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.

Setting Goals

I think I am going to set some goals. Make X amount of art, X amount of craft, and X amount of creative writing.

Right now, I am painting a mural (another one). Pictures coming soon!

Merry Christmas and Murals

Simple paint, but look how the snow came out! Soon it shall be decorated with cute colored snowpeople, tree decorations, and doves as colored by the little ones at our library. Exciting! My first public art project.

Another view. I love the stars!

I led a simple printmaking workshop - here's what the kids made!

On the very same day I hosted an "art challenge," where kids got a bag of supplies which had to be used in their entirety to complete an art project. They received prizes! This one was a fantastic finished piece, and was complete before any of the others. Look at all that modge podge!

I am getting better at photography. Here is my crazy cat trying looking for food. She is like a houselion.

More embroidery!

Here is one I am working on now - it's a hand-drawn sketch very loosely inspired by a selection autumnal holiday greeting cards. If you know me, then the subject of this one is likely not a surprise. I do love my furry little critters.

And HERE is the finished version of my gnome embroidery -- this is my very first attempt at embroidering, everything was either spontaneously stitched or hand-sketched and then stitched with freehand embroidery. You'll notice a variety of different stitches. It's not a very cohesive piece, but that's okay -- what do you expect from a test piece?

Old(ish) Drawings

So, despite taking a drawing class early on in my artschool career, it hasn't really been a medium I've explored much except for within the last few years. These are all relatively new, within the two year mark I'd say instead of the four or five year mark like most of those paintings and prints. These are my "old" drawings, as I have since created many new (which I shall get around to documenting and posting soon... hopefully).

"Octopus" - Archival inking markers of various sizes. Later rendered digitally?

"Floating field" -- India ink and quill pen.

"Tree" - Indian Ink and quill pen.

A wonderful comission from two little boys I was nannying a summer or so ago. "General Grievous" - Pencil.

A collaboration with artist Allison May. "Spooky Mountains" - A throwaway print scrap illustrated with black finepoint sharpie. I drew the sleeping yeti.