Paul Nielsen :: Mixed media sculptor

On painting, and other media all mixed up

Sometimes I wonder why I’m so drawn to clay when my inspiration is so ethereal.

It’s more difficult to represent — either realistically or abstractly — such wispy notions with a substance that turns to rock after you’re done with it. Painting allows you to create transparencies on a surface that much more accurately mimic the kinds of light I’m so attracted to in the case of thunderstorms over the prairie.

However, I still want to create a way to beautifully and imaginative portray said supercells with sculptural materials. I believe it can be done, if I’m able to give more time to the idea. Recently I’ve been doing a little bit of painting anyway, as a way to think through the problem. And because the clay around the house (almost all of it reclaim) was either too wet or too dry to work. And I haven’t found a new supplier yet, though have one in mind.

posted July 25, 2010 | Comments (0)

Self-imposed . . . whoosh

Last month, May of 2010, I heard that old familiar whooshing sound as a self-imposed deadline skittered by. I had hoped to have put together what I considered an MFA ready body of work finished by that time, even though at this point I don’t plan on applying to any programs. This was merely a way of setting a semi-quantifiable goal for myself.

Now, if it weren’t for more work finding me (a good thing) and moving (another good thing) I would have in all likelihood made this deadline. Now that I’m working more and have a home of my own — just begging for walls in the basement and new paint and new kitchen cabinets — I’m trying to figure out how to adjust that goal.

Some of my recent work in the studio, playing around with different finishes.

posted June 07, 2010 | Comments (0)

New studio space

Cameraphone image of the new clay studio space in the basement of our little house. A new work surface on the right scrapped together with some wooden cubes and mdf (salvaged from a treadmill). The cabinets behind it I picked up at a garage sale; they’ll function as a little glaze station. Through the door in the back is a small pantry with shelving. More shelving is on the left of the image.

I’d hoped to actually get my hands into some clay today but my stash is all too dry to work with. Oh well.

10th st studio

posted June 05, 2010 | Comments (0)

As an organized person, am I a failure as an artist?

Yesterday I spent a lot of time doing what I do after moving into a new space, organizing. I tried to repair some of the lousiest attempts at building shelving I’ve ever seen, screwed some cabinets I bought at a garage sale for next to nothing to the wall and I intend to continue performing some of these organizational tasks today. I never go so far as to recreate a California Closet in every corner of the house, but I am predisposed to appreciate a certain level of organization. Actually, I’d go so far as to say that I need this certain undefined level of organization.

However, a question crept into my head as I worked yesterday: Am I a failure as an artist because I spend too much time and energy organizing? I ask this in jest (with a tinge of seriousness on the side). Am I not a serious artist because I spend so much time setting up a space as opposed to actually making work? Would a “real” artist have moved all of their artistic tools first and just left everything else at the old place to collect dust so they could work on their sculpture?

Nah, I don’t really think so (only a little bit do I think so). I have to believe that crafting a space in an organized fashion will result in a more productive studio.

Right?

posted May 16, 2010 | Comments (0)

OK, fine

I won’t work on any sculpture until April.

I haven’t had my hands in clay for months now. Two months ago I took a mostly full-time job that presented itself while keeping my part-time work with M-DAT as well, so am putting in at least 45 hours a week. On top of this we got a puppy (which we didn’t realize was going to be so much work, living on the second floor of a downtown apartment) and now have no time for anything but survival.

And my wife and I made an offer on a house.

So we’ll be making a few minor renovations before moving in around the middle of April, mainly to make it more puppy friendly. Which will hopefully in turn gain us back some time during the day to 1) sleep 2) have time to cook and clean 3) have time to work on our crafts.

It’s quite small as far as finished space, but will be 1,400 square feet plus when you include the basement. It has a single garage as well with it’s very own 100 amp electrical panel. Talk about overkill for a tiny shared garage. My wood shop will be in the garage, and clay studio in the basement. When we can get everything moved over there. The wife will have a bedroom for all of her yarn.

Hopefully we’ll be back on track before storm season up here in Nebraska!