Barefoot Wanderings

Challenging Myself

I have busy and this time Arting has played a role in my busyness.

Some sketches and new watercolours - very yummy!

I have signed up for another Book Round Robin with the first posting of books going off at the end of this month. So I have been busy making my book covers, creating pages, CD's etc... and am hoping to share these here soon. When I first signed up it was as a commitment to create art regularly and then I started thinking that I could also to use this opportunity to grow & develop myself. I then thought of it as an opportunity to challenge myself, not just by working in other people's books confined to their themes but also to try new things or expand on things I already know. 

This thought has since been prodded along by two things. Firstly by Jan (a friend and fellow participant in the RR) whose book title is "Precipice: Come to The Edge", with the theme that you try a new technique that you have been wanting to try for a while in her book. The second was reading posts on Marie Otero's Blog Lost Aussie on the Loose (a blog I like to regularly check in on) where she discussed Challenging yourself and then asked What's your Style?

If that wasn't challenging enough, on reading another of Marie's post she mentioned the Sketchbook Project and after having thoughts float through my head all that day I decided to 'jump' and have signed up for this challenge as well.

I believe that life gives you little signs and it is important to take notice and, where possible, to follow them. So here I go, I am a little apprehensive but excited!

A new CD I am enjoying at the moment is '21' by Adele, at times I am reminded of the soulful women singers of the 60's. Here is Rolling in the Deep a popular hit.

Sharing some great blogs......

Through Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team I have come across many great blogs, some I now visit regularly, some I have become friends with and others I am yet to go back to for a longer visit.

Yesterday I had the chance to revisit one The Fading Rose, Gillian has some unbeliveable photos on her site. I scrolled through all of her posts from the begining and had a really enjoyable time. If you love photography then go have a look.

Through Gillian's site I went across to another great blog, Bent Objects, where I also browsed through from the start. Terry is amazingly talented and has a GREAT sense of humour. He uses wire and every day objects to come up with some really interesting and amusing pieces. He does have some "naughty" pieces but those are now mainly on his other 'adult only' site. To see some really interesting pieces or for a bit of a laugh you have to go over and have a look.

It is amazing how small blogging makes the world and how you can connect with people you may not have, as Michelle would say - How Cool Is That!

and to those who it is relevant for......

Happy Father's Day

Making Art Everyday

I have read many articles in Magazines & Zines discussing how people try to make art everyday, even if it is just for 5 minutes. This has always amazed me. Where do they find the time? How disciplined are they to do this? I have also read many articles on where people make art, and the ones that always amaze me are the ones that carry bits around to work on wherever they are and find they have time to spare - at work, coffee shops or waiting at traffic lights in their car. I admire their confidence to create in public.

I have been a little frustrated lately not being able to make a lot of art, it has felt that the only time I seem to be getting to the studio is at night when I am feeling too tired. I know to improve my skills and techniques I must practise, even if it is a little every day. It got me thinking about the articles I read. If these people can do it, how can I make it work for me. Then it came to me, 3-4 days out of five I have to wait in the car for school pick up for about 10-15minutes. So I swallowed my awkwardness in creating 'in public', packed a bag of supplies and decided to give it a go.

I know that I am not creating masterpieces. It is not about the final out come but about the process, and for me this is where the greatest lessons are going to be learnt...I hope! Just getting something down, letting go, creating for fun and trial & error, it is so freeing. Now if only they can make a car attachment for a heat gun!!

Thinking Blogger Award

   

I was really hononoured and touched by what Ro Bruhn said about me on her blog when she nominated me for a Thinking Blogger award. Thank You Ro. I know there are many blogs out there that make me think about things, and I know that people read my blog, it is just such an interesting feeling to actually think about people thinking about what I have written.

I now get to nominated 5 Blogs That Make Me Think, the nominees are...........

Michelle Ward - her art work has been an inspiration to me for a few years now. Always making me think of ways to push myself. Her generosity & kindness with her time & talent make me think of ways to be a better person. Some of her entries allow me to think of things I have not thought of before. Her second blog GPP Street Team is a great source of thinking matter in the challenges she puts out each month.

Misty Mawn - beautiful, inspiring artwork; a very gentle, caring, generous, earthy spirit; each outpouring on her blog always provides lots of food for thought. Another person that keeps me in check for striving to be a better person.

A little aside - both Misty & Michelle were very helpful in answering my emails when I was looking into, and then setting up my blog. A BIG thank you to both of them.

Sulea's Art Box - Some of her artwork is TRULY amazing. She has such a talent for capturing thoughts in her paintings. I have been so moved by some pieces I have asked her to sell them to me but alas to no avail.....maybe one day!

Penny Rabbit Art - Penny's art work is truly amazing. It provides inspiration and makes me think of ways to better the work I am producing, giving me an extra push.

LuLu's Bay - Probably quite a biased nomination as I have known Lynda for a few years, long before our blogs. I have had many indepth, thought provoking discussions with her and know her blog is only a small part of the amazingly talented and thought provoking woman that she is.

I was not sure on the rules for nomintaing people that I know have already received a nomination but I thought the spirit of this would be to nominate new people. There are many blogs out there that I like to visit and that make me think but the rules (see below) state that you can only nominate 5.
I feel 'safe' in giving a mention to some other blogs I consider to be ones that make me think as I know they have already been nominated.

Kristen Robinson - A treasure I have discovered through Michelle Wards GPP Street Team Crusade. Some of her posts that reflect her thoughts can at times mirror mine or add another dimension to what I was thinking. Others provide reflection or more food for thought.

Is There A Shadow - Julie is such a gentle soul. Her artwork is amazing and her range of talents is extraoridnary. Again all food for thought on how to better myself as an artist. Some of her other post provide interesting points of view and observations, giving me things to take away and think about.   

Art Felt - my dear friend Megan who inspires me and makes me think every day.

So thank you to all these inspiring, thinking people, and thank you to the many more that I could not list but provide me with much thought, inspiration or entertainment.
I also think now is a good time to thank all my dear friends who give me plenty to think about on a daily basis. You help make me the person I am. XO

Here are the rules, should they decide to play:

Rules are easy:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote.
This is where it all started HERE

To Copy or Not to Copy?

There is often debate as to whether or not copying another artist work is OK.
Copying other Artist's work is something that has gone on for many years. Many of the works by the great masters have been copied by many a student. In doing so the student learns, and gets the feel for how the master painted. Looking at composition, perspective, colour, shapes and so much more. Whenever you look at this copied art, in most cases, there will be at least a trace or hint of the student. How can an artist create without putting some of themshelf into the piece.
The student takes what they learn and develops it further. Some will go on to create pieces using skills & techniques learnt but not in the same style. Others will create within the same style of the master but make it their own.
Today in the world of Mix Media & Alternative/Altered Art, I believe the same to be true. Many Artists publish books, articles in magazines, do DVDs and teach. A student learning from these masters will copy as a way of learning, particularly from books/magazines and DVDs as it can often be easier to learn the skill/technique by copying. As the student creates more work the similarities learnt from the master/s may still be there but as they develop more and more of themself is put in to the art.
Some Artists 'complain' that there are more people doing art similar to theirs but isn't that part and parcel of the fact that if you teach or publish you will have people doing similar work, and the more you teach the more people you will have doing it. Again, the work produced will not be the Original Masters work, similar yes, but there will be traces of the person that made it.
I beleive copying is OK as long as that person does not copy exactly and then try to pass off the work as their own, or does not give credit to the original artist. In most cases it can be obvious to a viewer that the artist is in the same style of someone else.
For me there are times I see a piece of art that I really like and can't get it out of my mind. I need to produce it, often I start and then the piece never gets finished. Then there are other times when I am stuck creatively I will pull down one of my many beautiful eye-candy or how-to books and look for something that I like and do something similar...as warm up or a way to get the creative juices flowing. It is also fun to create in the style of some one else. This can give us a push out of our comfort zone, stretch us further as an artist.

Art in Everyday Life

A sign that art is part of everyday life is when you see something that is not really seen as beautiful but regardless, there you are admiring the texture and form. Wishing you had a camera to capture the object that is intriguing you. These are not unusual occurances, it is often the actual object or location that makes it more interesting, or some would say strange.
Yesterday I was admiring the texture and form of something that really caught my eye. The more I looked the more interesting it became. I started to see what form this object could take, an angel, a wave... I then came back to where I was and what I was looking at. I was in a school toilet (canteen duty) and was looking at a once wet clump of toilet paper flung up high on the wall. On this realisation I did actually chuckle to myself but it certainly did not stop me thinking of how I could use what I had seen back in the studio!
(Sorry there's no picture, didn't have the camera with me!)

I was reading Misty Mawn's blog , her self-portrait photos are absolutely stunning. I think it is amazing how she captures something of herself, her mood, feelings, and she's taken the photo herself. She appears not to be self conscious. It really amazes me.

I'm almost 38 years old and feeling neither young nor old, kinda in between and nowhere.
I'm not happy about my weight, not that I'm the size of some people that scare me (health wise) when I see them but still I could certainly loose quite a few kilos!!
I'm self-conscious. I hardly ever think that any photo of me is good, and those are usually when someone has taken it in a candid moment without me knowing.
Perhaps I should just take the plunge and take a photo each day, practice, get use to it, the beauty of a digital camera is the erase button...no-one ever has to see. Courage, I await thee!

Misty Mawn's paintings are also stunning and again she manages to capture something within them, a mood, a feeling, there's just something that seems to speak to you. A friend of mine, Megan, actually purchased one of her paintings, this one, and I was able to see it for real not just on a computer screen. Yes, it was more stunning and amazing in life.

Something else stunning I saw on another blog was this stunning painting by Anahata Katkin. I can't seem to get it out of my head. There is something about it that has touched something in me and I can't honestly say what it is, only that I think it is amazing...and the eyes! It's one of those paintings that I would LOVE to see 'in the flesh', for real......but it is probaby for the best that I can't as I would probably end up buying it!!!

At the moment, seeing other peoples work, those that really move me, are both an inspiration and a deflator. I get an urge to want to create that same piece of art but I know that I do not really want to copy it, what I really want is to create pieces that can do to others what these pieces have done to me - moved me, touched me etc.... but I get overwhelmed and feel a sense of failure before I begin. why Why WHY do we do this to ourselves?! I know, again, it is just a matter of practice & patience, allowing our own skills and style to develop over time. I am learning to walk when I really want to run, and run really fast!!

A Journey

Today I took my kids on the train to the city to have lunch with my sister. We sat upstairs in a three across seat and the kids were being really well behaved. They were talking about the things they were seeing out the window and asking questions. Yes, they were excited but they weren't talking in their high excited voice just their normal talking voices. I felt really proud of them and I know I couldn't have asked for more. There was an older woman sitting behind me. As I was sitting slightly side on to face the children and look out the window to all that they were seeing and asking about, I could see her just out of the corner of my eye. I didn't really take much notice of her but every now and then she mumbled something.... a sigh. "oh, Blast!", etc.... Then she got out of her seat and just stood there in the aisle next to her seat. An older man got on the train and sat in the seat behind us next to the window, and still the woman stood there. After few more stops the woman got off the train but as she was walking past us she made a comment. I turned towards her and was puzzled by what she said. It was the first good look I had of her and what I remember most about her was her long greying hair that was quite dishevellled, not quite up and not quite down. I turned back when she finished her comment and the man behind just raised his eyebrows and shrugged. I can't remember if these were her exact words but it was something like "You certainly know how to rip a persons heart". Wow! what a comment. In the past I think I may have looked back and wondered what I had done wrong, what was it that I or we had done to upset her but today it was a wondering of what must be tormenting her? what demons follow her? I didn't feel sorry for her and I didn't take ownership of what she said, it wasn't mine to own. They are her torments, her demons. After my initial inner thoughts & questions I just looked at my kids and smiled, knowing how beautiful they are, how lucky I am and how much I love them.