41 Comments

Sharing a thing I just watched. I find abstract art a bit inscrutable and intimidating, even if I like it. This was an interesting conversation focused on Joan Mitchell’s work and how to understand it. Fun to see some old interview clips of the artist herself, too. https://youtu.be/dYMZ2MfMDqY?si=Vwxk9GpcmWxu6EUN

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I love your “Office Hours” idea & title! And further readings! Truly I don’t know how you manage it all! Thank you!

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Loving office hours so far (including the title and further reading section — no changes necessary)! For those interested in digging into Joan Mitchell’s life and work a bit more, there was a great post about her on Art Dogs last weekend: https://open.substack.com/pub/artdogs/p/joan-mitchells-13-dogs?r=4wacm&utm_medium=ios

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Also I appreciate you Wendy and your generosity in sharing. Whatever is reasonable and workable for you works for me :) 🌈

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As a freebie, I am thankful for and sincerely value everything you offer! Of course, I would like to have it all. This is not possible for me, and I respect your need to make a living doing what you love. I'll try to be satisfied with what I can have.

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Scholarships available :)

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Wendy, if you want to know more about Joan Mitchell’s origins, as well as the origins of other great (female) artists, read Ninth Street Women. It’s SO good. It looks long but it’s gossipy and smart and helped me really understand abstract expressionism.

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Love further reading section - please keep that going. I look forward to each Sunday for the next post/assignment.

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Thank you, Wendy! “Artists need something to work from, and something to work with or against.” It’s one of those sentences that says what I needed to hear. I have always appreciated how you encourage us and tell us that we don’t have to follow the rules. But I still carried a lot of self doubt and self-consciousness about my drawing. Your office hours answer was so helpful and I will be taking it to heart. 💜

I like the further reading section, if you have time to include it in future office hours.

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As to the question “Should Office Hours just be or subscribers?” I feel like maybe one free one & then if it appeals …

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Both office hours and further readings are excellent. And I appreciate the review (oh neat! I did learn something! I am practicing all the things!) so appreciate all you do! (And you too, @artauntiekathleen !)

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Oh and yes yes please to Further Readings each week!

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Love Office Hours (the idea and name!) it makes me feel like we are all in a great big art retreat together (manifesting it!) I am looking forward to creating abstract art based on pushing against my current mental health spot. I say Office Hours free for all whenever possible ♥️ Safe travels Wendy and Kyle!

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I made the mistake of “listening” to Ninth Street Women on Audible as it was such a large book. The problem was the narrator wasn’t very good and it was a book badly in need of an editor as well so the combo for 40 hours was sorta torturous. So, if you still have a legit attention span, read it rather than listen to it.

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Thank you for the info. I listen to books when I am doing mindless chores. I will avoid it with this one.

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So helpful, informative, and inspiring as always. 😍❤️ And I’m just chuffed to have my sketch included. Thank you!

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Love the idea of office hours and I think it should be for subscribers only IMHO! speaking of subscriptions, is there a way to donate to the GUT? I value it so much and sometimes have some spare shekels that I’d like to send your way, but not enough for a while second subscription…

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I love Joan Mitchell! And I’ve seen the YouTube video above, a great conversation about her work & Abstraction. My husband & I went to SF a couple years ago to see the Retrospective of her work. What an experience to see so many of her works in person. The thing I really like about her work, is that it seems that she didn’t second guess herself, every brush stroke looks so sure. I also love her use of color.

Office hours, great idea

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