WeeklyArt Challenge: PRETENDERS

Hey folks!

This week our theme is: Pretenders

 

RJ: I’m a Fish, graphite on paper.

RJ’s piece cracks me up! I love the sly stubborn expression of the monkey as he determined to convince you, the viewer, that he is something other than a monkey. It leaves one to wonder, Why does he want to be a fish?

 

Karri: Daniel, the great pretender – photograph

“This week I spent a lot of time with my 7 year old nephew, Daniel. He has such a huge imagination. Playtime consists of sitting at his Lego table. There are much more than just Legos there. He can sit for hours and play with the dinosaurs and the Lego men and the army men pretending that they are real. Just one Lego piece can be a person. He is the ultimate Pretender.”

 

Karri’s piece reminds me of a well known Picasso quote:

“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”.

Children have the most vivid imaginations. They see worlds within worlds and artists have spent centuries repeatedly trying to capture that innocence and spark that so rarely exists in adulthood. Looking at the photo, I am curious to know the story that young Daniel drew from collection of toys.

 

 

 

Amber: Untitled (for now), pen, ink and graphite on paper.

I struggled with the challenge this week. At first I was stuck on an idea that was good in theory and in my head it looked great, but the image would not manifest itself on paper. I was beyond frustrated!

After some complaining to RJ and several wasted art days, I started fresh with a new inspiration. The inspiration for this week’s piece came from a favorite and influential childhood book, The Velveteen Rabbit. As a highly imaginative child, I had come to believe that my stuff animals were in fact actually alive. In my mind they would have thoughts, dreams and individual personalities. I believed they loved me as much as I loved them. The Velveteen Rabbit, only confirmed the accuracy of the beliefs of my seven year old self.

This incomplete piece expresses that wish and belief that the games are not only pretend, that the toy is in fact as real as the child (or perhaps the toy itself) wants to believe. I mixed toy rabbits with the real to blur the line of reality and pretend. I also added the dandelions to emphasize the power of a wish.

 

 

 

Next Week’s theme: DEGAS

Weekly Art Challenge: FEATHERS

Hey Folks!!

This week our theme was FEATHERS!

RJ: Chopstick Feather, found object.

RJ would laugh and tell you how he just did something spur of the moment so he would have something for this week’s challenge, But what RJ won’t take credit for is the creativity that one needs to think about transforming what most would see as an insignificant piece of trash – chopstick wrappers – into a piece of art.

There is the clear environment aspect of this image. The recycling of materials, the affect that our everyday trash has on the environment and our neighboring species and then there is the ephemeral aspect of the piece itself. This is a photograph documenting something that no longer exists – much like the mid century Art Happenings – and it eerily feels like a documentation of a now extinct species. A reminder that existence is ephemeral.

 

 

 

Karri: White Pigeon, Watercolor on paper.

“The most amazing thing happened this weekend. A beautiful white pigeon showed up at my house. Turns out it was very tame. We feed it and gave it water. It hung around all day. One of its favorite places to be seemed to be on top of my head.”

What an exciting experience and beautiful image! I love the transparent softness of Karri’s watercolors, they inspire the viewer  to want to reach out and embrace the pigeon, and be apart of this moment.  Karri’s use of  color emphasize the gentle innocence of the moment and the childlike glee of being chosen by the pigeon. Beautifully done!

 

 

Emily – Feathers, pen and ink on paper

 “I tried to capture the delicacy of a feather by using dots”

I think the dots were a smart choice and that Emily did a fantastic job capturing the delicacy of a feather. The black and white image has an ephemeral softness to it, like any moment the wind will come and the little dots will scatter across the page. The more colorful feather, while still retaining the essence of a soft texture, express a vibrant charge of energy, like a dramatic movement is about to occur. Beautiful!

 

 

Amber: The Unconfined, Pen and ink with graphite on paper.

For me the most obvious association with feathers is freedom. 

Originally I had in mind an image of a sleek cat staring nonchalantly outward at the viewer while standing within a pile of loose feathers. Somehow the image evolved from a confident predator capturing his prey to the prey confidently expressing their freedom from control and fear of the cat and cage. I had thought about including a reference to the Greek myth about Icarus by including a version of him inside the cage; but, shortly after I started the basic sketch of the image, I felt that an empty cage worked better with the idea. I chose Canaries because they are a common bird found in cages and I had recently read that they are symbolic of freedom, which seems rather ironic.

 

 

Next week’s theme: PRETENDERS

 

Weekly Art Challenge: FEAR

Hey Folks!!

This week our theme was FEAR!

Dylan: The Unfamiliar, photo –

“Dry heaving, cold sweats, tunnel vision to my worst nightmares, and sheer panic are what I experience when I am forced to be in unfamiliar dark place. I have had this phobia since childhood and it has not lessened in value with age.”

Dylan’s statement gave me chills and reminds me why I, an adult,  still can’t sleep with limbs hanging over the edge of the bed, exposed to what lies beneath. I find myself trying to make out what exactly it is I see waiting sinisterly behind the ajar door.

 

 

Karri: The Web, Graphite on paper –

“Spiders are a very common phobia, but the spiders don’t bother me nearly as much as their webs. I hate walking through a spider web. that said, I can’t ignore the beauty in watching one being created. The deliberate dance around the delicate strands. Why does this carnivorous architect have to spend such an annoying trap. Doesn’t he understand that it’s the last thing I want on my wall or on my face!”

I love that Karri drew the web without the spider, to further reinforce that her sole issue is with the web itself. I can’t blame her, webbing in the face is creepy and never a welcomed feeling, no matter how beautiful they are. The graphite lends well to the nearly invisible and delicate quality of a spider’s web.

 

Emily: No Fear, photo mix media collage.

“I accidentally managed to get a piece of art work in for this week. I’ve recently started an art foundation course, which is a scary thing for me. I had a piece of work from a dark room workshop that I wanted to experiment with, and I thought the woman in it looked really fierce and bold, and the words that came to me were NO FEAR. For me fear has ruled my life for far too long, trying to have no fear is currently where my head is at”

I admire that Emily used the theme not to express a fear, but instead show fear no mercy. I love her choice of colors juxtaposed with the dark blacks and greys of the photo. The effect gives this strong woman an eerie supernatural strength.

 

 

Valarie – Fear, Pen, Pencil and watercolor on paper –

“ I create Fear from Inside Out because he is always afraid of everything”

Val did a great job drawing Fear. I liked that she gave him an ambiguous surrounding. The cloudy blackness reinforces who fear was and how fear can make you feel small and isolated. Great job Val!

 

 

Amber: The Dinner Party, unfinished sketch on paper –

I know my fear – cannibals – is irrational, I joke about it all the time; but it is still one of my most common nightmares and a major reason why I avoid places like Florida. I don’t recall being squeamish in my youth; and I theorize that my vegetable based diet has made me more sensitive over the years to gore and violence of becoming dinner. Ironically I love (some) zombie movies/shows because they are the only thing that actually scares me, but still have to tightly close my eyes and cover my ears during the scary parts, even if I have seen that episode of The Walking Dead 10 times..

The piece is obviously unfinished and I was going to be complete it in the pen and ink style of my more recent pieces. So far I am happy with the sketch, but unsure of what I should do with the back wall.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Next challenge: FEATHERS

Weekly Art Challenge: CHANGE

Hey Folks!!

This week our theme is CHANGE! 

RJ – Change Of Luck, Penny and pen on paper —

I think RJ’s piece is a beautiful reminder to the viewer that you have the power to change your luck by changing your perspective. I like the simplicity of line and stipple along with the proportion between the penny and the drawing. The enlargement of the drawing insinuates that making a change can increases the rewards for taking control of your luck!

 

 

Emily – Stress/ Move Forward – pen on paper –

“Change is very relevant to me at the moment and I’ve found I’m awful at dealing with it, I get lots of anxiety and stress over it, yet I still always have this need in me that I want to be productive and moving forward in my life. So my pieces are just me realizing that it may be confusing and stressful for me but to move forward I need change“

The energy in Emily’s piece reminds me a lot of her photos from FAIR challenge. The movement and use of bold neon color express the chaos of change and the resulting difficulty to focus. I can feel the anxiety and uncertainty of inevitable changes she is trying to express.

Amber –Wishes – Mix Media (acrylic, graphite, pen and ink) on paper

For this week’s theme I decided to literally change a previous Art Challenge piece from something that I was not too happy with into something that I am happier with.

One of the hardest lessons for any artist to learn is that it is OKAY to make mistakes. And yet a better lesson, those mistakes don’t have to be mistakes.

 

Before

 

Next theme: FEAR!

Weekly Art Challenge: FIRST

Hey folks!

This week’s theme is FIRST!

RJ – Dream, Pen and ink on paper –

 RJ’s piece is based on a recent and vivid dream he had. A beautiful, colorful dream with a volcano tiled by cows and bulls, spilling milk and honey into the sea. A statue of a woman holding flowers and looking out toward the water, twisting trees and Russian Architecture. He didn’t have time to color the piece, but I love the image he presented. When he was describing the mosaic tiles, all I can do is imagine the scene created with thousands of tiny mosaics.

 

 

Dylan – Poseidon (Theatre Mask), Variform and Paint –

 “The first mask that I was paid to create was made for Carolina’s Actors Studio Theater (C.A.S.T.) in the production of “Metamorphosis” for the character Poseidon. The actor would swim up from an underground pool inside the theater to enter the scene so I was challenged with making the mask waterproof and durable. Looking back there are things I would have done differently but, overall I am pleased with the execution of craftsmanship and the nod to classic Greek art traditions.”

Does anyone else want to wear this beautifully made mask and run or dance through city streets shouting lyrics? I’m thinking ‘Sinnerman’ by Nina Simone or ‘The Origin of Love’ from Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

 

 

Karri: Constant Prayer, Papermache –

“This week was a week of firsts. I had been so busy this week that I nearly forgot about this project. As the week came to an end and I realized I had fallen behind, I thought “oh no” it’s because I taught my FIRST art lesson to my homeschooled nephew and because I had to study before teaching my FIRST Sunday school class. In the midst of all this I had also been working on a sculpture. Not my FIRST sculpture but it was my FIRST attempt at a large sculpture and my FIRST attempt at portraying a human figure out of paper. It is also my FIRST religious sculpture. My submission this week “constant prayer” is in its FIRST stages but is starting to take shape.”

Karri’s sculpture reminds me of a modern dance performance. I am waiting for the figure to slowly rise, stretch out her limbs and silently express her prayer through graceful but intense body movements. I can’t help but imagine that her prayers are cycling through her mind to a rhythmic beat.  I can’t wait to see this when its completed!

Emily – Flower, oil paint on paper –

“I was Inspired by Karri for trying out something new last week, my entry for ‘First’ is my first attempt at painting with oils, a flower, I tried!”

I love that Emily took inspiration from another in our group and explored a new media! That is what this challenge is about; exploring new materials, ideas and having fun along the way! The simplicity and flow of the leaves remind me a lot of sumi-e’s Bamboo brushstrokes and I like the use of sgraffito for the grass.  I think with more practice, Emily will soon be painting fields of flowers 😉

 

Amber – The First House (When Imaginations Run Wild), Pen, ink and graphite on paper

For my piece this week, I wanted to illustrate myself running from my wild imagination before it got ahold of me, as it so often does.

I was inspired by my first experience exploring an abandoned house in rural North Dakota. This was the experience that set me on the path to document Rural Decay, you can read about it HERE. Below is an excerpt from the post .

When I walked onto the property I felt like I crossed into another dimension. The air grew stale, sounds were muffled and time seemed to slow. The front door was wide open and almost beckoned me to come closer; but, mostly because of my over-active imagination, there was no way that I was going to walk inside and explore the interior.

Every horror movie I have ever seen was flashing before my eyes. They all seemed to start with an innocent looking home, like this one, and carefree characters, such as myself, going about their day like it was any other day with nothing to fear. That is, of course, until IT happens. I knew that by going inside I would become THAT girl who should be running away at the first sign that something was even remotely wrong, but instead naively walks upstairs alone to become the next victim of a serial killing blood thirsty werewolf zombie who freshly escaped from an intergalactic mental institution with an ax and a vendetta against Jersey girls. No, I could not and will not be THAT girl. Not this time at least.

 

 

 

Next week’s Challenge: CHANGE!

Weekly Art Challenge: UNCONVENTIONAL

Hey folks!

This week’s challenge theme is: Unconventional!

 

RJ: Ship in a Bottle, Black and White Photograph –

“Inspired by turbulent seas at the coast of England.”

I love the dark velvety blacks and pearly silvers in RJ’s photograph, they play nicely with the turbulence of the sea that inspired him this week. Looking at the image, I find myself easily getting lost inside that bottle with the origami sailboat – which was humorously made from a parking ticket, a symbol of desired stillness. I can imagine what the sensation of being tossed around sea and the slight blur from all the saltwater in the eyes would be like, and the desire to park my little boat.

 

Dylan: Self-Portrait, Photograph/ ensemble –

“As a 35 year old woman, people say that I should not dress like a 12 year old adolescent. I disagree. Clothing for women my age is predictable and tame in color so I frequently opt for vibrancy found in childish fashion. It is not about a desperate attempt to look younger, but an expression of fun color and wacky designs.”

Dylan’s self-portrait and statement reflects a lot on the pressures to conform our appearances and personality to the social “norm”, especially as someone ages. The social pressure to conform can be a real threat to creativity. I think, perhaps, this social pressure is a reason why so many artists prefer the solitude.

 

Emily: Embrace All Parts Of Yourself and Don’t Look Back, mix media photo collage –

“My Pieces for ‘Unconventional’ came about as I was creating another piece from old photography work when I realized that the style may be slightly unconventional. So I got together some old prints of photography work to create collages/mixed media pieces. These are especially unconventional for me because I often have my negative feelings show in my work so it was a nice change to have some more on positivity 🙂 “

I like that Emily’s “unconventional” was not limited to the style and process of her work, but also include the feelings that she doesn’t conventionally express in her work. Exploring new feelings in art is a challenge in itself. In Embrace All Parts Of Yourself, I see the struggle to find a happy balance with the complexity of identity and the assertion to embrace all of it. A person’s identity is made up of layers upon layers – much like the layering of Emily’s photographs. Identity is messy, complex, vibrant and loaded with parts that need embracing!

Don’t Look Back has an edgier gritty feel to it, in comparison to Embrace. It is no longer asking or encouraging you to embrace yourself, its telling you to accept your choices and keep pushing forward.

  

 

Karri: Untitled, Watercolor Monotypes on paper –

“This week I thought a lot about this theme. I kept coming back to the same realization that my normal is most peoples unconventional. I am always experimenting with different mediums and materials. I can find art and beauty in just about anything. So I struggled with what would be unconventional for me. This week I have been experimenting with a new technique, monotype printmaking. So these are examples of what of how that experimentation turned out this week.”

I am so happy that Karri took on monotypes for her unconventional challenge. I like the idea of unconventional not actually being a conventional unconventional, but simply something new to try. Her monotypes are lovely. I am particularly drawn to the center piece – a double ghost print? – it is so soft and pretty. It bring to mind a few small and pleasant memories.

 

Amber – The Voyage, duct tape “painting” with sharpie embellishments  –

My original idea was to create a self-portrait with duct tape. I even made one, but it was TERRIBLE. So bad, that I won’t even post it! LOL, but I did learn a lot from the piece, technique-wise, and immediately started with the image below, which is still somewhat a self-portrait in an unconventional way. I have worked previously with the theme of octopuses inside of teacups with perched hummingbirds.

For me, hummingbirds will always be associated with my departed grandmother and also represent freedom. Teacups are my form of mediation. When I am happy, holding one filled with tea makes me happier and focused. When I am depressed and feeling broken, holding one filled with tea makes me feel intact and alive. The octopus has become a recent favorite for me. They represent the soul, but more specifically the deepest unexplored depths of the soul. You know there is something powerful waiting there in the dark, you see pieces of it exposed and reaching outward, but it is still a mystery.

The image is not completely finished and I think more of a protocol for a future image.

 

 

Thanks for checking us out, Next week the theme is: FIRST

Weekly Art Challenge: REFLECTION

Hey Folks,

This week the challenge theme is Reflection and everyone took this theme into different directions!

 

RJ:  Statue, photo – I asked RJ about why he was drawn to photographing this particular statue in London – located in front of Buckingham Palace – and he replied “It was shiny”. HAHAHA yes it is! Its a lovely statue and from my memory of visiting London ten years ago, the city is filled with lovely shiny statues. Good find! 🙂

 

 

Tony – Reflection, pencil on paper – Tony’s piece is a young fashionable young woman checking out her reflection. I imagine that she is off to some romantic date or maybe she is a performer about to hit the stage. She reminds me a bit of my teenage nieces. I have caught them a few times admiring their reflection, especially when they are trying out a new hairstyle or outfit. I think they would be envious of this young woman’s style!

 

Dylan: Wolf, Charcoal on paper – Dylan’s piece was more of a self reflection through exploring an early dream memory and how it relates to who she is today. Its an interesting concept to think about. Do our dreams have an impact on our identities or do the reflect what is already there, but has not yet surfaced?

“Often I wonder what has shaped my identity most. Some things are obvious while others are more subtle. This incident is just strange and I can not stop thinking about it. The parallels with this reoccurring, stable world and my ever changing real world are eerie.

Before I even started kindergarten, I had my earliest memorable dream. Growing up on an old tobacco farm in Kentucky with no neighbors, no car, no phone, and no distractions, I would dream of this yellow and pink roller coaster stopping only at my front porch in the moonlight. Inside the first cart would be a friendly werewolf, allowing me to crawl in. We would ride through the tobacco and lightning bug landscape marveling at all the wonders of the country life’s nocturnal world. The wolf would silently let me off at my door. This dream only lasted for a few years.

I wonder if was a latent social warning, (that I could only have fun when no one was around), a sexual hint, (I am attracted to hairy and aggressive people) or even an environmental admiration. It still reflect on how it fascinates and haunts me whatever it meant.”

 

 

Karri: Pow Wow Reflections and Portrait, Watercolor on sketchbook — Karri reflected on family and heritage for her pieces. I love the soft colors and marks in her pieces, they suggest a distant memory that gently tugs at the present.

“When we talk about reflections, are we talking about the casting back of light? The reflections of an image in a mirror or glass? Or reflections of our mind. In this case I am forced to consider the reflections of my past. This week my family has been researching our family history. Going through the genealogy trying to find proof that we are indeed Native American. the search has more than paid off. My sister found proof that we are 14 generations removed from Pocahontas’ sister, Princess Cleopatra Sent Flower Powhatan. When I showed my mother her picture she nearly fell on the floor. She resembles my grandmother’s features so closely its scary! So my painting this week is a reflection of the pow wows my mother would take us to as children to make sure we understand our heritage.”

 

 

 

Emily Cactus Friends, watercolor on paper – Emily’s piece has a lovely calming simplicity about it and I love the reflection of the two cacti in the water. Its like they are looking at how adorable they are together! Great job, Emily! Keep experimenting with those watercolors. 🙂

“I don’t use watercolors much, so I thought I’d experiment with them. I thought loads about what to do for reflection; however, I was sitting in my conservatory full of cacti and decided to just do a little fun piece this week of some cactus friends.”

 

 

Amber – The setting sun, Instagram photo – The day I took this photo was a stressful day filled with angry and frustrating emotions. Nothing I had planned for the day was going to happen. I was trying to mellow out; but, each minute of the day that tick by was a minute taken away from my creative time. When my unproductive workday was finally over. I started to drive east toward the main road, That was when I checked my side mirror and saw this, the reflection of the setting sun.

I suddenly had a moment of clarity about letting emotions go once they served their purpose instead of holding onto them. The sun setting signifies the end of a day and with all endings, new beginnings emerge. Letting go of my annoyance and anger during the day, will in theory make room for something new and hopefully better in its place.

 

 

 

Next theme is: UNCONVENTIONAL

Weekly Art Challenge: THE FAIR

RJ – The Carrousel, pen on paper – RJ’s fun sketch is a personal twist on a classic ride, the carrousel. I love how he incorporates animals representing recent travels instead of going with the classic horse. If I had my choice, I would pick the rattlesnake!! 🙂

 

Tony – The Party, Pencil on paper –

“The clay of the Candle is dancing as well as its smoke. The little spirits gathered and dance.”

 Tony’s piece has a nostalgic presence of past fairs and old timey festivities. The treatment of the wax drips and smoke reminds me a lot of winter fairs. The spirits are either dancing or skating, depending on how you look at it.

 

Karri – The Fair, Acrylic on canvas

“It is that time of the year! The time for long hot summer days with fried food, roller coasters and ferris wheels. I love the fair, but my favorite part is when the sun goes down and you can really see all the beautiful lights. In this painting I was trying to depict the crowds of people illuminated only by the lights of the vendors and the rides.”

I love the softness of Karri’s brush strokes. It transforms the night scene into a dreamlike fair experience, the kind that inspired you to soak it all up before it is gone.

 

Emily – The Fair, photograph –

“This week I have gone with photography as my medium, it was too lucky to miss as this week there was a fair in my local town so it was a perfect opportunity. I wanted to capture the energy of the fair by involving the blur of the lights in my images”

Emily’s photograph reminds me if what it is like to be intoxicated with the energy of a place and moment. While looking at her photographs I am not only sensing the movement in the lights, but also imagining the blur of indistinguishable sounds and smells. I almost want to hit play on an 80’s soundtrack and get lost in the blur.

 

 

 

Amber – The Nose Picker, watercolor and pen on paper.

When I think of the fair I first think of classic rides such as the iconic carousel horses and classic fair food like the infamously sweet cotton candy, oh how my tummy aches just thinking of the sugar overload!

In maintaining the classic image of the fair, I chose to connect with my inner Norman Rockwell in producing this image of a young boy riding the carousel and picking his nose because he assumes that no one is paying attention. Someone is watching, a shocked little girl who is about to lose her cotton candy to a hungry puppy! I didn’t finish the piece, obviously. I redrew this image several times over this week and in the end I stopped working on it when it hit me that I wanted to do something completely different with this piece in a different medium; and I didn’t have the time to change direction.

 

Next week’s theme: REFLECTION!

 

Weekly Art Challenge: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE!

Hey there folks!!

This week the artists and I tackled the theme: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE! 

 

Tony: Wilderness Woman, Color pencil on paper –

“my drawing is about the wild things hidden in humans. Especially women: There’s a singer I have listened to for many years, every time he sings about women, He describes them as wild, impossible to tame, mysterious, and free. So I wanted to integrate all of the wilderness in a woman’s personality in my drawing. Animals, oceans, the moon (and natural long hair). They all represent the wild in women.”

I love Tony’s imagination and bold colorful style; and, I love how he perfectly captured all the things I (and several girlfriends) love about being a woman!

In Tony’s image the woman sits confidently in the nude, exposed as if to say that there is nothing more to show; but in reality she still has plenty of herself hidden in the layers of hair or her inner thoughts peeking through the smoke as it gravitates toward the moon. Tony’s piece is a reminder that no matter how well you may know a woman, there will always be more to know.

 

Dylan The Ticket Booth – water color sketch on paper.

“The portal to “where the wild things are”, for me, is a ticket booth. The threshold where the viewer is leaving one world and entering another that exists only in the mind of the artist, director, set designer, etc.  The viewer leaves one world behind and crosses into another to experience or perceive events that normally don’t occur in the daily routine; a place where you can experience the fanciful, outrageous, and the”wild things” of the fantasy world.”

I agree with Dylan, that there is a portal to where wild things exist – in her case the creation and mastermind of an artistic director – and we all eagerly buy our ticket to romp and roam with wild things. Like many folks I buy my ticket for a brief escape from reality – whether it be a carnival, concert, museum or plane – and save those tickets so that years later I can look at them and in my mind return to that wild adventure.

What makes Dylan’s piece so interesting to me are the notes for an art recipe above the ticket booth. It makes a viewer that much more eager to buy that ticket and see what is cooking behind the gates!!

 

Karri – Queen of all wild things and her domain,  Watercolor on Paper –

“This week I wanted to create an environment where I thought wild things might live. As I look into the oddly colored trees and shrubs I can see wild things running through the woods and slithering out of the water. Our childlike need for exploration enables us to look into this jungle and imagine the unimaginable.

I’ve also added a self-portrait inspired by the book “Where the Wild Things are”.  As the creator of this jungle I am now “Queen of All the Wild Things“

First of all, I am in love with Karri’s self portrait as the queen of all wild things! The smirk on her lips and the sassy glint in her eyes is perfectly wild and mischievous. I love it and I’m jealous that I didn’t think of it myself! haha 🙂

Karri did an amazing job creating not one, but two pieces that complete her wild story. Her landscape has a prehistoric element mixed with early 80’s Hanna-Barbera animation and dash of Frida Kahlo’s jungle essence. Its the perfect recipe for landscapes loaded with wild things and of course there must be a queen!

 

 

 

Amber: The Tree House, Pen and Pencil on paper – ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ was one of my favorite childhood books. I still love to look through the beautiful drawings and get lost in Maurice Sendak’s wild imagination! He was a genius!

For this week’s theme I wanted to create an image that signified the strength of an imagination and how it can sometimes cross from nowhere(s) into reality, something that I took from Sendak’s classic story.

The tree house is a place where imaginations run wild. The wild things, or kids, are in their element of their own joyous creation. Everyone has had that one special spot as a kid that was their space free from adult rules on how to act. For a kid, and sometimes adults, these rules can be daunting and a creative drain. A tree house – or, in my case, an old camper or clearing between some bushes – is an escape and a space where nothing exists but what you want to exist.

 

 

 

Next week’s theme: THE FAIR

Weekly Art Challenge: PARADISE!

Hey Folks!!

This week our theme is Paradise!

 

Dylan – Dog, charcoal on paper – Dylan’s interpretation of paradise is an emotional state of being that she receives from the companionship of animals. As someone who travels often, there are moments spent with my cat or dog that top any moment abroad or any adventure.

“The wonderful animals in my life are my paradise. Despite any events around me, being around animals always calms me, centers me, and points me in the right direction. Animals bring clarity to my life in a world of indecision. They are my favorite teachers and greatest motivation in life. Animals are my personal compass and paradise.”

 

 

 

Karri – Paint Brush, Watercolor and pen on Paper – I think many folks would relate to Karri’s idea that paradise is something you can create for yourself. In an era full of external distractions, many of us actively seek out small spaces or moments that are a distraction from the distractions.

“As I sat down and pondered the idea of paradise the typical thoughts came to mind. A beach on the ocean with palm trees, the sun shining… so I started to draw out a little scene of Horn Island thinking that this would be a great image of paradise that a few of my artist friends could relate to. But, then I looked up at my jar of paint brushes and realize that paradise is something we, as artists, create for ourselves. So my paradise is in my brush. The paradise that I can escape to daily.”

 

 

 

Amber – The Orchid, mix media (pencil,watercolor, pen) on paper: Another week with lots of ideas rolling around my head! In the end I decided on ‘The Orchid’. When I think of Paradise, I tend to think first about the details of a paradise more so than the actual location of such a place. It is in the details like nature, color or texture – for example –that will push any place from feeling mundane to feeling like paradise.

I picked the Orchid as my detail partially because I find them to be so elegant and beautiful and also because The Orchid family is vast in numbers! I once read that there were over 20 thousand accepted species of orchids in the world. Some are more common and easily recognized, but others are rare and unique – known only to grow in a small little corner of the world.

In my eyes they are a work of art and their presence can make a paradise out of any place.

 

 

 

Next week the theme is: Where the Wild Things Are!