Art About It!

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It's Time to Make Art!

O.K. We all know the holiday are coming fast. How many days to Christmas? Anyway, it time to make art. Everyone complains about Christmas being so commercialized. Well do something about it. Great creative. Paint, draw, photograph, sew. What ever it is you do just get started. I am working on small watercolor paintings. I will frame them and give them away as Christmas gifts. Don't get me wrong, watercolor paint is not cheap. But it go's a long way, it's fun and your friends and family will appreciate it! 

I like to keep my Gifts Under $50

Why not even give an artist you know, art. Hint, hint!! I hope my family is listening.   I get all of my art supplies at  Dick Blick.

What is happening in the art world!

Recently one of the nearby galleries in the area closed.  I had some of my work displayed there for quit a while.  I received a phone call from the director.  He nervously told me that they were closing and I needed to come pick up my work.  I was shocked as were many other artist that had shown and sold work there.

Now there are rumors that the only museum in the area is closing, no, not closing, but going bankrupt.  My friend urged me to go pick up my work before it is used to offset the museums debt! I have a beautiful black and white photograph on loan there.

What is going on?  Is the art world headed in a new direction. As with my favorite medium, photography, has seen many changes and evolved,  will the internet be the only place to see art? This could be the trend as more and more artist develop their own websites, will there be a need for museums and galleries as we now know them?  Has our lifestyle changed so much that we no longer need these kinds of buildings.

It seems that a college education can not be earned on-line.  Take all of the photography lessons you desire on-line. Wow, what a great concept.

I hope that the brick and mortar galleries and museums will change there way of dealing with art and artist or I fear they may become extinct.  As everything seems to be evolving and taking on new and different life forms, the museums of galleries should also need be awaken to change.  I hope they will start to take notice! Quick!

Make a collage

Make a collage using the medium you most enjoy working in and add another medium to make a collage.  Sometimes the term medium is used to designate a a general group of art works. Using the term in this way can be used to describe the medium of painting, or sculpture or photography.   The term medium can  also be used to describe specific materials used by artist such as paint, pencils, clay and so on.

To make a collage add different types of media and incorporate it all to make one whole.  Of course you can use more than one medium to make it all come together.  An example would be, digital photograph, paint, and text.  That's our project for this week.  Let's talk about it when you are done.

The Art About It challenge, Is it worthy?

You decide. I recently came across a website that ask a very important question. It says, "Want to make a difference in the life of a public school teacher and his or her students?" The question is important to me because as an educator, I have taught many students who were in need of supplies. Especially art supplies, for different art projects.  Since the subject of art is dear to me and has been cut from most school curriculum's, I have decided to support this challenge. I understand how expensive art supplies can be.  So I am challenging all artist, to give to this worthy cause, because I know you can relate.  I hope you will join with me and give. Give whatever amount you can to support this worthy cause.  Yes, it is worth it. Just take a look at the students, and the request, and remember when......  You also will be moved to help.  Check out the Art About it Challenge listed on this page, and when you do, give to whatever subject/project that you deem important.

Ready, Set, Start your art project!

I know, I know. You can't draw a stick person!  I've heard it all before.  But who says you have to draw.  There are many ways to empower yourself while developing your creative voice. 

On this blog we will talk about art, art culture, design, news, literature, lifestyles and, yes, My hope is that we will all contribute our art projects.  It's o.k. You can do this.  We all know that writing is one form of art.  So, lets get started.  I"ll go first.

"You are such a busy child," I recall my mother always saying to me.  I remember looking up at her, I'm sure with a puzzled look on my face.  I was maybe four years old.  My mother was always trying to find ways for me to be creative.  You see, she enjoyed reading literature herself.  And she loved to write.  In those days, of course, there was no such thing as a computer or e-mail.  So, she wrote lots of letters to her family.   Mostly two of her sisters who lived in another town.  But, on this paticuliar day, I remember she came up with this genius idea.  She pulled out a long yellow pencil from the drawer along with a large brown paper bag.  She preceded to rip the brown paper bag apart.  I, of course, watched in amazement as she prepared me for my first art project.  I was so excited as I watched her draw those thick black lines on that brown paper bag. When she was finished she gave me the pencil and said, "now, you do it."  I was grinning for ear to ear.  Who knew.....I could turn my little wiggly lines into people.  I'm sure it wasn't perfect.  Heck, I didn't know there was such a thing as perfect.  All I know is that I was learning how to make stick people. And from that day on, I was excited to learn as much as I could about art and art culture.
   
My mother is 5'9 and I grew to be only 5'2, so I still look up at her now, sometimes with that same puzzled look, when she says to me, "Girl what are you going to do next, you stay so busy."  I know now that most creative people feel a need to always be 'doing' or 'making' something.  So my answer to her is that this is the lifestyle and journey you started me on, thank you very much!
 
I enjoy finding ways to exercise my creative voice through art, in the hope that it empowers others to find theirs.  My means of being creative is photography, artist books, painting, writing, and small sculpture.

So, this is the art project.  Write a few lines about your first art lesson as you remember it.  Good, bad or indifferent.  It doesn't matter.  It's all about your creative voice NOW. Pretend you're a little kid again. And remember, there is no such thing as perfect.