This is a letter I wrote sharing my look at Open Studio events and public painting. It was well received and so I thought I would share it here as well.
Open Studio events allow people the chance to step into (in my case) an artist's living space and see the moving pieces of their lives and work. Artists, whether we like it or not, have a foot in both worlds. The public and gregarious, and the private and contemplative. We must be able to welcome anyone into our work, and we must be able to spend long hours in our own company. These seem to be the demands of this particular way of life(or mine, I guess). I have been painting in public and welcoming people into my little world since I began showing my work 15 years ago. It presents the work in a way that is accessible to many that would not engage otherwise. Often painting in parks, patio areas of businesses, the French Quarter in New Orleans, Coffee shops all over, I have met many people and effected some. We are all constantly refining our relationship to the world around us. When someone rounds the corner and they laugh or are otherwise unexpectedly captivated by my (or any artist's)display, it makes for an atmosphere of discovery. Open Studios has this quality also. I have been in Los Osos for 5 years now and I am still learning about how I can refine my relationship to this community. I hope to grow with it. All of this sounds very serious, which is a shame. I mean it with a playful sincerity which I can better show you. I hope my work will better begin and conclude this paragraph.
I hope all is well in your world.
Sincerely,
Josh Talbott