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Liane Abrieu is a canadian artist out of Quebec. Look at her Hopperesk style! Love the graphic nature of her work and so detailed! You can read more about her on her website...http://lianeabrieu.com.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Artistic Inspiration... Kay Ruane
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And now for a completely different feeling... We've been looking at romantic Pre-Raphaelite artists and today we are taking a little journey into something more crisp and contemporary. I love the penciled texture of the images, yet still with grace, elegance and a feminine feel. This woman can draw! The artist's name is Kay Ruane and you can visit her website at www.kayruane.com.
Finding Strength in Community
People need people. A lone log cannot burn without the ignition of other logs. Together the burning logs make a fire. The more logs, the greater the fire!
No matter who you are or what you do, you need other people. Even introverts needs others! Very few of us wish to be hermits. (Consider Howard Hughes). Even a short term hermit imposed time can turn one into a hermit crab! Sometimes artists or people of different religious convictions go into a time of seclusion to hear their inner voice and calm themselves but eventually they come back to the world to share what they've learned.
Children learn community through family and in school. Employees find community among their fellow workers. Others find community in their neighborhoods, churches or support groups.
Whatever your special interest, or struggle, you need community.
Facebook is built around the idea of community. We have friends, pages, likes and are always bombarded with more opportunities to broaden our virtual community.
Blogs such as this can build community. Even if you are one of 100 readers who you don't know, you are in a sense part of something larger than yourself and gaining support.
I'm part of a few photography communities where I get a chance to develop my skills on a deeper level and meet fellow minded travelers on life's journey who share some of the same struggles and triumphs. They share with me and I share with them and together we all become more of who we can be.
So today, your challenge is two fold. If you are feeling a bit "unplugged" try to think about what kind of community you can join. Now google and see what web communities you can be a part of. Write on the boards. Get to know people. Show an interest in others. Fall is a good time to do that.
At the same time see if there is anything in your local area that you can plug into that you can physically rub shoulders with and further develop yourself!
Being part of a community is good for the soul!
No matter who you are or what you do, you need other people. Even introverts needs others! Very few of us wish to be hermits. (Consider Howard Hughes). Even a short term hermit imposed time can turn one into a hermit crab! Sometimes artists or people of different religious convictions go into a time of seclusion to hear their inner voice and calm themselves but eventually they come back to the world to share what they've learned.
Children learn community through family and in school. Employees find community among their fellow workers. Others find community in their neighborhoods, churches or support groups.
Whatever your special interest, or struggle, you need community.
Facebook is built around the idea of community. We have friends, pages, likes and are always bombarded with more opportunities to broaden our virtual community.
Blogs such as this can build community. Even if you are one of 100 readers who you don't know, you are in a sense part of something larger than yourself and gaining support.
I'm part of a few photography communities where I get a chance to develop my skills on a deeper level and meet fellow minded travelers on life's journey who share some of the same struggles and triumphs. They share with me and I share with them and together we all become more of who we can be.
So today, your challenge is two fold. If you are feeling a bit "unplugged" try to think about what kind of community you can join. Now google and see what web communities you can be a part of. Write on the boards. Get to know people. Show an interest in others. Fall is a good time to do that.
At the same time see if there is anything in your local area that you can plug into that you can physically rub shoulders with and further develop yourself!
Being part of a community is good for the soul!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Artistic Inspiration... Emilie Vernon
You are viewing the work of Emile Vernon, a french painter alive from 1872-1919. There is not too much about him on the internet, at least written in English but his paintings of women with flowers and flowing hair capture my imagination.
It's all about a tweak....
We've been steadily working on the studio space trying to get it done. The big clincher has been the electricity. My husband, armed with the knowledge that he had from wiring our basement 10 years ago went to work on putting in a switch and two new outlets. The trick was that the wiring is attached to our neighbors master bedroom and the power goes over to their breaker box. To get to the box, we have to ask them to turn it off or un-luck their doors so we can get in.
Late last night, we finally got it all done - the lights came on after three failed attempts. We happily cleaned up the room and I started setting up my studio lights. Tom was on the floor reading and enjoying the fruit of his labors and I flipped the light switch off. Everything went dark. Even the lights plugged into the outlets shut down. When I turned the switch back on...nothing. Just then our neighbor came home and we had her to turn the breaker back on.... sparks flew everywhere!
So we called our friend who is an electrician. Even though he was out of town, he dispatched his son out first thing in the morning. Turns out that my husband had wired the switch wrong. One little wrong move and bam... sparks!
Isn't life like that? We can get 99% of something right but if we are just a little bit off... things don't work out. It's like a math problem, You can spend 20 minutes doing a long equation and if in the end you have a tiny error, the whole thing is wrong! Chemistry.... put one wrong chemical in and you can have a disaster! What about an airline pilot... hmmm
The old saying goes, "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades". Ain't it the truth though! This world is a bit unforgiving because as we know, even our best efforts are often not good enough.
We learn to live with imperfection, both in ourselves and others. How? It's called GRACE. No one can get it right 100% of the time. If we expect it to be done right all the time, we are going to spend our life living in disappointment.
I do believe in doing everything with excellence. When I became a photographer, I sought training, lots of it. I procured a mentor and learned all that I could. I was committed to being the very best that I could be, and I still am. I never stop learning and growing.
But there are other things that I'm not very good at! I'm not an organized bill payer. I get bogged down under paperwork and details and forget school deadlines. I don't keep up with the mundane.
So, I pat myself on the shoulders and take pride in my work and I cut myself some slack on the other. I get help in those areas that I will never be good at so that my life runs smoothly.
Today, look at the areas of your life. What do you do well? What don't you do as well? Can you get help with those things?
How about with others? Do you need to will some grace to someone today? Or maybe you can help them with some area of their lives and they can help you with yours. We are all on the same journey. Let's join hands and move forward together.... it's good for the soul!
Late last night, we finally got it all done - the lights came on after three failed attempts. We happily cleaned up the room and I started setting up my studio lights. Tom was on the floor reading and enjoying the fruit of his labors and I flipped the light switch off. Everything went dark. Even the lights plugged into the outlets shut down. When I turned the switch back on...nothing. Just then our neighbor came home and we had her to turn the breaker back on.... sparks flew everywhere!
So we called our friend who is an electrician. Even though he was out of town, he dispatched his son out first thing in the morning. Turns out that my husband had wired the switch wrong. One little wrong move and bam... sparks!
Isn't life like that? We can get 99% of something right but if we are just a little bit off... things don't work out. It's like a math problem, You can spend 20 minutes doing a long equation and if in the end you have a tiny error, the whole thing is wrong! Chemistry.... put one wrong chemical in and you can have a disaster! What about an airline pilot... hmmm
The old saying goes, "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades". Ain't it the truth though! This world is a bit unforgiving because as we know, even our best efforts are often not good enough.
We learn to live with imperfection, both in ourselves and others. How? It's called GRACE. No one can get it right 100% of the time. If we expect it to be done right all the time, we are going to spend our life living in disappointment.
I do believe in doing everything with excellence. When I became a photographer, I sought training, lots of it. I procured a mentor and learned all that I could. I was committed to being the very best that I could be, and I still am. I never stop learning and growing.
But there are other things that I'm not very good at! I'm not an organized bill payer. I get bogged down under paperwork and details and forget school deadlines. I don't keep up with the mundane.
So, I pat myself on the shoulders and take pride in my work and I cut myself some slack on the other. I get help in those areas that I will never be good at so that my life runs smoothly.
Today, look at the areas of your life. What do you do well? What don't you do as well? Can you get help with those things?
How about with others? Do you need to will some grace to someone today? Or maybe you can help them with some area of their lives and they can help you with yours. We are all on the same journey. Let's join hands and move forward together.... it's good for the soul!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Art Speaks...
This painting is done by Arthur Hughes. For more of Hughes, see the other post today.
What's in a painting for the viewer? I was perusing through all of Arthur Hughes work and this one caught my eye. I love this image... for symbolic reasons. The bible story of Ruth has always been one of my favorites. This painting reminds me of that. The account of Ruth is a beautiful story of loyalty, love and provision. It shows how sometimes bad things can happen that can change the course of your life but if you stay the course, things can turn around again.
I like this image too because way in the back is a little windmill, a symbol of my heritage.
Effective art speaks to the viewer. When a painting, photograph or poem grabs your heart, you need to listen and decipher the message. What is this painting saying to me right now?
Ruth means "loyal friend, companion". This woman is working hard in the field gleaning food for herself and her family. The act of gleaning is picking up what the harvesters have left. It gives her just enough but not too much. She can barely make it on her own. If it weren't for the owner of the field telling her workers to drop a bit extra wheat so that she can glean it she would have inadequate supplies.
Day in and day out, Ruth heads out to the fields to get wheat to bake bread and sell it to provide for her and her mother-in-law Naomi. She does not tire, she perseveres. The act of gleaning is not "beneath her" for she is a poor widow in a foreign land. She also does it slow and steadily. She is not in a hurry or playing beat the clock. This woman is calm.
Later in the story, Ruth catches the eye of Boaz, the rich owner of the field. He takes her under his wing and marries her. She no longer has to glean but has ample provision and then some. Oh happy ending....
This painting gives me hope. It reminds me to stay calm and focused on the simple task at hand. It reminds me that people do get "lucky breaks" sometimes and that there is someone watching over me who cares for my needs and provides for me. It screams patient perseverance. It teaches me to be still.
A don't know what the purpose behind this painting was originally. It could have just been a pretty picture to Hughes, but 100 or more years later, I can glean great wisdom from this work, pun intended. That's why art is good for the soul!
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