Follow your creative bliss

Stamps as therapy

2013-05-30T15:14:00.001-07:00

I've discovered that at certain moments of my life, artmaking needs to be technically easy, pleasing to the eye, and with no design difficulty for it to be 'therapeutic'. Repetitive patterns would do like doodling mandalas. Lately, it's stamp making that does it for me. Its technically easy but not too easy, designs are simple, two toned (inked or not inked), and there's immediate gratification of an end product. Here's a cat-themed stamp session:

I did these to make a cat paper lining to glue under my DIY cat shelves. (Those are still 'in progress' - maybe next post)

The materials I used:

• speedball linoleum cutters, mostly No.1 and No.2.

• exacto knife

• speedy-cut block from speedball

• stamp pads from Aladine.com

Enjoy!

Migrating to warmer weather...

2011-11-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

Here's some breathtaking pictures I took at Campground Voyageur, Ontario, towards the end of September. It was an amazing sunset decorated with moving "V" formations of migrating ducks. At this spot we could hear hundreds (if not more) of ducks quacking noisily in some nearby lake, while watching dozens landing close by. It was funny to hear their 'quacks' settle down and then start all over again when we suppose another batch of them landed. We added human subtitles such as "Hey! watch out for my wing!" "Dont land on my head!" "Arg! More late comers!Next time we'll sleep at a smaller less crowded lake!" just for the fun of it.

It makes me wonder about migrating to warmer latitudes too. You have to admit it is a smart thing to do when subzero temperatures are to be expected in your near future...

"V" Formation of Ducks, Campground Voyageur, Ontario, Sept 2011

Sunset at Campground Voyageur, Ontario, Sept 2011

Ducks about to land, Campground Voyageur, Ontario, Sept 2011

Finding Flow...

2011-10-24T23:24:00.000-07:00

La Paz River, Costa Rica. Photograpy by Ron Niebrugger

So I've been searching FLOW, personal flow, creative flow, or just plain flow.... When I think of flow, rivers are the first thing that comes to mind. I've always felt close to rivers, the constant perseverance of moving water, in small amounts or big amounts, through rocks, roots, dead tree trunks, mud, or ice. They flow carefree. No hesitation. No returning on their tracks. If they find an obstacle, they flow around it.... or water builds up until there is enough quantity to overcome it... all with such a 'suave' cool and calm way to it. I'm jealous.

Granted, sometimes rivers flow wildly, trashing down everything on their way, pulling out trees from their muddy riverside, knocking down chunks of earth. I've been told you can hear them coming... a rumbling sound giving a warning. But those are rare occasions easy to predict after long days of non stop rain. I like the smooth rivers with a nice edge to them, say level 3 white water rafting rivers... You can ride them with no previous rafting experience, with a guide and the appropiate gear.

Anyhoo, FLOW is not happening to me right now. I crave it, but it is avoiding me. I have all kinds of creative ideas in my head and no 'umpf' to get them into actions that transform them into things. In my flowless umpf-less desperation, I remembered a friend telling me about a psychologist who researched "flow". He wrote book that may help unblock my existencial dam... "Finding Flow: The Psychology of engagement with everyday life" by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly.

I"ll let you know if it helps. I think I have a few more weeks before returning it to the library. In the mean time, if you are flowing, let me know your secret, even if it isnt a secret at all.

The return to the ciber life

2011-08-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

So I've been absent from this ciber presence since my grandma died... Fortunately, I've gathered some psychic and creative energy back, and hopefully I can keep this newly lit creative fire burning. So here's some pics I took on my recent trip to Saint John, New Brunswick, the land of the reversing falls, the fog and deep fried scallops!

Sunset on the highway towards Saint John, July 2011.

Lucky flowers with the view of the Bay of Fundy, July 2011.

Storm slowly coming towards us, New Brunswick, July 2011

Long exposure of cars going through the bridge, Saint John, NB, July 2011

Pull his finger! Saint John downtown, NB, July 2011

Incognito. Saint John, NB, July 2011

In Memoriam - Alicia Salazar Carvajal 1921 - 2011

2011-01-22T23:52:00.000-08:00

My grandmother passed away after 89 years on Jan 13th, 2011. Always laughing, witty and never still, she left us calmly and quietly, with no sickness or suffering, a few weeks after our traditional family meeting at new year's at her house. I am profoundly grateful to her as she chose to leave while I was close by. I could give my proper goodbyes and grieve next to my loved ones hours before flying back to Montreal.

I don't believe death is an ending but a simple transition. Yet, I grieve and cry for the unrepairable loss of someone deeply loved who took a big place in our lives. Her absence reminds me that time passes, that we all age and that we reach milestones and points of no return. It also reminds me that life has to be lived by the second, and that almost everything is futile and those things that are not futile are simple, almost hidden in everyday chaos. I'll do my best to cherish the simple beauties of life. I'll do my best to remember how temporary our existence is. We must do big things with the small time we have.

Best Pics of Nov-Dec 2010 :)

2010-12-29T23:36:00.000-08:00

Since I've been a bit overwhelemed by life, the universe and everything in the last weeks, I have to catch up with a nice consistent blog. I've chosen photography as my tool of choice this time. Hope you enjoy them!

May the ever burning light be within you, always
Saint Joseph's Oratory. Montreal.

Arms wide open.
Saint Joseph's Oratory. Montreal.

Wildlife in the city of New York
New York City, US.

Sad doggie at Macy's - "Kill me please!"
New York City, US.

No longer snowflakes

New York City's Snowstorm Dec 26th, 2010. US

Poetry on building, daily life on the street

New York City, US.

No longer snowflakes II

New York City's Snowstorm Dec 26th, 2010. US

A REVELATION: Guache for drawing

2010-11-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

So, in the last three weeks, we've been exploring in class different techniques of drawing: charcoal, sanguine + gesso (very interesting), china ink + charcoal + dry pastels (also very interesting), yet all the drawings that came out of this exploration (in my humble opinion) were awful... so no posts :P.

This week, on the other hand, I had a REVELATION. I've realized that all the work done in the past weeks, trying to see shadows and lights as a mass instead of a group of lines has given fruit. So this is the drawing that summarizes my revelation:

I am shocked at myself and at the learning curve my brain has achieved... I always wondered how others did such amazing paintings and drawings of human figures... I think I am starting to grasp it.

The Black Magique Victorian Séance Of 2010

2010-11-22T22:30:00.000-08:00

Late halloween post.. but great nonetheless... Thanks to our host at the Black Magique Victorian party for the ambiance and the professional shot. :D

Pinterest.... new era of ciber-vision boards!

2010-11-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

I discovered this new site through a blogger I follow, and I find it WONDERFUL! Its a digital pin-board, where you can pin any image you find online, categorize it (and give credit to the owner - of course!)... Its my new ciber-vision board... I've started two boards.. more to come.. maybe!!

http://pinterest.com/priscimv/favorite-places-and-spaces/

http://pinterest.com/priscimv/things-i-love/

Pascale - 2:30 hr pose

2010-11-07T20:07:00.000-08:00

This was the first time we have a 2.5 hrs pose... I used soft and semi-hard pastels and light brown Ingres paper. I began the sketch with sanguine. Then added some turquoise in the shadows and background which demanded lots of intense orange in the skin tones. The background seems to need some more smudging as it seems a bit too rough compared to the model's soft skin transitions...

Halloweeeen!

2010-11-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

Inspired from makeup from Cirque du Soleil and Ana Arthur's Blog as a make-up artist!
I cant express how much I enjoyed putting on the makeup/mask, going out on the streets with it (Montrealers are too polite - they don't stare even if you want them to!!) and then taking all these amazing pics in a loft downtown set up with candle light... I LOVE HALLOWEEN! Thanks to Tamara and Chantal who took amazing pics of me!!

Purple african violets and more purple

2010-10-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

A few focus experiments with my new DSLR camera... I like the focus/unfocused game within the image.

Flowers from Côte-des-Neiges cementery, Montreal

My gigantic African Violent with a ceramic sculpture done last year.
I love the discordance in proportions!

Another african violet - practicing silhouette and focus against the outside sunny day.

back side & resting pose

2010-10-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

In October I registered to a live model class at Centre Communautarie de Loisir de la Côte-des-Neiges. The price was great and it meant I would have teacher's feedback and other drawing lovers around! Here's two of the best drawings that have come out so far. Both drawings are done on Kraft paper and with Conté sketching crayons, although some of the darker blacks were reinforced with compressed charcoal. Both poses lasted 30 minutes.

lying down

2010-10-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

This drawing was made when I first picked up drawing in september. I went to this amazing drawing class at UQAM (Atelier Libre de Modèle Vivant, sundays 11-14h) and had this pose for 30 minutes. It was the second pose with a very dramatic angle. The first pose caught me off guard and my drawing came out really "off". So this time I really took my time to "see" and carefully observe what really was presented to my eyes - not to my mind. I'm pretty proud of the result. I used charcoal, sanguine and white conté sketching crayon.