“Following The Headlights”
“Following The Headlights”
PJ Bergin/ Studio 126
An Artist In the Studio
There is a certain energy in the creative process that cannot be explained in words, even by the creator. This is why Instagram is an ideal way for PJ Bergin to communicate her process in the studio through pictures. “I understand why people like to know about what it takes to fully realize a finished piece of artwork”, explains PJ. “Where does the artist start? What are the materials? Where will they be placed and why? How does the artist know when to stop?”
A quote PJ found from E.L. Doctorow seems to fit this situation: “You can see only as far as the headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” This is very much how the artwork comes together for PJ. “I don’t always know where I’m going until I arrive.”
Typically PJ doesn’t have a completely thought out theme or subject. She may start with certain appealing calligraphy characters or a group of colors in the collection of mulberry papers that stand out. Just picking the colors is exciting and begins to get the creative juices flowing. As PJ begins to use the special calligraphy brushes and paint the Asian characters on the rice paper, her mind starts to click into random possibilities.
In the instance of “Bolt From the Blue,” the title (an all-time favorite expression) was selected and the piece worked around that theme from the beginning. The colors had to be bold and bright. And of course there had to be a huge graphic design depicting the bolt. As the artwork started to take shape it became more and more exciting. Even though PJ always had this expression in the back of her mind as a theme for an artwork, the piece still took on a life of its own as it materialized. “I am delighted with the results! I kept following the “headlights” of my intuition, letting it guide me.”
PJ’s studio will be open during the CCI Summit in May. Watch her web site for details.
