Showing posts with label reflections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reflections. Show all posts
Monday, October 6, 2014
Blog Hop Around the World
Today is my turn to be a part of the "Blog Hop around the World" which is a virtual tour of visual artists of all types. The amazing Christine Witte invited me to participate. Christine is a talented surface designer whose style can be described as colorful, modern folk. She loves to focus on exquisite and unique details creating complex patterns that often tell a little story. Here are some of her beautiful patterns:
You can see more of her work on her blog here: http://christinewittedesigns.wordpress.com/
Even better, you can purchase some of her lovely fabrics in her Spoonflower Shop.
These are the questions Christine has posed to me.
Why do I do what I do?
I am on a mission to awaken wonder, to inspire wild flights of fancy, and to create a bridge between my inner world and yours. Creating art is a passion so strong that it forces me to overcome self-doubt and self-negation and move into a place of presence, compassion, and acceptance. It is the perfect practice to start a conversation with my deeper self and tune into my intuitions. It is also a form of communication and sharing that can go into subtle, mysterious places that words can't as easily travel. Making art is pure, transformative magic for me and always has been from the moment I first made something as a little girl.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
That is hard for me to pinpoint but I would say that my work is unique in its dreamy, mystical, playful tone. A sense of light is very important to me as I think it creates a specific feeling. I am drawn to imagery connected with portals, thresholds, forests, searching, and traveling into the realm of the imagination.
How does my creative process work?
This changes from project to project. Sometimes I just sit down with a brush and some paint and see what emerges following intuition and chance.
Other times, I use meditation and visioning first and then pull together the pieces to bring that vision into form. I actually wrote a blog post that really chronicles this process of painting something from my imagination.
Here is another post about a different technique that merges hand-drawn and digital painting. I love to experiment with new methods and mediums although I currently I have been painting a lot of watercolors.
What am I working on now?
I just started a daily painting project called my #MonthofCats. For the month of October, I am painting a cat a day. You can see some of the cats I am creating HERE.
I also welcome you to send photos of your cats for me to use as inspiration. You can send them to me at nicole@ghostkitten.com
If you would like to receive these cat paintings in your inbox everyday for October along with a snippet of inspiration or poetry, you can sign up HERE.
Enough about me. Let me introduce you to another incredible artist, Jennifer Blair-Cockrum. She paints striking abstracts with luscious colors. For me, they pick up where Rothko left off and inspire a beautiful, transcendental experience - a meditation in paint.
She will be picking up the blog hop next week on Monday Oct. 13, 2014. Please go explore her works and read her post.
You can see more of her work on her blog here: http://christinewittedesigns.wordpress.com/
Even better, you can purchase some of her lovely fabrics in her Spoonflower Shop.
These are the questions Christine has posed to me.
Why do I do what I do?
I am on a mission to awaken wonder, to inspire wild flights of fancy, and to create a bridge between my inner world and yours. Creating art is a passion so strong that it forces me to overcome self-doubt and self-negation and move into a place of presence, compassion, and acceptance. It is the perfect practice to start a conversation with my deeper self and tune into my intuitions. It is also a form of communication and sharing that can go into subtle, mysterious places that words can't as easily travel. Making art is pure, transformative magic for me and always has been from the moment I first made something as a little girl.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
That is hard for me to pinpoint but I would say that my work is unique in its dreamy, mystical, playful tone. A sense of light is very important to me as I think it creates a specific feeling. I am drawn to imagery connected with portals, thresholds, forests, searching, and traveling into the realm of the imagination.
How does my creative process work?
This changes from project to project. Sometimes I just sit down with a brush and some paint and see what emerges following intuition and chance.
Other times, I use meditation and visioning first and then pull together the pieces to bring that vision into form. I actually wrote a blog post that really chronicles this process of painting something from my imagination.
Here is another post about a different technique that merges hand-drawn and digital painting. I love to experiment with new methods and mediums although I currently I have been painting a lot of watercolors.
What am I working on now?
I just started a daily painting project called my #MonthofCats. For the month of October, I am painting a cat a day. You can see some of the cats I am creating HERE.
I also welcome you to send photos of your cats for me to use as inspiration. You can send them to me at nicole@ghostkitten.com
If you would like to receive these cat paintings in your inbox everyday for October along with a snippet of inspiration or poetry, you can sign up HERE.
Enough about me. Let me introduce you to another incredible artist, Jennifer Blair-Cockrum. She paints striking abstracts with luscious colors. For me, they pick up where Rothko left off and inspire a beautiful, transcendental experience - a meditation in paint.
She will be picking up the blog hop next week on Monday Oct. 13, 2014. Please go explore her works and read her post.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Blank Canvas Blog Hop or How I Took a Dream and Turned It into a Painting so It Could Speak to Me & $100 Dick Blick Gift Card GIVEAWAY
Or maybe it is a feeling that drifts around you like a vapor and slips away whenever you try to look directly at it or confine it in words. Yet, it feels significant. This is your inner world calling to you with a message, with a revelation about what is going on inside, deep beneath the surface.
Sometimes, this same feeling can arise when we are alone and there are less distractions – less external voices to overpower the soft mysterious callings of the inner voice.
On a late summer afternoon many years ago, there was a storm brewing. No one else was home but me. I was inside doing something ordinary that I have long forgotten when I heard the wind whipping up and all the trees beginning to shimmer and shake. Curious, I jumped up and ran outside. As my bare feet hit the grass, my breath drew in, and time ceased to be. The sun was low in the sky, poised for sunset and hidden. Dark thunder clouds blotted out the light from above but the forest... the forest was glowing gold as if lit from within. Each tree was like a lamp, a candle, a flame under a sea of inky, tumultuous sky.
I stood suspended and unthinking. Then, lightening struck and the cold raindrops set the earth spinning again and I laughed.
In moments like this, the veil between our inner world and our outer world dissolves. My imagination flooded outward and the forest and the storm flooded inward like a tide. The trees called out and I answered. Whether it is a sleeping dream or a waking dream, this is a form of visioning. Visioning is simply opening up the pathways between the world around us and the world within us.
So what does this have to do with the Blank Canvas and how we begin to make something out of seemingly nothing?
Well, I have many different ways that I start to paint or draw but for now, I will just focus on this one: Visioning.
I begin with meditation as it helps me let go of all of the minutiae, the anxiety, and the random inner chatter that are like brambles blocking the gateway. I travel deeper and deeper into the center of myself and ask for a vision. I do not question its content. I simply observe every detail. I look around. I notice the places that are opaque like maybe I can't see the color of the light or the expression on the owl's face. I wait for those details to emerge. I am curious and I ask questions. How does this make me feel? What is over there hiding behind that tree?
Since this is a very internal process, I have recorded a guided meditation that is similar to what I do before I start a painting. Try it out and see how it works for you.
The meditation bolsters my intuition which will be my trusty guide as I coax this vision from the inside out.
Next, I find inspiration to create a mood board. This helps to fill in the details and gives me a wider visual vocabulary from which to draw. It also gives me something to weigh my vision against. For instance, this owl looks very realistic but my owl is strange and other-worldly. The differences help me clarify my vision just as much as the similarities.
Then, I draw a pencil sketch on watercolor paper to figure out the scale, proportion, and composition.
Last, I dive into my paints. This is the scary part because every painting looks a bit crazy in the beginning and middle. It takes so much faith and courage to keep going. There is a point in the process where I can get discouraged and critical. Sometimes, I step away, return to my vision, take solace in it, and trust that the essence will shine through despite my perceived mistakes.
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| In case you wondering, the color difference between the last 2 images is the difference between taking a cell phone pic and scanning the painting. |
The magic at the end...
I made this painting specifically for this Blank Canvas Blog Hop and knew I wanted to talk about visioning. When it was finished, I could finally see the synchronistic and clever message it held for me. The owl is the voice beckoning; it is our spirit. The forest is our inner world and the girl is all of us shining a light and getting ready to follow the magic into the deep. I called it "I'm going in."
SPECIAL GIVEAWAY
I am so excited to have the opportunity to giveaway a $100 Gift card to Dick Blick for Art Supplies. This is so exciting because it represents so much potential. Whoever wins will have to create some marvelous visions and share them with us all. I can't wait!!!!
There is also a 2nd prize!
An Archival Art Print of "I'm Going In" 8.5x11" printed with pigment inks on fine art paper. That is the painting I made for this Blog Hop. I hope it will inspire the lucky winner to spend some time exploring their inner world.
Want more tips for how to overcome the Blank Canvas?
Wow! This blog hop has been such a wealth of inspiration. I have so many new creative tools to try. Plus, everyone is giving away some amazing stuff. So, have a meander and be dazzled with all the creativity, uniqueness and honesty.
Sept 9 Lezette Markham Giveaway: Simply Inspired Gift Bundle incld. Creative Workbook
Sept 10 Cynthia Patton Giveaway: Anthology of Short Stories / Essays
Sept 11 Jennyann Carthern Giveaway: 1 year membership to Society of Children's Books Writers & Illustrators
Sept 12 FRIDAY FRENZY featuring:
Kiala Givehand Giveaway: $25 Visa Gift Card Tori Deaux, Karen Friedland
Sept 13 Jan Blount Giveaway: Hand-Painted Tote with a Hand-Bound Art Journal + Goodies
Sept 14 Effy Wild Giveaway: Book of Days Bootcamp E-Course
Sept 15 Virginia Simpson-Magruder Giveaway Wild Spirit Jaguar Pendant
Sept 16 Dariana Cruz Giveaway: 4 Dari Design Notebooks and aThrow Pillow
Sept 17 Susan Miller Giveaway: Customized Intuitive Soul Intention Painting | Freebie: Soul Intention Flag Workshop
Sept 18 Grace Howes Giveaway: Hand-made Photo Journal and Notebooks
Sept 19 Tori Deaux Giveaway: Find your Quick Factor Session + 2 art prints
Sept 20 Kiala Givehand Giveaway: Conquering the Blank Page E-Course
Sept 21 Martin Arkenstone Giveaway: Small Hand-painted Sandstone Sculpture
Sept 22 Nicole Piar Giveaway: $100 Gift Card to Dick Blick Art Supplies & 1 Fine Art Print
Friday, February 7, 2014
Wisdom from the Art Circle
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| Vintage Illustration from Dean's Gift Book of Fairytales |
What we all have in common is our love for creating and that we have built our careers around this. Working in the arts, there is always a pull towards more creative freedom and finding the projects that invoke our deepest passions and resonate with our sense of purpose.
We have come together to support each other on this path. We share inspiration, give feedback and critiques, share business insights and opportunities and laugh and connect.
I want to share 3 tidbits of wisdom from our first meeting. I plan to keep sharing what we learn in these meetings so that I may bring some of the goodness to my virtual art circle here on this blog.
1. Optimism is essential.
During my morning meditations over the last few months, I really started to notice how jaded I had become. I kept thinking I am just being REALISTIC. There is so much competition. The economy isn't great. I can't expect much. I should just be happy with what successes I have already had and not risk too much.
The problem is that this is merely a point-of-view. It is not reality. It does not predict the future. The future could be filled with opportunities, failures, successes, cross-road, or who knows. The actual reality is that the FUTURE is a QUESTION MARK.
Optimism is simply a much more useful point-of-view. It allows us to keep growing, to step out of our comfort zones, to explore, to invent new ways of being in the world, and to stride confidently in the direction of our wildest dreams.
When you see the future as an open door, you keep going. Perceiving a wall of limitation and lack of opportunity, stops us before we even start. Optimism keeps those doors open for us which is essential.
2. Find your Own Unique Path
We had all researched a lot of people who were very successful in our fields and knew the details of the paths they took to get there.
Some people shared all their art on social media and blogs. Others kept everything hidden and protected. Some had agents or galleries and others went solo. Some people stuck to trends and others marched to the beat of their own drum.
In essence, there is no one path that is guaranteed to get you to where you want to go. Everyone will have opinions and beliefs. In the end, the best we can do is educate ourselves, know the options, and then, most importantly, make a choice and go for it.
There is no right or wrong. There is only experimentation, fine-tuning, learning, and trust.
3. Find your own Style and Vision
It really helps to have artist friends look at your work and distill the essential qualities and help you distinguish where your unique voice is truly shining through. They know you and they know your work and can see where those 2 things overlap the most.
We are so close to our work that it is difficult to see it objectively. It is a incredibly hard to step back and look at the bigger picture. Yet, when you see a friend's work, it is so clear when they are coming from an authentic place.
It is so exciting to see art that is born from a unique vision and purpose. We are naturally drawn to that alchemy of self-expression.
Oh and remember, we often see art that we love and appreciate. Yet, it would be completely unfamiliar and unnatural to make art in that style. Just because we love something, does not mean we have to be directly inspired by it in our own art. Sometimes we are just appreciating the diversity. We don't need to do everything. There are other people to take care of all the styles we miss out on.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Welcome to My Little Corner of the World
Hello to all my new friends from the MATS e-course taught by Lilla Rogers! Welcome to my spot on the Blog Hop.
Wow, what an incredible, intensive whirlwind those 5 weeks were. As I read on an 1940's movie poster in a diner, there were "Dizzying Highs and Terrifying Lows" I guess that is just part of the creative process: the high of being in the flow and making something and the low of non-constructive criticism and the Comparison Monster.
Above you will see the fruits of my work from the course. It is so helpful for me to see it all together now that some time has passed and I have more perspective. After the course ended, I really had my most profound insights.
For the last 7 years, I have worked as a full-time freelance illustrator and surface designer. About a year ago, I felt an urgency to express something more personal, close to my heart and not simply answering the needs of a client. I could feel it inside but I couldn't put words to it and wasn't sure what form it would take. So I have been making lots of art on top of my "work" art and this course was the culmination of that journey. I feel that my artistic voice has crystalized.
I found it very telling that the 2 pieces of mine that Lilla included in her weekly reviews (children's book illustration and the zipper pouch) were the 2 pieces where I really focused on creating something magical and dream-like which is in perfect alignment with my artistic vision.
For some reason, I always assume that other people's styles will be more popular and commercially-viable. I think this is my outsider-mentality peaking out. Lilla helped me gain confidence that people would buy my joy and I don't have to try to be someone else to be successful. That realization alone was worth every penny and hour I put into the class.
I featured a mini gallery here of work from the Wall Decor week. This is a great example of the diversity and spirit of the class. Seeing other people's uniqueness and recognizing how much joy I got from their joy, helped me to have more faith and confidence in my own crazy ways.
As a little gift to my fellow artists, I want to share a guided meditation I recorded to help focus and relax before diving into the creative process. You can listen to it or down load it here: https://soundcloud.com/ghostkitten-1/ready-set-begin
LET'S STAY CONNECTED
I have been following my MATS friends' blogs so that I can watch everyone grow, and be inspired by their creative journeys. I use BlogLovin to keep everything in one place. You can follow my blog through BlogLovin here: http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/7036245
OPEN INVITE
I love collaborations with like-minded folks. If you have an idea for a project or an idea of how we can help each other out, please contact me at ghostkitten@gmail.com
Take a moment to visit these 2 stops today on the Blog Hop:
First is Wendy Brightbill. I love her intuitive painting style and perfect contrast of line work and shapes. Her abstract work really has beautiful kinetic rhythms. Visit her blog here.
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| Wendy Brightbill Serendipity Happens |
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| Renske de Kinkelder |
BLOG HOP TOUR
I encourage you to go on this colorful stroll and peak inside the minds of some amazing artists.
November20
Aisha Khan- http://www.aishaandherwork.blogspot.com/
Linda Tordoff- http://www.paintlovestudio.blogspot.co.uk/
Jill Byers - http://www.jillbyers.blogspot.com/
November21
Martina Lenhardt- www.ma-len.blogspot.com
Melissa Doran- www.melissadoran.com
Sarah Gager - www.sarahgager.com
November 27
HungYu CHEN - www.rainbowfishchen.com
stephanie corfee - www.stephaniecorfee.com
Sophie Verhille - http://blog.sophie-verhille.com/
November 25
Jo Chambers - www.studiolegohead.blogspot.co.uk
Son Atwal Sonia Atwal - www.applekaur.com/blog
Angie Sandy - http://www.angiesandy.com/blog
November 26
Rachael Schafer - www.rachaelschaferdesigns.com
Sarah Ehlinger- www.verysarie.com
Jordan Vinograd Kim- http://www.foundandrewound.com/blog/
November 27
Jen Burbridge - www.madebyburbs.co.uk
Carolina Coto - www.carolinacotoart.com
Aileen Tu: http://aileentu.com/blog/
November 28
Claire Lordon - www.clairelordon.blogspot.com
Eva Marion Seyffarth - www.eva-marion-seyffarth.blogspot.de
November 29
Anna Whitford - www.rosanna-rossi.co.uk
December 2
Jennifer Wambach - http://jennartdesigns.blogspot.com
Victoria Johnson - http://victoriajohnsondesignblog.blogspot.it
Emily Dyer http://www.emilydyer.com/blog
December 3
Nic Squirrell - http://nicsquirrell.blogspot.com
Melinda Hopkirk - www.crouchriverstudio.com
Deb Trevitt - http://www.debtrevitt.com/blog/
December 4
Danielle McDonald - http://reddogandjude.blogspot.com.au/
Jennifer Appel - http://www.jaillustration.com
December 5
Wendy Brightbill - http://www.agirlandherbrush.wordpress.com
Renske de Kinkelder- www.renskedekinkelder.com
Nicole Piar- http://www.ghostkittendesign.blogspot.com/
December 6
Andrea van Dalen - http://dreamkeeperfae.blogspot.nl/
Ohn Mar Win - http://illustrationsouljourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Diane Neukirch- http://dianeneukirch.blogspot.com
December 7
Lisa Deighan - http://www.lisadeighan.com
Katie Wood - http://www.katiewoodillustrations.blogspot.co.uk/
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Self-Love or How to Tame the Big Mean Hate Monster in your head
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| Field Sketch of Hate Monster discovered in the Wilds of the Psyche |
Through vigilant observation of my internal world this past week, I have been reminded that this drastic mood shift does not come out of nowhere. It can be directly traced to a series of self-negating beliefs that my favorite little Hate Monster likes to use as fodder for very predictable internal diatribes. The Hate Monster can pop up when you are over-tired, over-worked, hungry, or sick. So if you notice he is getting really loud in your thought stream and shouting over everything else, first check to make sure you have your basics covered. Have you slept enough? If not, take a nap or go to bed early. Are you starving yourself? Eat something healthy and nourishing. Have you been living an all-work-and-no-play existence? Time to play.
Many adults refer to the Hate Monster as the Inner Critic but I think that makes him sound too intellectual and apt to write a thoughtful review of me in the some literary journal. When in reality, he seems more like an cranky or hurt child who is not having his needs met in some way and is acting out. It honestly can be as simple as resting and slowing down but sometimes, of course, it is not.
The Hate Monster can also be fueled by long-standing painful and often un-true beliefs that resurface again and again throughout your life. The one that came up for me this week is the belief that I am too different to be embraced by the society that I live in... that there is something essential in me that will always be foreign... that alienation is a pre-condition of my life. This is how it showed up for me. I started taking a class this week in pattern and surface design where it is essential to find and express your own aesthetic style. At first, I was having so much fun drawing and exploring my imagination and seeing the world around me in a new way. I have my own style of drawing that comes natural to me and I was relishing the freedom of pure self-expression. Then, the Hate Monster pulled out the good ole, oh-so-familiar, alienation manifesto and began with the cutting words, "You have your own style but no one will be able to relate to it. If you put that out in the world, you will not be successful because what you have to offer does not resonate with people. You aren't like everyone else so you should probably hide out and do the safe thing and present a style you know people already like and accept." While I don't intend to follow this "sage" advice, it did thoroughly take the joy out of my creative process for the day. It doesn't take a self-inquiry microscope to see the obvious thread of self-criticism and self-negation in these thoughts.
So what to do if you have wandered down this crooked path deep into the forest of self-hate? As always, there is the temptation to simply add a meta-level to the Hate Monster a.k.a "How could I let myself get so out of control on this negative downward spiral? After all the meditation and yoga I have done, shouldn't I better at this? Why can't I maintain a positive outlook? What is wrong with me?" So keep an eye out for this sneaky addition to the Hate Monster's powers.
At this point, it is important to remember the Hate Monster's resemblance to a hurt child. This part of ourselves doesn't need further reprimands or a series of should's and should not's. It needs a warm and all-encompassing loving embrace. We need the healing balm of self-acceptance and unconditional love.
"Easier said than done," you might be thinking. However, this nourishing feeling is something that can be cultivated even from the bottom of a Terrifying Low. Think about the love you may have felt for animal or a small child or another human being that doesn't diminish when they make a mistake or feel sad or get grumpy. In those moments, you feel compassion for their struggles and love for their simple humanity or kittiness or puppiness including all of their weaknesses and strengths. I found a simple visualization/mediation that can help us begin to access this all-encompassing love and shine it on our own being. Here it is:
The Warm Embrace of Self: A Self-love Meditation
1. Take few deep breaths, tuning in to your body and the movement of the breath.
2. Visualize the part of you that has become the Hate Monster as a child or even as a puppy or kitten. Observe the self-negating thoughts that part of you is holding. Without judgement, just witness the pain that this part of you is experiencing.
3. Inhale, repeating silently or quietly, "I embrace every part of my being." Visualizing welcoming that hurt inner child into a warm loving hug.
4. Exhale, "I let go of self-judgement." Feel the harsh critical thoughts leaving your body with the breath, being carried away on the breeze.
5. Inhale, "I embrace myself with love." Feel a warm wash of golden light filling every dark corner of your psyche.
5. Exhale, "I let go of Self-criticism."
7. Repeat steps 3-5 until a feeling of compassion and love for yourself begins to emerge in your heart. Don't worry if you are just going through the motions at first. Stick with it and keep inviting in this feeling of compassion. Oddly, it is often easier to feel compassion for others than it is for our selves. So, by giving a visual form to this hurt part of ourselves, we can often access that unconditional love for ourselves a little easier.
If you are interested in exploring this topic in more depth, I would suggest this really amazing little book called: There is Nothing Wrong with You by Cheri Huber
It is written in a light-hearted tone but expresses some deep truths. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Huber reminds us that we are not "fix-it projects." When one of our common internal struggles and habits come up for the zillionth time, it is so easy to think, "Man, I really need to work on myself." Well, this book reminds us that we don't need to fix ourselves. We need to embrace ourselves in our beautiful, complex, dizzying-highs-terrifying-lows entirety.
Please feel free to share your experiences with the Hate Monster or ask any questions you may have in the comments.
Love to all... even those shadowy, dark bits that have sharp teeth and biting words. They soften with every embrace.
Nicole
Friday, January 20, 2012
New Years Resolutions: Come out of Hiding
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| I'm in the center. Even strange birds can have amazing friends. :) |
This New Years Eve, I was at an amazing outdoor party with some of my dearest old friends who moved away years ago. I was caught up in the moment of playful celebration, dancing, and reconnecting. Resolutions and, in fact, all thoughts about future were beyond the distant horizon of my present experience.
At some point, when we were gathered in a circle, someone asked about every one's resolutions. Hmmm, well, I thought, there are so many things I would like to do... finish the children's book I am writing and illustrating, or get stronger physically, or maybe develop my etsy store more or participate in a art/craft fair or......
However, beneath all those tangible activities and goals, there was a feeling of a stronger, more all encompassing desire that was calling me – a desire to be more open to people, friends, family, co-workers, strangers. I want to see people as they truly are and respond to them from that place of common humanity without as much attention being given to what separates us. I want to be willing to wade through some awkward first conversations, be with that discomfort, and give the connection more time to begin to flow. I want to reach out to people and bridge the gap.
Since I was a child, I struggled with feelings of alienation. Over the last decade, I have been slowly and gently exploring and gradually dismantling my beliefs that make me feel like I don't fit in this world. Part of that process has really been understanding how so many of us feel isolated or feel like we have to hide from each other for fear of judgement. It is unbelievable how afraid of each other we can be.
So, my new year's resolution is to come out of hiding. I won't compartmentalize my life as much, hiding certain aspects of my lifestyle from certain people because maybe, this act of honesty will help someone see that they have a greater range for self-expression and that they can be more free than they thought. I will not always do this perfectly. Sometimes, I will lack social grace and sometimes I might confuse someone with my open-ness but the chance to make true contact with another human being is worth the risk. Come out of hiding with me. Make friends, smile more, let our eyes meet.
What's your resolution? How do you practice being more open to people?
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