A different kind of focus

#6 – Tuesday April 26th

Yes, its time . . . the intersection of art and mountain biking . . . When I’m in the studio painting, time stands still . . . My world exists completely  in the moment, implement to canvas, charging ahead, guided by intuition and the thousand upon thousand of marks made and colors put down or scraped off . . . each and every endeavor opening a new universe . . . and riding a mountain bike brings me to a very similar and familiar space. Being on a bike, navigating narrow, challenge strewn trails, requires my complete attention at every moment . . . charging ahead, guided by intuition and the thousand upon thousand of pedal revolutions turned, each mile opening a new universe, gliding over the wonder that is terra firma.

I grew up on a bike, and with the exception of a few short years in my early 20’s, I’ve ridden some kind of bicycle ever since. This week our friends Rebecca Rusch and Greg Martin are in from Idaho to ride the Whiskey 50 . The Whiskey is a 50, 25 or 15, mile mountain bike race in Prescott, Arizona. Rebecca makes her living riding a mountain bike and while Greg isn’t a professional athlete, he could be . . . because he just rides that hard and fast. So Rebecca will race the 50 mile distance in the pro-class, as one of her  tune-up events for her racing season.  Greg is racing the 50 mile distance also, but on a single speed bike . . . and  I’m riding the 25 mile distance in the amateur class.  The Whiskey is a weekend of awesome fun, celebrating human-powered two-wheel adventure!

Even though I’ve been paying a bit more attention to my bike than usual, getting ready for the race, I haven’t been dithering in the studio . . . I’ve painting in progress, and I’ve stretched a new canvas

The jumping off point for this painting, is a sculpture of cast concrete, eucalyptus tree branch and stone. I love making things, and the things I make often function as three-dimensional drawings from which the paintings are derived. It’s the constructing of  physical objects that helps energize the line and spacial relationships in my paintings.

The newly stretched canvas is a blank slate just waiting for me  . . . in anticipation of the touch of my hand . . . and I in turn, in anticipation of the journey of its creation.

Thanks for reading!

Charles