Elizabeth Briel's Page

Today I commented on Anna's post on obstacles to art-making, on a day packed with personal speed-bumps. Somehow they made me even more determined to work through them by writing: to my publisher, to several arts people, travel agents, my partner, to bloggers I've never met before.


Night-time photos from a Star Ferry cruise we took this week, saying goodbye to Hong Kong

I can't tell you how many times I've heard "I don't have time" from people - this is why they can't make art outside of Sundays.


You've got to conjure up the time, it doesn't simply appear.

[here are some good tips for making the most of small blocks of studio time]

Work fewer hours at your day job,

stay up later, wake up earlier,



don't have kids for awhile, if ever;

choose an admiring partner - or none at all - don't accept anything less.


R, looking like he's walked straight out of a film noir set

work a flexible job; make yourself irresistible to potential employers for freelance/flex-time work.



All of these are choices many contemporary artists make to keep going full-tilt towards their work.



Space?

It's unfortunate that for much of the past half-century, professional artists have been expected to rent studios separate from their living spaces, in some of the most expensive cities in the world. (this I am hopeful is changing in the 21st century).





Small spaces tend to generate small work, yes, but when starting out, paying for those spaces can become a distraction from the making of it.

Make it wherever you can: in the living room or underneath a tree, in a museum or in a classroom.

I currently use the dining room table & the concrete slab in front of our flat for exposing my blueprint photos.


You need understanding roommates when making a mess in the bathroom - even if it's "art"



it helps if your roommate's a male


Artists who are dedicated don't just say "I can't", they say "How can I do this somehow - or at least something like it?"


silk dress printed with rooftop water tower - view from the Long Bien bridge, Hanoi

Postscript:


Hirst was the art director behind this video. You can see his influences in splashing paint & cow's blood. Sienna Miller's an overblown histrionic, but watching her crawl through high street stores filled with artfully-lit handbags reminds me of my first year here in HK, walking through slick & superfluous IFC to the ferry piers on the way home.

The Hours - See The Light

I've just set up a new project-specific blog for the book, called Book of Blueprints. Why? To give you a glimpse into the stories behind some of my favorite illustrations.



Naturally, the first entry's about the Star Ferry on its cover. Stop by when you've got the chance. You've never seen Hong Kong quite as blue and brilliant as it is in these pictures.

Celebration sticker. Get a free one here

Way back in the day when I tried my hand at being a New York-based artist, I'd walk over the Williamsburg bridge and was often riveted by stickers & stencils of a somber-looking face. It was Andre the Obey Giant, but to me it was my green man, a presence that humanized this city where I felt so small.

ArtInfo gives us a glimpse of Shepard Fairey, the man behind the iconic red, white & blue Obama images. "Why would Barack Obama invite a graffiti artist with a long rap sheet to launch a guerrilla marketing campaign on his behalf?"

Read more in this article by ArtInfo

This said to me today first thing with a thumbs-up and a high-five, from Ah-Moy: the wildest cleaning lady at Colour My World. She'll put a grin on your face every day, and was especially happy that Obama won.


Hong Kongers celebrate Obama's victory (photo by Vincent Yu, AP)

"Hong Kong People" (as the local English-language newspaper refers to HK residents) have the bottom line on the mind more than most, but they DO know how to party! And there were parties aplenty last night, celebrating the USA's change in leadership.

But where was I? Hanging out at the atmospheric Philia Lounge for e.v.e.n.t's monthly Speak Up! showcase, to talk about my new book of blueprints and meet other artists/creatives in HK.

"After the festivities, it's time to get back to work" - a sentiment oft-quoted in newspapers about the president-elect's priorities.

And it's time for me to get back to work, too: press releases to be written, appointments to keep, framing to finalize, an international art festival to attend, final large images to print in coming weeks, travel arrangements to and from 6 countries...and a continental move before the end of the year.


More info on the book coming SOON - I mean in the next few days soon!

One of the many stencils I cut for the event


Recently I was invited by Bloomberg HK to facilitate a large-scale "urban art" mural (better known as "graffiti art" in less polite circles).


Some of the participants were spray-can experts already, and had lots of experience with marking walls

We plastered pictures and newspapers and sprayed stencils all over two planks of cardboard. Mixed up wheatpaste glue (made of water, flower & sugar) to stick up drawings and posters.


Some were hesitant, but had a good time after the first try

Thanks to lots of help with supplies from Colour My World and especially my assistant Tiffany, we had dozens of corporate painters stop by and try their hand at stencils, wheatpastes, and spraypainting.



Some didn't want to stop - this one kept going till sunset

The spray paint was especially popular; lots of kids couldn't get enough. The paint was water-based, so fumes weren't too strong, but Tiffany & I had breathed in lots of colors by the end of the day.