I think, therefore I create limitations.

“The Stone of Spiritual Understanding” Imagination has no boundaries.

Visualization to realization is a process of imagining something in exquisite detail. It engages all of our senses. If you can perceive something in your mind with such clarity, it awakens you to experiences and aids in decisions that brings that vision into your reality.

Attention and intention create experience. Some will say this is bunk. I suggest they have not fully invested in the visualization phase, have not been patient enough for that reality to present itself, or are too deeply embedded in assumptions to recognize the options that appear.

In Deviate - The Science of Seeing Differently author and neuroscientist Beau Lotto poses a simple question: Do humans see reality? We don't. Everything we know is constructed by memory, assumptions and expectations. Only 15% of what we see comes through our sense of sight. The other 85% is fabricated by our brain. Our thoughts are our limitation. We cannot comprehend infinity.

In physics/philosophy, the concept of a multiverse or a many worlds interpretation of reality allows for infinite possibilities. Everything, everywhere, all at once. We are only able to experience one reality at a time. That reality is where our knowledge, assumptions and comfort zone converge. According to Lotto, if we change our brains we can release ourselves from the past. We unleash creativity and an entirely new realm of possibilities. We can realize anything we can visualize because all of those possibilities exist in the multiverse. (Here’s Why We Might Live in a Multiverse – Scientific American 3/6/2024)

The multiverse is an endless unfolding of universes. Together, they comprise everything that could exist: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describe them. This concept has been considered throughout history, including Greek philosophy. It has evolved and has been debated in various fields, including science fiction, cosmology, physics, and philosophy. Some argue that it is a philosophical concept rather than a scientific hypothesis, as it cannot be empirically falsified.

I have lived my entire life believing there are far more possibilities that we perceive. It helps explain some of the mysteries of ancient civilizations. They were able to visualize and experience other realities. There is substantial thought by minds much more qualified than mine to substantiate this idea. Creativity is undervalued whenever we rate an idea as impossible. For every vision imagined, a reality is out there.

Wearable Art: Masks on Shirts

Several of my favorite masks are available on black or white soft cotton tee shirts both short and long sleeve. When you want to start a conversation, wear one of these. Guaranteed to get a reaction from your friends.

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Diego Velazquez as sculptor of space.

"Las Meninas” 1656 by Diego Velazquez. 125.2”× 108.7”

One of many high points from a recent trip to Spain was a day at Museo del Prado. My long-time goal was to see paintings by Velazquez in person. As a court painter for the King of Spain, most of his paintings remain in Madrid.

Velazquez is one of the best painters of all time. In his later works he demonstrated a mastery of not just depth but of a three-dimensional experience on a two-dimensional surface. He is sculpting on canvas, drawing your attention into, around and through the space with masterful composition. “Las Meninas” is more than a scene of the life of Spanish Royals. As you view the painting, you are standing in the same position as the King and Queen, the subject of the painting. He is painting you as you watch and everyone in the painting is aware of your presence. The one subtle hint that explains this spacial masterpiece is the reflection of the King and Queen in a small mirror at the center of the painting.

Many great painters have managed space and depth successfully. I am unaware of any other painting that has turned the viewer into the subject of the painting. In doing this, Velazquez has made not only the painting, but the act of viewing the painting a 3-dimensional experience equal to experiences created by sculptors.

Dreams of Elders

Relatives long gone come back from time to time through dreams. It has always been a good experience. It usually makes me wonder what triggered that visitation. Was there a message? A warning? Or, more likely with my family, a joke?

This mask was full of challenges. I had never rendered fabric before. Nor had I ever tried to position multiple, fully-rendered figures on top of a mask. But, what fun is a project without problems to solve. The larger challenge with this one was how to paint it. I’m not sure this photo is fully accurate. The mask has a glow just below the figures.

Mixed media: 21" x 13" x 5".

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A Fish Called Wander

I have been thinking about prehistoric fish for a long time. I created the head for this piece months ago. A recent trip to the Seattle Art Museum to see a collection of Alexander Calder mobiles was the trigger to complete this. I didn’t know if it would swim until I suspended it. A slight breeze will keep it in motion. Now I’m debating whether to add two more fish or let this one swim alone.

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Deja Vu: The Persistence of Possibilities

Time is an illusion. There is no past, no future. There is an infinite “now”. The “Many Worlds” theory of quantum physics acknowledges that all possibilities exist at once. Through normal consciousness, we perceive one sequential path of possibilities. When our awareness encounters one of these infinite other worlds, it feels familiar because it is another version of what we are experiencing. .

That might explain what we experience as of déjà vu. Literally translated from French, it means “already seen.” It describes the illusion of a memory of a scene or event that you are experiencing it for the first time.

This sculpture suggests many things: a dance, a relationship, lovers, twins, opposites, etc. I began this piece with the concept of multiple variations of the personality encountering each other. The term of déjà vu quickly came to mind. When we see our thoughts reflected we are seeing through a portal in reality. I believe our ability to comprehend the complexity of consciousness is a result of how little we actually know about nature.

One surprise I encountered after shooting this video was that both figures, while rotating around each other also appear to be rotating on their own axis. It’s an illusion.

Evolution of an idea

A recent trip to Mexico was a visual tsunami. I was fascinated by a group of Frigate birds that soared above the beach every day. Their ability to glide with no apparent effort amazed me. Of course, sketches followed. My attention was also drawn to of the more primal imagery of the local artists and craftspeople. At some point, all of the imagery I was ingesting started to merge into a single image. This series shows the progression from inspiration to a finished mask. “Focus” measures 28” x 30” x 11”

Creative Continuity - Inspiration from the past

I make a point of not repeating myself or duplicating previous works. In fact, if I tried to copy a piece, I would quickly find ways to improve the original. Before long, it would be a unique piece.

A few weeks ago, I pulled “Dream’s Cape” from the shelf. The original piece was created in 2019. I always felt it didn’t go far enough. I started sketching alternatives. Within a few minutes another character emerged. While the underlying concept has similarities, the end result is a very different piece with a very different feel.

“Shaman” also required a few new techniques. I visualized a gold leaf interior. However, in construction, that was overpowering. A few glazes of Alizarin Crimson turned the gold to a more copper feel. It kept the richness but subdued the high reflection of the gold.

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How to find direction if the path is unclear

“Magician” - 44”H” x 23”W - Watercolor on #100 drawing paper.

My process is very intuitive. I avoid patterns, repetition, and predictability as soon as I suspect their presence.

I came to my studio today in a mood. Not the best approach for creativity. But, I figured this change in attitude foreshadowed an opportunity for breakthrough. It’s happened before. There are no bad days. There’s always another door to be opened. Opportunities to explore. Synchronicity plays the next card.These are not to be ignored.

During the morning’s frustration to find my “groove” I tried several approaches. All ended with a huge sigh and another “What now?” situation.

I decided to find a large piece of paper and cut loose. Paint wildly. Expunge my mood. Digging through my bin of rolled paper, I discovered two large watercolors painted years ago. One spoke loudly. It was a study I did 7 years ago for the very first sculpture of my current body of work.

This figure was one that I wasn’t ready to explore when first conceived. Upon rediscovery, I put it on my easel for examination. That was about 5 hours ago. I’ve been looking at it all day.

Another idea I had pursued earlier today has become a temporary dead end. I shelved it after a couple of hours and moved on to a crow sculpture which I have been considering for several months. I spent almost 4 hours and 45’ of wire to build the armature of a life-size bird. Some satisfaction achieved, finally.

I’m about to wrap up for the day. As I sit here looking at this large watercolor sketch on my easel, I realize I need to know this character more deeply. The way to accomplish that is to take it to 3D. That will be my task for tomorrow. It could be another sleepless night imagining the possibilities for refinements.

The creativity of Lascaux

Cave paintings at Lascaux followed the contours of walls and ceilings enhancing the dimensionality of the figures.

Cave paintings like those at Lascaux often conformed to the dimensional features of the cave walls. The artists took advantage of bulges and cracks of the irregular surfaces to create dynamic images. Deep inside the caves, a flickering fire was the only illumination. The movement of highlights and shadows produced an illusion of animation. The earliest artists understood multimedia.

As art “advanced” to more sophisticated techniques, cave walls gave way to cathedral walls and ceilings. Pigments and brushes evolved to offer artists broader choices. Wood panels became the substrate of choice, later replaced with stretched canvas or linen. There are many reasons for this transformation. Transportation of images may have been a primary driver for stretched fabric.

Somewhere along this evolutionary path, the viewing experience suffered a serious setback. Flickering storyboard images across an undulating cave wall created an interactive experience. The regularity of a flat, rectilinear canvas restricts the creativity of the artist. Our Flatland of perception isn’t limited to the canvas. Look at your phone or a TV screen. Flat images confined to a right-angled box limits your view and your imagination. Thinking “outside the box” suggests an extension of the X and Y axes. Bigger boxes or irregularly shaped boxes still severely limit your perception.

Of course, not all artists subscribe to this limitation. Rene Magritte, Joan Miro and many others explored painting on 3-dimensional surfaces. The Y axis changes everything for artists and their art’s relationship to viewers. Moving from 2D to 3D changes how the brain perceives and expresses ideas. A painter tries to create an illusion of depth and space on a 2-dimensional surface. A sculptor works with real depth and space to create an experience that physically moves viewers in and around the multiple surfaces.

Creating sculpture is synonymous with creating interactive space. Engaging the viewers’ brain beyond the boundaries of a flat surface is an experience that literally has more dimension. The walls of Lascaux may be high relief instead of actual sculpture, but the masters who created those images understood the multidimensionality of perception.