The year that was 2017 is drawing to a close very fast. Oh what a year!
I started it with two resolutions:
1/ Launch my art appreciation blog.
2/ Run my first marathon.
I am proud I made good on both counts. The marathon was hard but the discipline helped me fill this site with more than 50 articles spanning so much art and so many very different artists.
Looking back, I hopefully made you travel from Monet’s Impressionism and Seurat’s Pointillism to the Art Nouveau of Tiffany glass vases.
I enjoyed sharing some of my favorite artists with you, including Korean artists Do Ho Suh’s work on displacement and Nam June Paik’s media art.
Along the way, this fitted with reflecting on subjects close to my (he)art which I live by in my daily life: how to bring up kids in museums in a fun way and how pop up art experiences may or may not fit the bill as true art.
Looking at the striking architecture of Louis Kahn and Frank Gehry was awe-inspiring and definitely setting me up for my future Architecture studying modules coming up with Oxford in 2018 (yes, I do that too!).
Highlights of the year are without a doubt Saudi Abdulnasser Gharem’s stamp paintings, Xu Zhen and Richard Deacon’s monumental sculptures. (Click on any of the hyperlinks to access these articles directly).
It really feels I have been truly blessed with some divine exhibitions all year round, including Dior in Paris.
Yet my dear Light and Space favorite Robert Irwin helps me fight habituation every day: writing about not one, not two but three very different installations of his helped me deepen my understanding, admiration and gratitude for his works.
Gratitude is a word I’d like to linger on, if I may.
Shi Zhiying, Rock Carving of 1,000 Buddhas, 2014-15, oil on canvas, Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA)
I am grateful for all of you who come to this site, read, comment, like and ask for more. I never suspected that what started as a personal need to write and share would touch people I know and others I don’t. I am grateful to every single one of you who’ve found me on my life journey to find myself.
Shi Zhiying, Sand Ocean No. 6, 2012, oil on canvas, Collection of Dr. Michael I. Jacobs, New York, NY
To this extent, I will leave you with the work of Shi Zhiying.
Its meditative quality was a surprising end of the year gift.
Shi Zhiying, Mars, 2010, oil on canvas triptych, Courtesy of Cc Foundation, on view at Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA)
Monochrome does not resonate easily with me as I typically feed off colors. Yet I was lucky enough to have her monumental canvases all to myself at OCMA.
And it felt like one of my yoga practices.
Shi Zhiying, Zen Garden, 2011, oil on canvas, Courtsey of The Group Collection, on view at Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA)
Focusing on breathing, calming my mind, holding the pause, eliminating tension.
Shi Zhiying, 100 Buddhas, September 2011-May 2012, watercolor and ink on paper, Courtesy of the artist and White Space Beijing, on view at Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA)
Her 100 Buddhas, September 2011-May 2012 is a compilation of watercolors she made. The same Buddha, every single day…
Subtle changes making for the perfect game of “Spot the Difference” and an incredible learning on how every day is never the same, even if it feels that way.
Shi Zhiying, at left and right, White Marble Figure of Buddha No. 4 and 7, 2014, oil on canvas, Courtesy of the artist and White Space Beijing, on view at Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA). At center, White Marble Figure of Buddha No. 6, 2014, oil on canvas, Courtesy of Su Minluo
The pictures won’t do it justice but you’ll still get the idea.
Shi Zhiying, Ocean No. 2, 2014, oil on canvas, Courtesy of Fosun Foundation
Shi Zhiying, Ocean No. 2, 2014, oil on canvas, Courtesy of Fosun Foundation
Simple, quiet, immense, calm, grounding and with a centered energy I will make sure to remember for my 2018 resolution. In 2018, I would like to accept stepping outside of my comfort zone, tipping myself upside down in the process and daring the head stand that always eluded me. Wish me luck and send me tips if you have some…
Namaste and Happy New Year to you all.
Shi Zhiying is at OCMA until February 25, 2018.
© 2017 Ingrid Westlake
All pictures by Ingrid Westlake, unless otherwise stated.
Beautiful post Ingrid!
You are really inspiring for me.
Meilleurs vÅux à tous les 4,[image3.JPG]
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[image2.JPG]Emilie
Sent from my iPhone
Thank you, dear Emilie 💗🙏🏼 Only the very best for you and your family in 2018 as well😘
Great post – I’ve really enjoyed reading your work. And congratulations on running your first marathon – it’s a great achievement, and I know that it’s a wonderful feeling.
I hope you have a great year in 2018!
JB / http://www.dynamicstasis.blog
Thank you so very much, JB! Sending you all my best wishes for 2018! May it be a year as full as 2017✨
Ingrid, je t’envoie tous les encouragements dont tu as besoin pour continuer à te dépasser chaque année un peu plus …. mais jusque où vas-tu aller ??? Tu m’impressionnes tellement ! So keep going and let us know …. I am one of your fans. Happy constructive new year to you and good luck. Nathalie 😉
Merci du fond du coeur, Nathalie💗💗 Que d’évènements et de surprises en 2017, en effet. Et maintenant 2018 prend le relais gentiment pour de nouvelles aventures pleine d’art et de beau. I will definitely keep you posted, my dear 😘
😉
Happy New Year Ingrid!
Congratulations on your 2017 goals that were achieved beautiful. I have no doubt that you will master your handstand in 2018. You may want to start with meditation and visualization…
Thank you so much, Karoll! Meditation and visualization it is then 🧘🏻♀️ Let’s see if if I find my inner strength. Namaste et Happy New Year 😘
Sortir de ta zone de confort? Comment dire…Tu nous as déjà surprise par ton incroyable marathon, ton blog hyper intéressant (même si ce n’est pas un de mes sujets de prédilections; ca dépends quels artistes) que vas tu nous trouver pour 2018??? Te donner des idées; je suis sure que tu en as déjà pleins la tête donc j’ai hâte d’en savoir plus. 🙂 Continue à écrire en tous cas (et à courir pour les endorphines!!!!) car c’est un don et ne prive pas tes lecteurs!
Concernant ton dernier article de 2017; Shi Zhiying est patiente de refaire le même boudha 100 fois avec un tout petit détail qui change; wow, respect! Son art est doux; ca me donne envie d’aller la voir.
Bonne et heureuse année Reinvent In Grid à toi et à ta petite famille,
Julie
Merci tout plein pour tes bons mots, Julie! Et Bonne Année à vous tous aussi!
Je ne compte pas m’arrêter, en effet; il va juste falloir que je gère les choses finement vu la charge de travail attendue cette année pour ma Certification avec Oxford. Mais les projets, j’en ai plein la tête et je compte bien les partager pour te faire découvrir ou redécouvrir de jolies choses.
Bien contente que l’art de Shi Zhying te plaise. Tu as trouvé le mot juste, c’est très doux, et en même temps cela représente un focus incroyable qui arrive aux spectateurs sous la forme d’un calme tellement apaisant et régénérateur. Approprié pour cette fin / début d’année. Tu me diras ton ressenti si tu y vas en live. 😘
What to say to you other than THANK YOU !!
Personally you have so enriched my poor knowledge in the world of art !
You made me want to walk on the WEB to find out more, I pushed doors in artistic areas that did not interest me necessarily !!!
I waited for your posts and I “tasted” very rewarding information !
In fact, I traveled …
you have successfully completed your 2017 challenge !
So 2018 ….. a long adventure in front of you .. you have a lot of resources, a perseverance for this quest for discovery and transmission of knowledge …
MY ADVICE : BELIEVE IN YOU AND BE ACTRESS OF YOUR LIFE !!!
Thank you SO SO much, Marie-Annick! I never suspected the blog would bring me so much pleasure when I started it. It’s truly been a highlight in my year to be able to each out to all of you to share about what my eyes see and react too. The fact that it made you want more is the best compliment I could ever receive so Thank You! And yes, there will be plenty more in 2018, I promise 😘😘 Happy New Year!
Congratulations!! What a wonderful year it has been for you Ingrid – here’s hoping that 2018 has as much in store for you……and then some more…..and looking forward to us meeting at Oxford in July!
I am counting the days as much as I am working on my word counts 😂😘