Brian Sal Corral is the Painter, Illustrator and Fine Arts Writer for everyone. After establishing myself as an American East Coast Artist I am now on my way to becoming a true International Artist. Follow my artist adventures as an American Artist in London.
Its Visa time in the good old UK. I know there are all kinds of crazy excuses people make up to convince themselves to go for that visa. So here is one more…guilt. After taking all the professional necessities I need from London to boost my cv (resume’) and in addition to all the “I really like it here” talk, reaping the fruits of London and giving nothing back just seems wrong (yes I just had my first solo exhibition). There should be an element of mutual benefit in any healthy relationship after all. So London, I am willing to stay, if you’re willing to have me (at least for a year or two).
Forget that I’m in London or how great my wife is, forget that my bills are paid and my health is good, I want more. I want perfection! The depressing part is you can live your whole life and never experience one day of it. There are plenty of ways to avoid that depressing fact. Setting low standards is one or focusing on small steps and never looking forward, or even not caring. But who wants to do that? Those tactics are kind of depressing in themselves. I’ve got a way that side steps the whole problem. Taking pride in the progress and enjoying the challenge. That optimism is based on the idea that a lifetime goal should not be achievable. It should be capable of lasting a life time, something chased yet never achieved. Simply because life is active not passive and after achieving something like perfection, what else is their? But now everything is all messed up. You see… today I achieved perfection. What am I supposed to do now? To be honest I cheated a little in my criteria for perfection by half doing one of the cheating tactics already mentioned. I have simple standards, but they are not easily achievable and I definitely care about the criteria and the goal. The standards are: 1) having a day full of fine art as a profession and 2) having some recreational fitness thrown in to break things up. This would be easy if I forgot about every other obligation involved in being an adult, but that would be delusion not perfection.
I have a new better goal now. Now that I have tasted perfection, the goal is to do it again and change my day into a lifetime. Human perfection is not sustainable so this is not an achievable goal, but it is more than worth attempting. Time to get moving, I already feel today becoming yesterday.
Its 7:00 am and I’m bump bumping along in the London double-decker with talkative school children in uniforms, sulky men in business suites staring out the window, and head-bopping mp3 zombies right out of an I-pod commercial. So many things to Draw!
Bus 36 takes me to job # 2 - an hour commute of scenery inside and out, views of the real London and the tourist hot spots from the dungeons to the palaces and parks. The bus is the way to explore. I draw for the full hour! No, that’s a lie I talk a lot too, I am the loud American on the bus. But my drawings are a natural conversation starter and people to talk to are not in short supply either. The best part of it all, I do it all again starting at 4:00, then I hang-out at the flat (home) and paint. What a life!
But Bus 36 and job #2 is only 3 days a week. Job #1 at the Bankside Health Club, with its hot flashes of busyness are the other 3 to 4 days a week. When I am done there? You guessed it - art art art. Now that I think about it my whole numbering system is off. Painting, Drawing and everything art is #1, then the gym at #2 and college at #3. That’s more like it. Now if I could just make an 8th day of the week for #1 everything would be perfect.
In all the world there are unlimited forms of creation, yet I still choose to paint. I love painting and I offer no apologies. I will never grow tired of the sexy kool feel and look of paint flowing around the canvas, or the confidence needed for its smooth application. Don’t get me wrong I have been drawing up a storm while here in London, and drawing is one of my favorite (favourite) forms of creation too. However, I like drawing for more practical reasons. It allows me a more immediate perception of overall composition and gives an immediate feel for color (colour) within that composition. Also, because of the portability of drawing materials it is a perfect fit for any artist. It satiated my need for creation for a little while. Thank you paper and pastel, but my brush and canvas are back. London has brought about 2 significant changes in my most familiar form of creation. I am using Acrylic paint for now and all the paintings I have made so far were requested as commission based on my finished drawings. When I had unlimited walls and a devoted space for painting I would make only sketches and paint 2 or 3 oil paintings at once, resulting in a literal wall of finished paintings with colors (colours) that were decided on over the long drying period associated with oil painting. People would just choose the painting they liked off of the wall. The changes have benefits. For example, I can finish a painting in half the time and with half the cost, but they take just a little of the creation side away from me. Doing things the new way makes more sense. I have to say though, my next painting…it will be all mine!
In between the exhilaration of the beginning and the triumphant culmination of the finish is the climb, and that is what makes all the difference. But, how do we make sure that our final destination is the one we want? Climb, climb, climb, ever forward onward and upward that’s how. The rungs on the ladder are not so well defined for me, or any other artist out there. It is a bit like grasping at straws. London is fantastic for artist, because there are straws flying all over the place and in so many directions you have to dodge some. I just have to be selective and grasp at the right ones. The latest in my ongoing attempts at ascension were yesterday at Exhibition 2 inside the Tate Modern (missed it), and earlier with 3 galleries looking for proposals (missed, missed, maybied) and with 2 jobs (maybied, and MADE IT). Yes, I found one of those rare straws that is strong enough to stand on. In case you were not keeping track that is 1 out of 6.
The made it, I am working at The Bankside Health Club. I know it is not art, but it is a part-time job in Central London next door to my flat (apartment) and with over 2000 members, half of which apparently are connected to art in London. But those are just the added benefits, and the main excitement behind this rung is not nearly as tantalizing. It gives me a little financial stability allowing me to reach further up the ladder for my next art venture and it is part-time so I can keep it when I start my art related part-time job at Hammersmith and West London College. More concretely it allows me to buy more supplies for making art and the most exciting effect is, now I get to spend all day at Leon and maybe get a slice of pecan pie or an organic cookie with my coffee. I love cookies.
I FOUND IT! That perfect hangout spot for this artist vagabond. My last blog was about the beginning of the search and lamenting the task of finding that diamond among all the cubic zirconium. I wasn’t asking for much (See my Perfect Place Criteria below). Here is that diamond, followed by the runners up (I told you I am the indecisive type).
THE PERFECT PLACE CRITERIA I. Distance from me II. Mid-volume Chatter; III. London Experience IV. Caffeine V. Comfort VI. Art Access VII. Artist-Vagrant Threshold (BONUS. Wi-Fi)
1st Place - LEON - 7/7 (Just behind the Tate Modern) It’s an entangled meandering road I took to arrive at the perfect place next door. Every morning when I fall out of bed I passed and ignored it. The thought of venturing far from my own front door in order to find the London Experience was and still is difficult to set aside. Here is the thing that escaped me for so long: I am not at my front door, I am in Central London, I live behind the Tate Modern one of the best museums in the world. Van Gough painted his most memorable works from inside a hospital. How could I be so blind? The overriding reason I conquered this blatant disregard for reality is the Perfect Place Criteria. Leon fulfills the Wi-Fi Bonus, hits the mark on 3 of my 7 criteria, and goes beyond expectation on the others. There artist vagrant threshold is astronomical, I have spent literally all day there. Leon traffics people from all walks of life business professionals, tourist, locals and students. As far as art access there is an arts academy near by, 4 galleries and the free Tate Modern. And of course it is directly next door to me, I love it! So, if you are in Central London and see a some odd artist hunched over a drawing, through the large pane window of a large restaurant café’ with a mixture of the hard wood seating and comfortable couch chairs. That place Leon, and that American Artist In London is me.
2nd - CIAO - 6 ½/7 (Off Charing Cross) Only problem: Busy so they like to make room for customers
2nd - OLD POLICE STATION STUDIOS & CAFE - 6 ½/7 (Deptford, next to New Cross Station) Only problem: Distance (but right next to a tube stop)
2nd - Café above FOYLES bookshop - 6 ½/7 (Off Charing Cross) Only problem: Distance (but right next to a tube stop)
3rd - BENUGO 6/7 (Next to the National Theater) Only problem: Pushy about sales
There is an unending supply of taverns, pubs and coffee shops or tea houses for hanging-out and taking in London. My flat (apartment) is in Central London. So, it is the obvious place to begin my search for the one place to call my home away from home, just a couple of happy hurdles to jump though, there are 5 coffee shops and 6 bars on my city block alone AND there are 3 transport hubs within a 10 minute walk, giving me full access to the whole of London. My “know it all” buddy the internet is only making it worse. Now, coffee shops, little diners, “perfect” views, parks, cows, and ice-cream shops are buzzing around my head with just as many contradicting opinions about this, that and the other. Time to narrow down the search with some specific criteria: My perfect place will not be too far, not to quiet, with a real taste of London, coffee and comfortable chairs are a must, close to artists or art venues and most importantly staff that doesn’t care about artistic vagrants.
Today, I will mention the first place I tried out that is on my narrowed down list from the narrowed down options I gathered from the all knowing internet.
1. Ciao- Italian Gelato Ice-cream - 6 ½ out of 7. If you visit me in London I guaranty we will end up here. The ice-cream is so good that those mouth water advertisings (advertizings) that always look beyond delicious are measly shadows of the real thing. Ciao is only an 8 minute bus ride from my place, located perfectly just behind Trafalgar Square, next to several major galleries and theaters and open till 11:00, which is late for a place that has no bar. Comfy chairs in the back for eating the heavenly combo of fresh ice-cream and coffee. The only part of my criteria lost here is the Vagrant Threshold. Ciao is a popular spot, that is a plus for people watching, but it is so busy they like to keep patrons rotating in and out. If you come often enough or just have a bull for a head like me you are given the honor of passing the threshold of a patron, and are honored with all the rights and privileges of a regular. At that point they don’t care anymore and the servers come over occasionally just to chat and see what you are up to.
(My Criteria: I. Distance from me; II. Mid-volume Chatter; III. London Experience; IV. Caffeine; V. Comfort VI. Art Access; VII. Artist-Vagrant Threshold. BONUS. Wi-Fi)
They say “The journey is more important than the destination.” Who are they, and where were they going? Don’t get me wrong there is no other journey I would rather be on, but more important? I don’t think so. Each day and the little victories they bring, propel me forward to a vague artful uncertainty, like diesel in a dusty convertible with the music on full blast driving toward the sunrise. Fearful exhilarating future sunrise I feel your warmth as we come closer and I would trade my tricked out ride for no other, but why cant I just teleport like in those sci-fi movies I watched as a child? I want my international solo exhibition with all the accolades ribbons and bows, NOW. But until I rate a starship I am here on earth driving toward perfection one step at a time. The impossible dreams are the ones that keep us alive after all.
It looks like the most likely month for my first London art show is either April or May. There have been plenty of landmarks along the way and there are a few between now and then. I have a new business card, new webpage (no more pop up ads) and 12 new drawings with post cards in the works (send me your address if you want me to mail you one), research for printing full fledged art reproductions done (now I just have to do it), 3 online art venues for art writing (one of which pays, the others use the bartering system) and energy endless energy. I don’t know, maybe there is something to that whole journey vs. destination thing. I do find my goals and my ascension toward them blending together. Maybe they should say (cue wise man voice) “Focus on the right path and the righteous destination will follow."
Thank you for coming along for the ride in my tricked out art mobile. It is good to have company.
London is alive with creation, that quintessential embodiment of life. The cranes of construction standing on their single leg, moving men, steel and imagination are only the most visible. Under gothic archways tribal music springs from a primal instrument made of one bow, one string, one gourd and one soulful thank you from its player as if unaware of his gift of harmonic discord between setting, music and man. A block away painters paint away the magnificent cranes with memories of times scenic past and others, their private studios create images of the future. Each creator is pulled forward, compelled. Behind it all is 2012. No one, especially artist, wants to admit it, but it is driving everyone forward. Many resist with their soft words but their actions are deafening, and I am not immune to this Olympic Fever.
When I first arrived here I expected London to provide me the treasure of subject, but I envisioned dancers, musicians and scarves blowing in the wind. I should have seen it coming. My drawings are focused on life, harmony and multiplicity. Using the Royal City to literally draw from, how could I ignore the imminence of the Olympics. I tried. I looked for a place of stillness, so I could write, draw and observe with just me and my pre-established muse, but that is not how life works. If I am truly a creator of artwork rooted in life, I cannot ignore the journey between start and finish that London is now on. Today I started my first 2012 inspired Prismatic Abstraction, “Still Rings”.
Walking through double door archways into a greeting hall full of art, the ivory resonance of piano in the air, surrounded by friends and fellow art lovers, individuals becomes one with the crowd and collective unity of the Muses. It is these atmospheric social art offerings that invite the community at large to love art and see it not as only a reflection of life, but a possibility of what could be. For this specific occasion I was attending the weekly Friday Night Music Night event at the National Portrait Gallery. This night was exceptional however because it was also the Evocation of John Gibbons Portraits into the gallery (that’s a big deal by the way). He was clearly delighted with the honour and thrilled to have the beautiful musical performances serenade his evocation. After the music was finished and a few short words by organizers and artist the strangest thing happened, participants went one way and spectators went the other.
Life was so beautiful, we were resonating so powerfully. Manet, Warhol, and Duchamp rebelled against this barrier between art and people. What happened? Where did this divide come from? In no small part we do it to ourselves. It is understandably a little awkward to talk to a stranger (input years of parental warnings here). After that negative self-affirmation does the rest; “They won’t want to talk to me.”, “What will I talk about?”, “I will sound dumb.”. I know not to disagree with your mom, but all that self-induced negativity has to go. People prefer to talk to those with similar interest and at social art events everyone is there for similar reasons. As long as you picked up the artist or gallery information packet (and read it) you have something to talk about. That handy flyer is also the key to becoming an expert, for as long as your short-term memory last at least.
Don’t take my words for it though, action is what matters!
Mr. Gibbons was more than happy to talk with me about his work and being a fellow artist in London (although much more established then me). I mostly asked questions about some of my observation of his work, and he was happy to answer them. He asked me some simple questions and we eventually rapped things up after I noticed a line growing behind me. At our last chance meeting of the night he wished me good luck on my upcoming show as he walked out the door with his wife in hand.
Promise me the next social art event you go to you will find one new friend. Tear that wall down!
Real art lovers look beyond the extravagant flare of fame and into the unrestrained outpouring of the infamous. That is what I am going to see this Friday at Dirty Cop in the Old Police Station Galleries in Depfort. The exhibition is a festival of what is real in art. One night a month different unknown artists openly and unrestrained share their visual muses with the world. This experimental platform for the exhibition of new work including music, film, fashion, performance and visual art, Dirty Cop Friday presents a social and informal opportunity to produce, exhibit and test within the expanding artist network of South East London. The Old Police Station is a DIY Art Centre and cultural headquarter for the area comprised of project spaces (PoSt Projects and Volume), galleries, an on-line radio station (OpticalRadio.net), residencies, 40 artists’ studios and a fantastic café/bar.
For my first art show I am entering a flip book animation art exhibition, about the process/progression of my work from start to finish. I was so excited to start I had 3 ideas sketched in 10 minutes, then it hit me,” Where am I going to get a light box?” Presented here is my “Redneck Lightbox” (I’m from the South so I get to say that).
Materials: Clear flat plastic container at least 8cm deep (3in), Bendy desk lamp or torch (flashlight), Large piece of white paper, Cardboard box close to the same depth as the plastic container.
1. Dump out contents of a clear flat plastic container 2. Set the plastic container on the white piece of paper with the flat bottom side up and with several centimetres (inches) of paper out to one side 3. Set the light source to point into the container on the side with extra paper 4. Set the cardboard box on the opposite side from the light (this seems like it is not needed but you will thank me later)
Thanks to the BookArtShop in N1 London for hosting the d a u n m a n k i n o - t h u m b c i n e m a, exhibition!
QUEST: Visit 2 Museums, Art centres (centers) or Art events a month. (I am visiting 2 London venues a month, you should too!)
QUESTION: How do I find art events in London?
One of the benefits of living in London is the numerous high quality free museums, galleries, art centres and events. It is time to take advantage! A lot of information is available online, so I have below my TOP 3 list/calendar sites divided into 2 Categories: 1) All Around Lists 2) London Art List
ALL AROUND LIST
Wozzon With a name like that you know it is going to be good. Wozzon’s best feature is its visual simplicity, and that is why I am listing it first. To many search sites become bogged down with information, and the user is lost before they have begun. The other benefit of using Wozzon is the extensive lists resulting from the self-customized search, including a word/subject search.
AllInLondon AllInLondon is probably the most frequented event search site. A query for an event or location of interest on a search engine almost always leads to AllInLondon The benefit of this site is the user reviews. No one wants to show up at the place "that guy" said was super just to find out "that guy" was NUTS.
LondonIsFree If you haven’t figured out why I like this site yet I will spell it out for you London is F-R-E-E. There are a couple of sites that list occasional free things to do under a pile of other options, but LondonIsFree is designed to make free, easy.
LONDON ART LIST
LondOnArt Art is actively flowing throughout London and LondOnArt is the way to find the best places to jump in. LondOnArt has and is gathering artists and art venues, who then post their work, events and “other things” for participation from artist and art lovers. One of the best and worst qualities of using this site to find out about events is its copious contributors and information. User should be prepared to filter through the first page(s) before finding that perfect pearl, but to much is better than to little.
Artlyst The Artlyst is thematically very much like LondOnArt, but they are newer and offer a more personal feeling for connecting with local artists. Additionally, the site is much easier to navigate.
ArtSlant A TOP 3 list of sites that are based off of artists and art venues would not be complete without ArtSlant. ArtSlant gives news on art events and artists in the great art cities of the world and helps connect artists with the contemporary art scene at large. This wonderful site only has one problem. It is so large that it is easy to miss the dirty underbelly of art where all of tomorrow’s great artist are waiting to slap you in the face and yell HEY IM AN ARTIST!
I am a strong believer in work before pleasure, and job interview 2 out of 10+ applications was a SUCCESS! Now I am free to be free with my painting and drawing. IT IS TIME FOR ART, London here I come! Well, actually I have been here a month already, but now it is action time, really. Each CV (resume) took hours because I am such an awesome Artist, Educator, Writer, Marine, Warehouseman, Fitness Guy, Mr. Fix It (jack of all trades master of none anyone). And if you think about it no one wants to know all that...except for this one post for the Art Technician for Ealing Hammersmith and West London College. As I took the tour last Thursday I kept thinking, “I would be perfect for this job”, Everything including all the fun extras that I usually remove from my “gigantor resume” to make a finalized resume will contribute. Knowing me I will be there more than the required 3 days a week, but this will still give me ample time for some art shows and exhibitions. Now lets go kick-up some art!
Music is not efficient. Visual artists and architects went the efficiency route in the 19th century, FAIL! No one falls in love with fictional literary characters after only reading the jacket of a book (most of us anyway). To artists the 4 syllable word ‘Efficiency’ is as cruel as any 4 letter word banned from public use. Luckily, today I was capable of avoiding it entirely.
I set out this morning for each of the 3 art galleries, within 3 blocks of my apartment, apply for a job and turn in my artist portfolio. What I got was: A nice conversation with Doug Jones (a rising London based artist) at a gallery that was NOT on the list; a really informative list of London Galleries; a free “special invitation” to maybe the biggest annual art show of galleries and artist in London (thnx Purdy Hicks Gallery); and I found the best art books store in London right next to the Tate Modern (Marcus Campbell Art Books) they were not hiring either. So I successfully achieved NONE of my goals, and you know what…I feel enormously overjoyed.
Just a quick update. It has almost been 1 week and everything is going great! So far I have: - Made one drawing - Reunited and taken care of my sick wife - Run from our room to the 3 biggest/closest museums - Visited half of the Tate-Modern (it is that big) - Applied for a job at one of those 3 museums - Researched a lot (banks, jobs, galleries, coffee shops) - Almost finished opening up a bank account - Started the process for my National Health Insurance Number - First day next week, I will run to all the nearby art galleries then clean up and submit my work for admittance
Did the Marines make me this crazy or was it all the Paint fumes?
I’m looking at my “Get To London, To Do List” with a wide wide grin. Everyday for the last 3 months I have been adding new task and erasing those completed, then reorganizing the list according to a priority color scheme (if that doesn’t say type A artist I don’t know what does). Red is for Urgent/1st; yellow is for Priority/2nd; green is for Basically Done/Last. What is the grin about you ask? Well, the list has shrunk down from 4 pages to 8 lines, but that isn’t it. The real reason I am so happy is that only one more red task remains, and it makes me smile the same way I did when I realized the last thing in my freezer before leaving Roanoke was a red Freezy Pop. See you soon London.
London offers an endless array of art experiences, and Brian Sal Corral is going to do them all. Enjoy insightful experiences and hopeful meanderings on future events as the Painter, Illustrator and Fine Arts Writer from America stumbles, explores and succeeds in the streets of London.
