Austin Kleon-
"Don't wait until you know who you are to get started.
There is a psychological phenomenon in which some people are unable to internalize their accomplishments."
They may feel like impostor's, but none of us know what we are doing all of the time, we just have to show up and do it, do life, do art, do family, do whatever it is. We have to do it -everyday.
Fake It 'til You Make It
Yep, that old adage, it applies to people we admire, and it applies to us.
Kleon says there are two ways to look at it: Pretend to be something you are not until you are; Pretend to be making something until you actually make something.
Lets be honest, we have heard these specs of wisdom for so long, why is it we have to revisit them, what has not sunk in? Remember this one: You have to dress for the part you want, not what you have now, and you have to start doing the work you want to be doing. Hmm!
"Start copying what you love. Copy, Copy, Copy, Copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self." Yohji Yamamoto
Kleon talks about first having to figure out Who to copy (the easy part), and then figuring out What to copy (takes a bit of work). Who: you start copying people you like, people you are inspired by, people who do or behave in a way you want to be like. What: copy the thinking behind the person that inspires you, whats behind their work, you want to see how they see the elements.
It is said, if you just mimic the surface of someone's work without understanding where they are coming from, your own work will never be more than a imitation.
Studying your inspirations helps transform your voice into discovering how you see your own work. Adding something of your own to where they left off makes it unique. Keep looking, keep seeing, keep working, keep growing.
Just do-
Friday, November 24, 2017
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
The Painter's Primer part 1
A survival kit.
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NOVEMBER 21, 2013 LINEA
Irwin Greenberg circulated this primer to his students at the High School of Art & Design and the Art Students League of New York. He died, age 87, in 2009
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1. Paint every day.
2. Paint until you feel physical strain. Take a break and then paint some more.
3. Suggest.
4. When at an impasse, look at the work of masters.
5. Buy the best materials you can afford.
6. Let your enthusiasm show.
7. Find a way to support yourself.
8. Be your own toughest critic.
8. Be your own toughest critic.
9. Develop a sense of humor about yourself.
10. Develop the habit of work. Start early every day. When you take a break, don’t eat. Instead, drink a glass of water.
11. Don’t settle for yourself at a mediocre level.
12. Don’t allow yourself to be crushed by failure. Rembrandt had failures. Success grows from failure.
13. Be a brother (or sister) to all struggling artists.
14. Keep it simple.
15. Know your art equipment and take care of it.
16. Have a set of materials ready wherever you go.
17. Always be on time for work, class, and appointments.
18. Meet deadlines. Be better than your word.
19. Find a mate who is really a mate.
20. Don’t be envious of anyone who is more talented than you. Be the best you can be.
21. Prizes are nice, but the real competition is with yesterday’s performance.
22. Give yourself room to fail and fight like hell to achieve.
23. Go to sleep thinking about what you’re going to do first thing tomorrow.
24. Analyze the work of great painters. Study how they emphasize and subordinate.
25. Find out the fewest material things you need to live.
26. Remember: Michelangelo was once a helpless baby. Great works are the result of heroic struggle.
27. There are no worthwhile tricks in art; find the answer.
28. Throw yourself into each painting heart and soul.
29. Commit yourself to a life in art.
30. No struggle, no progress.
31. Do rather than don’t.
32. Don’t say “I haven’t the time.” You have as much time everyday as the great masters.
33. Read. Be conversant with the great ideas.
34. No matter what you do for a living, nurture your art.
35. Ask. Be hungry to learn.
36. You are always the student in a one-person art school. You are also the teacher of that class.
37. Find the artists who are on your wavelength and constantly increase that list.
38. Take pride in your work.
39. Take pride in yourself.
40. No one is a better authority on your feelings than you are.
41. When painting, always keep in mind what your picture is about.
42. Be organized.
43. When you’re in trouble, study the lives of those who’ve done great things.
44. “Poor me” is no help at all.
45. Look for what you can learn from the great painters, not what’s wrong with them.
46. Look. Really look.
47. Overcome errors in observing by exaggerating the opposite.
48. Critics are painters who flunked out.
49. Stay away from put-down artists.
50. If you’re at a loss for what to do next, do a self-portrait.
10 Stenciling Tips- Part 2
Stenciling is a key technique in a mixed-media arsenal because they’re so incredibly versatile. Artists never have to settle for a cookie cutter look, thanks to the huge array of gorgeous designs and mediums that can be used with them, including acrylic paint, watercolor, pencils, resists, bleach, and inks. These 10 tips for stenciling are geared to up your stencil game and ensure maximum fun and creativity. Here is part 2, tips 6-10.
6. Found out. The bounty of stencil designs isn’t limited to pre-made plastic or metal stencils. In Stencil Craft, Margaret Peot creates artwork using found items, such as leaves, keys, coins, mesh bags, and hardware. Experiment with various items along with different color mediums and tools to see what effects you can achieve. She suggests trying brushing and sponging on paint, and spraying on color. For even more depth, layer lace over found items, then use a spray color to create more complex patterns
Stenciling with with found objects, such as leaves and netting, produces unique results. (Photo by Christine Polomsky)
7. Customize it. Creating your own stencils with basic tools is easy. Draw a design onto cardstock and cut it out with a craft knife, or, for more sturdiness, use a sheet of mylar and a stencil-cutting tool. In the March/April 2016 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine, Cas Holmes created a stencil by drawing a poppy with a waterproof pen on a piece of plastic sheeting, then carefully cutting out the image with a craft knife on a cutting mat before painting the image. Using this technique you can stencil on fabric, paper, wood, or canvas for a custom look. To further embellish the design on paper or fabric, stitch around the design by hand or machine.
A handmade stencil becomes a custom element in collage. (Art and photo by Cas Holmes)
8. Rise above. Stencils are handy for creating more than 2-D artwork; make dimensional embellishments that add texture and interest to mixed-media art. Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran Wilson show how in their book Alternative Art Surfaces. The process is super easy: Start by stenciling fiber paste (available at art supply stores) onto a sheet of polypropylene plastic, and allow it to dry. Next, peel the fiber paste elements from the plastic and glue them onto your substrate. The fiber paste can be painted when dry, or colored with paint before stenciling, or painted when dry.
Textured stencil designs on this piece were created with stencils and fiber paste.
9. Book it. Make distinctive handmade book covers using stencils, paint, and sturdy paper. Andrew Borloz showed how stencils and color combine to create unique patterns in “Creating a Stenciled Pattern Book” in the January/February 2015 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. His tip for success in making books with stenciled covers and book cloth spines: Create a color chart to help you choose the best color combinations. If stenciling on colored paper, cut small pieces of paper and stencil on them with paint to see how the colors look before committing to them. To create crisp patterns on paper, Andrew recommends pouring acrylic paint onto a palette, and lightly dabbing a cosmetic wedge into the paint—the sponge should be moist, not wet. Then, carefully and lightly dab the paint onto the stencil, being careful not to push down too hard, which may cause the paint to bleed under the stencil design. Use several colors to create a distinctive ombre effect.
Stenciling with different colors of paint creates an ombre effect. (Art by Andrew Borloz, photo by Sharon White Photography
10. Focus on the focal. A stencil doesn’t just have to create a design—it can be the design. Take, for example, the tunnel book created by Sarinda Jones in the article “Art on the Cellular Level” in the Winter 2014 issue of Pages magazine. In it, she uses hand-cut designs sandwiched between pieces of cardstock to form the pages of the book. She first cut 10 5″ x 5″ pieces of black cardstock, then drew and cut out circles in the middle of each one. She then drew an abstract pattern stencil design with pencil onto circle-shaped colored cardstock, and cut it out. The cut circles were sandwiched in between two black cardstock pages and glued, and the pages were bound into a spiral book. The result: a dramatic dimensional effect created by the stencil cutouts.
Stencils become the pages and the focus of this art book. (Art by Sarinda Jones, photo by Sharon White Photography)
6. Found out. The bounty of stencil designs isn’t limited to pre-made plastic or metal stencils. In Stencil Craft, Margaret Peot creates artwork using found items, such as leaves, keys, coins, mesh bags, and hardware. Experiment with various items along with different color mediums and tools to see what effects you can achieve. She suggests trying brushing and sponging on paint, and spraying on color. For even more depth, layer lace over found items, then use a spray color to create more complex patterns
Stenciling with with found objects, such as leaves and netting, produces unique results. (Photo by Christine Polomsky)7. Customize it. Creating your own stencils with basic tools is easy. Draw a design onto cardstock and cut it out with a craft knife, or, for more sturdiness, use a sheet of mylar and a stencil-cutting tool. In the March/April 2016 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine, Cas Holmes created a stencil by drawing a poppy with a waterproof pen on a piece of plastic sheeting, then carefully cutting out the image with a craft knife on a cutting mat before painting the image. Using this technique you can stencil on fabric, paper, wood, or canvas for a custom look. To further embellish the design on paper or fabric, stitch around the design by hand or machine.
A handmade stencil becomes a custom element in collage. (Art and photo by Cas Holmes)8. Rise above. Stencils are handy for creating more than 2-D artwork; make dimensional embellishments that add texture and interest to mixed-media art. Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran Wilson show how in their book Alternative Art Surfaces. The process is super easy: Start by stenciling fiber paste (available at art supply stores) onto a sheet of polypropylene plastic, and allow it to dry. Next, peel the fiber paste elements from the plastic and glue them onto your substrate. The fiber paste can be painted when dry, or colored with paint before stenciling, or painted when dry.
Textured stencil designs on this piece were created with stencils and fiber paste.9. Book it. Make distinctive handmade book covers using stencils, paint, and sturdy paper. Andrew Borloz showed how stencils and color combine to create unique patterns in “Creating a Stenciled Pattern Book” in the January/February 2015 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. His tip for success in making books with stenciled covers and book cloth spines: Create a color chart to help you choose the best color combinations. If stenciling on colored paper, cut small pieces of paper and stencil on them with paint to see how the colors look before committing to them. To create crisp patterns on paper, Andrew recommends pouring acrylic paint onto a palette, and lightly dabbing a cosmetic wedge into the paint—the sponge should be moist, not wet. Then, carefully and lightly dab the paint onto the stencil, being careful not to push down too hard, which may cause the paint to bleed under the stencil design. Use several colors to create a distinctive ombre effect.
Stenciling with different colors of paint creates an ombre effect. (Art by Andrew Borloz, photo by Sharon White Photography10. Focus on the focal. A stencil doesn’t just have to create a design—it can be the design. Take, for example, the tunnel book created by Sarinda Jones in the article “Art on the Cellular Level” in the Winter 2014 issue of Pages magazine. In it, she uses hand-cut designs sandwiched between pieces of cardstock to form the pages of the book. She first cut 10 5″ x 5″ pieces of black cardstock, then drew and cut out circles in the middle of each one. She then drew an abstract pattern stencil design with pencil onto circle-shaped colored cardstock, and cut it out. The cut circles were sandwiched in between two black cardstock pages and glued, and the pages were bound into a spiral book. The result: a dramatic dimensional effect created by the stencil cutouts.
Stencils become the pages and the focus of this art book. (Art by Sarinda Jones, photo by Sharon White Photography)Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Nothing is Original...
Is this statement true?
What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Austin Kleon
Nothing is completely original.
Jonathan Lethem said that when people call something "original", nine out of ten times they just don't know the references or the original sources involved.
"There is nothing new under the sun" Ecc. 1:9
So we are influenced by who and what we let into our life. Our surroundings, what we choose to believe and think about. What we choose to spend our time and money on and who we choose to spend our quality time with.
Jim Jarmusch, "Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. "
Marcel Duchamp said, "I don't believe in art. I believe in artists."
Kleon says this is a really good method for studying. If you try to devour the history of your discipline all at once, you will choke.
He says instead to mull over one thinker, writer, artists, activist, role model you really love. Study everything there is to know about that thinker. Then find three people that thinker loved, and find out all about them. Repeat this process as many times as you can.
By doing this, you build your own creative lineage.
What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Austin Kleon
Nothing is completely original.
Jonathan Lethem said that when people call something "original", nine out of ten times they just don't know the references or the original sources involved.
"There is nothing new under the sun" Ecc. 1:9
So we are influenced by who and what we let into our life. Our surroundings, what we choose to believe and think about. What we choose to spend our time and money on and who we choose to spend our quality time with.
Jim Jarmusch, "Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. "
Marcel Duchamp said, "I don't believe in art. I believe in artists."
Kleon says this is a really good method for studying. If you try to devour the history of your discipline all at once, you will choke.
He says instead to mull over one thinker, writer, artists, activist, role model you really love. Study everything there is to know about that thinker. Then find three people that thinker loved, and find out all about them. Repeat this process as many times as you can.
By doing this, you build your own creative lineage.
Monday, July 31, 2017
Tea Bag Art
Tea Bag Art: Texture Techniques with Crystal Neubauer
Texture invites viewers to take a closer look at a piece of art. Once I saw Crystal Neubauer’s texture techniques, I knew I had to try them. In the July Art Lesson, Crystal uses everyday materials (coffee and tea bags) to stain, stamp, stitch, and stack to add both visual and physical texture and create unique works of art. Such a cool look! And I had everything I needed on hand.
As a tea drinker, I had a variety of tea to give this lesson a whirl, and decided that a collage would showcase the results nicely. It was interesting to see how different teas not only stain the bag itself and the paper they were placed on, but some of the tea leaves added interesting texture to the stain as well.
Two of my favorite teas, raspberry and blueberry, provided good strong colors.
On another test piece, I used a regular orange pekoe tea bag and another blueberry tea, different brand, and the colors were rather disappointing. I decided to splash some of the tea water onto the background, and I liked the effect. The splashes definitley add to the design.
Investigating other possibilities, I opened a few of the bags and emptied the tea leaves. The papers were full of color. I chose two papers and, after smoothing them flat with my fingers, I allowed them to dry. Going with Crystal’s suggestion, I cut a piece of corrugated cardboard, dipped the edge in white paint, and stamped on one of the tea papers. I used the end of a Bic® pen with white paint on the other.
I decided to try out a few of Crystal’s other techniques. I chose one of my favorite stencils and placed a steeped raspberry tea bag on top. I placed the stencil/tea bag setup over a sponge holder (The holder has holes, and Crystal said it was important to have air flow), then placed a rock on top. I was not confident that it would work with my setup, so I was surprised and pleased when it did.
Adding rust to the mix was another fun adventure. With this technique it’s the tea water that goes to work. I splashed tea water onto mixed-media paper, and then stood a small can and several rusty washers and nuts in the puddle. I let them sit until the puddle dried up, then removed them. The colorful results were worth the wait. I chose this paper as the base for one of my finished pieces.
Still in discovery mode, I grabbed a piece of Jacquard ExtravOrganza, and set up a candle (with water nearby for safety). After removing the backing paper, I singed the edges of the organza by moving it quickly through the flame. Holding the organza taut is important, as holding the organza loosely seemed to cause it to singe more than I wanted it to. After a few test runs, I was able to get the organza to singe just the way I wanted. I love the way the organza adds a veiled effect when layered over the stained paper.
Crystal’s finished art in this Art Lesson involved stacking several of the stained, stamped, and singed pieces. She stitched around some of the stains on her papers, and layered some organza in other pieces. I decided to rip some of my favorite stains and cut the stamped tea bag papers into shapes. I stacked several of the test pieces and then added stitching for more texture and interest.
What a great texture adventure!
I hope you enjoy it, too
~ Barb
I hope you enjoy it, too
~ Barb
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
NOIRE
NOIRE Art Exhibition
June 2, 2017 @ 6pm
Living Arts Center
307 E. Brady, Tulsa, OK
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| Amena Butler, mixed media "/precious metals" |
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Spring Show
I will be part of this years Edmond Art Association Spring Show. Mothers Day is Sunday!
Beautiful Art work for Sale.
Saturday, May 13, 2017
10:00 am-3:00 pm
Spring Creek Plaza
15th St & S. Bryant, Edmond, OK
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
10 Stencil Techniques- Part 1
Stenciling is a key technique in a mixed-media arsenal because they’re so incredibly versatile. Artists never have to settle for a cookie cutter look, thanks to the huge array of gorgeous designs and mediums that can be used with them, including acrylic paint, watercolor, pencils, resists, bleach, and inks. These 10 tips for stenciling are geared to up your stencil game and ensure maximum fun and creativity. Here are the first 5.
1. Layer it on. Combining stencil designs, spray paint, and encaustic wax creates layered artwork that truly pops. In her article “Adventures in Encaustic Collage and Spray Paint,” in the January/Feburary 2016 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine, Lisa Thorpe says adding spray-paint patterns made with stencils to encaustic collage art enhances the depth of the piece. After coating wood panels with a layer of gesso, she glues on a strip of decorative paper. Next, she creates a bold pattern with vivid shades of spray paint and stencils, building up the layers. To that Lisa adds more paper and washi tape, then a coat of encaustic wax. On top of that goes lightweight tissue or rice papers, then—yes—more patterning with stencils if desired. The effect is stunning, drawing the eye in and around the piece.
Combining stencil designs with collage and encaustic wax produces a beautiful layered look. (Art and photo by Lisa Thorpe
2. Make your mark. To give stencil designs a painterly look, Margaret Peot recommends using Derwent Inktense Blocks. In her book Stencil Craft: Techniques for Fashion, Art & Home, she notes that these pigment-rich blocks of vibrant color are water-soluble, but waterproof once dry. “The very rough and active mark of these blocks looks great when used with a stencil,” she writes. “The stencil gives the rather granular mark a neat edge, and the texture gives the stencil a new life.” Margaret adds that if used on fabric, the blocks do not need to be heat set, and they hold up well to washings.
3. Burn, baby, burn. Leave it to Mary Beth Shaw, founder of StencilGirl Products, to discover that using a wood-burning tool with stencils is a recipe for artistic excellence. In her book Stencil Girl: Mixed-Media Techniques for Making and Using Stencils, she notes that the wood burning gives stencil designs a lovely rustic look. To start, trace a design onto a wood panel, and go over the traced outline with a wood-burning tool (remove the stencil before using the tool, or the stencil will melt). The design can be colored with watered-down fluid acrylic paint applied with a damp paper towel, which gives the appearance of a stain. Add details with a Derwent Inktense pencil in black.
A stencil was used as a template to create this stunning wood burned design by Mary Beth Shaw. (Photo by Christine Polomsky)
4. Get in shape. Stencils make great jumping-off points for doodling. In the Winter 2016 issue of Zen Doodle Workshop magazine, Susan Ste. Marie starts her doodle designs with a bold stencil; in this case, a scallop shell was her inspiration shape. She uses the segments of the stencil as areas to doodle in, then divides those into even smaller areas. Using fine pens and markers she creates her patterns, adding emphasis to the black-and-white designs by filling in some areas, and shading others. Here’s another tip: Let the stencil design influence your doodle patterns. Susan used the scallop shell to create organic patterns that referenced the beach, such as waves, fish, and bubbles.
Stencils make great templates for doodling. (Art by Susan Ste. Marie, photo by Sharon White Photography)
5. To the letter. Pam Garrison saw potential in the outline borders of large sticker letters, turning those into stencil shapes that she embellished with color, plus her own doodles and drawings. In Lettering Lesson Volume 5: Lettering Jump Starts, she carefully removed the outline borders from the sticker backing sheet, and adhered them to cardstock. Next, she filled in the letters with color and a variety of designs, using markers. From there Pam added marks, doodles and drawings, staying with a defined color palette, and then removed the stencil border. Repeating some elements lends a cohesive look to the lettering.
Letter sticker borders, which normally get thrown out, become stencils for doodled and drawn letters. (Art and photo by Pam Garrison)
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