Sparrow

This is a small piece I did for the monthly challenge on Studio Atelier http://www.studioatelier.blogspot.com
Check out the site and join in! Lots of fun, challenges, and learning!

This is Prismacolors on Canson Artagain black paper. size. 4 X 6

Music and Creativity

No images to post today, . . . just some rambling thoughts!


How does music affect our creativity? Does it inspire us to create? Does it set a ‘mood’ for us? Do we choose music that enhances the mood we’re trying to create?


For me, it’s all of the above and more sometimes! At times, when I’m in the mood to brainstorm for ideas, I sit down with a friend and we listen to different genres of music and we watch music videos to get some visual stimulation. Then we begin! We fire ideas back and forth and write down ideas that we think we want to pursue further. Sometimes a piece will come from these sessions and sometimes not, but always it adds to our visual bank accounts and will eventually show up somewhere.


Then there are the times that I have a piece already begun and I want some music in the background as I work. If I’m working on a difficult piece, I’ll choose something instrumental so that I can concentrate on the work. If I’m working on a fairly easy section, I’ll choose something that inspires me with the lyrics—something I can sing along to. A Celtic inspired piece requires Celtic music; a ‘darker’ piece, I’ll choose music that relates to that kind of a mood.


My friend wondered aloud a couple of weeks ago, . . . ‘do you suppose that the music we listen to while we create an art piece somehow embeds itself into the paint?’ Hmmm, . . . I’m sure that it does—as I put myself on the paper, the music comes along for the ride!

What Makes an Artist, An Artist?

So what is it that makes an artist, an artist? Is it technical skill with their medium of choice? Is it an original, thought-provoking idea? Is it popularity with the masses? Is it being innovative and doing things no one else has done before?

Hmmm, . . . well, for what it’s worth, here’s my two cents on this subject. Technical skill, while essential to any form of art, is not the only ingredient. If we never progress beyond copying someone else’s work, or slavishly copying photographs, we never put ourselves out there. If we’re always using someone else’s photos, we become not much more than a Xerox machine. Don’t get me wrong, I use photos for reference too, but usually they’re my own photos or at least I use them only for reference—not copying them. If you’ve created a piece that is a copy of someone else’s photo, in my estimation, the photographer is the artist.

I feel as if so many of us have gotten stuck. We sometimes call it artist’s block—what should I draw today? I can’t think of anything—hey, you got any ideas? Wow, take a look at that photo! Isn’t that amazing—I MUST draw or paint that! It’s difficult to know ourselves, but as artists, that’s what we’re called to do. It’s our job to put our hearts and souls down on the paper or canvas—our unique experience of the world.

What is YOUR experience in the Universe that we live in? That photo that you love is artwork that was successful—the photographer made you feel something. That photo triggered a response in you. That is art; that is what art is supposed to do! Analyze what it is in that photo that draws you in—what does it make you feel and why? Find what moves you and make your art uniquely yours. Be brave and share your own unique perspective with the world!

Cheesebugah Juried In!

Yay! My cheeseburger piece was juried into the show, Cheesebugah, Cheesebugah, Cheesebugah. Here are the details for the opening and the link for Greg Storer's website. He's the artist hosting the show.
http://web.mac.com/gregstorer/gss/greg.html

Cheesebugah Final Image

Here is the finished project--just in time! The deadline is Friday!

Cheesebugah WIP update

Wow, it's been a while. So, here is the latest update. I've worked on the plate and started on the chips. It's easy to get 'lost' on my little roadmap of the chips, so they're moving slower than I'd like! LOL!

Newest Colored Pencil Work in Progress

So, here is the beginnings of a piece for an upcoming show. The show is called Cheesebugah, Cheesebugah, Cheesebugah; and is to display pieces using the old Saturday Night Live skit of the Greek restaurant that served only Cheesebugahs, cheeps, and Pepsi. The artist/gallery sponsoring this show is using this to welcome a new burger joint to the city, hoping that ultimately a few of the pieces will eventually hang in the restaurant.

So far, this has been a fun challenge. First of all, I got to take the time to watch some of the old skits to get a feel for what I wanted to do with this piece. And as always, the black paper is an especially fun challenge for me. It’s always interesting playing around with the way that the colors play off of the black, working to find just the right mix!

This is my progress so far. This is about 10 X 13 and is Prismacolor colored pencils on Canson Artagain black paper.