New Spice | Study like a scholar, scholar

Valeri Larko

I am loving these paintings by Valeri Larko. She focuses on the juxtaposition of urban decay and nature. I am facinated by her ability to transform something that is typically considered ugly into a subject of incredible beauty in her use of color and eye for shape and composition. Unlike some works of art that focus on urban ruin or salvage yards for the purpose of controversy about consumption, ect, Larko's work isn't conforntational in that way. It seems to be more of an observation of beauty where others miss it. It does call attention to the issue of waste, but it isn't in such a way that demands change-- it is simply an observation she is making. Click on the title of this post to see her website, which is full of wonderful work.

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

I love this video from 4th Estate, a British publishing house. Caught it from annekata. Check out her site for more info on the making of the video.

I love you, City

 

 

 

 

It is hard to believe it has already been two weeks since I made the trek to Capitol Hill in Denver to apply for my teaching license, but I wanted to post a few pictures I took while wandering abound. Being Downtown reminded me of the things I love the most about cities-- Architecture and this history it can't help but conjure. Architecture! I love love love love it. I love the juxtaposition of the historical and modern, the decorative next to the functional. I love old architecture full of brick and iron because it reminds me of a time when people weren't too busy, weren't in too much of a hury to remember to also make everything beautiful. We've lost something in our prefabricated, concrete and glass world. We've lost the floral motifs, the scrolled metalwork that makes our world more than a place just to get things done and move on to the next thing. There is something about the beauty of the details that helps us stop and look and reflect upon what our lives really are.

I've been thinking some about moving to Capitol Hill. I've been reminded of dreams I used to dream about living in the city, teaching in a school with as little as my own school had, changing the lives of kids who have nothing, who live in unadorned worlds of brokenness. I don't have any idea where the future will lead, what is ahead for me, but I am working hard at listening. As I delve deeper into the reality of this post-grad life means, I am learning that it may be bigger than I thought, it may require more sacrifice, and it might cause me to change my mind about more things that I planned to change my mind about. who knows? We'll see where it all goes, I suppose...

Busy with a few creative things...

 

 

 

 

It is official. I am living the true life of an artist. I have been busy at work painting and drawing, getting new ideas and exploring what is next for me in my painting-- as much as I can squeeze in between working, interviewing for the summer, getting ready to actually start working full time at the Y, and also looking for teaching jobs-- and trying to keep up with all of the wonderful people in my life. BUT-- I think I am a bit more of a legitimage artist considering I am waiting for my next paycheck so I can buy some more cadmium yellow. I feel like Monet on a rainy day. Sad sad sad. Itching.

Nevertheless, I am excited about some of the things coming out of me. I am exploring some new colors, really trying to push myself to use more whites, or at least trying to venture up to the higher end of the value scale. I am finding myself needing to remind myself to be very aware of the importance of dynamic choices in terms of amounts in color and value. I am pleased with the way things are coming out. I am exploring a lot with fibers, getting really exciting about what I can do with fabric. I have also noticed a bit of a shift in the scenes I am compelled to paint since moving here closer to the foothills. The images that continually come to mind are less about plains meeting mountains and more about mountains meeting mountins, the valleys and hills that seem to crumple like blankets, ready to enfold. I've been thinking a lot more about cells, about plants, about what growth looks like on paper, on canvas. interesting ideas that haev not yet been fully explored... perhaps more will come.

I have been thinking and dreaming a lot about where life is going. At this point, things feel a bit scattered-- I am stretched, arms wide, between a lot of different things. Trying to figure out what my passions for kids and teaching are leading, how that is all going to play out in this economy that seems to have sucker-punched education right in the gut. I am happy to be wtih kids at the Y, but am really longing to be doing something more with all of this creativity, all of this strength, all of this ability that is just screaming to get out of me. The job market is quite bleak and I feel like I could be doing so much more-- but it is so much a matter of waiting, of patience, of letting my life develop as it does, walking deeper into the woods, reading more words, letting experience build upon experience. But the day will be coming, indeed, it is surely on its way! It is just a matter of continuing on. Continuing the walk, continuing the search.... getting up each day and doing a little at a time.

back on the perverbial horse...

It has been a while.... and I must admit that I've been off my creative track a bit more than I'd like. Living the creative life hasn't been working out as well as I had hoped. BUT-- today, today, I took a few hours to draw, spent a bit of time really thinking about the direction I want my paintings to go, where I want to go next creatively, really.

I've been struggling a little bit with how to really speak about the visual life that makes up my daily ritual because things are much more complex and I haven't studied enough to be ableto really speak about my surroundings from memory yet. So-- I've set out to work a bit more on studying.

The thing that I love about being here in Boulder is the overabundance of wonderful residential architecture. Because there is an ordinance that prevents expansion, this city is crammed, jammed full of wonderful old houses that have each been individually transformed into personal works of art. There are so many unique houses and each set against this fabulous backdrop of the flatirons and the foothills-- it is about to make my artistic heart burst. Every time I even make the .2 mile drive from work back home, I can hardly believe my incredible luck at being given the gift of such a beautiful home. Truth be told, every time I find myself being called back to the northern or eastern side of the state, a little part of me grieves as I look over my shoulder before getting in the car. I am becoming quite spoiled and snobbish, I must openly admit.

All this to say, being so close to the mountains and being bombarded with so many wonderful houses to look at, creating a painting that really captures it all without more careful observation and study seems impossible. So, as the weather is getting to be so wonderfully beautiful and plants are popping up everywhere, my goal is to get out more and draw-- maybe even just for an hour or two a week. One or two drawings a week would be a great accomplishment for me now. In the meantime, as the Colorado weather is in the process of making up its mind, I have taken a few hundred photographs that ought to serve as some great resource material. I know, I know, this is breaking two cardinal rules-- drawing from observation and from a photograph, but hopefully it will provide me with a bit more visual insight into what we are dealing with here in order to really speak clearly and beautifully about the environment with all of its homey neighborhoods and wonderful wildlife from a more emotional or intellectual perspective soon!

I've posted a few of my favorite images from the day.

How to read a book you don't want to read

Although I imagine this video might not be quite as applicable to the art classroom, this could be a great literacy resource. This could be a great way of teaching literacy skills or might just be a good way of introducing a learning activity that may involve the daunting task of reading a book.

NZ Book Council - Going West

Another great video. It is my hope that i can use resources like this in my classroom on a daily basis to help students see all of the creative possibilities that are out there. As you might have noticed, I Tend to use this blog as a way of collecting these resources so that eventually, when I do have my classroom, I'll have a ready and easy store to refer to. I think that videos like this and other current media might be good ways to start the day-- students can watch the video, look at a work of art, ect and then write a response in their sketchbook, talk to a friend about it, or contribute to a class disucssion.

Eleanor McCain

I am loving these quilts by Eleanor McCain. I've been saving up old scraps of fabric and old clothes-- I would love to begin working on some things like this... oh how I love fiber arts!

My new favorite

I am in absolute love with these paintings from John Baird. I love his incorporation of pattern, textures, and textiles in these beautiful still lives. My heart is aflutter at his beautiful use of color and abstraction of ideas.

Wailin' Jennys

The music of these women makes me hungry for beauty. hhmmm. I've been thinking a lot about the quality of holding desire without the need to grasp or possess. This music brings about in me a sense of need to simply hold the beauty, to breath it in without needing to do anything else. enjoy!

TaaaaDAAAA!

The day has finally arrived for all of you who have been coveting a peice of artwork all of your own! Now that I've graduated and lived through student teaching, my lack of posting here is beyond excuse, but we could just say I've been busy setting up my shop ;). Anywho-- I have been very busy collecting old and new artwork for your financial enjoyment. Here is a little sneak peak at a few of the array of goods available at my etsy shop, Headed West. It is a bit primitive at the moment, but I hope to develop things as time goes on!

Love it

I've been admiring this song all season and was so excited to see this video over at poppytalk. enojoy as you start over this new year!

Winter Songs from Crush Design on Vimeo.