Jack of all trades, master of none.

This phrase, jack of all trades, master of none haunts me.

I am generally not a fearful person, I do get scared on exposed rock climbs when my last piece of protection is below me and I don't know what's ahead and whether I'll be able to hold on...but in daily life, and in my art practice, I generally jump right in. I've been able to take risks and explore the unknown without any crippling fear. Sometimes, I make a mess; sometimes, things break or they don't work but this doesn't cause me extreme stress. I attribute this to my wholehearted belief that failure is a critical ingredient to growth. Theodore Roosevelt puts it elegantly in his speech "Citizenship In A Republic" which was delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910. Here is an excerpt:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Recently I've felt a new fear crop up. Sustained by self doubt, I worry: does this wide net of interests actually hinder me? Is it a fear of commitment that keeps me jumping from project to project? Should I have more discipline when it comes to focus? What is the best balance between following my impulses and forcing myself to stay with one? Malcolm Gladwell proposed that it takes 10,000 hours of "deliberate practice" to become world class at something. This would mean that I'm going to be quite old before I can feel confident in my abilities in the variety of activities I pursue.

The creative life is not without its challenges. With the experience of pure bliss comes hours of torment. Am I doing this right? Does anyone care? The feedback isn't always clear. I am totally committed, I don't know how to be anyone else. And when I stall out on one project, it can feel entirely useful to begin something totally different, to keep myself engaged, to continue working my brain and hands until there's an apex of all parts coming together. But what if that conflation never comes? What if showing up is just not enough?---this is the fear I must put away as it is unproductive.  But I'm going to challenge myself for the next week to finish projects, just to switch it up.

Return of the Talisman?

"A talisman is an object that someone believes holds magical properties that bring good luck to the possessor or protect the possessor from evil or harm."

A couple of years ago, I started sculpting on a significantly smaller scale. Most of my work is created with reverence to its subject, and it felt like making a piece that could be carried with you was a way to maintain that connection and respect throughout the day.

At first I tried imposing fashion on the work, turning the pieces into heavy and bold belt buckles, pendants and earrings. Some time after, I followed an impulse to add structural elements that included color and different materials to the mix.  

After recently experiencing a sound bath and discussion about crystals, I thought about how small hand held items are able to take on meaning for their owners. Whether or not the crystal has absorbed the energy is not as significant as whether or not you believe it has. This is how objects start to take on meaning, and I believe art functions in a similar way. I cannot separate these small sculptures from the intention that I had while making them; that is, to honor and to hold these creatures sacred. Perhaps this is why their use as adornment fell short for me. As an accessory, they are simply decorative. As small relief sculptures, they begin to stand on their own.

"According to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a magical order active in the United Kingdom during the late 19th and early 20th century, a talisman is 'a magical figure charged with the force which it is intended to represent.' The Order also cautions that one must take great care in creating a talisman and ensure that the physical item's symbolism closely represents the intended purpose of the talisman. The Order notes that the forces depicted by the item 'should be in exact harmony with those you wish to attract, and the more exact the symbolism, the easier it is to attract said force.' "

Whether or not you (or I) believe in magic, I want to believe that these small sculptures could attract forces that help spread and protect the spirit of the wild. I promise, I have taken great care in creating each one of these pieces.

-Colleen

Encounter available at the Wolf Conservation Center

Encounter currently resides at the Wolf Conservation Center.

From their website "The WCC’s mission is to promote wolf conservation by teaching about wolves, their relationship to the environment, and the human role in protecting their future. The WCC accomplishes this mission through onsite and offsite education programs emphasizing wolf biology, the ecological benefits of wolves and other large predators, and the current status of wolf recovery in the United States. "

The piece is currently for sale, with 20% going back to the wolf conservation center.

Sculpting a Head

I've been working with a student who wanted to learn how to sculpt a head. Today we worked on getting the basic planes and shape down. Next session, we will begin to add specificity.

Photographing Tufas Boulder Lounge

It has been an exciting assignment to photograph for Tufas Boulder Lounge. They are a new bouldering only gym opening in Kensington, so close to my studio! Here are some highlights from our shoots so far. Photography has been a consistent part of my artistic practice for over 15 years. I am happy to have it take the front seat for a bit. Also working in video using my canon lenses and learning all about Adobe Premier. Good to make waves sometimes.

Meeting Jane Goodall

On September 26th, 2017 I got to shake Jane Goodall's hand and thank her for her work. The event was a benefit dinner for Save the Chimps  a non-profit organization dedicated to providing permanent sanctuary for the lifelong care of chimpanzees rescued from research laboratories, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade. Established in 1997, the org provides care for more than 248 chimpanzees and is located in Fort Pierce, Florida. It is my hope to visit one day.

A great talk by a great woman

Temple Grandin is another one of my heroes. Her work to shift the way we think about animals, specifically those creatures commonly found in the USA's agricultural industry, is revolutionary. Listen to this talk I found on Ted.com

Philadelphia Parking Day 2017

Time lapse for Portal to the Parks painting

Working on the Buffalo drawing

Framing paintings for show at the Art Dept

Installing "On the Run" on Long Island

Talking to the neighbors about "On the Run"

Install of "On the Run" at Little Berlin

Talk at College of Southern Maryland →

Artist Colleen Rudolf discusses her work in the show "Dystopias" on view from January 17 - March 14, 2014

The Making of Encounter

The whole story from start to finish

Hand to Paw

On Monday of last week I visited PAWS at 2900 Grays Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, where I met Carol Siegrist of Dog Training in the City and Rachel Cohen.  Rachel is the designer of the program Hand2paw which links up homeless youth with homeless animals.

In this program, “Residents from a local crisis center for teens ages 18-22 volunteer at a local animal shelter. Youth from the shelter apply to the program and must LOVE animals in order to participate. These volunteer experiences are positive for the youth, and the biweekly volunteer sessions add to the stable environment at the crisis center. The animals at PAWS receive extra attention, care, training, and grooming. As a result, the animals are more clean and calm, and thus more adoptable.”

As soon as the teens arrived, the action began.  Those that enjoyed cats went to help socialize the felines and those that expressed an interest in the dogs walked, and with the help of Carol Siegrist, learned how to train the canines. 

Having recently worked with Carol in her Reactive Dog Workshop with my own dog, Dooey, I was once again amazed at how quickly all dogs respond and want to learn.  Each dog that Carol and the teens worked with responded positively to training.

The bond that seemed to form instantaneously between these visiting teens and the dogs was inspiring as well.  No words were necessary, the positive, loving, healing energy was palpable. 

I left that evening feeling very hopeful and glad to have made the effort to attend the session.  Maybe, it is in these shared moments that we begin to understand how to find peace.   

*If you wish to volunteer or be involved with Hand2Paw, submit your information via this form.