Informed Opinion

The Phoenix 18 x 24 pastels

The Seed 12 x 18 pastels

Filtered Divinity 18 x 24 pastels

I would like to think I'm smart, that I've figured out somethings on my own, but in truth, I'm reading - meaning someone else thought it, perhaps researched it and wrote it down. Admittedly, I'm not reading opinions and philosophies dramatically different from mine, though I can stomach a short diatribe of dissenting opinions.

Years ago, I was told to blog about art, since I want to present my art. I was told I should discuss my technique and the themes of my painting. Well, today - everyday - understand "this" is my technique. I am informed, filled with wisdom and knowledge. It's applied in colors and layers. Themes develop, messages are conveyed. And for those who choose to listen with their eyes, the words (hidden in layers of colors and shapes) speak VOLUMES!!!

Choices

Soul Dance 8 x 11 colored pencils

A note from my daily journal:

Get going. Eddie! No one’s fault or privilege but your own! You’ve got choices! And whether you choose wisely or foolishly, the choice is always yours. You can choose to love with abandon or cautiously. Right or wrong don’t enter into the picture because you have loved. Receive love the same. Some love as if there no tomorrow and give it everything they have. Others love as if it were their “rainy day” money and they needed to make it last until! But you love and that’s all that matters. Paint, write, and speak with the same caution or abandon; this is the way you choose to do it. Cautiously - "what will my audience think? Am I revealing too much? Should I say 'it' this way?" Or say, write, render it as though you are the pipe line, delivering "the goods" from on high! And you know what? It won't matter whether you were "constricted" or free as the great outdoors! You have delivered and the audience will receive it as we all receive the weather: some will love it, others hate it and still others go on with their day with various degrees of each extreme. But they will go on.

Thought for The Day - Sublime

Sailing under a Penny Moon (in process) 12 x 18 pastels

One of my friends, when she saw my work, said "it's so colorful!" Now mind you, I don't know what I was looking for in that moment, maybe something along the lines of admiration, adulation, a deeper connection to the imagery. But that was her reaction. I didn't question, though in retrospect, I wish I had. Sometimes you want more than compliments or a "like;" you want dialogue, a conversation about impressions and feelings. This isn't an ego thing, this is Eddie, wanting to make connections and have conversations about more than which restaurant has the best chicken or the temperature outside!

When I look at areas of the above picture (in process) I'm struck by the tones and the depths of the color. Again, not an ego thing, but realizing there is a current, a well or vast ocean beneath the surface. Creativity is not something to "own" or "possess." Someone may own the pond that sits on their property, but you don't own it's supply. One may have the advantage of owning a lake, also on property you own, but wildlife that feed on it, the water falling from the sky, the minerals and every organism making up that ecosystem, do not belong to you. We are caught in the beauty of it all and it surrounds us. In truth, it overtakes and dwarfs us!

The colors, the sense of movement; for me the very sense that each color conveys an impression, an emotion and thought...no, this is not ego; this Eddie expressing his view of the flow he was fortunate to enjoy!

Thought for The Day - Not Yet

It's a sad reality, that moment when you accept "I'm not ready." And all too often, that realization is followed by "when will my time come around?!" Patience gets tossed out the window in moments like this, but there's not much you can do. Oh, you will wait because there's not much more you can do...

Back to the wood shed! Continue working and practicing and building your skills. Each opportunity you get, you try to showcase your talents, though often you ask yourself why; the end is always the same: rejection or worse, apathy! And each time, you wonder whether you have what it takes, if you are too young, too old, too short or the right race...nagging questions that you dare not ask, because in truth it won't matter what others say. There's a reason you continue to hone your skills, show up for the performance and give it all you've got: you have a message, a song, a move to add to this vast collective! And whether you're "ready or not," you have to press on!

Perhaps, many years from now, the "right audience" or group will see you for who you are. One day, you will be recognized for your outstanding performance, but for now, in the meantime, just not yet...

Thought for The Day - Starting

It begins...

Lift

Move

Wiggle

Stumble

Fall

Adjust

Try

Again
   and
Again
   and
Again

Sometimes I sit and stare at the canvas. Some days that's hard to do, so I glance over my shoulder. I look at the paint drying on the palette. I glance at the top left hand corner for the beginning point, where the inspiration began. I pull out my sketch book and get stuck with the choices...but it isn't until I put paint to brush and brush to canvas, that anything happens. Thought without action, intent with movement is an unknown factor.

But it starts with the intention, the desire; sometimes we can't articulate what it is. It's an impulse, a twitch in our head. But by all means start, try, stumble, fall, cry, moan, laugh and continue!

Thought for The Day - Prep Work, Changing Weather

...Suddenly the skies were clear, the winds died down and calmer days prevailed.

Yesterday, I scraped my palette for fifty-millionth time this year and then applied the same colors I have, also for the same number of times. I begin applying paint to "Linen, A Storm is Coming" and as I did so, I asked myself why was I doing it? Certainly, for a person like me, the work is never quite complete. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've sat in front of this canvas, or glanced at it over my shoulder as I worked on something else and thought "I could use a shot of silvery blue or orange here." Or thought "the mood in the sky needs to spread from one end to the next," but negated that idea with the sense of a transition over the length of it.

At some point, I did what I haven't in months; I took the painting off the easel. It kind of surprised me because it was just a day before I thought there was no need to rush to complete it. A large 30" x 40" canvas has been sitting in a corner, waiting for this moment and without a second thought, I reached for it, blew the cobwebs off it and placed it on the easel. There was a moment of anxiety, looking at the white canvas. Should I turn it so the 40" is vertical or horizontal? Am I working on the blue Orisha Yemaya or "Calming winds" (working title in both instances)?

After about an hour, the canvas was tinted red, my base coat and color. The storm was passed and the canvas lay length-wise, on the easel. The calm has returned...

I told a friend the other day that sometimes, God answers our prayers and yet we aren't happy because we were looking for his response to appear a certain way or with more flair... Sometimes drama and madness simply stop and we are so surprised at the transition, we aren't sure what to think...

Thought for The Day - No Quick Fixes

I Will Rise 18 x 24 pastels

Linen - A Storm's Coming 24 x 30 Oil painting

What do you do when the pace slows? What happens when the progress that was slow before, gets slower? When the energy wanes and your attention is elsewhere, then what? You dig in, you slow down and pay attention to what's going on.

There's always something occurring, seen and unseen. The energy is "there," just below the surface, seething, churning and looking for the right time to release. Wait. Patiently do so. It may seem the wait is long, it may seem "change aint coming" but wait, plan hope and dream.

Thought for The Day - Pencil

"Here! Go work with this for a while!"

Simple low-tech device and practically useless in a digital age! But remember, batteries lose their change and wall outlets aren't always available!

Some days, that's how it begins, a simple pencil. I have to admit, having spent years in college, I learned to choose my pencils carefully. I have a collection of several tones of pencils, everything from a 6H to a 6B. They produce tones from a pale grey to a very dark grey. But that's how it begins, that and a white page. A line, on a page, usually in the top left side of the page to ensure no space is wasted.

Quite honestly, I don't usually begin the process with a preconceived concept. Most days, this just feels like drills to warm up. But in the process of allowing my fingers and unconscious to connect, shapes, tones and shadows appear. An idea or theme comes to mind. I am off to shaping and planning; developing this idea with that shade of grey.

It's like that each morning, as I sit to write,  except I have "you" in mind. What will you say? What do you need today? As importantly, what should be expressed and where am I being lead? I don't get to set the tone of your life, or determine how the light and shadows play across your face. But I know that words, the expression of concepts, intentions and hope, contain power! And using this "pencil" is my way of lending my voice to the throng sending out truth and light!

Thought for The Day - Capturing a Moment

A few years ago, getting back to painting and drawing, I wanted to "capture the moment," to preserve images in my head, on canvas and paper. But at the same time, I was aware that the beauty of the moment was that it was transitional, transcendent. Certainly we have memories and words capture the tone, but nothing can capture that moment you turn, look up, catch a glimpse of light, shadow, colors and movement. The image, the memory is one that happens in a stream. We are only "here" for seconds and we are on to the next and the next.

Today, I think differently. I reason that this image, this moment will come along in one form or another, some other time. And quite honestly, it doesn't matter if I recognize it as such; just realize life moves on, good things (and some bad) comes back around and every day is an opportunity to experience life anew!

I have a head full of images, words, memories and concepts. I could write all day, paint all day and walk the streets of Chicago from sunup to sundown! But the external is a shadow of what remains unseen and I am not the sole "recorder of deeds." We are in this life together and we share this journey.

Thought for The Day - Gradations, Variations and Textures

As you can see, I love color...seriously, it never occurred to me, since I began painting years ago, that it should be any other way. I also love mixing and layering colors to get the effect of movement, light and shadows. For me, it's always felt like, even a wall, painted white, had variables and grades of white and shadows. There always seems to be more going on, everywhere and that life is this wonderfully complex movement. It's beginning and end, none of us will ever comprehend and quite honestly, that only lends to the mystery and majesty!

Tactile sensations...running my fingers across tile, polished and white, there are variations, tiny spots where the pores of the clay beneath the glaze, can be experienced. It's like skin, experienced in all it's wondrous complexity, with patience and intent. The clouds above, a child's opportunity to create without moving a finger, to imagine and see elephants floating above. There are shades, and colors and stories floating above, and not just for children. The clouds I see today, have seen a farmer's eyes, traveled over roads, dipped into valleys and stirred another's sense of wonder.

This sense of creation, the sense of wonder is one I cherish. It is my hope to render it in words and images. It is my hope to share my sense of astonishment at God's ability to amaze us!

Thought for The Day - This Day

The Turn  9 x 12 pastels

What will this day bring, this 24 hours, this 8 hour work day, commuting for 2 and the remainder? What is a necessity, a pleasure, a luxury and planned? Where will it take me? Who will I become and what will I discover about me?

A careful and detailed analysis doesn't yield new results, but each day is a new day. Each day brings new opportunities and another chance to make better, do better and be. So what will I do differently with this day? How will I improve on the plans for my life?

A few years ago, I worked briefly on this series "The Turn." My plans were as foggy then as they are now; I had intentions, desires but wasn't certain of the means. This day is much like that turn: I'm going in the direction the road takes me and I'm not sure where that is.

Thought for The Day - Bacteria

"I'm infected!" 

This year has been challenging in that interesting way that if you aren't mindful, you ignore the blessings and make unwise decisions. A series of injuries, flooded basement a couple times this year, broken appliances, repairs and necessary purchases; it would seem that "someone" is trying to get my attention. But again, mindfulness, staying in touch with God, I am aware that "change is inevitable" and in truth, constant. 

We can allow what appears to be difficulty or calamity or misfortune, to alter our steps. I grew up with parents and relatives who observed weather changes and a collection of political events as a 'sign of changing times.' Of course, "the apocalypse" always looms on the horizon. That thought infected me, to the extent, I have had to work hard to ignore that line of thinking. When I say it's a struggle not to view life as an accident waiting to happen, I'm not joking! It's an everyday struggle!

But I've also received a dose of hope and confidence. I've viewed life from the other side, that is, an adventure, an opportunity to grow and progress. When I put my paints away shortly after college, 30 years ago, there was a sense that I might not pick them up again. But there was also this sense that it was an ABSOLUTE MUST to do so! And that same sense of hope drives me on, today!

Yes, I have a dis-ease; it will not allow me to rest! It will not allow me to accept the status quo and to live like everyone else! It drives me to solitude, to contemplation and to sharing "the good news" that a brighter day is coming!

Thought for The Day - In The Dark

One day, I will get back to my series "Pre-Dawn Light." A great idea and series including charcoal and oil paintings of dimly lit subjects. I included a couple images above, though the one is difficult to photograph. That image is a bird flying over a lake. You have to see it in person to get the full-effect.

This time of the morning...the sun is a ways away and I'm working on hour two of wakefulness. I think the idea of being awake to prove I could, was how I got here. But that idea isn't what gets me out of the bed now. I get up at this time to get work done. Music plays in the background and beside me, the light gurgle of the aquarium keeps me "company." The street light shines through the plate glass window with a candle light glow; just enough so you know it's there and not bright enough to illuminate the room. On this day, I choose to keep the overhead lights off and the light from my monitor is enough to make the painting on the easel glow. Glow enough to give the impression that a "Storm is coming..." The place of creativity, sitting in my home as it does in my heart. In a tucked away spot and out of sight. But no less significant  than the remaining portion of the house and my heart.

Thought for The Day - Blogging Art, Pretty Pictures, Plain Words

It's a pleasure to present my work; to show the world my work.  And while it is readily available for viewing, and I write about the process, my work and I remain relatively obscure. But that's alright; those that know me, know my work and it appears regularly in this format.

I realize I don't have much to say about the purpose of my work. I can tell you it's driven more from my desire to express the layers of my mind, rather than to render beautiful renditions of life. That is "my current situation." I can easily get in a studio with a live model posing and paint as well. And one day I will. But for now, this is my heart's statement, my mind and body responding to the energy stored up inside.

Turbulence, like waves of water, rocks vibrating under the weight of sonic rumblings. bodies shaking under silk sheets...this is disturbance. This is quaking and violence!

No pretty pictures here...but the words say it all!

Thought for The Day - Fall, Saturdays

A day off, the "to-do" list extensive, the "if-I-had-time-for" list much longer and buried beneath necessity. Saturdays in the fall: haircuts, grocery shopping, raking leaves, clipping branches and cleaning gutters. Taking the car to a repair shop for winterizing, or the latest round of repairs.

Saturday afternoons are now spent with a palette in one hand, a brush in the other, standing or sitting in front of a canvas.  A ride in the car is filled with adventure, absorbing the many colors of leaves changing before falling to the ground. Maybe I'll open the sunroof to get a bit of fresh air. Maybe I'll treat myself to walk along a stream somewhere. Or maybe I'll catch a quick nap and dream...

Saturday night is relaxing and tranquil. As I get older, I miss the Saturday nights when I went to a jazz club to hear a group perform. Nothing fancy, some local talent playing through their usual set. It was an opportunity to see what the rest of the world was doing and hear good music. In this period of transition - isn't every "period" a time of transition - there is a reflection of the past, measuring the present and hoping for ______ in the future.

It's Saturday, it's Fall and the season is changing...

Thought for The Day - Grateful

June 4th (thereabouts), 1984, that's 30 years ago, I graduated from college. I remember well over a year before that, an underlying tremor set into my spirit; the prospects of making a living as an artist seemed dim. My mother's idea of a "plan b" would have to wait until I finished school because I was at the end of my run and didn't plan to take more classes. But graduation was bittersweet; I was glad for the accomplishment, I had a degree in fine arts, something I really wanted. And yet, artists "starve..."

I'm sitting in my "space" as I write. Thirty years from graduation; while as an artist, income is scarce, I am surrounded by more of my work than I could have imagined doing at the time of graduation! I have paintings hanging in my home and in the homes of family and friends! And I am grateful that God will not allow my dream to shrivel on the vine. I would like to believe as long as I live and my body and mind function, far more work is coming!

Thought for The Day - Painted Sky, Transitions

There's a great deal of thought and planning behind the scenes. But what happens during execution can be very organic!

Many evenings, riding home on the train, the sky is full of huge clouds that seem as if you could touch them! Full and rolling, they seem to be just above the buildings and to go up forever! It is very exciting to watch and photograph, when possible. But the skies I've caught either early morning or just before sunset, are the most dramatic! Some of the most colorful are days where there is a blend of clouds, sunlight and plenty of movement. And that's what I'm aiming for in this latest painting.

Thought for The Day - Finish it!

Linen with a swirl (in process, still)

A coworker asked yesterday, what my goals are in painting. Without hesitation, I said it's to complete the painting I'm working on. I know by the look on her face, she was looking for something like "to be featured in ______ gallery" or "appear in _____ show," but I realize where my life sits for the moment. Aspirations, goals and dreams are important, but additionally, an honest assessment of your current situation is critical as well.

Completing the painting, being certain that it is where I want it to be, is critical. There have been times when I didn't know what else could be added to a painting. There have been times I said at some point, "it's finished," with that lingering sense that something else remained. Not this time; there is a strong sense of what needs to be done and a stronger sense of the completed image I'm looking for. But it is a slow process and worth each time I look over my shoulder as I write.

There's more at stake than completing a picture or saying "I did it!" No, I have intangibles to rise above; there is a sense of accomplishment and another "brick" to add to my identity. Eddie Hudson needs to go through this process and see it through to the end because he has walked away from too many things. Completing this painting is seeing a project through to the very end!

Thought for The Day - Red

Inspiration can be found everywhere, when your eyes are open to receive!

Passion
Fire
Warmth
Life
War
Violence

I use red most of the time in my paintings; it's one of those necessary colors. And I use it, because of each word above. Mostly because in our bodies, it represents life and for me, life is spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty! Freedom of expression and to love!

Thought for The Day - Linen under a Turbulent Sky

My son sat with me for a while, as I worked on the painting above. And he shared his thoughts on the painting. He said he had been looking at it for a while, trying to figure out what's going on. And he had this to say about the sky: "I think there must be a lot of stuff happening up there!" Well said, son; well said! And there is; it isn't a quiet Saturday afternoon sky where it's crystal clear, small puffs of cloud appearing occasionally. No, this sky is violent, on edge, filled with clouds and there's no telling what those clouds contain!