Category Archives: Art
Reconfiguration
A modified Rinne Allen photograph from Page 50 of Hugh Acheson’s book titled The Broad Fork.
© Theresa Mae Funk. All rights reserved.
Flora for Robert Mapplethorpe
Britt Salvesen, co-curator of a retrospective that opened recently at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum, noted that Mapplethorpe liked to play with the idea of flower eroticism and its association with lushness and vitality and its association with the transience of life.
I’m not sure that Robert Mapplethorpe gave as much in-depth thought to the images he created as Britt asserts. By selling the public images of flowers, Robert Mapplethorpe gave people images that they could hang on walls without being, or feeling, uptight.
I take photos of flowers that grow in my yard and garden for the simple pleasure of knowing that in sharing the image, a greater joy will be unleashed in each individual that views it. And I’d like to think that Robert approves of my mission: I want my art to be a joy that heals.
© 2016 Theresa Mae Funk, all rights reserved.
While You Were Away: Passing Shots of Georgia
While you were away, I traveled to Atlanta, Athens, Appling, and then home again by plane.
I snapped a passing shot of A mural in Athens, Georgia for you, and call it Untitled, painted by an artist un-named. A bride and groom were married later the same day.
Tall pines and the lush greenery of the landscape was my daily meditation on humidity.
I read pages from Basquiat’s Unknown Notebooks at the High Museum of Art in my own Neoexpressionist style, then hatch-marked my heart to Vik Muniz’s sleeve.
© 2016. Theresa Mae Funk, all rights reserved.
37 Days Adrift
It’s well known that he who returns never left…
(an excerpt from the Pablo Neruda poem Goodbyes)
After 37 days of self-imposed exile, I sit down at my desk in the day’s fading light to write these few lines,
taking pleasure in knowing that my quiet return has not disturbed your slumber.
I’ve been drifting on a river full of memories and dreams while casting off regrets and wonder,
If my absence went unnoticed, why is it that I care?
© Theresa Mae Funk, 2016. All rights reserved.
Passing Shots: Folsom Lake
Located about twenty five miles northeast of Sacramento is what remains of Folsom Lake.
Walking through the stark landscape of what was once the reservoir’s lake bed saddened me, but also inspired me to spend time this week studying color theory.
What will be the formula that re-creates these shades of blue for my next work on paper?
© 2015, Theresa Mae Funk. All rights reserved.
The True Value of Free Art
One of my four half-sisters recently commented on how much she liked an original piece of work on paper that I had given to one of my mentors as a thank you gift:
“Fleeting Summer” 3×6 inch mixed media on paper. © 2015, Theresa Mae Funk. All rights reserved.
In response to her comment, I decided that I would do a customized rendition of the piece on a larger scale and when finished, will ship the framed piece to her for her upcoming birthday. I started sketching the gift today, and contemplate its true value.
© 2015, Theresa Mae Funk. All rights reserved.
Archie Nemesis
My inspiration to spend time in my studio has waned in the past two weeks which was beginning to make me feel anxious, frustrated, and less than awesome. I know I’m not alone in the struggle; there are many creatives out there that find themselves in this situation. My need to create tends to get squelched by an over-scheduled work day and the negative conversations that rumble around in my head. The former is temporary and can be modified to ensure that I’m spending at least 90 minutes each day in practice; the latter requires a bit more attention and determination to quell the noise.
I had forgotten about the cartoon drawing of Archie Nemesis that I created during a telephone consultation with my mentor and Co-Active Coach, Susan Walker. She advised that I acknowledge the negative thought when it happens, allow myself to feel the temporary self-doubt that the thought creates, and then continue working. It is sensible and good advice, but sometimes more difficult to overcome depending on the frequency of the internal conversations. Those are the times that I reach for my sketch pad to doodle that doo out. I also doodle the positive outcomes that I want to see happen in my life and it works. Every time. Now back to the drawing board!
© 2015, Theresa Mae Funk. All rights reserved.
Smell the Jelly
We’ve been enjoying the Seedless Thompsons (also called Sultanas) since the middle part of June but the past few weeks of triple digit heat began to take its toll on the raisin cultivars. I decided to dedicate most of my weekend to the delectable chore of harvesting what remained on the twenty-something-year-old vine that grows in our yard.
A reflective moment under the arbor was an opportune time for a self-portrait.
If our freezer would afford us the space to save twenty-four pounds of grapes, I may not have attempted the arduous process of making jelly. It is trickier than I imagined and despite my good intentions and recipe, did not quite get the formula right. Instead of jelly, we have a concoction that looks like syrup and tastes like honey. Pancakes anyone?
© 2015, Theresa Mae Funk. All rights reserved.
Friday Night Goofball: Big Adventures of a Little Dog
Stella takes a break mid-play and strikes a pose.
Stella is very good at initiating work breaks, and employs a few different strategies to get me out of my work space. Last Friday, she lured me out of my studio with her “come and play with me” bright eyed, wagging tail cuteness and invitation to play a round of a game I call, Goofball.
Standing at the bottom of the stairwell, I toss the ball to the top of the landing where Stella waits to make the catch. She then spends a few minutes toying with the ball until she is ready to send it down the stairs to me, then comes racing down to intercept it. She remains undefeated.
© 2015, Theresa Mae Funk. All rights reserved.
THERESA MAE FUNK 