Word Tattoo

I invite you to join me on a journey to explore memories of the future.

a blog by john-michael korpal

Mark your Calendars!

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It is new month and there are many exciting things going on both in the studio and surrounding Chicago area.

Hope to see you out about this month!

 

Dia de Los Muertos

The Art Center
1957 Sheridan Road
Highland Park IL. 60635

September 7-November 2

More info…

Inferno Flower, Oil and Book Pages on Canvas, 30 in x 12 in

Inferno Flower, Oil and Book Pages on Canvas, 30 in x 12 in

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LGBT GSA Exhibition at Governor’s State University

Governors State University

1 University Parkway

University Park, IL 60484

 

October 1, 2013 – December 2, 2013

More Info…

 

Years of the Past, 6 oil paintings on canvas, 12in x 12in

Years of the Past, 6 oil paintings on canvas, 12in x 12in

 

Vase Blue-Brown, 10in tall x 8in wide

Vase Blue-Brown, 10in tall x 8in wide

Carrot, 14in tall x 4in wide

Carrot, 14in tall x 4in wide

Purple Heffalump, 12in tall x 8in wide

Purple Heffalump, 12in tall x 8in wide

 

 

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Flying Dolphin Studio

Open Studio October 7, 2013

Monday ~ 7:00-10:00pm

 

Stop by and visit the new creative space. This is the perfect opportunity to view current artwork and learn more about up coming Art Classes!

During the evening I will be removing one of the paintings from the wall to be raffled off. One lucky individual will get to take home one of my original paintings as a thank you for visiting.

There will also be wine and cheese and some other tiny little goodies to enjoy.

 

Flying Dolphin Studio

6660 North Damen Ave. (Door is on the side of building… top buzzer)

Chicago, IL. 60640

Click on this link for directions

http://tinyurl.com/k4eweem

Hope to see you… feel free to bring a friend!

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Andersonville Arts Weekend

Toujours Spa & Salon

5224 N. Clark St.

Chicago, IL. 60640

 

October 11-13, 2013

More info…

Andersonville Art Walk

Flying Dolphin Studio~ Open Studio Event

Posted on by johnmichael
Flying Dolphin Studio
Open Studio 
October 7, 2013
Monday ~ 7:00-10:00pm
 
Stop by and visit the new creative space. This is the perfect opportunity to view current artwork and learn more about up coming Art Classes!
During the evening I will be removing one of the paintings from the wall to be raffled off. One lucky individual will get to take home one of my original paintings as a thank you for visiting.
There will also be wine and cheese and some other tiny little goodies to enjoy.
Flying Dolphin Studio
6660 North Damen Ave. (Door is on the side of building… top buzzer)
Chicago, IL. 60645
Click on this link for directions
Hope to see you… feel free to bring a friend!
Namasté
john-michael

 

Random Thoughts Of Consciousness

Posted on by johnmichael

Yesterday was the first day or autumn… although in my mind it is last day of summer.  When seasons start to change it provides that gentle tap on my shoulder and the whisper in my ear… “this is a good time to step back and evaluate and take note”.  What have I been able to achieve and what do I want to accomplish in the up coming months.  Since jumping into this with both feet in June doing art full-time as well maintaining my ”day” job. I have been able to accomplish many things that I have to admit, challenged my sanity in the beginning.  Searching for that ever-changing balance between keeping my feet firmly grounded while reaching up and outward pushing my comfort levels.  I retrospect it does not seem that difficult… but in the moment it was a bit intense and crazy making.

 

So some accomplishments to date:

 

In the last 5 months have been accepted for 8 exhibitions and have a goal of adding 4 more to that list before the end of the year.

 

I have been rejected from 5 exhibitions.  Even though it is disappointing to receive rejection e-mails. I am glad to have had the experience of these, as they have taught me many things. Next year, I will apply for these shows again and move forward with a better understanding of what to submit.

 

I am planning the First Open Studio, October 7, 2013,  7-10pm.

If you have not received an invite…. Please let me know.

 

 

I am exploring the idea of expanding my studio classes to include more than just Calligraphy. Turning the studio into a creative place for artist to gather and share ideas and thoughts and create a social support while having fun!

 

 

Above all… I have learned more than I ever thought possible about the making of the art, the business of the art and how very different the two are. I have also explored and learned new narratives of what being an artist means to me. I am also guaranteed that there is a never-ending list of things for me to continue to learn and grow… and for this I am very excited for the journey before me.

 

What Time Exposes

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For more than a year now I have peddled my bike over this particular spot of road on Ravenswood. Over the course of the year I have watched it evolve as more payment has broken away revealing the brick. Each morning as I have rolled over this spot I smile because it makes me think of how over the year I too have evolved. Ravenswood

It has been a series of ripping down and rebuilding as I explore, redefine and create. The process is not always easy or pretty… nor is it mapped out. It has been a one step at a time process, and sometimes those steps were moving backwards.

I see the road and it reminds me that sometimes things have to breakdown to expose the beautiful parts that have been covered up and hidden over time. As time moves forward I have watched more and more of the beautiful brick exposed and it reminds me that as I move forward parts of me that no longer serve me are crumbling away. The layers that were created to protect me are no longer necessary and as a result are crumbling and being cast aside.

Instead of feeling the need to rebuild them I am finding joy in polishing what is below the surface. In this case the bricks are not perfect nor is the placement, but they are beautiful.

I know one day I will ride by and there will be a fresh layer of asphalt … but I will know that the real beauty is hidden below.

Phantasmagoria

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Time spent in the studio is often a carefully constructed assemblage of elements including smoke, mirrors and slight of hand. When I am in my creative mindset, I rarely know how something will turn out. I may have an idea… but this usually proves to be only the start of something completely different.

 

 

I would love to say that 100% of my time in the studio is spent creating art. But there are many things that happen in the studio that are part of the art process… but alone, are not art.  In reality there are many hours spent doing paperwork in various forms. Packing up artwork to be shipped out…unpacking artwork when it returns. Along with time spent writing and exploring ideas to figure out what my current focus is and what direction I want to move forward in. Taking all that information and determining what that might look like and what steps to take to make that actually happen. Then there is just the basic cleaning and putting things back were they belong after using them… physically and emotionally. The remaining time is used to create the artwork. I started to create a pie chart to represent this phenomenon, but I started to find it depressing… so I stopped.

 

This is what I consider my personal lantern that allows all the skeletons of my insecurities to be projected on the walls in distorted and larger than life forms. I have found that there is no way to hide from these, as they are things that must be confronted and if not exorcised from the mind you have to at least makes friends with them on some level.  I have learned that the best way to move forward and learn how to do something is by just doing it and learning as you move though the process. I have learned more from my mistakes in doing art than I could have even learned by reading a book. But the cool thing about insecurities is that when you face them and shine a light of understanding and compassion upon them they start to dissipate. Leaving only the bright light of the lantern to light the path on your journey.

Two Steps Forward… One Step Back

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Cleaning out and updating the studio was a great experience for me. It is nice to have every thing clean and fresh.  Although, I was hoping with all the changes would come a new flow of ideas … but instead it has caused me to veer off into a different direction.

 

When I started to hang the paintings back on the walls… the space felt very different. I did not want to put the same artwork up as before.  I have all these new paintings and I wanted to hang those up in the studio to reflect the work that I am currently creating.  The paintings from 3-4 years ago do not have the same strength that I feel in my current work. Which I understand and I still maintain the connection with them but as time has moved forward and I have evolved, they have not.  It sounds strange… I know, but it is true. It feels as if I created those a lifetime ago.

I want the new space to be infused with the energy of the new pieces. In hopes of it helping me move forward in my work.

 

But then I am left with the question. What do I do with the older artwork?

 

I have heard of artist that will paint over the canvas and repurposed them, which on some level would be a great way for me to incorporate a different form of recycling in my art.  I have also heard of artist that will destroy their art, shred it, burn it… you get the idea.  I understand the value of this as a method to release the older works and allow the artist to start fresh, as the Phoenix rises from the fire, so will new artwork.

I must admit there are those pieces that when I look at them, I have to ask myself, “What were you thinking when you created that?”

 

But I think we all have those moments of reality checks.

 

So for now those pieces are stacked up in the corner, their fate not yet determined. But I am moving forward and enjoying the journey.

 

Success……….Failure ~ The Space Between

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How do you determine whether you have succeeded or failed at something?

 

I am working on a new piece that is pushing my comfort level, because it has the potential of moving my art in a different direction and I am not sure how to process that information or even begin to wrap my head around what that might mean for me in the future.  The fact that it was a very long day and that I have been over extending myself and not getting much sleep makes it even more difficult. I have been feeling less balanced and centered in my actions and thoughts. Which is making this process even more problematic.  Sometimes I come to the end of my energy only to realize there is more that needs to be done. An example would be this blog entry. It is already 12:23 Friday morning and this should have been posted almost 4 hours ago and I should be finishing up for the evening…but like most evenings I still have a list of things that I need to address.

 

I have people ask me where I get the energy to do all that I do…and to be honest I do not know. Even at times I am amazed that I am still standing up and have not fallen over from fatigue.  But part of what keeps me going is what I hold to be true that separates my ideas surrounding success and failure. How this relates to me and the blurred lines that divides the two. I hold myself 100% responsible for my actions. I work as much as I can to explore new ideas and learn new techniques with the hopes that it will help me grow as an individual as well as an artist.  I push myself as much as I can because I know that if I do not continue to try different things and learn all that I can that I will never be able to create the best that I can in my life and art.

Success/ Failure

In order for me to succeed (by my definition) I have to do things until I get it…however many times that takes and I cannot “give up” because if I give up I eliminate any chance of me succeeding. So this creates the drive to always do better than I have done in the past and to never have to look back in regret realizing that  I didn’t give something my best try.

 

So I still do not know how to explain how I am able to do all of the things that I do in a day, but I know that I can not expect anything less from me and ultimately creating the life that I dream of is completely up to me. If I am not willing to put the work into it, how can I ever expect it to happen? I do not know of any other way to create this for myself, but to push through and do the very best that I can.

 

Studio ~ Refreshed

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I promised that I would share photos of the new and improved Studio…and here they are. Still some more work to do in the space but it is getting closer and closer to my dream.

In the near future new tables and chairs (maybe stools)  will replace this table and there will be a new printer in the one corner. Now, it is time to start working on the paintings again!

 

 

studio 3studio 4

studio 2

Studio 1