Oh. Gosh.
So.
I was reading through my feeds this morning. 74 at a pop. Totally getting outta hand. But I digress!

And over on SwissMiss (please go give her some luvin cuz y’know she just rocks!) she had this quote:

For every subject, there are really only two things you really need to know. Everything else is the application of those two things, or just not important.

Whaaaa??? Geez. Okaaaay. I will stop my reading and flit over to see what this is all about. Which led me to Economist Glen Whitman’s context of what exactly these Two Things might be. Read through that giant list of people’s views of what their Two Things mean within their context. Some were funny (read the porn one. heh.). Some were insightful. (read the one on Art Criticism. hmmmm.) and some were so related to their context, I couldn’t figure’em out. (International Relations. okay?)

Of course this got me thinking about Art. Or the making there of. A quick two came to mind …

1. The idea.
2. The execution.

But really that’s pretty trite. Right? Because sometimes the execution forms the idea. Though I guess that is still within the Two Thing limit. Still. How many times have you … have I… started playing without any idea and/or no execution intent. In that case it’s about the process. And truly, for me, the creation of art IS about the process. Everything else comes second.

The idea can change. Based on the process.
The execution can change. Based on the process.

So maybe. Just maybe Two Things is one thing too many!

Oh. And as an interesting aside? I had a bitch of a time trying to find a piece where I have but Two Things. Many multiple things …5s and 7s seem to be a recurring theme. Some one ofs. But rarely a pair. I guess this non-use of Two Things plays out in my art as well. Who knew?!

If you have any thoughts on what your Two Things …or One Thing as the case may be… might be, please chime in. I’d love to hear!

Another week. Another challenge.
This week take this:

And use it at least once.

Well shoot. I can do that!
I had an idea almost immediately.
I wanted to try a still life rather than a landscape.
Something that was relatively boring and mundane and make it … worthy. For lack of a better word.

I scouted around and saw an arrangement in my upstairs bathroom that seemed perfect.
Pleasant. But without any wow factor.
Excellent!

Spent a couple of hours adding, subtracting, punching up, erasing, filling, opacity madness. A photoshopping wet dream! I’m pretty please with the results. Dramatic difference I think!

Oh. And for what it’s worth?
Check out the video that Kim included of how she made her latest texture, “Organic”.
The girl is a mixed media artist.
Who knew?!?

Starts next week … February 1 through March 3, 2012.

The very cool thing about all the 100 Artist Shows is that you can bid on any of the artworks …opening bid $50. … and the proceeds go to a non-profit of Mary Lou’s choosing.

Based on correspondence between artists … my penpal being Katherine Mead … we were to riff off the letter we received. I’ve had a hard time articulating my reaction to Katherine’s letter. Not because it was difficult to read or that her intent was tough to swallow. Au contraire. She was very eloquent. It was a rather nostalgic reflection on the lack of time, the quickness, the terseness of today’s communications. And perhaps we’ve lost something in the translation.

I get that.

I do.

But for me, the internet …and by association that quick, shortened form of communicating…  has been a lifeline. Living in the middle of nowhere it has allowed me to connect with like-minded artists …people… whom I otherwise could never have had access to. It has opened up my mind and my world and I will take that relationship in whatever form it presents itself. Through those 144 character phrases, I have learned  much from my online cohorts. Yes, the sentences are short. But many.  And perhaps it is just that …the “over time” part … that will be our saviour!.

Katherine wrote:

When artist, Jen Worden, sent me her letter I was struck by its cadence. The lovely

rhythm of her words mirrored the rhythm of her daily walk. The active way in which she uses communing with nature and the movement of her steps to calm and clear her mind —left, right, left, right, one, two, one two……clarity. The soothing effect of nature and the dichotomy that activity can lead to serenity.

As I may have alluded, I’ve been playing around with my camera recently.
Who knew there were so many settings?!
I sure didn’t. I’ve always been pretty much a point-and-shoot photographer.
Not that I’m that much better now. But I’m looking better. I guess.

My daughter received a DSLR camera as her birthday/Christmas present.
She’s making some lovely photos. [her underused flickr account]

Me? I like making sure I get good (read: good enough) base photos. But it is my joy to open that photo and dick around with it ad nauseum in Photoshop. We have a long illustrious relationship, Photoshop and I. Buying it from a local distributor back when PS3 was de rigeur. I’ve upgraded each time up to PS7. I have …but never made the jump to… CS4. 7 and I …well… we just fit.

And I’ve added both actions and now, textures to my repertoire.
Google them.
Be astounded.

I’m learning all manner of things by trying to figure out how each action works.
And to me, that’s the beauty of Photoshop.
It effortlessly grows as I do.
That all software …in the largest sense of the word… could be so seamless.

A girl can dream!

All this to say … in my texture surfing I discovered Kim Klassen.
And thereby her Texture Tuesday challenges on the KKCafe.
Here’s my first entry. On Monday even!

The before:

And the after … using Kim’s Simplicity texture. Among other things.

… in the meantime, if you happen to be near Salem, Oregon next month, you can check out the 100 Artists Show. Press Release from Mary Lou Zeek Gallery:

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: January 12, 2012

Contact: Mary Lou Zeek, 503-581-3229

Email: zeekgallery@gmail.com

Website: www.zeekgallery.com

Art of Communication-10th Annual 100 Artist Show

Show Date: February 1 – March 3, 2012

Opening reception: First Wednesday February 1, 5-7pm.

Location: Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, 335 State Street, Salem, Oregon 97301

Salem – Remember when we looked forward to art class at least a few times a week in school? How about all that time spent learning how to print and write cursively? All of those assignments written on notebook paper? With budget crunches and ever-evolving technology in schools we have to wonder what will happen to all those words and art produced by hand. And, as technology marches on, what will be the memories that today’s children leave their family and friends? What if John and Abigail Adams had tweeted across the ocean instead of posting letters? How about Julia Child and her friend Avis emailing instead of writing? All of that amazing correspondence gone in the flash of a DELETE button?

During the month of February, the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery will be presenting The Art of Communication, the 10th annual 100 Artists show.

Over 100 artists were sent blank letters which arrived with instructions and included a stamped envelope with the address of a partnered artist. These letters made their way to 100 different artists across the country and beyond! Participating artists received a blank letter through the mail and were asked to write a thought, a story, or whatever they so chose and then send to their “partnered” artist. The artists had over three months to transform the writings into their work of art.

During this show, the artists will present their own ideas of what it is to “communicate”, while creating striking and inspiring art pieces. The act of letter writing is beginning to be a lost art, and receiving letters through the mail an almost forgotten pleasure for most of us. The idea of “mail art” and keeping letter writing as a form of communication is our theme for the 10^th annual 100 Artist show.

The artwork will be on display and the letters will be available for viewing. The sale of the art will last the entire month with a silent bidding process ending at different times throughout the month. Anyone interested can call the gallery for a bidding number, see the artworks online on the gallery website or stop in and do the bidding in person.

This year the proceeds from the 100 Artists Show THE ART OF COMMUNICATION will be used to fund a special after school art and writing project for kids. We want to replicate the DNA of this 100 artists show pairing children with each other as art pen pals and perhaps even with some of our 100 artists. While this project will be launched in the Salem area community as a pilot, an important component will be to record what takes place so that the curriculum can be shared free of charge with other communities across the country who are interested in this hands-on experience.

The Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, located at 335 State Street in downtown Salem, Oregon, is the premiere place for purchasing contemporary arts and crafts. Open hours are 12 pm to 5:30 pm Tuesday through Friday, and 12 pm to 5 pm on Saturday. The gallery is closed on Sunday and Monday. To preview the upcoming show and see work by many other Northwest artists, visit www.zeekgallery.com

 

My first finished work of 2012.
My first full “wax” piece since …uhm… a loooong time.
I actually made my own medium for this too.
Fun!

It’s for the final 100 Artists Show at Mary Lou Zeek’s Gallery.
This year’s theme is The Art of Communication.
We were given stationary and were linked to another artist to exchange letters.
Then we were to riff off that communication.

I have a feeling my letter was less than clear as I was in quite a confused mental state when I wrote it. Sorry about that Katherine (Mead).

Katherine’s letter was about the lost art of communication. Loss of time. Quickened pace etc. Her feeling that perhaps electronic communication is not as well thought out as a hand-written treatise. Certainly it can be. But it doesn’t have to be. For me, the act of typing has become as much an extension as my pen to paper used to be. I think no less about what I’m writing … here… than I would if I needed a stamp to send it.

And so… my title, “The Art of Communication is NOT Lost”.

My synapse are doing fine.
The lines are long and lean. And strong.
Carry on. Carry on.

Saturday afternoon.
A walk on the beach.
We left home under mist and drip and damp.
As walked along the wide low-tide beach, the sun came out.

There is a lesson here.

Moving forward even when things seem dark.
It is in the action that light shines.

Or something.

Hello 2012… let’s get to know one another shall we?

‘Twas a lovely day. Rainy, blustery, begging to be spent by the warm fire. The scent of curry simmering on the stove. Sweets being concocted. New books to peruse. A love letter to warm the cockles of my heart. A perfect day. A perfect send off to “52″. An optimistic start to tomorrow.

The first “scenic” in many a moon. A Christmas present for my son. A funny story because he sent me the same photo done by a screen-printing outfit. I hope he appreciates the ‘one-of-ness’ of mine to him.

The process was interesting. Did you know they’ve stopped making paper-backed photo paper? At the very least, I couldn’t find any. All plastic-backed. And maybe the reverse transfer process …placing inkside down on gel medium… still works but my own process of peeling off the paper backing, placing inkside down and then after drying time removing the top gel medium is no longer an option. Alas.

So. I came up with a different process. Repositionable spray adhesive and tissue paper. Totally different final application. But I think I can work with it. Good thing. Because I have my 100 Artists piece to finish over the next week or two. Process update to come.

In the meantime … I hope you all had a lovely Christmas/Yule/Whatever celebration!
Tomorrow marks my 52nd birthday.
And the start of 52 in 52.
I have my work cut out for me!