Great class

I took a class this past Saturday at the PFAC on creativity. I met four wonderful women and had a great time. We did exercises in relaxation, improv, movement and creative work. I learned some really good techniques for getting my mind ready for creative endeavors. One of the things that really struck a cord with me was a list of behaviors that help us through the creative process.

1. Being present and really paying attention
2. Personalizing
3. Imaging
4. Serious play
5. Collaborative Inquiry
6. Crafting
   

That last one really hit me hard. I am good at coming up with the ideas but I rarely find my way to the actual work that has to be done. Crafting is the part where you sit down and bring your ideas, your art into fruition. You actual practice your craft, whethers it's oils, pastels, water colors, mixed media...whatever. I have a shed full of architectual salvage that will attest to the fact that I don't craft as much as I imagine. I have all these great ideas for what to repurpose those pieces into and never get to the part where I actually work on the ideas. Bad habit. I need to follow through on my ideas and if they fail accept the experience as a learning one.

My favorite activity of the day was making soul cards. I liked the fact that you are only given so much time to get each phase done. I found I was able to jump into the process because I didn't need the idea up front. You first just gather images at random, things that stick out in a positive or negative way. Then you trim them and lay them out to view them. I found my were ending up in loose categories of sorts. Then you choose the images you want to use and you have a certain amount of time to get them collaged together on your 5x8 card. When your done you look at what you have created and you give it a statement starting with "I am". It was incredible how the images came together and formed a statement without any preconcieved idea.

My statement for this was "I am the action that causes change." I really liked this activity and plan to make more cards. I think the process would work well with my art journal too.

The instructor for the class was awesome. She is the Creative Director for Alternatives Inc. , Linda Hansen. She is teaching another class during the Spring sessions on collage and I plan on taking it. Great experience, great day, I really felt I grew as an artist!

Okay, real quick this is a proud mom moment I can't help but include. A piece of my daughters art was chosen for a Newport News art show. The show features art from all the area schools. Here is her piece...

Meghan's Art

This is from a series of picture that my daughter Meghan did when she was little. I love them!

What to swap?

As Art and Soul approaches I'm starting to feel a bit anxious about the fact that I have not made anything to swap. I'm back the same place again...questioning if I'm good enough, will my work be worthy of a swap. I've been on the forum for the retreat several times and felt overwhelmed when I saw posts discussing bad swap experiences...can I face that kind of rejection when my artist soul is still so tender? I'm not sure, but I do plan to test it out. I have an idea for charms to make and swap, I had to place an order online to get some of the parts, so hopefully they will arrive soon. I also need to make my small collages for the soldering class and I need to send my photos to the instructor for the door class. It's getting close and I am getting excited! I can't wait to shop at collage....though secretly I'm scared Michaels will find out what I said about them...and never let me shop there again...they are all I have!

So onward to practicing my art. My latest project came about as a complete surprise. I read an article in CPS awhile back about mixed media on silver spoons. I've had my eye out for some spoons and hadn't had the luck to find any so far...until I went to work this past week where a teacher was selling some old things in the teachers lounge. Guess what I found?! Spoons and a few other utensils...all silver! Oh my goodness I was so excited, I never have that kind luck finding something. So I got a whole hand full of silver utensils and a cool crock bowl that I will use for my water when I'm painting. I dug out that magazine and my alcohol inks and went to town on those spoons. I even broke out the Dremel which I haven't used in a while. I think the spoons came out great and I gave the first ones I made to the teacher who sold them to me. She was thrilled, which did a lot to boost my confidence in what I do. I will be making several more sets of them, possibly to give away or maybe even to sell! (Am I that brave?)


I have also made a notebook for my friend Chris which I collaged with a Hattera/OuterBanks theme. She loved it. Which made me happy. She is one of muses that supports me in what I do. I love making stuff for my friends to use and enjoying.


So I guess I've made some progress. I'm attending an all day work shop at the PFAC on creativity. I'm looking forward to the class, which is being taught by someone I have wanted to meet since last years Art and Soul. She runs the Monart studio in Hampton. Anyhow, I think I will enjoy the class and perhaps it will help me to erase some of this self doubt I've felt lately.

Last thing...found this cool site where the artist makes bracelets from old gift cards, especially from Starbucks (yum). I should get it in a couple of days, can't wait to show it to my Starbucks addicted friends at Yates. Here is her Etsy shop link...sorry you can't get a bracelet just like mine...it was the last one! www.jupita.etsy.com