Bit of a Fraud... ? Questioning Artist's Statements

As previously stated I've been working on pieces for two upcoming art shows. I have 2 pieces done for one of them at least, I don't know if I shall have time for the other. Part of entering into the Renewal show (others I'm sure as well) is you need an artist's statement to go with each piece, explaining your inspiration behind it and how it fits the interpretation of the theme. I hope I'm not the only one who feels this way, but I cringe at the thought of writing these things. Let me share the one I created for my Phoenix collage:

When stars die the end is very violent and dramatic. The death of a star has cataclysmic affects. With out our Mother Star, the Sun, there would be no life. When it dies it will engulf the entire Solar System with it. That alone may seem despairing. The way I understand it, the way it was explained to me is, that when a star dies the chain reactions from its death causes chemical reactions that will inevitably cause a new star to form, eventually with new planets to form around it, essentially, new life is born. That to me is a beautiful and encouraging thought.

In all honesty, I could care less. I did it yes, to be in the show, but mostly because it was something I wanted to do, not for some phony ideals. I certainly don't like telling people what they think art should mean to them. Part of me feels like a fraud. I felt like that when I wrote that statement, I'll feel that way when I stand by my work during the show and tell people the meaning behind it. Yet part of me feels bad it doesn't really have any meaning. It seems that most art is created with a message behind it, and the artists often stand very strongly about the messages they hope to portray. Does this make me a shallow artist because I fake it? Or can I just be free to make art for the sake of making art? Whatever the case let me share my other piece, artist statement and all.





Statement:
This painting is actually a triptych which consists of 3, 10x10 canvas. Two at side by side, while one is situated in the middle, but above the first two, forming a sort of pyramid. Individually they make thoughtful little pieces, but put together in the manner spoken of above, the form a whole. Each separate painting is representative of either the sun, the moon, or the stars, with carefully chosen colors on each to represent day, night, and dawn/twilight. Over these individual scenes are various figures drawn in marker.
This painting is very symbolic. The sun, the moon, the stars. Day fading into night fading into day. It can represent seasons of the Earth, or the cycles of our lives. God gives us memories like Summertime, in the Winters of our lives. When I first contemplated on Renewal, this is what I thought of. I've personally had a very long Winter. Spring is coming at last.
I've included two pictures of this one so you can better see what I'm talking about. The first picture is the painting as a whole. The second one focuses on the three as individual pieces. Right now it's taped together on the back of it, but for for hanging purposes I'm going to have them connected by hanging wire so there's some space in between them.

Not yet home.

I'm sitting in one of the many student lounges located around ODU with the sound of sports news being broadcasted on the the big screen behind, something certainly not to be found in the humble lounge at the VAC. I have no need for going in all of the buildings here on campus, but the few I have been in seem to have these isolate lounges all through out the building. Accept of course, the Visual Arts Building. Of course. They do have a Student Art League which meets every Thursday. Were I down here those days anyways, I'd gladly attend. As it is I drive down here 3 days a week and it would be just too much to come down any more than necessary, especially on my decrepid car. Other than that however I haven't noticed any further opportunities to hang out with fellow artists on campus. It makes me feel isolated in a way, something I was able to avoid at TCC because I took all my Gen Ed classes online. I know it's oging to take some time. Even at the VAC it took me a semester really to get comfy cozy with everyone there. And since I'm almost starting over at ODU, I'm back to taking a bunch of Gen Ed classes, so I'm not taking several art classes a semester like I used to; I'm only taking a graphic design class this term (I had to drop my drawing class.)

On another side note there are two upcoming art shows. The first is Renewal which is run by the same people who do Spirit in October. As it stands right now I have one piece to submit so far, am hoping for at least one more.


For the collage I used colorful pictures of space, ripped 'em up and then made a phoenix out of it.

The other is at D'art Center, an art gallery in Downtown Norfolk. I've been so pressed for time to even come up with pieces for Renewal, that I doubt I'll have time to making anything for D'art. It'll be nice when I've been making art for a while that I'll have a larger volume of work that I won't have to sweat it when submission time comes around. I've got ideas but lately I've been having problems of how I want to go about executing them For now at least I have this piece, I'll update if I get around to creating more in time.

Silver & Gold

For the past two and a half years I've spent my time being artistically educated by the fine teachers of The Visual Arts Center in Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA. Affectionately referred to by my friends and I as the "red-headed step child" of the community college which we attended, the VAC has very much been my home away from home. My time there has come to a close. In a week from New Years I'll be spending my time at a much bigger institution, Old Dominion University located in Norfolk. Bigger is better they say. I don't exactly have an opinion in that matter just yet. I know ODU is a good school, but it's not known for it's artistic merit; it's an engineering school. I chose it out of cost and convenience being close to home. Were I able to afford my top choices I'd be moving to either Georgia and attending SCAD, or Richmond and attending VCU. In this case I will hesitate to say better, with the understanding I am by no means putting it down. It shall certainly be different, again, not meaning that it will be bad. I do however feel it will be inimidating.

Spirit, an Art Show 2

The art show was last night and while I regrettably have no pictures to share the imagery is fresh in my mind. Awe inspiring talent hung on every wall, lurked every corner. To say the least it was an honour for my art to be hanging around some of the most gifted local talent. The atmosphere of it was a pure sugar rush to my head. Because I spend most my days not around fellow bohemians, this was a real treat for me. To be with other artists and learn the story of what their art means for them. I learned so much just being there and observing. Already ideas are brewing for the next show. This church does two a year, one in spring, then autumn. With enough heads up I shall certainly be able to create something even better for the next. Sadly I didn't price my art for sale. After receiving so many compliments, especially on the scratch board, I definitely think I should have. Needless to say I absolutely enjoyed myself and am very grateful to those who went to support me. I look forward with excitement to the next show.

Oh, and I met a professor from ODU, someone who very well could be a future teacher of mine.

I got in!

Just a quick note to say that two out of the four pieces I submitted for the art show got accepted! If you take a quick peak a couple entries down, it's the one titled Ambiguous Spiritus, and Angels Surround us. Opening reception in October 23, so stay tuned for an update about that.

Other than that, an update of ArtSoMoFo. I haven't been making art everyday, that is to say I haven't been making full completed works like I wanted. I am however making a lot of art anyway so I'm well please. That is all.

October is Art Month

Maybe not officially but for me at least, October is Art Month. I always try to do as much art as possible and until this past year it hasn't really been that much. It was about 2 years ago I came across a community somewhere on Livejournal that did something similar to NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, which takes place every November. Sadly I have yet to be able to find the community again since, nor can I find anything remotely like it online (but I know it exited once!) Even though I don't remember what trendy name they called it, the concept is the same. I am going to go every single day in October produce some sort of art, even if it's just a small piece. I've decided not to post what I have every day, but I'll wait until November 1st and make a slide or something of 31 Days of Art. Sounds like it should be fun. I'm cheating today and using the art I did from school to start me off with.

ETA: I FOUND IT!
When I realized I had found the community through LJ, I just went to my LJ and browsed through the communities I was in! Yay! Now I'll get to do this with other artists and be inspired by what they do all month long. And FYI, they call it ArtSoMoFo, Art Something Mother Fu... yeah we'll just stick to ArtSoMoFo in here hahah.

Inspiration is in the Leaves that Swirl around Us

This past Saturday I went on a lovely hike with my family in Williamsburg. Aside from being just a wonderful time with beautiful weather, it was also very inspirational in a couple ways. Those who know me, know I'm not a cell phone fan. After 4 years with my previous phone however it was time I grudgingly got a new one. I must admit I've fallen in love with some of these snazzy features, namely the camera part of my phone which my previous cell lacked. The reason why I'm especially stoked about this is I have been without a camera for some time. It's a long story and suffice it to say my camera phone is not an adequate replacement for a Canon Rebel, it is at the very least nice to have some sort of photographic device. I have become far more of a shutter bug with my little phone than any camera I have owned in the past. Bringing me to the next quality I love about this new device, Bluetooth capabilities. I'm able to quickly and painlessly transfer the 100+ photos I shoot from my excursions, without having to scramble around like a chicken with its head cut off for my USB cable.

All that being said I was able to catch many memories of my day in the woods. Way number one in which this trip was inspiring. Growing up in Pennsylvania, and spending many a childhood day in various New England states, I was surrounded by nature all around me. And even though I lived in a city the woodlands I loved were never far from reach. I've always had a love of hiking and exploring. That sort of thing seems to be diminishing these days with construction going on all around. But since I've moved to Virginia Beach, nature of that sort has been hard to find. The rare times I get to go back up north, even if it is just to Williamsburg, I am able to recapture some of that magic I experienced as a child and my longing to go up north permanently becomes even stronger.



The second way in which I was inspired, and that relates more to the opening paragraph, is in an artistic way. It wasn't well until after I got up there this thought came to mind. I want to use some of the better pictures I captured as reference for drawings and paintings and whatever else may come to mind. But mostly I'm going to use them to fill up the water color journal I made, and talked about 2 posts previous (which was my reasoning for creating said journal). If this series goes well, I'd like to explore it again but in more of a children's story book sort of style, to share with other the sense of wonder I felt as a child when wondering through woods like these. It will be interesting to see where these series of projects will take me. Have no doubt there will be follow up posts to come!

Spirit, an Art Show

Today I submitted pieces to my first non-school art show! The name and theme of the show is Spirit. Straight from the description:

Spirit is a juried art exhibit to be held October 23, 2009, inspired by the themes of transcendence, fullness, and connection. Artists are encouraged to explore these themes from any perspective (i.e. Spirit is not a Christian art show). Honesty is essential to any art worth producing in any medium and we desire to maintain an atmosphere where artists feel free to create honestly. Therefore, honesty dictates we should share our motives for, and beliefs about Spirit.

It's run by a nondenominational church in downtown Norfolk that runs 2 art shows a year, both of which though themed, are pretty open ended. One of the nice things about that for me is no pressure to create new art work specifically for the show. As much as I'd love to make new pieces for every art event that popped up, I simply don't have the time. Not to mention chances are that if I'm submitting work that I did a while ago, I did it purely for pleasure which means it most likely turn out quite. There's something about making art for myself that results in better work than initially making it for an assignment.

We were able to submit up to four pieces of any size & medium. My submissions are as follows:


1. Angels Surround Us
My mother who has a love for Angels inspired this piece. Her house is filled with many pictures and figurines of various Angelic beings. When you’re there, you have the feeling of being surrounding by these Heavenly Beings. Even if she didn’t have these pieces, she still would strongly believe that Angels Surround Us.


2. Ambiguous Spiritus
Cultures around the World have different ideas of what Spirits, Angels, & Deities look and act like. To me this Being represents the Spirit of Death, though some may see the Spirit of Life, Reincarnation, or Resurrection. Though I see one vision, I wanted to leave it open to other interpretations.


3. To Connect
This Mosaic shows imagery of a supposed imaginary Being reaching out to a supposed ordinary butterfly. One of the meanings this piece holds for me is how simple it can be to reach out and form a connection with many various things. That connection can be with your soul, with nature, or with God.

4. Even Angels Fall
Silverpoint is such a delicate medium to work with; feathers are equally as delicate a subject to draw. Here I drew three various feathers as if falling from the Heavens. Angels are not always Angelic, there are many types, personalities, and even the best Angels can Fall.

Watercolor Journal Tutorial

Today I made a Watercolor Journal, and then I made the obligatory "How to make a Watercolor Journal" tutorial. Instead of going over it all again, I shall simply post what I put up on DA.


Making a Watercolor Journal by ~AyaKittie on deviantART

Orange is never just Orange

We've started something in drawing class I've been wanting to get into for some time; color pencils. I've had a set of Prisma Color Pencils for several years now, in all my attempts to use them in the past were mediocre at best. There's a lot this semester that has been cliquing with various art techniques that never connected before, and using color pencils is one of them.

Before we officially started them in class I did a practice still life of a rubber duck, not only to practice the pencils but just trying make myself draw more and not just when it's required for school.




(Please forgive the lousy quality of the photo above, and the next picture, as both were taken with my cell phone.) The above I did before class. I think I did alright on the little guy. The cast shadow really needs help. We did oil pastels in Drawing II, however that was a year and a half ago I took that class and I had forgotten what she said concerning them. I do believe I got them down for our first assignment, a chili pepper.

Knowing we were doing peppers, thinking they were going to be the red kind of chilis, I brought in a green sheet of Canson paper. Upon discovering the peppers were also green, I was skeptical at how well I'd be make it really pop off the page. I think it worked quite well at any rate. Out next assignment though would be the peppers I was thinking of, the beautiful bell peppers, red, yellow, orange. Doing this study I realized an orange pepper is never just orange. Fiery autumn hues of all kind are needed to present the allusion of orange. That's when it came to me, that's where I failed in my color pencil attempts in the past. I was reverting back to my childhood coloring ways where red apples really were just red. It's not so, the red is a lie, it's so much more than that. So it is with this new found realization I will take into consideration with the rest of my colored creations.

An Explanation of Bohemian Yenn

Bohemian • Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits, with few permanent ties. Bohemians can be wanderers, adventurers or vagabonds.

Yenn • Me
Starting with the easy explanation first, Yenn is simply me, a nickname I've had since before time began, nothing more.

But how is Yenn bohemian?
If I were to take my explanation from the above statement I would say Yenn is not necessarily unconventional though some of her methods may be, absolutely artistic and often in the company of like-minded people (her friends at the art school), and perhaps a bit of a wanderer at heart, if not physically a nomad.

Other artists far better than I have done the job of explaining through paint what I have trouble explaining in words. Lise the Bohemain as pictured above and done by Renoir is one of many outward manifestations of my soul, at least to me it is. Physically I portray the average Jane, clay & pain splattered jeans with a t-shirt of hoodie. Spiritually speaking this painting is a representation of how I really am, at least partially. I've come to the realization it's over-rated to try and prove to the world who you are by clothing alone, (for the most part, there are obvious exceptions to the rule). As far as the whole, is she goth, punk, emo, preppy, nerdy, etc. I hate labels but I do like making people wonder. Yet here I am giving myself the title of bohemian. Let's say it's not what I am all around, more like one of the many parts that makes up who I am.

*Instert cliché first post title here*

For more years than I can remember I've had more personal pages on the Internet than I care to count. I had anything from a Sailor Moon Shrine on Geocities (does anyone remember those?), to a Melodramatic account, Gaia, Live Journal, Dead Journal, Greatest Journal, My Space, Facebook, and everything in between. My presence online seemed to be determined by where my friends were, and my age. When I was an angsty teenager, Melo, Dead Journal, and Gaia were THE places to be. Now that I'm in college, my friends and I have migrated to Facebook and having our own blogs. So here I am.

What I'm getting at, is this the shiny new toy of week for me? Shall I only grace blogger with my presence until something ultimately more awesome comes along, or until I get bored with the internet altogther? Most likely. Until that time comes however I'd like a place to share my musings, mostly of an artistic nature, with you voyuers of the world. Like what I have to say or not, welcome to yet another one of my little spots in the great world wide web.