Thursday, April 24, 2008
Never say never....
And for the flavor of the week I have Arugula and Walnut Pesto. It did not last long enough to try it on pasta, but on crackers it was excellent. I've got to try the parsley-mint one!
Friday, April 18, 2008
What I am working on now
I'd rather laugh
The year of magical thinking
The Joy Diet
Moving On
Your money or your life
Facing the text
Culinary discoveries of the week:
Fuente Baena: unfiltered olive oil from Spain. It is a bit hot and tastes like almonds and green leaves.
Kama Sutra Sausages with Ambrosia of Sautéed Figs, served on a bed of rice
Delish! I used dried figs though. Next time, if I do not have fresh figs, I will chop the dried ones in the food processor so that the resulting sauce will be more like a chutney. It was delicious anyway!
Art projects waiting to be completed:
- Altered photos to be turned into Christmas ornaments
- 2 canvasses that stare at me every day - they do not "feel" finished, yet I do not know yet what would make them finished.
- my altered book to display small fabric collages and other trial pieces
- the cardboard book with more trial material
- my artist journal
- fabric necklace
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Creative Monsters
These are the beginnings of my art journey and the encounters with creative monsters along the way.
In grade 1 we have been given the task of drawing a scene from a fairy tale. I chose Snow White. I had a puzzle with 4 scenes from the fairy tale. I picked the scene with Snow White and the hunter. My father taught me how to make a grid on the paper with the image, how to draw the same number of proportionate squares on the drawing paper and how to draw what I saw in every square. It took forever. I was 6. It was late at night and I was tired. But the drawing was due the next day. Going to school without the homework was not an option.
When I was 7, I went on a field trip to the cultural centre. I was introduced to new activities that I could try if I wanted. There was weaving and pottery and clay sculpting and cross stitch and gymnastics and so much more. I put my name down for 7 classes - one for each day of the week. While I was down in the basement to check on the clay sculpting class, I saw a row of clay portraits lined up on a table to dry. I could not help myself and touched the sculptures, smoothing the faces. They were so pretty now! Not so thought the teacher. "Why did you touch them? You ruined my sculptures!" Regardless of this incident I was happy with the activities chosen and looking forward to the classes. Until I got home, that is. My mother's reaction was anything but encouraging. "You have homework to do. There is nobody to bring you there and back. It is out of the question that you go EVERY DAY. Plus, you have to baby sit your sister". I tried to struck a deal, but it did not work out. I slowly dropped out of all the classes.
I grew up dreading the art classes. We were not taught anything. I do not remember discussions about perspective, color combination etc. I tried conjuring memories of these classes and nothing surfaces. I knew by then I had no talent. One had to be born an artist, one had to be "special" to be an artist (like poor, drunk, dressed like a beggar, eccentric, somewhat marginalized and so on). I was none of these things.
I did not think I knew art. I decided to learn by doing, one step at a time. It all started about 10 years ago. I had a drawing period, a paper-making period, an oil painting period, a clay sculpting period. Now I am transitioning into the mixed media/collage/altered art period. These are some of my paintings. Now, if I can only figure out the secret of taking pictures for the web!
I wonder how other artists dealt with their own Creative Monsters.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Begginings
Saint Augustine
So here I am. Starting with the little things, the first explorations in mixed media, collage and altered art. The first baby steps...