The Radiant Child

"I don't think about art when I'm working. I try to think about life." - Jean-Michel Basquiat

"EARLY MOSES" - 1983

I am convinced were he alive, Jean-Michel Basquiat would have been enamored with the sudden surge of people creating art in their journals. Truly ahead of his time Jean-Michel combined words, color and bold imagery that hinted at a deeper meaning. Something to scratch at until it bled. In the movie, "Basquiat" there is a scene where he approaches Andy Warhol in a restaurant and asks him if he would like to by some, "ignorant" art. When questioned, he responded, (link) "you know, like stupid, like ridiculous crummy art." This made me laugh as on the surface it seems self-effacing but if you think about it, how freeing is it to already say to yourself, "I'm going to create crummy, ridiculous, stupid and ugly art."  The pressure is off, there is no expectation to create some masterpiece just the void left where true expression can bubble forth.

While I find the movie a little pretentious it still has its moments but if you really want a wonderful view into the man they called, "The Radiant Child"  I highly recommend you watch the documentary that was released about two years ago by the same name.  I found myself charmed and fascinated by an artist that I never truly paid attention to before.

"Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump" - 1982
 

So open your journal page, better yet, get some canvas, paper, board or piece of wood and create a journal page you can hang up on your wall.  In the end, your expression - your view of the world and your place in it - should be seen and felt even if the only person who sees and feels it is you.

"What is it about art anyway that we give it so much importance? Artists are respected by the poor because what they do is an honest way to get out of the slum using one's sheer self as the medium. The money earned, proof, pure and simple, of the value of that individual, the artist. The picture a mother's son does in jail hangs on her wall as proof that beauty is possible even in the most wretched. And this is a much different idea than fancier notion that art is a scam and a ripoff. But you can never explain to someone who uses God's gift to enslave, that you have used God's gift to be free." - Basquiat Movie

New year, new endevours

I’ve been quiet for the last few weeks. Lots to do with the coming new year: Children off from school, my own job becoming hectic as well as some personal issues that resulted in getting myself hooked up to a heart monitor. (I’m fine, if you’re wondering). Anyway, lots of reasons why it was best to put the blog on an impromptu hiatus but I’m back and ready to kick off the New Year with some pretty cool things to share.  Two of these things I can’t currently share as I have to wait for the people involved to give me the okay but let it be said now that it is full of art and positive vibes and I’m excited to be part of it.

One of the things that I can speak on that I will be doing this year is hosting something on my blog as well as artjournaling.ning.com that will involve creating an art/visual journal out of a composition notebook. This of course is not a new concept but it’s been a long 7 month process of answering the question: Do I really need all this “stuff” to create something that holds meaning and is aesthetically pleasing to my eye? 

This is something I hold close to my heart.  When I asked the question, I was actually answering it for my daughter, who is a very creative soul. How can I look at a 10 year old and say, “Well, you’re going to need some gesso and some golden acrylics and if you’re going to get watercolors best to get the Winsor and Newton ones.  You can ask your parents to buy them for you, right?”  Obviously that’s not exactly encouraging or motivating. The same can be said for adults who perhaps are not brave enough or financially secure enough to justify buying expensive artist grade supplies. It’s a scary world out there, when certain industries have picked up on the fact that there is a market for those who enjoy journaling visually and have decided to make bank on it! What is a person to do?   I’ll tell you what you do – Ignore them all and do your own thing!  And that, my friends, is what I hope to encourage others to do.   So, stay tuned it’s going to get interesting up in here.

Daisy Yellow challenge : Periwinkle

I've been running around all day but found this lovely representation of the color of the day. 

Daisy Yellow: Building a Rainbow - Five Days of Color: Salmon

Hello everyone and welcome to the five days of color challenge hosted by Daisy Yellow.  Please be sure to check out Tammy's blog as she is the hostess for my partner color: Pale Pink.

Salmon is an interesting color as it seems to meander between pink and orange.  If you go one or two steps too far either way on the hue chart, you'll have missed that combination that makes Salmon  what it is.  When I think of this color, automatically my thoughts run into memories of summer.  Coconut oil and tanned bodies warming themselves under the noon day sun. It is the color of the Caribbean as you walk past colorful houses brightly painted in cheerful brights that make them look like delicious candy.

For this color I thought I wold revisit something I have no done in ages; Digital art. The amazing thing about digital collage/art is the myriads of things that are at your disposal.  You can literally create anything your mind conjures up without having the limitations of materials on hand. 



Some inspiration via Flickr:

1. Salmon Colored Buds, 2. Turquoise and Corals Wrap Bracelet, 3. Salmon Lucite Dahlia Cabochons, 4. Raindrops on poppies and whiskers on kittens..., 5. Painted Mural, Cordoba, Spain, 6. Salmon, 7. salmon rice bento, 8. chiyogami paper and salmon coloured resin bangles, 9. Simple Swirl Earrings, salmon, 10. Wall of Cafe Laurent, 11. IMG_7110, 12. Salmon, 13. To Draw You In ..., 14. Salmon?, 15. Gerbera daisy with raindrops, peach color, contrast enhanced, 16. salmon-ish chair


Prompts:

1. Try your hand at something different today.  Do you usually go for your watercolors; then why not try acrylics?  Do you continuiously buy pre mixed colors (like craft paint?) Well then why don't you try your hand and mixing colors to find the perfect shade of pink or salmon?

2. Find colors in unsual places.  Grab your camera and pay attention to the world around you. Can you find the color of the day in your surroundings?

3. Why not add a little hidden note about what the color reminds you of. A small piece of poetry, prose a simple list and then add it to your artwork/journal page in an inconspicuous place.

Make sure you add your links with your work for this color over at Daisy Yellow. :)

Technique Spotlight: Color theory

In continuation with yesterday's theme of finding inspiration and tutorials away from the usual places, I give you this lovely little writeup on color by sashas from deviantart.  This one focuses on educating the reader on color theory and how it can e used effectively in our art. (These are also things that can be applied to your art journals as well.):


The Color Tutorial - Part 1 by ~sashas on deviantART


The Color Tutorial - Part 2 by ~sashas on deviantART

Technique Spotlight: Paper dying / staining

Many times we get so hyper focused on the community that surrounds us that people tend to forget that there is a larger art community out there with an amazing wealth of knowledge waiting to be shared. Places like Deviantart can be an encyclopedia of information when it comes to art technique. Most if not all offered up for free.  The next time you are stuck or wish to experiemnt and learn a new medium, check out sites like Deviantart and see if you can search and discover a few nuggest of wisdom that might take your art in a completely different direction.


Our technique spotlight for today comes from Deviantart and features a few technieques for aging and dying paper.  This is a great way to create unique and orignal collage papers for you to use in your art or art journals


How to Dye Paper by `hibbary on deviantART

Daisy Yellow: Building a Rainbow - 5 Days of Color: White

Welcome my color acolytes (this is going to have to stop. I'm going to run out of  witty ways to welcome you. *laughs*)  Once again I am hosting a color for day five of our Building a Rainbow Challenge hosted over at Daisy Yellow. When you're done here, check out the Daisy Yellow blog to see my partner in crime for today, BLACK.

White is an interesting color as it is in fact the absence of color.  It is the symbol of purity and cleanliness. In some cultures it is the color of mourning. White can elude to the delicate, the gossamer and ethereal. It is the mist between worlds and the shorud that hides you from dreams. White is an alpha/omega color. It can be whatever it is that need it to be.

It is also the bane of my exsistence. Now, I have seen gorgeous, fantastic minimalist work done by photographers, artists and journalists. They are masters of the powerful message white can deliver when used correctly.  It's just not my color of choice.  So, this page was a true challenge for me.  I thought: What did I want to convey with this journal page? What feelings did I want to invoke?  I decided upon layers. I wanted to stay white on white but that the interest would be texture and layering.  I am not sure if I accomplished it to my satisfaction but I have to say that I did like the outcome.:







Some amazing inspiration via Flickr:

1. White Flower / Flower White / Macro / soft macro/, 2. White Daisy / Daisies -, 3. White Lotus Flower Macro / White on white / Lotus, 4. White Flower / Flower Macro / close up flower / closeup / nature / white / : IMGP4921, 5. Soft Macro - White on White - Azalia: IMGP6955, 6. White on white (on white), 7. nights in white satin, 8. white, 9. White, 10. white, 11. White shells, 12. white on white, 13. white sphere, 14. White blossom close up - IMGP6556, 15. white on white 06, 16. WHITE SANDS NATIONAL PARK

How did you incorporate white into your art today?