Updates: Mindfulness Matters and Zines!

Dear Readers, I have added new things! 

Thank you for waiting patiently for pictures from my thesis show.  I hope you enjoy taking a tour of how everything was installed in the space, from hallway to first to second to third room.  I mention the performance video I did meditating on the beach wearing my Priscilla Panda head, but it didn't document well so I didn't include it.  Priscilla Panda is my original character that I become when I put on the papier mache pink and purple panda head that I made when I was teaching high school art about four years ago.  You can see more of my performances as her on my Instagram @jenisforlove.  She is my avatar for doing positive things for myself and, by ripple effect (in the words of @myxxfly), for the world.  

I also added photos of my zines.  Everything is not posted, but you can see everything if I get into the Pittsburgh Zine Fair this year on Sunday, October 14.  I applied on Friday, so I will let you know if I get in!  I will have all of the zines from my thesis show, plus some older ones that I love, and some new ones that I've been incubating cognitively.  :)  

Enjoy your Sunday!  

This month's recommendations

Hi, all!

This month, I would like to share some of the things that I have been enjoying so that you can check them out and add them to your entertainment repertoire.

1. Megan Kearney's Beauty and the Beast (http://www.batb.thecomicseries.com/)
If you love all things Beauty and the Beast, you will love this webcomic.  It takes all versions of the fairy tale and weaves its own mystery and character into it.  The language of plants and flowers begins each chapter, with Greco-Roman mythology and literature references sprinkled in throughout.  The chemistry between Beauty and Beast is palpable.  

2. R&Bieber playlist on Spotify
If you are a fan of good vocals, great lyrics, and guest spots, you will enjoy this playlist.   A while ago, I saw someone say something on Twitter about Justin Bieber's R&B album Journals being underrated. I finally looked up this playlist and was not disappointed.  With lyrics like "What's a king, babe, without a queen?" and "You don't have to make your mind up now/No rush/No pressure" you will be mid-swoon in no time.  Some of the songs are from earlier in his career and some more recent, but most are great.

3. The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truths Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan
This book describes how to develop mastery in whatever field you're in by focusing on ONE Thing first, then allowing the rest of your day to fall into place.  Many of the authors' points are illustrated with bare bones illustrations that hit home.  They recommend planning your breaks first, then the ONE Thing, then the rest of your day.  Taking care of yourself first leads to more productivity.  The main takeaways: One step at a time, build good habits into your lifestyle, and mastery will follow from concentrated effort.  Great for creatives or anyone who wants to be successful in their field.

That's it for today!  As I've been reading and listening to these things, I've also been working on my alphabet coloring book.  I was on the letter N, but skipped ahead to V because I needed to draw some violets while they were in their prime.  Now I am working my way backwards to N before I jump forwards to WXYZ.  I've been thoroughly enjoying illustrating each page, and I can't wait to show you when I'm done.  You can see some of the pages on my Instagram @jenisforlove.  

Tips for Nervous Flyers

Hello, all!  Summer 'tis upon us and with summer comes air travel for many people.  With the people I've talked to on flights, typically everyone is hoping we stay safely in the air.  So, you're not alone if you're a nervous flyer!  It's totally normal to be anxious!  I've only met one or two people in my lifetime who think absolutely nothing about sitting in a chair 37,000 feet above the ground.  I myself stay on high alert the whole time I am in flight, so that I can keep the plane in the air with my thoughts!  On my recent flights this summer, however, I flew armed with a "Relaxation for Panic Attacks when Flying" script from my therapist (http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/panic-attacks-when-flying.html), and it gave me some tools to cope with my anxiety and the confidence to finally say that I might be able to relax more on many flights to come.

Here are 10 tips from the script and from me (towards the end):

1. Focus on relaxing your whole body with focused attention on each part of it, especially the movement of your stomach as you inhale and exhale.

2. Acknowledge all the scary thoughts you have about flying and how they make you feel, then wave them goodbye as you focus on more positive and constructive thoughts.

3.  Repeat to yourself that you are safe and that you are A-OK.  Everything is copacetic.

4. Imagine a happy place down to the very last detail.

5. Imagine yourself arriving at your destination.  How happy, relaxed, and victorious you are: you faced your fears and did the scary thing!

6. Activate the right side of your brain through drawing every detail you see or coloring in a coloring book.

7. Read a book that you've been excited about reading.

8. Talk to your neighbors.

9. Meditate on the wonder that is your hand.  Really think about and appreciate every detail.

10. Listen to music that makes you laugh with happiness, sing along (silently), or dance in your seat.  Here are a few songs on my playlist that invoke positive vibes for me:

Na-NaNa-Na--Nelly
As Long As You Love Me--Justin Bieber
If I Ain't Got You--Alicia Keys
Move Along--The All-American Rejects
Rockin' the Suburbs--Ben Folds
Work It Out (Radio Edit)--Beyonce'
Gotta Have You--The Weepies (helps me picture a happy place where I'm lying on my back in a blue boat, humming a tune. :) )

So there you have it, Nervous Flyers!  Take the scary thing by the horns and remember, if you hit rough air or turbulence, know that it is a natural result of flying through the sky!  Everything is okay!

Thank you!

Thank you so much to everyone who came to my thesis exhibition.  I will post images for those who were unable to make it once I document everything.  

Finishing my thesis has been a huge relief, yet I feel like Forrest Gump when he encountered his first coast after deciding to run.  He reached that destination, looked around, then decided to continue running until he reached the other coast. 

To begin my run to the opposite coast, I will be working on the things that continue to interest me: collage, zines, and intuitive drawing.  I'm not sure what part of the world I will end up in, but as Lewis Carroll said, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."

Save the Date!

My thesis show will be Saturday, March 31, 2018 in the University Museum in Sutton Hall on Indiana University of Pennsylvania's lovely campus.  :)

I've been holding back pictures of work that will be in my show so that everyone who visits will be seeing the work for the first time.  

The nearest airport is Pittsburgh.  

Travel safe, and see you at the show! 

Fall in NYC

Last weekend my three friends and I took a lil road trip to NYC.  It is impossible to put NYC into words.  There is so much to see and do.  So much culture!  So much humanity and time spent on the subway!  So many personalities weaving in and around each other every day!  In other words, New York City is special.

We were trying to go to the galleries in Chelsea and got off on the 23rd St stop, but it ended up being in Long Island City next to the MoMA PS1.  So we went there.  Carolee Schneemann was one of the artists featured, as well as video from the underground art scene of the 60s and 70s.  Cathy Wilkes  was also on view, but her work didn't resonate with me the way Carolee Schneemann's did.  Schneemann began as a painter in an Abstract Expressionist, male-dominated field.  Apparently it was suggested to her that she become a nude model instead of a painter.  Thankfully she rejected that notion, but did use her body to express the power of a free woman.  I saw work that I had only read about: photo documentation of The Interior Scroll,, a performance in which Schneemann pulls a scroll from her vagina and reads it aloud as she unrolls it. Meat Joy, in which scantily clad men and women sensually play with each other's bodies and a variety of raw meat.  I could not hear the Motown soundtrack that was supposed to be playing during the performance, so I was disappointed that I did not get the full effect of the piece.  But Schneemann was a pioneer of performance art, of feminist art, and of the requirement of artists to break down social taboos.  She worked with a variety of processes, from performance to collage to video.  It's definitely worth a trip to see her work before it comes down March 11, 2018.  

At the original MoMA, Louise Bourgeois's prints were on display, along with a few of her sculptures.  As I had only seen her spiders in Washington, D.C. and Bentonville, AR, I did not realize that she had worked in prints and art books.  Or that she was the one responsible for drawing a woman as half a house.  Her interest and application of architecture to her prints were so unique, and I also did not know that she was into feminist art and what it means to have a female body, from daughter to mother and back again.  Her screenprints were the most exciting to me, especially in the fabric artist books that were on display.

For our evening entertainment, we went to the comedy clubs The Grisly Pear and The Comedy Cellar, both great fun!  If you don't have tickets for the Comedy Cellar and show up around show time, you might still get in if you're lucky!  It's worth a try!  If you check out their website, they save a few seats for showtime in order to not oversell the seats.  We were able to get in to the 12:15 show.  So if you're in NYC and looking for a good laugh, it's worth it to check out the Comedy Cellar and The Grisly Pear.  :)

Butterflies Save the Day in SoCal

Hello to my friends in Southern California!  My collage, Butterflies Save the Day, will be featured at Las Laguna Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA this week in their Collage and Digital Madness show!  Please follow them and like their page on Facebook or Google +.  :)  The opening reception is this Thursday, September 7 from 6:30-9:30 pm.  It will be on view throughout September from 11am-5pm daily.  Las Laguna Gallery has a restaurant and full bar on site, so you will be sure to have a great time!  Enjoy the collages and digital madness of my colleagues!

Greetings from Summertime: Road trips and Crystal Bridges

Hallo, friends!  It has been a while and I do apologize for lack of blog updates, but this one will be a twofer: a rocking road trip playlist and a review of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Chihuly exhibit.  

This summer I have driven back and forth between Pennsylvania and North Carolina five times, between North Carolina and Arkansas twice, and between Arkansas and Kansas City, MO twice.  So you can imagine all the tunes I have listened to while enjoying all that open road and drive time.  When driving by yourself for several hours at a time, jams are of the utmost importance, in addition to podcasts and audiobooks.  When my mom and I travel together, we listen to the series of books by the veterinarian James Herriot.  He was a vet during the 1930s and beyond in the UK, and his word selection, heart, and humor are a delight to listen to.  If you like animals and laughing out loud, try All Creatures Great and Small, his first book.

As for podcasts, I have enjoyed the interviews of You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes and The Moth's stories, but I have recently discovered My Dad Wrote a Porno.  It is full of funny and explicitly sexy things.  Give it a listen and let me know what you think. :)

And as for rocking out, please enjoy the following:

1. Tom Sawyer-Rush
2. My Sharona-The Knack
3. Shut Up And Dance-Walk the Moon
4. Alright-John Legend
5. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)-Eurythmics
6. Open Road Song-Eve 6
7. Bitch Better Have My Money-Rihanna
8. Sabotage-Beastie Boys
9. Seven Nation Army-The White Stripes
10. Your Love-The Outfield
11. Take Me Away-FeFe Dobson
12. Breathing-Yellowcard
13. Intergalactic-Beastie Boys
14. Take It Off-The Donnas
15. Heartbreaker-Pat Benatar
 

Sure, some of it is not technically rock, but rocking is more about attitude than genre. :)

Now on to the Crystal Bridges Chihuly Exhibit: it was awesome!  The variety of forms, the colors, the light, the organization of the show, everything was perfection.  In addition to his glasswork, there were also drawings and paintings essential to Chihuly's process.  There were also three short films on view to help the viewer gain insight into how much he pushes the material to its limits and how collaborative his studio is.  There are also installations outdoors that show how much Chihuly has extended the boundaries of glasswork.  I recommend going around sunset to see the glow of light and color in the glass.  Also, it will be somewhat cooler.  Arkansas is HOT in the summer, so wear something light and breathable.  I wasn't able to see much of the Crystal Bridges permanent collection, but what I did see was varied, contemporary, and important to the history of art.  If you are in the Mid-South or near it, Crystal Bridges is worth a trip for any art lover.  Admission to the main museum is free thanks to WalMart, and the Chihuly exhibit is about $20.

Enjoy the road, the summer, and wherever you may travel!

Mental Health Awareness Week

Hello, all!  This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and I just wanted to say hi and let everyone know that if you need it, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the USA is 1.800.273.8255.  There is help!  Things can change, and as I am slowly realizing, often for the better.  

If someone you love or know has a mental health diagnosis, let them know that you're there for them no matter what.  Emotional supports are incredibly important for recovery, and knowing that you're there means a lot.

Let's keep spreading the word that mental health is just as important as physical health!  Life is a marathon; let's support each other!  

Vanessa German Artist Talk Performance

On Thursday, February 23, Vanessa German came to IUP to give an artist talk about her life and work as an artist.  I call it a performance as well because it was: she performed a powerful, hopeful poem to begin the talk.  It included lines like, "Jesus is the Miles to the Davis," "Everyone was made to dance," and "You are infinitely more amazing than anything you could buy in a store.  You are dope."  She went on to say that she hopes for a day when people would only be killed in battle on stage.

She asked us if we believed in the power of love, and most everyone raised their hands.  A fellow artist described love as discovering something that no one else has before, to which Vanessa said that's right and "If it's regular and ordinary, leave it."  She asked more questions like, "What can I generate?  Why did my lungs take me to this place?"  She felt when she was growing up that any idea she had was sacred, and that her ideas were as close to God as she could get.  She grew up in one of the most violent neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and believed that she would die young, so she decided that she would do whatever she wanted to do.  She said, "I knew from a very young age how to take a thing seriously," because she went to a performing arts high school with Leonardo DiCaprio and Richard Pryor's children.  She saw her classmates as professionals because she could see the work they were doing on TV.  

She calls art "misery resistance" and says it is everything that we do.  She considers herself a "citizen artist" who inhabits humanity, and she asked another question: "Who would you be as a human if no one ever oppressed you?  If no one ever put the lid on you?"  She teaches the children she works with at her Art House to "Make a decision" when working on their artwork.  She has created change for the good in many lives, and she promotes love through signs that say, "Stop Shooting--We Love You."  Some people think that the signs don't make a difference. But there are many more who do.  

Vanessa shares love and the joy of creating with her community, which she believes will be the next revolutionary leader.  She is powerful as an individual, but by building a community around love and creation, her and its power are limitless.  She said that liberty is the soul's right to breathe, beauty is a force of disruption, and that there is power in joy, and everyone deserves that.  Love is her strategy, and our citizenry, including our children, need it.  One of the children she works with asked how she makes art when she is sad, and she said, "I think the sad thought and let my hand move with color."  She also said that transforming a blank thing can transform your state of mind and to trust your instinct.

If you are anywhere near Pittsburgh or beyond and have an opportunity to see Vanessa's work, go see it!  If you have a chance to see her talk, DEFINITELY go see her!  If you have an opportunity to create something, DO IT!  MAKE A DECISION!

She ended the talk with some words that I will leave you with:

us mighty

us fly

us powerful

us brave

us love

To MFA or not to MFA? (Visual Artists)

So, I was thinking about how at around this time two years ago I was preparing my materials to apply to grad schools, and I decided to write this post.  I have heard mixed reviews from people about the MFA programs they have attended, and ultimately I think that it just depends on the readiness, drive, and goals of the individual and whether one's MFA program meshes with these characteristics.  How to know if you are ready, though?  Here is a list of questions to ask yourself:

1. Do I love to learn?  If not, obviously more education is not for you.

2. Do I know who I am as a person?  Am I comfortable with that?  If you don't know thyself, you're gonna have a bad time.  

3. Am I confident in my abilities and ideas?  Critiques are an integral part of the artistic process.  You will have to present your work to your peers and professors for their feedback.  You will have to defend the choices that you've made to serve your ideas.  So be ready to advocate for yourself, but stay open to different perspectives for the next question.  

4. Can I analyze information for what is useful to me?  With critiques, you receive vital feedback.  With coursework and research, you will receive oodles of information.  The trick is to filter out what you can apply to your work and practice, and what you cannot.  

5. Am I self-disciplined enough to work diligently and independently?  Typically in MFA programs, you are allowed the freedom to pursue your own ideas.  You do not typically receive assignments for your studio practice, and no one is there to make sure you are working.

6.  Do I want to be a professional?  The MFA is the terminal degree for Visual Arts, so it qualifies you to work in a variety of institutions.  It does not, however, guarantee you a job.  There are many people with MFAs.  One of the most vital things I have learned in my program is that you must create your own opportunities to set yourself apart from the crowd.  You might just discover another career track besides teaching at a university or working in a museum.  

Other vital things I have learned are for another post.  ;)  Happy MFA program hunting!

Book Review: Art & Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland

Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of ARTMAKING by David Bayles & Ted Orland is for anyone who has considered making art but has been held back by insecurity, as well as anyone who has been making art for a while and needs encouragement.  The questions that guided the creation of the book:

"Do artists have anything in common with each other?  How do artists become artists?  How do artists learn to work on their work?  How can I make work that will satisfy me?  Why do so many who start, quit?" (p. 114)

My favorite thing about this book is that it releases artmakers in any media--whether visual, musical, literary, etc--from comparison with giants of the past.  Yes, Michelangelo was a freak genius, as was Mozart, the authors' favorite example.  But does that mean we mere mortals should never sing, never paint, never write?  Of course not.  We should make what we want to make using our own unique perspective.  

I have picked out five quotes from this book that spoke to me just to give you an impression of the treasures to be found inside Art & Fear:

1. "In a sense, habits are style. The unconsidered gesture, the repeated phrasing, the automatic selection, the characteristic reaction to subject matter and materials--these are the very things we refer to as style...Style is not an aspect of good work, it is an aspect of all work.  Style is the natural consequence of habit." (p.103)

2. "If you teach, you know that you gain as much from the interchange as do your students...Teaching is part of the process of being an artist." (p.83)

3. "...each link in the arts network has a vested interest in defining its own role as fundamental and necessary." (p. 70)

4. "In making art you court the unknown, and with it the paranoia of those who fear what change might bring...Each new piece of your art enlarges our reality. The world is not yet done." (p. 68-69)

5. "The hardest part of artmaking is living your life in such a way that your work gets done, over and over--and that means, among other things, finding a host of practices that are just plain useful. A piece of art is the surface expression of a life lived within productive patterns." (p. 61)

*Bonus Quote* "When Columbus returned from the New World and proclaimed the earth was round, almost everyone else went right on believing the earth was flat.  Then they died--and the next generation grew up believing the world was round.  That's how people change their minds." (p. 57)

So if you would like to read a book written by artists for artists, that provides context for how art gets made and received by the world, I strongly recommend this short, sweet gem.  Happy reading, and happy making!  

Some winter/holiday/everyday encouragement for anyone who needs it

If you have looked through my artwork, then you have probably realized that I am affected by a mental illness.  I was finally diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder last year, and as you know from my painting, "It's an ongoing process!"  Because I have recently needed to reacquaint myself with some of these coping skills, and because it is winter and holiday season, I thought I would write about the things that I do to make myself feel better.

1. SLEEP/nap/lie down in a dark room and listen to ocean waves.  If you can't actually sleep, just lying down in a quiet dark room or listening to relaxing sounds without the pressure of trying to sleep can still provide some rest for your body and mind.  

2. Take a long, hot shower.  Just stand there or actually use soap, doesn't matter.  If you have the energy, take the time to comb your hair and brush your teeth afterwards.  Grooming feels good when you haven't been able to for a while, and it is something that you can control if you feel otherwise overwhelmed. 

3. Journal.  Write down everything that you need to get out.  Don't feel pressure to do it on a regular schedule.  Just use it when you need it to make sense of your thoughts, emotions, life, etc.

4. Make art.  I strongly recommend getting a huge piece of paper and something to draw with, then just scribbling with no intention or purpose other than to release that energy and emotion.  Also, when I was at my darkest, I realized that just setting up my work area for making anything was--and is-- a simple pleasure that I enjoy.  Making anything is good for you, whether it be a to do list or a nice meal.  (Side note: I make lists for everything to keep me organized and to keep me from getting overwhelmed, from grocery and to do lists to the things I need to do to finish an artwork.)

5. Talk it out.  I have said many times that everyone needs therapy and improv classes.  So much of living with a mental illness is learning to retrain your brain's negative thought processes and replace them with positive/more constructive ones.  Talk therapy is vital for that instruction and encouragement.  Talking with a close friend or family member is good, too.  And in desperate situations, a crisis hotline can also be helpful.  

6. Sit outside in the sunlight or go for a walk.  We need our vitamin D from the sun, especially in winter.  I like to hang out with my dog in my yard.  She gets to bark at things, and I get to enjoy the outdoors and her barking at things.  <3

7. Clean.  I don't particularly enjoy cleaning, but I do take pleasure in the feeling of accomplishment that comes with it.  Plus I like containing the chaos that occurs when life becomes a shitstorm and my house reflects it.  Set a timer for ten minutes and you will be shocked at how much you can actually get done.  Set it for longer when you feel more able.  Or, just make it task oriented and set a goal to do dishes one day and a load of laundry the next.

8.  MUSIC!  Here is a lil playlist of a few songs that make me feel better through listening, singing, and dancing:

Ace of Base, "It's a Beautiful Life"

Phil Collins and N'Sync, "Trashin' the Camp" (Tarzan Soundtrack)

James Brown, "Get Up Offa That Thing" (Harriet the Spy Soundtrack ;))

Ricky Martin, "La Copa de la Vida/The Cup of Life"

Mary Mary, "Shackles" 

Nappy Roots, "Good Day"

9. Treat yoself like Tom and Donna from "Parks and Rec." Do something just for you!  Do something that you love doing!  Go on a little road trip, see a movie, GET A MASSAGE!  Get a milkshake or a peanut butter hot chocolate.  Take a class or read a book.  Dye your hair!

10.  Remind yourself that you are a human being and that you are worthy.  You do have value, even if you cannot see it in the current moment.  Also remind yourself that nothing is permanent.  Change is gonna come, and the darkness can't last forever.    

Behold new content!

I have updated, dear readers!  Enjoy the hot pink text and feast your eyes upon new things in almost every section!  There is brand new and new-to-you work in Collage, Painting, Illustration, Sculpture, and Sketches and Fun Stuff.  I have also created a Printmaking section for your viewing pleasure with prints from this summer that range from etching to lithography.  Check out my About page for an actual photo of me with updated info about what I am currently doing, and feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.  Thank you for visiting and viewing!  

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled in December/January for new Public Art work!  It's a collaboration piece...  

Stay tuned!

Hi, all!

I had a busy-busy summer of drawing and printmaking and travelling, so I have lots of work to take pictures of and post here for your viewing pleasure.  :)  There will be a few changes to my site as I add more info and content as well, so stay tuned!   

I want to be like Mireia Sentis when I grow up

This semester has been crazy.  So many visiting artists, field trips, and recently, a workshop with Mireia Sentis.  I loved working with her.  I asked her if she thought she was successful, and she said that she didn't think she was in the traditional sense because she isn't well known, but she did think she was successful in that she has the freedom to pursue the projects that she wants to pursue.  I would like to be an artist like Mireia.  Someone who wears many hats and contributes to our culture in a variety of ways.  She does photography, writing, publishing, producing, curating, and on and on.  I can't believe I had the opportunity to work with someone of her caliber.  I am so grateful for the experience.  It. Was. Awesome.  I'll be sure to post pictures of the painting and the zines that I created for our Words and Objectivity Show!

Whew, that was a hectic few months. Here's what's going on now.

Just started my second semester at Indiana University of Pennsylvania!  I'm taking Painting, Drawing, and Graduate Studio Critique. I am excited about all of them. For painting, we have to have a binder of 70 art historical/other images that influence our work.  We have to write a proposal for what we intend to accomplish through painting this semester.  I recently wrote an artist statement for a show in Louisiana and in it I stated that I believe that art is a documentation of an artist's experience with and ideas of a particular time and place.  So in my proposal I am going to say that I am documenting my life as it is now and as it was.  Common themes will be me doing things accompanied by my dog, dating and relationships, and serious events that have shaped me into who I am.  I will use a simplified, flat, yet realistic style like in the painting of Bella and me that I painted for my mom over Christmas break.  I have to have 14 paintings completed by the end of the semester.

In Drawing, we have to have 10 drawings per three credit hours, so that means 20 drawings for me.  I plan to continue to work on my graphic novel, my brother's graphic short story, and screen printing life events on soft storytelling objects.  (Printmaking is included in the Drawing department here.)

In Graduate Studio Critique, it's all about our experiences and how our research shapes the work that we create.  We're doing "field work" to gather fodder for our artistic endeavors.  Everything is a possible source for inspiration.  The point is to go and do and make!

It's going to be a busy semester.  I can't wait to see what I make.  In the Interlude between moving back for the semester and starting class, though, I did get the chance to watch Netflix's Jessica Jones and Narcos.  Both are great.  I will probably rewatch Jessica Jones as soon as I'm done with Narcos, which is going to take me a while longer now that school is back in session.  I also watched the Tribeca Film Festival Choice Goodbye to All That on Netflix.  It was great.  It gave me a whole new perspective on dating.  In it, Otto Wall, the main character, goes through a divorce and jumps right back into the dating pool.  It's funny and genuine and good.  I've watched it several times already.  Now to build my watch list as I make all the art!

An Awesome Weekend in Charleston

This past weekend I was finally able to visit Charleston and see if it really is worthy of its rivalry with Savannah.  I have decided that it is.  However, I cannot decide if one really is better than the other.  I think they are both equal members of the Best Cities to Visit group.  I went with my friend Kendall, who is also artsy and travel minded.

We met in Charleston at our hotel, the Motel 6.  It was the cheapest place to stay and it was about 15-20 minutes away from everything, so it wasn't too shabby.  Everything was easily accessible via the highway.  Bay Street Biergarten (baystreetbiergarten.com)  was our first stop for dinner and drinks.  We both got spaetzle with parmesan cream sauce, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and slices of fried pork belly adorning the top.  It was goooooood, especially with a nice Hefeweizen to accompany it.  From there we went to the Faculty Lounge, a dive bar/dance club.  We both got a drink with rum in it, and boy was there rum.  We chatted and drank and people watched, but no one was on the dance floor.  We did leave a little early, around midnight, so that could account for no one dancing, but oh well.  It was a good drink and a nice atmosphere; the bartenders were both super nice.  

On Saturday morning we got up early for breakfast at IHOP and a tour of the harbor followed by a horse-drawn carriage tour.  Charleston Harbor Tours and Palmetto Carriage Works were the providers (charlestonharbortours.com, check out combo tours).  Each tour was great.  The harbor tour is a little fuzzy because I was sleepy, but I enjoyed learning about the history of Charleston from a nautical perspective.  We left the car at the harbor and walked to Palmetto Carriage Works, where we checked in for the 12:30 tour.  Everything was in walking distance so we walked through the City Market (thecharlestoncitymarket.com) and by the time we saw everything it was time to go back to check in for the carriage ride.  

The carriage ride was also enjoyable, our tour guide/driver was very knowledgeable and friendly.  I wish I could remember his name!  We drove by the harbor, through the French Quarter, down Rainbow Row, past many historical houses, and the city market, for an hour.  Lots and lots of history that is all a blur to me now, but was really entertaining when we were on the tour.  Also, while it was really hot in Charleston, the carriage ride was actually pretty cool due to the roof on our carriage and the famous winds and breezes that made walking around a little more tolerable in the heat.  It was time for lunch, so we went to a crab place that was near the city market.  I wish I could remember the name of it!  I'm kicking myself for not checking in there.  Anyway, I had a delicious shrimp po'boy, Kendall had a crab cake sandwich, and we had fried green tomatoes to start.  Everything was great.  The shrimp was fantastic.  Charleston is the place to get shrimp!

After lunch, we walked back through the French Quarter to check out as many art galleries as possible.  I noticed that much of the artwork could fall into these categories: landscape, seascape/nautical theme, still life, non-objective, realism, and people.  Most of these galleries were like the ones that you would find anywhere, with nothing really new and unique.  The last gallery we were able to go to had some interesting contemporary genre paintings that were priced at about $13,000-$15,000 dollars.  The pricing for some of the work I saw was crazy and eye-opening: there's no rhyme or reason to how artwork is priced!  By the time we visited our last gallery it was 5pm, and apparently many things shut down at 5pm on Saturdays in Charleston, which surprised us.  We weren't able to visit Robert Lange Studios or the Halsey Institute for Contemporary Art, so possibly more cutting edge stuff would have been found there.  

On our way to find some pralines for my mom, a girl stopped us to offer us samples of Italian ice, which we ended up buying, and thank goodness because it was hot!  When we walked into River Street Sweets (riverstreetsweets.com) they gave us warm samples of pralines that you could just taste the butter in.  I bought a pound and they threw in another half pound.  They are the same company that sells pralines along River Street in Savannah, but we thought the Charleston ones tasted better.   

We went back to the hotel room to regroup before going to see an improv show at Theater 99 (theatre99.com), but when we called about their ticketing procedures we found out they were sold out for that evening's show.  Bummer!  However, one of the gallery owners had told us about Boxcar Betty's and the Early Bird Diner, so we decided to head to Boxcar Betty's (boxcarbetty.com) for dinner.  We each got a different sandwich so we could split them and share, plus an order each of fried pickled green tomatoes and fried pickles.  The sandwich that I got was called the Chicken and Not So Waffle.  It had Pimiento Cheese, Bacon Jam, Tomato, Maple Bacon Sauce, and Maple Syrup on it.  Kendall got the Boxcar, which had Pimiento Cheese, Peach Slaw, Spicy Mayo, and Housemade Pickles.  We both decided the Chicken and Not So Waffle was the best.  By this time, we found out the night tour about the shady history of Charleston was also sold out, so we decided to go see "Inside Out" at a local movie theater.  

The next day, we went to the Early Bird Diner for breakfast (earlybirddiner.com).  There was a slight wait, but it was totally worth it.  I got the shrimp and grits and Kendall got a mess of something delicious.  We each got a biscuit with our meals and they were also deelish.  Afterwards, we went to Folly Beach (follybeach.com).  It was by far the best beach experience I have ever had.  There wasn't much public parking; everyone just parked along the street.  We parked a few blocks away and walked to the beach.  It was HOT!  Kendall and I agreed later that Portugal wasn't even as hot when we visited there in July/August 2008.  We rented some chairs and an umbrella close to the water's edge and just basked in the state of being at the beach.  We sat for hours just enjoying the State of Being.  When we finally got into the water it was perfect: tepid, with gentle waves.  The bottom was nice and sandy and shallow.  We would have had to go pretty far out to be in waist deep water.  We swam for a bit, then just sat in the surf and chatted.  It was so lovely.  We had to get out of the water when the lifeguard said there was lightning in the area, so we took that as our cue to go home.  Folly Beach has now topped Oak Island as My Favorite Beach.

All in all, an Awesome Weekend in Charleston!  :D  

Art making and The Funk

I was thinking that I didn't have any art news to share, but then I realized that I've been making things pretty consistently for the last month or so.  Mainly I've been working on my coloring book pages in between other projects.  Other projects like:

1. My mom's Mother's Day present (a titmouse, a yellow finch, and a chickadee sitting on an oval branch in gray scale marker, minus the yellow for the finch)

2. The "In The Beginning" collage (so much picture prep, so many ways to create a composition!)

3. The 10x10x10 works ("Glass" and "Mountain/Orange." Making something 10x10 was really fun!  I thought about making it a regular size to work with whenever I collage.  Only problem is that frames aren't available in 10x10 unless they're shadow boxes, or at least that's the case at Hobby Lobby.)

4. My new digital works (I'd been wanting to make an abstract digital version of The Annunciation for months. Once I got the ball rolling with that, I decided to do two more to flex my creative muscles and have a little fun.  Plus, I had found a cool image of gold and I wanted to use it more than once.)

Then, The Funk hit.  

I just had this heavy feeling of gloom and doom descend upon me.  I didn't feel positive about anything I needed to make: my father's day present, my mom's birthday card, my G page.  None of it excited me, everything I did was bad, and my insides rebelled at the thought of working on my G page, which I think was the catalyst for the whole thing.  My F page was tough to top.  I left it propped up as inspiration for me to soldier on through the alphabet, but the subjects I had picked out for my G page just paled in comparison to two foxes eating fast food and French fries under a fan, with oodles of fish surrounding them.  The subject of my G page was a gardening guinea pig and guinea fowl surrounded by gifts and geese.  I drew the geese and gift boxes first and abandoned the project.  I thought the geese looked bad, I thought the gift boxes looked bad.  I decided I'd come back to it later.  I needed to work on my father's day present anyway.

5. My father's day present (Two wood ducks, a male and a female, sitting on a log.  Done with Sharpies and my gray scale markers, everything looked great from beginning to end.  And it didn't take me long to complete.  Maybe that had something to do with The Funk too.  I didn't think I had long enough to finish my father's day present AND my mom's birthday card AND the G page.

6. My mom's birthday card (My mom and I in her car holding big drinks with Bella in the backseat.  We all have huge smiles on our faces.  It's really cute.  The card turned out so well, I was finally ready to get back to that G page and get that guinea pig to garden.

7. My G page (Geese, gifts, guineas-pig and fowl, greens, garden, gloves, grass, gondola, gecko.  And to make things more difficult for anyone trying to guess all the G words on the page: ground, too.  I had several starts and stops.  I started the gondola three times.  I drew a giraffe twice, a goldfish thrice, and a gecko twice.  I finally settled on the gecko.  Once I started outlining to create the finished piece, I started to feel better about it.  The guinea pig turned out well, as did the garden greens, and the guinea fowl look pretty perfect.  My attitude really made a turnabout after I had outlined the main action.  I finally felt ready to tackle the top frame with the gondola and the bottom frame with the giraffe/goldfish/gecko.  Once I saw everything all together as a finished piece, I felt The Funk melt away.  I propped the page up beside the F page and decided that it was actually worthy of the series and I was ready to tackle even more pages.

Lesson learned about The Funk: just power through!  I had read this advice in the book I've been reading, "Creative Block: Advice and Projects from 50 Successful Artists" by Danielle Krysa, The Jealous Curator (www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/), but I just thought, wow I'm not one of those who can just work through a block like that.  I had just said last week that if I wasn't feeling it, I wasn't making anything because I thought my work suffered if I tried to force myself to create.  As it turns out, it's not the work that suffers, it's my inner artist who suffers from the battle with my inner critic.  If I give power to my inner artist over my inner critic, then The Funk has no hold on me.

I also read about Wayne White and the documentary based on his life, "Beauty is Embarrassing" in "Creative Block" and I'm very grateful.  What an inspiring artist with a life artfully led.  In the book the author asks everyone which artist's life they're jealous of, and after seeing the documentary, I would have to say Wayne White.  He constantly creates anything and everything that interests him, from puppets to his word paintings on landscapes.  Everything is so cool and visually unique and well-crafted.  He's Southern by birth and upbringing, with supportive parents, a cool artist wife, and artist kids.  Most of all, his mission is to bring humor to fine art, and thank goodness.  It was getting a little too serious out there.  I hope that because of Wayne White's artwork and philosophy, the art world as a whole will get a little more fun and a little more open minded.  

Now, it's time to reconnect with my family and self at the beach.  Roadtrips are always good for renewing the spirit.  Adios to The Funk!

Successful visit to IUP!

This past week I visited the Indiana University of Pennsylvania to meet the faculty, meet my classmates, and see the campus.  It was a great trip!  I felt like I fit in with everyone and that we were like-minded.  My Drawing professor, Nate, recommended the book 'Vitamin D' to me, and when he asked my opinion I said that the blurbs about the artwork were high-brow, but the actual artwork didn't seem to reflect the lofty attributes the commentary bestowed upon it.  He said that was his beef with contemporary discourse on art, and that I would find out more about that in class.  What a relief that my professor believes in critical integrity and the honesty of art.

I mean, listen to this sentence: "Kaoru Arima's drawings function as transcriptions of unmediated thoughts...His deliberately amateurish execution, which resembles childlike graffiti, and his choice of inexpensive or expendable materials, like craft paper or newspaper, emphasize the modest nature of his forms.  The paradox of a new microcosm evolving from such a humble medium is strongly embodied in what he calls 'shinbun-ga', or 'newspaper drawings.'"  Which are exactly what they sound like.  "These feature figures drawn in thin pencil lines on white areas painted first with correction fluid in the middle of a newspaper page, accompanied by an epigrammatic text written in Japanese."  The craft paper/newspaper and the style of the artwork are on par with each other.  Therefore the cheapness of the material emphasizes the style and execution of his images, or quality.  And the critic also says that Arima's work creates a new 'microcosm' and that this in turn creates a 'paradox'.  Is she trying to say that creating childlike drawings on cheap materials is creating a new schema of seeing repeating patterns in the universe at all levels?  That the quality of something corresponds to the materials with which it is made at all levels of the universe?  And that is supposed to be new and paradoxical?  Of course, I don't know what the epigrammatic text says because there was no translation, so maybe therein lies the key.  I don't know why they didn't show his cool stuff: loose lines and broad brushstrokes, colorful and gestural portraits.  Anything but amateurish.  

Nevertheless.

Nate liked my idea for creating a graphic novel memoir as part of my thesis.  So for this summer I think I need to research graphic storytelling with Will Eisner and read as many graphic novels as possible for style.  I'm also excited about working with printmaking again.  Nate suggested drypoint and etching due to my line work in Burn Down the Past.  I'm excited to try it.  I can't wait to see what I come up with and the wonderful artwork I'm going to be making over the course of this next three years.  From talking with Nate and Sue, my Painting professor, it sounds like self-direction is a key element of the program and is expected.  I'm going to use this time to make as much artwork as possible and explore as many different avenues as possible.  For painting, I want to focus on colors that create a positive feeling in the viewer and make them want to look at it for a long time and feel zen.  Sue pointed out that zen is more the feeling of emptiness and entering the void, so I need to research Zen Buddhism this summer too.  

In the meantime, I'm going to continue working on my alphabet coloring book and applying to as many jobs and scholarships as possible because this is going to take some moola!