Searching for inspiration

I'm searching for inspiration both from on high and around me. I can seriously say that it has never been more difficult to create my work. Usually the flow of work is pretty smooth, I can say that not every one is a keeper, but the production of work is steady. For this, I often find myself thinking more than doing.

What do I say, what do I want the art work to say? Do I have a message?

I've got so many questions and so few answers, and I keep thinking about what I'm going to say at Graduate Critique.

All I can do is tell them the truth.
I'm searching for a way to converse with the viewer, to portray something that will, hopefully, connect them to the work and start them thinking about their connection not only to others but to God.
I don't know if this is going to work, if it's going to go anywhere. It may just be a journey that I'm taking and I may not find anything to say, or find that what I have to say doesn't translate well in my work. But I'll use this time, this community to hash out my work and find out what I want to do.

Review are up soon,

And I'm getting ready to do a flurry of printing. I hope that I can find some sweet printing places over Christmas break so I can have better prints next review.

Things are going well, its so busy it hard to stay on top of stuff, but I'm getting through with lots of prayer!!!


Here is one of my newer works.

10.22.09- Inspiration

With everything going on lately I see the need for supportive art work more and more.

In discussions in my art theory and critique class I keep asking the same questions. Why keep art and religion separate? Artist use their art constantly to critique politics and religion, why can't other artist use art to inspire? I hear all the time in these theories that the body is an empty vessel and they denounce God and faith. Why can't I use my work to counter that? To say that I don't have to use the Cross and all those heavily laden symbols in my work. That I can suggest and show my faith in other ways. I don't want to use the Cross in my work, because I don't think it needs it. The Cross stands for so much and we shouldn't take it lightly, I don't take it lightly. So I won't use it lightly.

I want to inspire and be inspired by my faith. And I think that there are many ways in which it does inspire me. And they may be very similar or very different from one to the next, but they are all coming from the same place.

(Reach For Me)

Going Well

work flow is going well. So is the exploration of trying to be inspired by my faith.

The Graduate Programs keeps me busy so I'll try to post at least once a week.

I'm interested in adding sculptural elements to my work, so I will try to get some prints done and see where that takes me.

Will have New Artist Statement up soon.

Work flow started again

with the help of a new mac and the 30 day trail of Adobe CS4.

I've been trying to incorporate my spirituality into my work and feel that I'm getting closer. I'm exited and a little worried about how well I'll be able to express what I want in the works, but here's to trying!!

Well, I don't know....

I have no clue as to what is wrong with my computer and since I'm getting a new tower after school starts I'm not going to go and have mine fixed.

Which leaves very little ability to do my art work or post, (which truth be told I'm not really good at anyway.) Ways hoping with the summer truly on way now I could devote more time to both, but ho well.

Here is one of the newer art works, and the last one I was able to do with me com.

Started up again...

Well, here's a new one. I thought that since I've used a lot of mechanical things for my pieces I'd go the other way and try nature now.
Hopefully now that things have quieted down I'll be able to work and thus post more.

These four are some of the newer stuff I've been working on. I can't wait until my loans come in and I can get my new computer and CS 4!!!

The the third piece is a variant on the second. I really gravitate toward pieces with happy bright colors and some what dark/disturbing issues or images. The contrast to me is striking.

Still haven't gotten it to work...

not sure what's going on other than NOTHING!!!

 I've been accepted into the grad program at CSUS and am trying to work on sculpture/pieces but that's going about as well as my CS3 suite.

Will try to post something this weekend. Working 8 hour days and not being the undead afterword might take a while so its not a guaranteed thing.

Sorry!!!!

I'm trying out some different things and hope to find some inspiration soon.

I'm not really sure what to call this one.

Still not sure

Still not sure what is going on with the CS3 I deactivated it, uninstalled then reinstalled it and it has the same problem. But if I log in as a different use on Windows XP it works fine, so I'm moving just my artwork over and setting up a new account.

Here is one of the newer pieces, I'm hoping to post more this week.

What is going on??? ...

I have little idea. I can't seem to get any of my creative suite working and can't de-activate it so that I can uninstall and then reinstall it. As I have no funds to have it fixed, I'm hoping my friend can fix it and have it working, but I have no idea how long that is going to take.

Since the whole CS3 isn't working I've been doing more traditional works with Coral Painter X, which I will post on my deviant art account since there mostly fluff. My electronic painting skills are very sad and this practice is very much needed.

I'm also working on sculptural elements that I can use in my art work. Hopefully something new will hit me soon!!

On Hold. . .

Well, it looks like things will be on hold a bit longer. My Photoshop is not working and it looks like I'll have to uninstall and re-install it on my computer. I have no idea whats wrong but its put a halt on my art for the last three weeks.

This new post is my attempt at trying to compose work in Elements, its slow and I can't do nearly what I wanted ....

so here it is....

Flyer designs

create the cover page for Wayk, which is the middle school and high school youth groups at my church!

Thought I'd post them so you can see what else I've been up to.

Photos- Sculpture

I've been working on both wire and modeling clay sculpture. (With crayola kids clay) which is really weird since its feels like foam, but dries hard. Its really awesome!

The first has taken my quite a few days and is still incomplete. I was trying to sculpt my version of the Beast from Beauty and the Beast.

The other is a strange creature, which I call brain fish. He was supposed to look more like a brain with big fish lips, but along the way he got an air hole (which you can barely see in the photos). So I'm not sure if the fish part still counts. He's waiting on his tail to be made.

Photos: Fashion pack

of what I've been doing lately. Finally got my camera to work.

The first is a design for my backpack, which ties into a brand that I created called: Wicked/Wonderous. I created the logo which the angel is part of and then added to with this project a kind of shield design that I've been meaning to stencil/draw on the pack. Its still in progress, but I've got a few pictures of the stencils I made.

I'm really interested in fashion design and I've always been creating clothing lines and that sort of thing in my spare time. As of yet I don't actually know how to sew, but I'm hoping to take classes soon!!!

I'm thinking about taking classes like silk screening, etching things like that as well.

Started with a black, white stripped Jansport backpack, took the logo off and started with a silver back ground.

Sorry about them being so blurry, they were taken quickly.

Well...

So much for the thirty works in thirty days. The last week has been hectic and I've only gotten little things done.

Unfortunately my camera isn't working so I'll have to post my sculptures later.

Here are a few of the works from this past week. I hope to get back into the flow tomorrow so I can get on with this.

Will start again tomorrow

Since Sunday one of my best friends has been here, so I have been working on non-digital art out in the studio with her. Spent most of yesterday at the gallery sitting with her, and Monday hanging up her work for the show this week.

Will have the pictures of the works in progress that I've been doing up by tomorrow, hopefully!!!!

Eight and Nine

SORRY!!!

Was so busy yesterday I forgot to post my work.

Experimenting with color.

Seven

Sixth

Fifth

Fourth

just the art work

this time.

Third

Starting to think more spatially, trying to get a sense of real depth.

having fun with these, not sure if their explorations, tests, or what...

Second

feeling a little better about this one than the first!

Something about the figures, and their texture really interests me.

Well

I apologize for the long hiatus, there were a lot of reasons why I've spent the last month and a half away but I'm back now.

Tragically I've had quite a few deaths in my family and it has gotten me thinking about quite a few things. One of which is trying to get my art out there more (posting), and which by definition means working on my art.

So here is my one art work a day for 30 days, starting today!

Its still a little raw, I'm still having difficulty with falling back on my previous styles and sadly inspiration is still aluding me.

Looking forward to getting some feedback!!!

Happy New Year!!!

SO I've returned home from vacation and can now get back to normal. here's something I've been working on (and off) during the Christmas break.

I've been experimenting with adding Painter X elements into the work, and leaving out more of the brushes. I'm contemplating taking them out entirely. But that will take awhile.

The process of being inspired is more difficult and tedious than I would have thought. These next posts will be mostly experiments and the like.