Today...

Bottle cap magnet "create." (c)SZing, 2015

 

Enuf said. 

#doartdaily #InspiredArtProject2015

We are not limited...

Some people, particularly academic artists, subscribe to the idea that artists should limit themselves to a singular medium and a single style.  I do not subscribe to this belief system because what I Know to be True is that we are unlimited beings with unlimited creativity.  It does not require such singularity to express creatively and effectively.  

What is required is to express regularly (#doartdaily) and allow inspiration to come from the act of creating--to be in the moment in the process.  

The following artworks are just a smidgen of the different styles of art and mediums that I work with. Each one is a unique statement but would not be as effective if I had limited myself to a specific style or medium.  The moral of this story?  Go play.  Experiment.  Try new things you never thought of trying and play with mediums you are afraid of using.  Magic will happen.  Trust yourself. We are not limited....#InspiredArtProject2015

Love is a Choice, 24" x 36" tempera and acrylic on canvas.
Primitive/naive style
 (c) SZing 2015

Dream Mesa, 16" x 24" Tempera on Bristol paper.
Whimsical style
(c)SZing 2015.

Off the Grid, 5" x 7" Lacquer, tempera, and acrylic on Bristol paper.
Abstract style.
(C)SZing 2015

Across the Bridge, 10" x 16" watercolor on watercolor paper.
Impressionist style
(c)SZing 2015

What these say...

ENOUGH SAID!

Creative sayings by Bohemian Art Cafe. (c)SZing 2015.

#InspiredArtProject2015 #doartdaily

Inspired Art Project 2015 gallery

Have neglected posting this past week from my #InspiredArtProject2015 this past week while I update my Etsy shops BohemianArtCafe, EphemeraBistro, EspressoBarCafe, and FlowerChildTrends, I am catching up today with a week’s worth of art in a gallery style array.
February 13, 2015
Zen Angel, watercolor, ink on watercolor paper © SZing 2015.

January 14, 2015
Focusing on trying new designs. Not perfect but very relaxing to work on.

January 15, 2015
Relaxing into the process.  As I do, I get inspired with many different ideas for art projects, writing projects and other ways to express myself creatively.  I’m not actively seeking these hints, but they flow to me as I stay focused on my zen doodles.
© SZing 2015
 
January 16, 2015
“Basket weaving”.  For some reason tonight this particular zen doodle as I’m working on it reminds me of that song Funny Farm from the 1970s and I think of basket weaving. Maybe zen doodling is sort of like that for me.  But I’m perfectly okay with twiddling my thumbs and toes….haa haa, heee hee, hoo, hooo.  I feel inspired just because I’m sticking with this process.  © 2015 SZing.

January 17, 2015
A daily practice.  A practice that is repetitious.  A practice not unlike dreaming except that each has a goal or objective. © SZing.  Watercolor on watercolor paper, black ink.

January 18, 2015
A Poem

Within my walls
is a treasure
Nurtured, it grows
Ignored, it grows
Flowering into I Am.

January 19, 2015
Acrylic on paper board.  Just to paint, just to create, just to play despite the end result is inspiring.  Especially more inspiring is not caring what is created.  Letting go of the inner (and outer) critic is freeing.  And fun.  And inspiring. #doartdaily
© SZing 2015

In to the Zen World

I got a wonderful gift from my sweetheart over the holiday, Joy of Zentangle this weekend that is extremely relaxing.  I'm not a "pro" at it yet and don't know if I ever will be.  Frankly, I don't care if I am or not because these little pieces of art, what I call "formal doodles" truly will put you in a zen meditative state.  Day 5 of Inspired Art Project 2015.  I'm inspired to relax into my art.  #InspiredArtProject2015 #doartdaily

More Happiness Please!

Last week I read about how Photographs can boost your Happiness.  It seems like everywhere I look this drive to be more happy is exploding on the scene.  Just look up the word happiness on your browser...you may get as many as 245 Million hits from which to choose.  That said, everyone should be able to find something that makes them happy.

With the advent of Social Networking venues, the sharing of every little photo op moment (even those that we sometimes wish people would not share) seems to bring a lot of happiness to the world at large.

I know personally that I absolutely adore Pinterest (having lost quite a bit of interest in other venues as a result of the far more creative outlet of Pinteresting—and yes, that is a Verb.)  Some nights, prior to falling asleep, I’ll Pinterest and my Sweetie swiftly thumbs through hundreds of photographs posted by others.  Many of those photos, especially the ones of animals and people’s pets, make us smile and laugh.  Happiness.

No fancy equipment needed.  Use a pinhole camera.

Photographs apparently boost happiness because we—the human species, love to see and remember the faces, the places and the experiences we have enjoyed or even…love.  I haven’t found it yet but I am certain that somewhere out there there is a study that quantifies happiness levels with the number of personal photographs displayed or viewed in ones surroundings—on the wall, as screen savers, in wallets…
Photographs are a lovely way to not only help yourself be happier, but to work the synapses of your brain and memory muscles by reviewing photo albums.  Some people even make this process into a family tradition on specific holidays. 

Yes, you’ve seen that enormous fish (that makes you just a tad jealous of cousin Bobby) and his grin a hundred times, but so long as you and cousin Bobby get along, each time you see that photograph there’s some endorphin rush of family-love that courses through your veins. 

Photographs help you remember happy times.  Think about it…you very likely do not pull out your camera in the middle of a family argument (although that might serve as a neuro-linguistic shock causing the argument to halt)…other than for insurance purposes, you don’t  whip out the phone to take a picture of your favorite car after it gets smashed up—because, unless you’re sociopathic, it doesn’t give you pleasure to see those pictures.  Thankfully, other than investigators and perhaps morticians, we as a culture no longer take posed photographs of the dead.

Not a happy family memory...Victorian Era post-mortem family portraiture

Human beings enjoy looking at faces—even when they are people we do not know.  We like to see faces full of character—faces that portray others full range of emotions—because it confirms that we are not alone.  Photographs of people abound.   MORE HAPPINESS PLEASE. 

So, all in all, I ought to be in a very happy place today.  I spent several hours at the Museum of Photography in Tampa today.  I hit it with perfect timing as I got to see one of the Masters of black and white photography’s great works.  Dorothea Lange’s compelling photos of the early and mid-20th century photos documenting the effects of The Great Depression were featured.  While the subject matter was not especially Happy inducing, the mere activity of being at a gallery was very happy inducing for me.

When I left the museum, I was inspired to take a few photographs of some visually arresting architecture, a lovely water fountain, and a large scale mosaic on the wall of the Children’s Museum of Tampa.  I have yet to screw up my courage and start taking photographs of people I don’t know in their natural setting.  But I am inspired to try it sometime…  Taking these pictures made me happy.

And further, those pictures will make me happy when I am able to find uses for my photographs in my art.  YET MORE HAPPINESS!

(c) SZing, Photo of artwork--glass enameled heart pendant

So, to wrap up…feeling down? Grab the camera and start snapping shots.  Or get on your computer and review some social networking photos.  Or…if you tend to prefer low-tech, get that family photo album out, make a cup of tea and spend an hour refreshing your memory and allowing your love-induced endorphins to zip around your body spreading happiness.  It’s oh so easy.  Check out The Happy Movie for more.

A Natural Flow and Progression

All of  life has a natural flow and progression.  The tides of our ocean ebb and flow.  Our bodies have a natural flow of energy from day to day and a natural progression over time.

I don't know if other artists and writers have a continual sense of urgency that plagues them...but I do and have for as long as I can remember...a restlessness that I needed to "get to work" on whatever it was I needed to work on.  When I was a child, I couldn't really figure out what it was that I was supposed to be working on.  I have tried many things and moved to many locations, often driven by this urgent sense that there was a thing or things that were mine to do.

Glass suncatcher...even glass has a natural flow and progression when heated. Available at www.bohemianartcafe.com or etsy.bohemianartcafe.com.
(C) 2012 SZing

I had a vague sense that what I was to do had something to do with writing.  And though I didn't realize it at the time, creative endeavors were constantly tugging at me.  I didn't do any sort of artwork other than hand crafts but I played music and I feel my early poetry and musical practices were the start of my natural progression of creativity.  I liked music, but I didn't love it and couldn't get lost in it like I could with writing or like I can now with artwork.

Flow domino available at www.bohemianartcafe.com and etsy.bohemianartcafe.com
(c) 2012 SZing

Some people make progress as if their artwork and career is an avalanche.  They move forward so swiftly it is difficult to keep up with them.  Others start out slowly and inch forward day by day and week by week.  Others, like me, have a flow and progression that comes in starts and stops.  My progression is marked by specific goal events around which I tend to organize my time and talents.  In between the preparatory spurts of energy flow, I take steps toward future events.

Find your own flow and pattern.

Here is an example of the past few weeks:  Preparation for art fair.  Flurry of activity to get all inventory prepared and organized the display materials.  Show.  Unpack.  Downtime.  Preparation for trunk show.   BIG flurry of activity to get all inventory prepared. Show. Unpack.  Now I am in preparation for a show this weekend.  But my inventory is fairly large right now so I only need to organize what I'll be taking for display.  I have a little extra energy so I've been working on locating two venues for art shows in 2013 and connecting with several magazines for articles.  I've been slowly updating my database.  I've been updating my website.  I;ve been teaching art classes and a Writing Frenzy (tm) group.  There is always something that can be done even if the steps are baby steps.  They are all a part of the flow and progression of my creative journey.  As an artist, it is important to understand your own ebb and flow and to understand how you work so that when you're "on", you're on.  Trust the natural flow and progression.

The Olympics of Arts

In order to stay sharp and excel at any particular artistic endeavor or medium, just like an Olympic athlete, the artist must train and practice.  And just like an Olympic athlete, sometimes the product of that training is pain, an incompletion, or sometimes just bad choices.  In the world of art, this can take on the guise of messes, not having enough or the correct tools and supplies, not enough space to stretch out, too many other projects or items competing for the attention of the artist, or just plain ugly art.  With more practice, those errors and difficulties that arise early on become fewer and fewer and the quality of what is brought forth is better and better.

It is so important for the artist-in-training to remember that not all artwork is meant to be museum or gallery quality.  This can be a difficult concept for an artist to grasp because the creation is "ours" and who wants to admit they have created an ugly child?  As artists, we also like to shy away from such labeling, and of course, as with athletes and successes across the board in every industry, the ego does not like to admit defeat or failure.  While I am sure there are artists who, like Mozart, are able to make astounding art without any practice or flaws the first time out, for the majority, there is a training curve. 

This training curve requires first understanding the task to be undertaken.  It may require cross-training.  To begin working in glass, for example, first required knowing some basic facts about glass and skill sets:  what a coefficient of expansion is and why different COEs don't mix, some chemistry of glass since glass is made up of different recipes of ingredients and metal oxides, some of which don't play so well together and more basically, how the heck to score and cut glass.  Without these basic skills, a fused, torch or blown glass artist will run into many challenges.  And these are just the "stretching" exercises. 

Like an athlete, the training develops muscles--and memory skill.  The more one cuts a piece of glass, the better the ability to cut straight, make a good score the first time, not put too much or too little pressure on the glass as it breaks, find the 'grain' of the glass and become comfortable and efficient breaking glass scores by hand or with tools.  Athletes and coaches frown upon a "cold" rush into the pool or onto the track without proper warm up and certainly would not recommend trying to run a marathon if you have not yet mastered stretching, building up stamina and strength training.  At least not if you want to get very far, very fast.

Olympians are those who have practiced their craft daily, for hours at a time, pushing the boundaries of what they were able to do the day before, improving the quality of their end-product, and basically being involved in what an artist might consider "mass production."  The artist who only paints one painting a year is less likely to be good at it, much less supremely successful, because the skills and training have not been done.  Some artists believe they are above the "mass production" level of artwork, but in history, the most successful artists we know were prolific in their production of artwork. 

Grandma Moses, who began her career at the age of 78, practiced her skills regularly and by the time of her death at the age of 101 had created at least 1,600 recognized works of art and perhaps as many as 3,600. 

Copyright of Grandma Moses and estate--used with fair usage (education)

Front cover of her autobiography

A gold medalist indeed, whether or not you "like" his work is Pablo Picasso with an astounding "50,000 works of art, including 1,885 paintings; 1,228 sculptures; 2,880 ceramics; 18,095 engravings; 6,112 lithographs; and approximately 12,000 drawings, as well as numerous linocuts, tapestries, and rugs, not to mention his letters, poetry and plays" (cf. Selfridge 1994, 102) ... or ... "1,885 paintings; 1,228 sculptures; 7,089 drawings; 30,000 prints (engravings, lithographs, etc); 3,222 ceramics; 150 sketchbooks ... With the addition of his personal wealth, his legacy was estimated on his death at an unbelievable 1,252,673,200 francs. " (cf. Robinson 1999, 10; cf. also Habarta 2000, 77) ... or "some 50,000 works that included 1,885 paintings, 1,228 sculptures, 2,880 ceramics, 18,095 engravings, 6,112 lithographs, 3,181 linocuts, 7,089 drawings plus 4,669 drawings and sketches in 149 notebooks, 11 tapestries and 8 rugs". *according to several different sources* 

Pablo Picasso "Girl before a Mirror"

© 2012 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York  

Used under fair use (education)

Leonardo da Vinci is estimated to have painted a maximum of 30 paintings, but his other works include sculpture and a prolific amount of data collective for inventions of various kinds. His practice and training came in the form of sketches and studies for his artworks, for which he did numerous plans for each painting and for his inventions.  His notebooks are filled with the evidence of this extensive training.

Vincent Van Gogh reportedly painted about 900 paintings and produced about 1100 sketches.  This was accomplished over only about a nine year span of his life as he was not a painter for the entirety of his lifespan.

Another gold medalist of the art world, again whether or not you "like" him or his art is Andy Warhol, who, according to the Warhol Museum (they archive and catalog it so they would know) made more than 8,000 works of art by Warhol including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, film, videotapes, and an extensive archives.

Andy Warhol's silver clouds (c) The Andy Warhol Museum

used under fair use (education)

So, as an artist, there is a precedent for getting out there to "do art."  It is the driving passion of my life and even if it is only doodling or painting a background for an art journal, I MUST do some form of art every day. I don't know if I will ever reach the Art Olympics, but I continue to train, gain skills and improve my output.