Art Heals

It's been nearly 40 days since I last updated my Twitter or Facebook... and months since I substantially wrote here. I've been in what I call a "cocoon phase", which means I checked out like JD Salinger.

I deal with a myriad of health issues that prevent me from working in a "regular" job. Fortunately I have a wonderfully supportive and amazing Husbang who financially supports our family single-handedly and quite comfortably. Plus, he consistently tells me to stop beating myself up and do what I love. I am blessed.

The past 2 months have been difficult. I've been mostly bedridden with the inability to walk due to a 10 year old back injury and severe depression. I know it's cliche but, the chronic pain I have is not something I'd wish on anyone.

So the first few weeks was spent mostly sleeping, zoning out on movies and doing my best to shower on "good days" when I wasn't hobbled like a geriatric line-backer. It was not a good place.

Since getting laid off from my theatre job in 2009, we made the decision that I would follow one of my dreams and work on art full time. I realized about 3 weeks ago that I didn't have to get out of bed to make art. I decided that I wanted to find other artists with which to trade ATC's (artist trading cards) to have a "reason" to make art.

Well, it worked. Since finding Swap-bot, a website connecting people who love to make stuff, at the beginning of May, I have successfully made more progress with my art than I have in the past year. I am making art every day. And slowly, but surely, I'm having more "good" days than bad.

I also learned from another artist that Frida Kahlo suffered from chronic pain her whole life... and she accomplished so much. If she can do it...so can I.

6/1000 Artists Anonymous

If you haven't discovered Keri Smith yet you can thank me later.

I think her How to Feel Miserable as an Artist (By Keri Smith and featured below) applies to ALL artists regardless of your media (yes my actorly/writing/musical friends I'm talking to YOU)... once you start breaking these rules you really become free to create.

CONFESSION:

I am absolutely HORRIBLE at coming up with an idea and then seeing if someone has already "done it better" on Etsy or the internet. I am self sabotaging and I don't know how to stop.

Hi, I'm ArtHarpy and I'm a self sabotaging artist

(This is where you say..."Hi ArtHarpy")

MY PLAN:

1. To post her Manifesto around my life (house, car, studio, journal, to-do list notebook)

2. Discover exactly how many miserable things I'm doing to myself every day

3. Admit I am powerless over my inner critic

4. Believe that my artistic spirit is real

5. Treat my Artistic Spirit as I would an amazing, lovely, dear friend

6. Submit to my Artistic Spirit as she is greater than my inner critic and can restore euphoria in my life

7. Commit to making a fearless inventory of my artistic strengths

8. Believe that what I create is brilliant in it's imperfection

9. Celebrate in the pure freedom of creating

10. Rejoice in the ability to make the world a better place through art

2/1000 Just be yourself?

Since making the decision to pursue art full time I have stumbled. 13 years ago, before my daughter was born, my head was spinning with all kinds of ideas.

Weird Ideas, with a capital "I".

Crazy quilted pieces with with paper stitched to them and images emblazoned...antique junk pieced together to make new things... jewelry with silk and silver and old rusty things...

There was nothing out there like it at the time... it was a fusion of art techniques and hardcore crafting. I tried to create what was in my head with what I had and I failed.

Not being able to find the supplies I wanted was frustrating. Not having any extra money to blow on experiments with expensive art supplies was even worse. All the books available were tired art techniques of watercolors and the like. Additionally, without the connection of the Internet (still in it's infancy) I had no clue there were others out there thinking the same. I let the ideas subside after a few dismal attempts.

Three years ago I discovered Art Fest and the world of Alternative Art. I felt like I was breathing again!

It was all the Weird I had been thinking of years ago with a huge Plus; fully realized and wrapped up in a funky bow ready for me to enjoy.

The downside, I am now coming to discover, is that it's all been "done". In the decade it took me to "discover" my community they had all been hard at work developing techniques, creating process and exploring supplies.

So where do I fit in? Of course, "Be the best you can be!", and a bunch of other cliches come to mind. There's the question of "personal style" etc. What would the world have missed if Picasso said "There's already so many people painting, I should just become a carpenter."

For today the grand pursuit will have to be just being the best Self I can. After all, everyone else is already taken.

Collage Lab 1

I am SO excited about this great book from Bee Shay, Collage Lab. A few weeks ago I was going through ArtFest withdrawals and cracked it open. I played around adding Golden Fluid Acrylics to make the Liquitex Acrylic Gesso different colors.

Using varied texturing methods with common household objects I applied the colored gesso to 140lb cold press watercolor paper. I loved how they turned out!

On Friday Bee started posting a new challenge based on the labs in her new book. Last night Husbang and I tried a bunch of new techniques using gesso on mat board. We both have been using gesso as a stamping medium for the past year and have enjoyed the results.

This is allowing us to get the feel for using gesso as a foundation rather than an accent.

I liked using stencils & mesh salvaged from a bag of red potatoes. We also both used foam stamps and a pallet knife to layer on the gesso.

If you enjoy collaging, or want to learn please check out Collage Lab! And be sure to join the online challenges every Friday morning... It's free and every interaction I've had with Bee has been wonderful! She is also setting up a group to exchange collage creations with each other through ATC's or postcards.

Lounge Lizard Deux

The instructions on the floor...ruined art....sticky fingers.

What was I doing wrong?

Well not reading the directions for one... but apparently the singular "little" detail that wasn't on the packaging NOR divulged by the evangelist from the bead store... The crap needed to cure in UV light.

Specifically Sunshine.

And I live in the Pacific North West... only SLIGHTLY more sunny than Scotland.

"Where in THE HELL am I going to get SUNSHINE!!!!! Especially at 11pm????" I thought... okay yelled at Husbang who was amused by the whole ordeal.

Back to reading the directions....I could also use a UV light, for curing fake nails, found at Salon Supply stores. Or a 40w or higher fluorescent black light (good luck). Since sunshine isn't consistent where I live I penciled in a trip to the Beauty Shop Supply.

The next day the Sun was out in full force! Score! I was able to whip out some experimental pieces to see how the stuff really worked. I must say, it WAS pretty amazing and I loved the finished product. However, to carry out my evil plans needed a regular source of UV rays.

The Salon Supply shop carried exactly what I was looking for! A cute little UV box with removable trays on which to put my creations. And at the LOW, LOW price of $350.00!!!

WOW! That was SO NOT Happening!

I love the fact that this little 1 oz bottle of $10 gel was turning out to cost me several hundred dollars. Huzzah.

So I'm thinking... what else needs UV? LIZARDS!!!! Reptiles need UV light to stay healthy!

Over the next few days my rounds of errands were expanded to include the reptile sections of various pet stores. Unfortunately, animal geeks are not as "into" using their supplies for things other than animals. So not much help or friendliness from staff.

Thanks be to all that is Holy for the internet. I was able to do further research and with the help of Husbang, make a successful purchase. The Lizard bulb, which fits into a clip-on lamp we already had, was only $17.50. Not bad...and worth the abuse from the pet Nazi's.

I've got the test pieces Lounging in the Lizard light as we speak.

Stay tuned for further updates!

Lounge Lizard

So what the heck does the reptile section of the pet store have to do with Art?

I don't know, but that's where I wound up today. So I bought this bottle of stuff to embed mini copies of my collage on to tiles. The gal at the bead/quilt/metal supply store Raved about it.

Now normally I won't spend $10 on an ounce of eau de parfume much less an art supply I've never tried... over priced art supplies are B.S... but she R.aved. This was about 4 months ago and I hadn't opened it yet. It's too expensive to ACTUALLY use, right?

Artfest to the rescue...I came back with a vengeance of creativity this year... I OPENED that damn miracle bottle of bliss. It came with an 11x 7 page of 10pt. type directions which I promptly tossed over my shoulder and went to work an a new brilliant creation.

Then it wouldn't work right. This miracle liquid was supposed to dry to a hard-as-nails finish in 15min. tops. Not so much.

To be continued......