The Kick-About prompts from Phil Gomm’s blog at Red’s Kingdom, are an amazing way for me to explore my own visual creativity. For too long I have ignored the artistic side of who I am, and so the K-A is helping me recover my art……..literally! On and off throughout my adult life I have tried something to launch into the visual arts but nothing has worked until now, and the K-A is helping me! The work below is something I did over 20 years ago on a weekend printing course in Wells-next the Sea!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells-next-the-Sea
The latest K-A prompt was Lee Krasner, a female American artist involved in a movement known as Abstract Expressionism. The quote below comes from internet searches and I think it also perfectly fits my own point of view:
Abstract Expressionists value the organism over the static whole, becoming over being, expression over perfection, vitality over finish, fluctuation over repose, feeling over formulation, the unknown over the known, the veiled over the clear, the individual over society and the inner over the outer.
That was written by William C. Seitz, an American artist and Art historian (1914-1974).
Head on over to Phil’s blog to see this submission and the work of the other amazing artists, such wonderful ingenuity and creativity. Here is the link:
Ashley
A Different View 
Glad to hear that you are recovering your visual art talents. It’s so healthy to try different things.
Thank you Marie! I’m certainly enjoying the challenges.
Wonderful, Ashley! And William C. Seitz’s definition completely aligns with my perspective. I work according to this definition, although I also incorporate Far Eastern concepts.
The quote just jumped out at me. It fits nicely with how I am beginning to see the world of art. Thank you Friedrich, your comments are very much appreciated.
You’re welcome, Ashley! As a further exercise: read the quote again (it encompasses all the essentials) and leave out the Western judgments, such as “expression over perfection.” That’s another very Western perspective.
From my perspective, a step further and more productive: don’t judge which is more important (because in the areas mentioned, both are important), but rather always see them as yin and yang, in eternal interplay, thus creating life, soul, harmony, and wholeness.
I hope that’s not too abstract 🙂
Thank you for your wonderful insights, Friedrich. You are stretching my way of thinking, a good thing, which is why I’m really enjoying Phil’s prompts. I am seeing and thinking differently. That is not just down to working on Phil’s prompts but in following your blog too! Look out for my next blog (Summer Solstice) as it began to take shape whilst researching Lee Krasner.
One thing I might disagree with in Seitz’s quote is “individual over society”. Not sure about that one!
beautiful piece Ashley! and i enjoyed the Kick-About post’s other works as well. Mike
Part of the fun Michael is seeing what others do. It’s like attending an art exhibition and coming away, uplifted!
Love your submission, Ashley!
Dear Rosaliene, thank you for your lovely comment.
Beautiful print, Ashley! I love the spontaneous print process! So glad you’re drawn back in this. 👌🌟☺️
Dear Marina, thank you. I would love to return to printing and it’s possible I’ll make a start later in the year. 🤞🤗😊
That’s great!!!! 👌🌸
I like the way this looks like text, some mysterious and magic writing underneath the image. (K)
Ha! Your probing comment makes me smile as both my wife and I have puzzled over the actual process in this print as it was such a long time ago.
I have lots of old art like that…
Nice print, Ashley! I hope you continue to explore your artistic side and to do more art pieces. You like it and seem to be very good at it. I think these K-A prompts are just what you needed! Keep it up!
Thank you Ed! I’ve been spending more and more time on the artwork and my writing of hokku has diminished. However, I’m all set and ready to go for the solstice.
This is so beautiful. You are definitely finding your Artist side back. I could easily see this print on my wall. For me it has a bit of Japanese influence somehow. I love it, well done Ashley. I totally enjoy your artistry side. ♥
Dear Ute, thank you, I don’t think my interest in Japanese art or writing had been fired up back then but it is an area of art that I am now very interested in. 💌
Yay , experiment with it and show us on your blog. 🙂 Would love to see some more, Ashley ♥
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I love it and I’m so glad you haven’t given up of finding room for art in your life! I have a metal bookmark with a T.S. Eliot quote that says, “You’re never too old to be what you might have been.” It resonates with me a lot. It reminds me to give up unrealistic expectations but not my creative interests.
Many thanks Melanie, it’s been a long time coming, as they say! I just hope my imagination doesn’t give up!
I love your print and that you are recovering the artist within. It’s wonderful how connecting with other artists’work can have a liberating effect. Well done. 🎉💝
Dear Morag, you are so right! I’ve missed interacting with other artists AND challenging my own artistic views! 💌😊