Photoshop fun...

Sometimes when I am in between art projects and need to fuel my creativity, I take a piece of art I've already created, scan or photograph it, and then alter it in Photoshop. Playing with typography and words (and photoshop layers) satisfies my soul.

Sweet Sixteen!

This one was created for someone special...



detail:

Here is something about art and being in the moment that I always find magical, no matter how often I experience it. I had been thinking about this painting (a 16th birthday gift), for awhile. On the day that I had finally carved out time to make it, I started, as I always do, with my baskets (many) and bins (also many) of collage materials -- mostly paper but also all sorts of ephemera and found objects. And what I continually find amazing is that without alot of searching among what is admittedly an overwhelming amount of (artful) stuff, the right pieces landed in my vision and my hands with almost no effort to bring this artwork into being. It was like I had willed each piece of ephemera into my hands to create this very personal piece.

I know that this is a common experience among anyone who has ever had an idea and allowed that idea to germinate. It both grows roots and reaches for the sun, and all you have to do is water it with your imagination and something both expected and surprising emerges.

Oh, to be 16, and or sweet again!

Creativity...

I recently finished reading Sonia Choquette's book, The Answer is Simple...Love Yourself, Live Your Spirit!, and I have just come across a quote that I love...

One of the problems that distances so many of us from our creative Spirit is the notion that being creative is synonymous with being a professional or aspiring artist. It's not. It simply means making something new out of something that presently exists.

When we look at creativity that way, who among us can say they're not creative? We are always altering our world. Anyone who has ever cooked a meal has made something new out of something that presently exists. Or anyone who has ever written a letter. Or wrapped a gift. Or torn a page out of a magazine. We are in the constant act creating and re-creating our world.

So go create something...
(I would like to create a nap right about now).

Above: Carborundum print-heart with wing on scrap paper.

Multi-tasking & art...

I think that painting - and particularly creating mixed-media works, definitely benefits from an ability to multi-task. I know that for me, it's a necessity. I am often impatient when I paint, wanting to add the next layer or object but having to wait for it to dry first. So, working on several pieces at once helps me to fill in the waiting time and not break my creative flow.

Last night I noticed, while blotting some paint brushes, that one of my paint rags was full of paint & wonderful colors, so while my pieces were drying, I decided to create some decorative paper backgrounds using just the rag and some bristol. Fun!

Ebb and flow...

I think there is a natural ebb and flow to the creative process -- much like the tides - the pull of the moon - the seasons - joy and sorrow - wakefulness and sleep. Nature's rhythms are at work all the time, and though we cannot see them, we are always responding to these powerful forces around us. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to our urges and desires. If we listen closely, they are telling us what we need. My friend, artist Marilyn Rock, commented in my last post that "these breaks in creativity are necessary." While I found my period of artlessness frustrating and even scary at times, I think she's right. I tried to force it a few times, and the results were just that -- forced. I was not engaged in the process and therefore the product was unsatisfying -- not good or bad -- but not from that magical place where creativity just bursts forth.

Above is last night's painting. I cannot tell you the last time I spent two consecutive evenings for hours just painting. I wanted to create another study in texture, but I did not prep the canvasses in advance, so the textured canvasses are still drying, and this was a study in layering color and form.

Mystery : 16 x 20 mixed media painting: acrylics & plastic lizard adhered w/ beeswax

Sweet slumber...

I am not at all sure why I've done two illustrations in a row of girls sleeping. I am not any more tired than usual. Who knows from where the muse comes? I have learned through many hours of frustration not to force it. If it's not coming naturally, I try to quiet my mind -- not an easy task -- and listen for clues as to what direction I should follow. Sometimes, it means leaving the art behind for a walk or a movie, and other times it means putting down my pen in lieu of a paint brush. It's the listening that's the hard part.

What not to wear...

...apparently virtually everything in my wardrobe!
The arrival of spring weather necessitated that I pack up my winter wardrobe over the weekend and swap it for my summer clothes, which I store in totes in my attic. Unfortunately, as soon as I opened the lids of the totes, I could hear Stacy and Clinton in my head, exclaiming in horror at what lay beneath the lids. I could not believe that I even deemed most of this stuff worthy of packing and lugging up to my attic! So one by one, I emptied the totes and discarded (to charity) all of the items that I reluctantly admitted to myself I would not or should not ever wear again. Much to my dismay, however, this ruthless purging of my pathetic wardrobe was not met with a $5000 Visa card and a trip to NYC. Instead, I found myself staring sadly at the remaining contents of my now spacious, little, almost empty closet and pondering how many ways one can wear one pair of ivory trousers, one pair of black trousers, two floral prints skirts and four neutral tops. Now there's a creative challenge.


Here are a few of the rules I used to decide what to keep and what to donate.
It was time to let go if:
-- Aretha's "Freeway of Love" was a top ten hit when it was purchased.
-- it had shoulder pads.
-- it had text across the rear end.
-- I had cut off the sleeves, neckline or legs.
-- it reminded me of Molly Ringwald.
-- a strategically placed piece of jewelry would hid the stain.
-- I thought I should save it for a halloween costume.

Creative flow...

My horoscope the other day...
"You can unblock your creative flow and ease your frustrations by letting go of the need to think too much. Simply enjoy what you’re doing and your creativity will flow naturally. You will find relief if you can focus your attention on the specifics of your task instead of worry about the future."
I taught one of my art journal classes over the weekend (at Stampassion in Latham, NY) and that horoscope was the perfect piece of advice to share with students. Of course, in order to get everyone warmed up, I do teach some quick background techniques, but art journaling is such a personal act that I don't like to give too much instruction or advice. I prefer to give encouragement and ideas and prompts, as well as a room full of art supplies to play with, and see what emerges. It is amazing to watch what happens when that creative energy starts to build up in a room. The class is three hours long, but we could easily have continued for five or six hours once we got started.
I was excited to teach this class again, as it's one of my favorites, and we decided to offer it at the request of one customer who had missed it the first time around. This is always a bit risky because we never know when we have saturated our market for a certain kind of class, so I was thrilled that it filled up.
I marveled at the abandon with which the students in this particular class took my techniques and just embraced the moment. And I love that they leave with a work in progress, something they can add to and make completely their own.
After a class like this, I feel immense gratitude to be able to get others excited about art and about claiming their own unique artistic voice.

My January Ta Da List...

I am continually reminded that the creative flow is a fickle process. Sometimes I have so many ideas for blog topics and art in general that I have to stop what I'm doing to write them all down so the don't forget them....this month has been the opposite. I think that my list of resolutions posted last month left me a bit paralyzed. I was struck with a sudden feeling of regret for having declared so much so publicly...oh no, now I actually have to try to DO all of those things --- otherwise I'm not the only one who will know that I've failed.

The purpose of my "declarations" is not to set myself up for failure, but to motivate myself by making my ideas more concrete and real. I blog a lot about this because I believe it so strongly. So why, then, am I regretting my ambitious new year's resolutions? Because some these resolutions, I've already discovered, are actually a lot of hard work, and that always strikes fear in my heart. Do I really want to work that hard? Isn't my full-time job, and home ownership, and teaching classes, and writing articles enough? Why do I want to add more to that? Maybe I don't. But I think I do...and I know I will not be happy with myself if the next eleven months flies by and I have not at least taken steps in the direction of my ambitions -- there, I said it. I am ambitious. And then I feel guilty that my ambitions are not all more altruistic.

But then I teach an art class, or make something with my own two hands and some paper and paint, and I am reminded once again, that even if what I do is not heroic, it matters.

Art matters.
Creativity matters.
to me, and to those in my classes. I see it in their eyes, and the expressions on their faces as they engage in the creative process.

So, on the creative front this month, I...
taught three "inchies" classes at Stampassion, and they indeed energized me and reminded me why I make art;
I had an artist date with my friend Debbie, which is also always a powerful reminder of how sharing the creative process makes it even better;
I participated in a monthly ATC swap, which is always a fun way to share art;
I had my first session (of three) for 2008 with my creative coach, Sheri Gaynor, and my focus was mainly the children's book I want to write and illustrate this year (which is the main reason for all of my paralysis -- this is major hard work!!!!
...and I worked with my friend (and event planner) Lori on a number of freelance design projects. Lori and I always work so well together, that this too is another really great reminder of why I do what I do.


I will leave you with a picture of Sammy the squirrel, a daily visitor to my back porch. He began visiting when I hung a bird feeder (that my dad made), and originally, I was annoyed because I would find Sammy swinging with wild abandon from the feeder, while my hungry little birds chattered noisily in nearby shrubs. But I also figured he's probably hungry too, so now I leave extra seeds scattered around my deck, and he hasn't needed to cimb into the feeder since. And talk about an ambitious, goal-oriented creature. You have to admire that!

My 200th blog post!

An interview...with myself

I noticed about a week ago that I was approaching my 200th post (blogger keeps a count), and I have been trying to think of something original to post, that is consistent with my art & life blog focus. I've decided to interview myself...Fortunately, I was available. This was the result of my interview with me...
"Do I mind if I smoke?," I asked myself.

"Yes," I replied. " Actually I do mind. I don't smoke."

"Right, I was just seeing if I was paying attention. Do I mind if I drink, then?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, I don't mind. Let me pour the first round," I said.

"So, let's start at the beginning, with the obvious question: When did you know you wanted to become an artist? Was there a defining moment?"
I could see the spark in my eyes as I answered myself...

"I remember one day in the womb, toward the end of the third trimester, and I was floating around in the amniotic fluid.... Okay, I'm only kidding. I have no in-utero memories, but I was very young.

"I don't remember the exact play of events, but I can still evoke the feeling of excitement I had the first few times I saw my mother or grandmother pick up a pencil or paintbrush, and create an identifiable image on a blank piece of paper. And I knew at that moment that I wanted to be able to do that. I know I was very young - probably two or three years old, and I thought it was absolutely magical. I still look at illustration and painting that way. I love the endless possibilities that are created every time a pencil or paintbrush touches a surface."

"Describe the perfect artful day," I encouraged me.
"I'd get up around 8 am, and walk Max for an hour in cool, sunny weather. Then I'd make a pot of coffee with cinnamon, and have some breakfast, while reading a library book for a half hour, change into comfy clothes, and quickly brush teeth and hair. I'd bring a second cup of coffee into my art room, and turn on some music - right now it would be James Taylor's October Road or Hourglass. Then I'd get started making things. I might decide to paint, collage or plan a class. Often I start by priming a canvas or sorting through bins of collage materials just to get the juices flowing. I'd work for a couple of hours, and then take another outdoor break with Max, and have some lunch. Usually by afternoon, I am in "the zone" and the ideas and images flow freely. The rest of the day flies by. I'd break around 6 pm to start dinner and give Max his evening walk. I'd have some wine and dinner and (more) wine, and then work until bedtime. I might catch a little food network or hgtv before bed. That's one idea of a perfect artful day. My alternate perfect day would be taking art classes and workshops all day with friends.. Of course, I rarely have the perfect artful day, and I certainly don't wait for it. I try to strike a balance between maintaining a home, enjoying the company of friends and family, working full-time, and making art. I never have enough time to do it all as well as I'd like."

"What do you hope readers learn from this interview?" I aked myself.

"I hope they ask themselves if they are doing what gives them the most joy, even if they can't devote all of their time to it. We all need to ask ourselves what makes us excited, and spend time doing the things we are passionate about, whether it's painting, music, physical activity, social causes -- whatever makes you real."

I want to thank myself for taking time out of my busy schedule to talk with me.

Ride with the tide and go with the flow...

(Sorry about that. I made my husband look up JT and Carly last night on You-Tube and I have Mockingbird on the brain.)

I am in a creative lull this week, and I'm just riding it out, because I know it's necessary to have down time, to let ideas germinate, to fill the well. I am reading a good book, which does compete with my limited free time for art, but that's only part of it. When I go into my art room, I am just not moved to sit down and create. Usually, I can't wait, but every now and then, I come to a screeching halt...and that's where I'm at right now. So I'm thinking art, and I still scribble ideas in my journals and notebooks, but I am not forcing the process.

Two hours later...
I do believe that it is important to do all of the things I mentioned above, and that creativity is a flow that should not be forced, but sometimes, it's just a matter of switching gears. I am not in a tactile art mood this week, but I decided to do a quick digital makeover, and this was the result...

On the left is a greeting card that I made... actually several years ago. I don't even have the card anymore, but I used to scan a lot of my card designs so that I could remember them if I wanted to use the ideas again later. Instead, I decided to open the scan, and alter it in Photoshop. The result is the collage on the right. I'm pretty satisfied with the transformation, though I may still take it a bit further.

One great thing about digital art is the way you can re-invent previous works. I don't have to start with a blank canvas. I can start with something I've already created, and turn it into something fresh.

My mom was the costume design consultant for Flashdance

...okay, she never got paid for it... but I'm sure that years ago, the wardrobe spies spotted my mother in a hacked off turtleneck and thought of Jennifer Beals. Alright, not totally likely either, but I can tell you that long before Flashdance, my mom INVENTED cutting up sweatshirts and tees, particularly removing necklines, sleeves, and hems. I know. I watched her, and I've inherited the compulsion (I could have called it desire, need, etc, but it appears to be a spontaneous urge to hack the crap out of inexpensive tees, etc. that just don't fit quite right, so it's more of a compulsion, I think)... I've also inherited a number of other traits from my mom, but we'll save those for another time. (Excuse me while I pick little pieces of lint off the rug that I just vacuumed.)

Why did this become today's blog topic? It's not like a Flashdance reunion weekend, and to my knowledge, Jennifer B. and her co-stars didn't die in a freak plane crash. (although my mentioning it will make that happen now, just watch!!)

It came to me last night while I was hacking away at a "Hanes for Her" t-shirt -- in this extreme NY summer heat and humidity - the need to find a shirt with minimal fabric drove me to grab scissors and tee. While I was cutting so confidently to make the crew neck wider & cooler, I thought of my mom and started to laugh. She always insists she's not creative. And I knew that she was wrong. And that so many people don't recognize all of the ways in which they are creative.

... I thought of her again, a half-hour later, when I took my dog out for his evening walk, and the new, larger neckline kept falling off my shoulders, to reveal the straps of my sport bra.

So go out there and create!!!!

You're "a maniac, maniac..."

Confessions of a dollar store junkie

I admit it. I love dollar stores. I know of every store within a 25-mile radius of my home, (there are at least 9) and if I am headed anywhere, I cannot pass by without a quick peek inside, where $1 quickly becomes $30 before I leave. Today it was $39.97, to be exact.
I was looking for small containers that could hold sets of notecards for an upcoming class I am teaching. I found the perfect little boxes, wrapped in decorative floral papers, with a ribbon loop to open them. I needed 10 for class, but I couldn't leave the 3 remaining boxes behind, could I? Then I found sets of pens, small tins, and small journal books that matched the little boxes. So I bought a few of those as well. Two boxes of ziplock baggies, 1 package of bamboo skewers, 6 wooden easels, an ornamental mirror, a pad of newsprint and one box of baby wipes later, I left the store and dashed back to work. This was just my lunch hour.
While many of my purchases were practical - I use the baggies and baby wipes in the classes I teach, so they really are a staple -- many of the remaining purchases fell into the category of "If I don't get these now I'll need them next week and I'll come back and they'll be gone." Of course, my art room is filled with items that I had to have and was certain that I would use, but haven't ... yet. Yet. Such a little three-letter word, but it holds such promise. One of the pitfalls of having a creative mind is that I can see creative potential in just about EVERYTHING. And if it costs only $1, the temptation is simply irresistible.

So I stash things aside, and tuck things away, until the perfect opportunity presents itself. Hmm. I should have gotten a few more of those little journal books. Gotta run!


And in other news...
There's nothing like a full-day staff meeting to bring out my inner doodler. As a child I used to draw all the time. I've gotten away from it, but scribbling away these faces in my notepad made me remember how much I enjoy it.