Written by Jim Kogelheide
November 12, 2003
Wolfville, Nova Scotia

DURING THE EARLY WINTER OF THE LATE PART OF 1997, I WAS SURPRISED WITH AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN A MINIATURE ART SHOW, AT ONE OF LONDON'S MORE PROMINENT GALLERIES. ARTISTS WERE ALLOWED TO CREATE DRAWINGS, PAINTINGS AND EVEN SCULPTURES. WE JUST HAD TO MAKE EVERYTHING REALLY, REALLY SMALL!

SO...MY PEN BEGAN TO WORK ON A VERY COLORFUL POINTILLISM PEACE. I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME. HOWEVER, I THOUGHT THAT WITH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE A UNIQUE RESULT. THE POINT OF ISSUE THAT I WANTED TO EXPAND UPON WAS THAT OF THE SHAPE RESTRICTIONS, THAT SEEMED TO BE IMPOSED UPON THE ARTISTS. AFTER READING THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ART PEACE REQUIREMENTS I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE (THE ARTISTS) HAD ONLY TWO CHOICES: 1)TO CREATE A RENDERING THAT IS 4 INCHES HORIZONTAL BY 3 INCHES VERTICAL OR 2)CREATE A RENDERING THAT IS 3 INCHES HORIZONTAL BY 4 INCHES VERTICAL. THIS SEEMED BORING AND RESTRICTIVE, TO ME, SO I WENT LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT ANGLE.

I TOOK THE RECTANGULAR GUIDELINE SHAPE AND ROTATED IT 30 DEGREES. I THEN FILLED THIS SPACE WITH MY DESIGN. BY DOING THIS I HAD FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS, FOR THE RENDERING WAS CONTAINED WITHIN THE REQUIRED SPACE. HOWEVER, IN ORDER FOR THE IMAGE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IT NEEDED TO BE BALANCED BY NEGATIVE SPACE...AND THIS BROKE THEIR RULES! I WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO PROVE THAT SPACE DOES NOT ENJOY BEING CONFINED.

WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE, I SUBMITTED BOTH ENTRIES FOR THE SHOW. I GUESS THE ORGANIZING JUDGES DID NOT FIND MY SENSE OF HUMOUR TO BE AS AMUSING AS I DO. THE FIRST RENDERING THAT I HAD CREATED WAS ACCEPTED. 'SPENDING TIME WITH A PEN' WAS REJECTED FROM THE COMPETITION!!!