Loving the 'big' of it.

Yes, I know, I haven't blogged for a while.....but, I have to say quite honestly I have been totally immersed in my work, which is a good thing!  The balancing act of study, work, play has been challenging.  I still love to play, but need to work so as I can play, and then of course I must study.  Things I have been doing over the last few weeks involve a lot of looking.  That is, looking at images, reading, critiquing, standing back....being objective, taking away the subjective....not that easy!  I have been reading 'Percept, affect and concept' from What is philosophy? There's a lot of heavy reading in this chapter but what I got out of it, is that there are three elements of art.....the 'flesh', the 'house' and the 'universe'.  I'm not going to go into it just now, but I dare you to!  It's made me think of a work of art in a whole different way....something like the way we think of life itself, what is real, what is a living thing?  Is art a living thing?  It is all so 'beautifully big!'

I've been fascinated with the work of Annie Vaught, http://annievought.com/category/art/paper-cuts/
The power of the word, the story, the narrative of text.
Another artist I love is Helen Pynor, http://www.helenpynor.com/  Her work is so powerfully poetic....

And finally, Jeanette Scharing, and her gorgeously formatted work...

www.jeanettescharing.net/

Explore and Enjoy!

Time

It's been a crazy few weeks of work, research, work.  I can't believe how fast time goes by?!!  This weekend I was teaching a workshop.  I had an amazing bunch of very talented women working hard making, absorbing everything, learning.  During these workshops we talk about all sorts of things while creating, drinking coffee and eating cake (sounds decadent? it is!)  and during one of our conversations it occurred to me just how much people appreciate the opportunity to learn and the experience of creating.  Why then, are there so many people who think they aren't good enough to even give it a go?  That distresses me.  I believe everyone has a talent to create, whether it's making art, cooking, gardening or arranging furniture!  If someone says to me....I'm not one bit creative, I feel it's my job to help them gain the confidence to try.  If people are in an environment where they feel they can't express themselves or are given no encouragement, isn't that a sad thing?  Life is too short.  I say that SO much, but it really is!  We have a limited time on this earth. We spend most of our precious time sleeping, eating, working, day in, day out.....but we also need time to use our brain to explore making, growing, feeling all those pent up imaginative thoughts.  We need to give ourselves time to express who we are as individuals.  Everyone has it there just waiting to pop out.  It just needs a little bit of nurturing and a pinch of encouragement, but mostly it needs you, yes you, to not be afraid of trying.