getting the girls thinking about art on a broad scope. It has allowed them a space to reflect on the work that we have seen and what possibilities are out there. It feel that it is important to fill ones brain with as many possibilities and approaches as possible so that many directions can be accessed and exercised. Upon reading through the sketchbooks this week I am excited and impressed with the brilliant connections and insights that the girls have made. I can barely sit still with the wonderful suspense of seeing where the girls go as they process through realizing their own visions.
Over the last two weeks we welcomed several visiting artists. It was awesome for the girls to gain direct exposure with a variety of artist who have a range of focuses and processes. There were two painters (each of whom have extremely different styles), a singer/songwriter, a videograper, and a photographer/filmmaker. All of the artists showed elements of their process and their struggles along side of their successes and refined finished products. All of them were truly inspiring. Many girls, in their sketchbook reflections, expressed surprise at the extensive nature of what is put into each piece. In reality there is nothing easy or graceful for anyone to make good work, no matter how experienced you are. Making art is hard, a struggle, and some pieces are bad and you have to start over or take what you learned and apply it to the next piece, and on and on. Often times the public only sees finished works and this limited perspective can make the idea of making finished works overwhelming. I hope that by de-mystifying the process the girls will have a greater confidence to really go for it and work outside of their comfort zones.
It was wonderful to take the girls to Pioneer Square and view many many artists’ works. From sculpture, to photography, to painting, to mixed media, to conceptual work, to literal work, we saw it all. The Tashiro Kaplan building is a fantastic block with multiple galleries. We primarily stayed on this block. We then went further into Pioneer Square and had lunch and then visited my shared studio in the 619 Western building. It was really fun to have the girls into my working studio and show them my current series and process.
It is so very exciting to go through this journey with the 8th grade class. The girls should be working every week in their sketchbooks and maintaining engagement with their ideas and interests. As one of my favorite college professors used to say, talent doesn’t get you anywhere if you don’t do the work. I can’t wait to keep going and see where it all leads.

Trina