Simplicity

Wildflower on a Sunny Day in August, 2010

My stuff has gotten out of hand. My crates and boxes of art supplies, my piles of books, my interests... my web presence even! It's all disorganized. Part of me wants to continue operating out of chaos as if it's more authentic, as if having things scattered here and there and heaps of unfinished projects is the consequence of being a Creative. But it's becoming unmanageable. I can't think straight, I have to remember where things are and sometimes who I am. Things are not correctly cataloged or interconnected, my life feels fragmented. I have this intrinsic attraction to order, and I am torn between wanting all of my ducks in a row and enjoying the explosion of a life intentionally lived.

So, maybe it's time to simplify. Rather than organize and connect, maybe I need to pair down and consolidate. Step one, make a list of all my collections, all the aspects of my identity and profession. Step two, list ways to simplify each of these things. Step three, start simplifying. Step four, consolidate. Step five, create connections. Step six, maintain.

Art Camp!

I've been working on creating a better over-all personal brand for myself as I venture forth on my quest to grow my career, and part of what is required to create this "personal" brand is getting all my ducks in a row. This means writing more, making art and documenting art more consistently, and so on. In my last post, I shared a poem and a demo I did for an upcoming art day camp I am teaching at the library. Here are two more demo pieces that will serve as examples for the kids when I explain the projects we will make!

This piece is a relief print (foam and easy carving tools) which was drawn over with india ink drawing pens. Then cut paper pieces and tissue paper were used for the textured flowers. Finally, a few pieces of fabric cut in organic shapes were scattered about to create a fuller garden feel. I think I will have the kids use chalk pastels instead of crayons to create an impressionistic background over top of the print and inked portions!

This is from a project I found on the creative blog At Second Street -- here's the post with this project. I subscribe to loads of arts and crafts blogs, my reader is stuffed full of amazing projects to try! I am so excited to see what the kids come up with this August.

Stenciling and Solitude

Here's a sample of a stenciling project I did today - I created a stencil from freezer paper, then painted textile paint over it, peeled it off, and created this! It's just a little demo to make sure I understood how the project works. I intend to teach this as part of Art Camp this summer at the library! I also think it's possibly one of the most fun things I've done in ages, and thus, will be buying myself a whole set of textile paint to add to my artmaking supplies.

Lately I've done more writing than artmaking (though I did finish a few drawings and started an embroidery piece this weekend), so I thought that perhaps I'd begin to share some of my poetry here too. Why not? My life does not fit neatly into categories, thus I will not attempt to categorize. Hopefully it still makes for interesting reading.

Tuesday

I love solitude in the sunshine

Or under a blanket of rain

Breathing in gray fog and hot steam

Sucking java on ice through a striped straw

My crisp shadow creates art beneath me

My world keeps me company, speaking to me

Over ceiling speakers and pedestrian laughter

Horns honking and human irritation,

Soaring out of SUVs and two-door hybrids

Employees sass and harass

Sweeping their minimum-wage drama

Up with the remnants of my neighbor's lunch

Tuesday is a good day for reggae and indie rock

And I love to be alone.

Bugs

Another Trip to Holy Hill

And on the rustic side roads where I wander

Beside the blacktop road

Grow little purple flowers

Sweet and low to the ground

The most perfect shade of violet.

Wildflowers & Almost Wildflowers . Digital Photo. May 2010.

Satellite for the Sun. Digital Photo. May 2010.

Remnants of Fall, Digital Photo, May 2010.

Blue Spike Peaking, Digital Photograph. May 2010.

Three Things & Summer Photography

Digital Photograph - Abandoned House & The Sunset - Summer 2009

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I have an idea. Here it is:

How many times do we say "I wish I did..." or "I wish I didn't..." when we consider our habits, health, and hobbies? I'm sure this has been pitched elsewhere, but I'd like to challenge myself with the following.

Every three months (take a calendar and pick your four, consider your work and school schedule and average your levels of business) one ought to deliberately instigate self growth by intentionally evaluating and changing ones behaviors. At the end of the three moths, we sit down and consider how it went. We may choose to continue the behavior sporadically, thus leaving it off the next list, or perhaps we'll see that this new habit is yet undeveloped and ought to be added to our 'to continue' list. This should not be about limiting oneself or creating unnecessary obligations. It ought to be about cultivating healthy living and providing a structure for our creativity, it's about freeing ourselves to be ourselves, rather than continuing on as a collective of adopted influences and ideas. It is said "act your way into right thinking," thus this is that I propose:

Pick three things to start doing:

Pick three things to quit doing:

Pick three things to continue/resume doing:

Post these up someplace accessible, make multiple copies, remind yourself daily, and pray for the strength and willingness to follow through. Here's what I'm thinking for right now:

Start doing:

1. Writing 700 words or more per day.

2. Start enunciating and being intentionally articulate.

3. Do one significant cleaning chore per day.

Continue Doing:

1. Continue connecting with people of Facebook.

2. Continue developing friendships made this spring.

3. Continue to meditate.

Stop doing:

1. Stop cursing.

2. Leaving projects, books, and items around the house.

3. Spending more than three hours/day on my computer.

Digital Photograph - Coneflower - Summer 2009

Digital Photograph - Bumblebee & Wildflower - Summer 2009

Digging through a semester

On Saturday I graduate. I give a big speech. I am done, finally, forever, with the chapter entitled "Six Years of Undergrad and A Lot of Mixed Emotion." Tonight I was preparing for a final presentation - I am graduating with a degree in Religious Studies, and a support in art. This will be my last college-level post, and then we'll be getting serious.

Orchid - Wacom Tablet - Digital Illustration

Volcano -- Some doodle web application & my wacom tablet - will find and link ASAP

Da Vinci Grotesque - Wacom Tablet - Digital Illustration (Study after a da Vinci Drawing)

Grotesque Old Woman - Digital Illustration from Photograph - Wacom Tablet