beautiful line - spoiler enhanced!

(If you're wanting to avoid story spoilers for the Portal 2 video game, you'll want to avoid this entry. Otherwise read on.)

The Portal series is far from the first (in games, in sci-fi, in pop culture or story) to deal with existence and humanity through the a.i. lens. Such elements are natural to the game's story and to the genre. It's a great spring board for thought. It's also a fun game.

I spent an evening last month channeling some such moodier thoughts and working with ink. 

Some things I was pondering at the time;

How might one adapt to chosen or forced isolation? 

Without opportunity to practice constructive socialization, how might an individual's personality manifest? 

And so forth.

Enough chatter, here's the piece.

new art at the Downtown Orlando Library

Museum of Modern Art photo friday

Here's what inspired me;  three artists that impacted me at pivotal times in my life + studies. 

Very happy to see Brancusi on my MOMA visit.

interesting mirror frames on Frida

(It's a travesty I still haven't seen the movie they did about her.)

Fur Cup! Possibly what sparked my interest in Art History in my tween years

As you can see, museums are much more 

than a fun diversion for me.

For me, seeing some of this stuff might be 

similar to when people meet celebrities. 

I was very happy.

sneak peek before the show

 This will be in the 1st Thursday show @ OMA along with the two other totes. 

I painted it. 

I was sitting outside the very trendy Stardust in Orlando, when I first doodled this. 

The totes are made of recycled canvas. I can make more of these. It was fun! I might make myself one at some point. 

must-have-monday no. 2

Fantastic! Easy Must-Have-Monday today!

I saw it. I wanted it. The very essence of Must-Have. What more is there?

 

 

Check out the designer, Michiel Schuuran’s website for more.

 

find something to motivate you

This is a space for inspiration.

The original idea today was to talk about my efforts on Etsy and my thoughts on starting out + forming a cohesive line.

But really my designs are about botanicals. And a large part of my inspiration comes from nature. 

Art and originality are synonymous for many people.

Even without reviewing Dutch vanitas, impressionist paintings, or the works of Georgia O’Keefe it isn’t much of a surprise: Nature (in my opinion), is the original muse!


For a time I was a bit of a closet horticultural nerd. After all, who isn't inspired by nature? Where’s the originality in that? 

Still, I can't help it. I love, love, love plants! I adore the studied illustrations from the 18th + 19th centuries. I marvel at all manner textiles from the grandiose woven tapestries in the Musee du Louvre to the mod prints at Marimekko -- and objects d'arte or even the simple vintage tea cup; so many of these infused with the beauty of nature!

Anything can motivate. 
I happen to turn to botanicals.

Here’s what I’ve done with my inspiration on a small scale.

   

  

You can find something to motivate you too.

 And don’t over think it like I do, just enjoy it!

sneak peak at the next project

Photo: Art+Science BFF for upcoming project

another 'doodle,' O Pop part of art-education event

In last night's post I displayed one of my 'doodles' and stated I would be recreating it soon. 

I failed to display the other two images. The three will be re-created as original pieces each on a tote bag I will be donating --for an event  promoting art in Orlando-area elementary schools. 

The event is UCF Art Alumni Society's art supply drive: Knightro's Creative Kits

I can't seem to get away from these art-supply drives. I was involved in Seed's this past spring. It's safe to say; art education is a big deal for me.

I believe art is a positive force to be reckoned with: it changes the world and shapes minds.

But I am still curious as to people's feelings on art stylization. (See my last post.) I have my own methods but I do want to know what people walk away with when they see certain things.

doodle day - inspiration and curiosities

This sketch was inspired wandering around Fresno CA this past spring.  It is a simple study, but I've been given a chance to recreate it for an upcoming project. It has me thinking. . .

. . .what is more dynamic to viewers; the glossy/graphic design style (lots more @ deviantart.com)? 

Or the sketchy style of a study? 

Or maybe something else, equally compelling?

(Of course this is highly subjective, but I always love to hear how people feel about art!)

I see purpose & value in both, but I wonder how other people feel about these styles?  And most importantly why it has a specific resonance.

That's my doodle for the day! 

Momiji Art Doll Contest

I’m happy to share the project I’ve been working on for awhile now: Little Sister!

I got very excited about Artforum’s “Momiji Couture Competition,” -- I love Momiji!


—so I got to work on a design right away. I knew I couldn’t get attached to whatever the resulting piece became because she had a mission: win the competition.

Knowing I had to send her away soon I decided we could go out and play for a little bit first – a perfect way to make a nice memory and say goodbye.

I had found her a perfect sized box, but even though I’d prepared to send her off. I had imagined her travels and the joy of opening the box to see her for the 1st time. . . even though I comforted myself thinking of how she would surely win and I’d see her again (in a gallery) I couldn’t let her go. I had been so excited about the competition that I believed the disappointment of not “going for it” would out-weigh the sentimentality I might feel and that sentimentality would be all I felt. 


Looking back I can now say it's not so! Little Sister is the potential -- a beginning of new art for me. Of course she had to stay! Still, I’m happy Momiji started the competition and that I used that surge of energy to create something exciting.

Can’t wait to see what comes next!
(Techniques I used include plant dyes, machine and hand embroidery.)

Get Started

So I had been a preschool teacher and I liked that okay for a time. But I started to get restless and making art in the fringes of my life wasn’t enough anymore. . . I’ve been waiting to get started for a long time. But my interests are so varied that I have to be kind of general whenever I try to describe myself as an artist. Best I can come up with is the aspiring and “up-and-coming” type of adjectives. That and Environmental Artist. (But of course that’s just one facet and not the whole. x_x) Anyway. Enough about that. Here’s some stuff.
I made this card a few weeks ago with a Grandmother in mind. It's just simple cut work with a razor. I liked building the bridges. Paper is super fun.