Tuney Thursday

I Didn't See It Coming (Richard X mix) from Belle & Sebastian on Vimeo.

I Didn't See It Coming (Richard X version) by Belle and Sebastian.

animation and production by Lesley Barnes

Taken from the Come on Sister 12" released on Rough Trade Records, 18th July 2011.

Creative Habits: Down Time

I've been talking to folks about their creative habits and how they deal with the ol' burn out. Thing is, it's tough for everyone. There's no feeling like the feeling of helplessness, guilt, loneliness, sadness of the inability to work, think and produce work. It's what I like to call down time (or rolling around like a sad baby panda).

My down time consists of long periods doing everything else: 
Crosswords
Scrabble
Catch up on films or books
Walk around the house aimlessly
Talk to friends
Take discouraged naps
Pin stuff on Pinterest
Clean (or re-do entire rooms)
Marathon watch TV series
Hover over Google Reader/Tumblr/Facecrap/Twitter endlessly
Bug significant other
Doodle
Make lists
Cook
Eat


A note to the ones in severe need of a little happy at 1:30 am : tea and cake. Instant doldrum cure. What are yours?

I feel like this thingy. I really do. Eeeeeee.

Creative Life: Spaces

From an early age we artists all should possibly be put into little artist communes in order to grow up untainted from the likes normal folks. At least that's how I feel sometimes. We are sort of a different breed. We think, live and feel differently, and we tend to be quite difficult in relationships of any kind. It doesn't help when we have to live with people either.
I've always thought I would function well in a little house near the sea with my thoughts. Alone. That worked for me while I was in Grenada. What bliss! I cannot tell you how much my spirit soars and my mind eases when that door closes and I am alone nowadays. I am trying to keep balanced, accepting that I had to return, to a house, with humans. Heavy sigh.
At the risk of possibly maiming people I believe I should have a studio. I believe in locked and sound-proofed studios. For now I don't have one. My bedroom has been re-stuffed with the contents of almost a whole apartment. I'm doing what I can, moving things around, decorating and making myself comfortable. At least I have my chair and desk back. It's not that bad honestly. I'm always searching for ways to make it better, more efficient, more pleasant.

However, I still have to find a way to deal with people. Ayn Rand's brilliant bell technique: Dear husband, please wear a bell on your shoe so you won't scare the shit out of me when you come in the house makes sense and does not sound quirky. I love the endearing way Jennifer Burns talks about it like it's a cute puppy. It is not.

I cannot ask my parents to shut up, turn the tv off, stop yapping on the phone, calling me or whatever. I do fear my life. Caribbean parents? Heh, uhm. I'm not fighting that. Ever. You know what I'm talking about folks (well some of you anyway). I remain quite non-confrontational because I know there's no winning in that situation. Parents, you will always be able to hold that over your child's head.  "I pwn you 4evahhh". Powerful.
I think I'm doing fairly well as I've not broken anything nor has anyone's head been removed just yet. All of these things drawbacks/noise/people usually serve to help you find a way, even if a little bit drastic. I'm still finding mine.

Music Monday: Weeping Guitars

Today is dedicated to you. You endure the cubicle, making work you hate, that you are silently ashamed of what you do, and you are frustrated, trapped, and lost. You are broke/rich, dressed in rags/diamonds with brave smiling face, sleeping too much/little, eating too much/little, and only can find solace in your art that you abandon every day.

The original is always good of course.

On Happiness

I am a huge huge girly screaming fan of Stefan Sagmeister. When I grow up I totally want to be like him. That is all.

Feature Friday: Photo Day

I've taken a bit of a break this week but I figure I should still be able to provide you with at least some form of  artful entertainment. These photos were taken at Asa Wright a few weeks ago as I wandered around in the evening. The lines stretch across the sky and the birds rest and look upon us as we go about our lives, as they do theirs. Theirs is a simple life, one that we should probably hope for. One day.

Creative Life: Baggage

Christopher Stott Baggage II, 36"x36", Oil on Canvas, 2011

While packing up my life a month ago, I realised how attached I am to my crap. Previous bad shipping experience made me carefully photograph (I kid you not) the boxes and bags that were shipping and list their contents. I'm still not sure why I did it, but am quite certain it's OCD-esque and I can laugh at myself and go delete some photos now. I have posted them just for your entertainment - just these two because there are many more unnecessary ones. There were 4 pieces to ship and I took about 5 days to sort and pack and get them shipped off. Needless to say I laughed at myself because my stuff shipped overnight sans problem!

I think mom threw this drawing away when she unpacked it :( or I left it... 

Must. Pad. Art supplies. It was a suitcase full of art supplies. I am still attached tho those.

If I'd left everything, if I'd given everything away and just returned with the clothes on my back, and my electronics, what would happen? I'd find a way right? I would use the tools I had remaining, (mourning and sobbing aside). Letting go proffers mental, spiritual freedom and peace of mind most of all. That of course leads to some measure of happiness I suspect. 

This physical and emotional attachment to things is scary; these things mean nothing. They are just shiny pieces of junk - replaceable, loseable, sellable, stealable, burnable. Our humanity, our society, and our environment makes us attach so easily and quickly to things. I see it in as many small children as adults, (which does not encourage me to want to reproduce, at all). How do we move away from that in a time of ultra-consumerism? I once asked a very wealthy guy if he would give it all up for a simple life and he shook his head. Never. The man would probably fall apart in the worst way and always smiled but I saw a deep down sadness in his eyes when he put on a show for everyone. Yikes.
I revel in 

Fostering creativity by letting go of your mental and emotional baggage is a very good thing. I'm a strong believer in using the tools you have - and I can thank my parents for that. I've got some measure of pack-rat behaviour along with ability to let go. Of course knowing when to let go is another matter. I love my simple, albeit very cluttered, thing-filled life. I believe in simplicity and I sometimes wish I could be more minimalist in living but I'm sentimental and have an overachiever artist brain where I think I can use all my materials. It's a war really.

I'd collected cans, bottles and bags when I was in Grenada. I'd planned to use them. They were probably thrown out. I hope they at least got recycled. That's my only hope for them. I've now left that behind and I'm starting again.

Music Monday + Creative Life: Feeding It Right

I haven't done Music Monday in a while simply because nothing's been hitting me lately. It's not that there aren't thousands of good songs out there, but you know, sometimes you have to have something smack you hard for you to take notice.
This is definitely a three bird one post scenario: good music, fun animation and pretty groovy words to live by. It got implanted in my head on Saturday while heading to our We Does Draw mural painting event and I wondered why. I checked the lyrics that I'd never read before and they truly are wonderful and inspiring with a touch of rebellion. I love it! Thanks Fwankie.

I solve my problems and I see the light
We gotta plug and think, we gotta feed it right
There ain't no danger we can go too far
We start believing now that we can be who we are
Grease is the word
They think our love is just a growing pain
Why don't they understand, It's just a crying shame
Their lips are lying only real is real
We start to find right now we got to be what we feel
Grease is the word
Grease is the word, is the word that you heard
It's got groove it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling
We take the pressure and we throw away
Conventionality belongs to yesterday
There is a chance that we can make it so far
We start believing now that we can be who we are
Grease is the word
Grease is the word, is the word that you heard
It's got groove it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling
This is the life of illusion
Wrapped up in trouble, laced with confusion
What we doing here?
We take the pressure and we throw away
Conventionality belongs to yesterday
There is a chance that we can make it so far
We start believing now that we can be who we are
Grease is the word
Grease is the word, is the word that you heard
It's got groove it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling
Grease is the word, is the word that you heard
It's got groove it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling

This also came along as a very good time. I've been having difficulty re-adjusting to life in Trinidad. Today marks one month since my return. I've felt lost, flailing and as if the wall are closing in on me. The noisy neighbours disturb me, people disturb me, and the phone makes me want to throw things. The bliss seems to come only in moments when the house is completely empty, and the amazingly irritating dog next door has shut up for just a few moments. That needs to change. Of course I know fully well of what needs to change, how to do it and the whole shabang, but I need to wake up one morning and just get on with it.
Vallie speaks of feeding it right, meaning I would think, shifting your energy from problems to the solutions. Let it go, get inspired, get going, believe, and be who you want to be. Sounds amazingly simple but it's a long process. It's easy to get frustrated when you know what needs to be done, and you still see yourself falling apart and not getting anywhere, but that too is part of the process. Change comes when you need it, when you've called out for it, and it then comes quite beautifully.

It was my first time at a We Does Draw event and it was worth the sunburn. I almost gave in to the heat and didn't leave the house. Seriously. Lavaflow heat. I wanted to go but my body told me "hold up there buddy, too hot, cake or death?". I didn't have cake, so I chose some melanin torture.

Photo by Arnaldo James Digital Photography

Not getting to work how I wanted, I ended up walking up and down the wall, waving my marker around until it cooled my burnt out synapses. I have not done public work in a long time so when I picked up that marker, I was hesitant to make the first mark. Crap - what will the kids say if I make a booboo? Arr. What pressure! I am responsible for only a small part, but it still was a great experience with these new and old folks.
I'm pretty much running on the fuel of my people right now. My artists, musicians and creatives. Thanks - you are all a huge part of my life if you weren't aware. Also, I must to listen to more classic disco hits when I'm in a rut ... apparently.

Feature Friday: Finola Prescott

Creative Living with Finola Prescott

Cold porcelain and sterling silver set by Finola Prescott

Finola Prescott is an artist, designer, educator and all-round creative being. She works in the Arts and Crafts field in both St. Lucia and Barbados. Born in the UK, half Irish, half English, she arrived in St. Lucia on the banana boat in 1970. Growing up in St. Lucia with nature as entertainment and her mother helping to inspire her creativity she'd never thought about art as a career until she went back to the UK and did a Diploma in Design and Degree in Crafts. Working on the side to pay for college, in Accounts prove to be very helpful to the business side of work. Thus her eclectic art career path was set.

Porcelain and fine silver scallop pendant on cotton cord

TC: What are you currently working on?

FP: This last year or so has been consumed by consulting work - mostly relating to infusing new life into the traditional crafts here in St. Lucia...this and starting up a little group, the Creative Development Network, has left my own creative exploits a bit high 'n dry!
What I'd like to be working on - my personal work - is re-developing using plant fibres for jewelry - fibre-mache - and combining it with metals - aluminum, copper, silver, brass - and with local red clay. I made handmade paper for many years and always loved what you could do with the pulps that were intended for paper - great textures!

Handmade Album by Finola Prescott

TC: Tell us about your inspirations - art, music etc.

FP: My inspirations tend to come from nature - I try to take a moment to have a little chat with some aspect of nature each day, I love the sky...I get teased for taking so many sunset photos.

I tend to like jazzy R&B, old soul, but I also like to have talk radio going in the background, or tv shows about history, culture, travel, and nature. I'm, I guess, eclectic when it comes to art, music, style - either that or I can't make up my mind.

TC: An artistic career is very trying for most - tell us about that choice.
FP: Ain't it just! When I used to teach Visual Art CXC I'd regularly caution the students to think seriously about whether they wanted to do art or design as their way to earn income or as a way to express themselves and unwind from the stress of life; warning that the former can be crushing when it doesn't pay up.
It's a rare thing to have 'the perfect' job, but still, if you can do what you love - and make sufficient to live well, then why not? All roads have their hardships, so really much of it is learning to see and be grateful for what's good and to do a decent job of managing the rest.

I teach, train and develop because I have way far too many ideas and skills than I will use and I get great personal rewards from seeing others have their creative ability unlocked. That said, it is often a balancing act between sharing all that with others - and having time and energy left over for my own work.
I make my own work primarily because I love making - I've had a love hate relationship with earning from my creative work; it's been a hard road with lots of miscalculations along the way - and I can't yet say that my own creative production is enough to keep me financially but I know it's possible!

Another reason I try to earn by sharing what I know is that when I look back, I realize I invested a lot of time and money in learning lots of new things - so I kinda look at it like a second Degree - and if you'd invested in a Degree, you'd expect that you'd use those skills in your career right?

TC: You mentioned that you've been blank creatively lately. How do you deal with that creative burnout?

FP: I'm yet to really figure that one out! Though I have found that networks, blogs, and other social media can yield up some good support, inspiration, clarity but it's all too easy to just end up swimming around in there and not get back up on terra firma and get on with it.

Some days I feel like I need to disconnect from things a bit...no, a lot for a while, to allow my creative voice to dig itself up from underneath, but since I am unlikely to be getting that break for a bit, I try to make time. It is true that you'll never have time unless you make it, so I make little oases and try and soak up as much as I can while I'm there! I'm thinking that after I finish this next project, a break in one of the other islands might just do it!

TC: How do you turn off from your work?

FP: It's hard sometimes, often, when bills are looming, not to stifle the need for balance and to work like a maniac, 16hrs a day...working smart is not easy for me to create as a solid habit though. One of the things I learnt in recent years is how to use 'mantras' to help quiet the noise of the day and actually get some sleep (I love sleeping - not one of those 3hr night ppl at all!) and more recently, good company, Sunday afternoon, head for the beach with eats and drinks and pay some respect to the bounty of Caribbean island life, plenty ol' talk amongst good friends! I try to eat decently, (comfort food in moderation is good for the soul) get some exercise in, work smarter, enjoy friends and family and breathe. That last one can do wonders; just stopping and focusing on breathing deep and slow can turn a panic into a triumph in no time!

Coffee Coconut and Herbal handmade soaps by Tim Prescott

TC: We've been talking about our personal creative support networks. How supportive is yours? How do you put your network to use?
FP: Our little local network is young yet, but the members, and numbers are expanding, are very sharing and every month when we meet at our Craft & Farmers Market, that is what makes the day (aside from good sales of course!)
In our formal group, aside from working out the logistics of group activities, it's the chatting that is most valuable - tossing up ideas, sometimes with pressure, sometimes just chit-chat. It really helps each other sort out what's a possibility and what ain't gonna work. We share contacts, blog posts, and generally lift each other's spirits with some wicked senses of humour...it's good! That said, as a new network, the work can be overwhelming; the key is that everyone pitches in and allows for differences.

TC: Anything else to add?
FP: I would love to see two images erased from people's minds: the Starving Artist and the Arts as a fall back for the less academically inclined. While I totally understand the artist who works for expression rather than directly for money, I fully believe in the artist who makes captivating things that people pay well for.
The concept that a career in the Arts is in some way more appropriate for lower achievers - pshhhh! If used correctly, the Arts unlocks the capacity of those who don't fit the rigid norm of our education systems and the creativity of those who excel in them too. Imagine where we could be if we bumped up our already impressive academic performances with a true grasp of creative thinking.


True talk Fi, and by the way, one can never have too many sunset photos. Find her on facebook and on her main blog. I've put in links to some of her other art sites and galleries under the photos so go have a clickyclick!

Feature Friday: Andrew F Photography

Andrew F, Shadows, 2011

Andrew F. is an American fine art and erotic nude photographer. He draws inspiration from real life, focusing on lines, shadows, shapes, and subtle eroticism.

Balancing a corporate job and his love for photography, he spends much of his free time pursuing his passion, but he is not an artist who is just waiting to be freed from the confines of work. In fact, he actually likes his day job.

Asked if he would consider doing photography full time, Andrew said, "If I could make enough money to live on it, but I do enjoy my other job immensely. It's a different set of challenges, different skills used and I prefer to balance the two. It makes my life seem that much busier and richer."

Work
This is Andrew's second year of erotic art explorations. His personality and work style seem to suit his choice of work and play and that strikes an interesting balance. "I'm the kind of person who gets bored too easily.
If I get bored, then I get depressed, so I can't let that happen!" This is one of the banes of all creatives' lives. For some it's boredom and for others like me it's not creating that creates depression.

I was curious to find out how Andrew's work-life balance plays out and the time spent on work and art.

AF: I work 40-50 hours a week for my primary job and the remainder is spent on photography: nights and weekends. Usually when I come home for work I'll spend about 3 hours scouring the web for interesting photographs and new photographers. I do shooting on weeknights and weekends. Sometimes I'll take a day off work if I want to shoot with a model I really like, who can't be available at any other time.

Andrew F, Of Breasts, 2011

TC: Do you ever feel burnt out creatively?

AF: Often. That's why I look at new work by other photographers. I usually won't rip off an idea from them, but rather use an idea they use and mix it with my own creativity to create a whole new idea. I often solicit ideas from models; sometimes they contribute, sometimes they don't. Usually I create my better photos with models who, I have to say, I find sexually attractive.  It creates a very interesting tension and stirs up a lot of emotions inside of me. I can approach shooting them from a more confident and interested standpoint.

TC: Aha! So how do you keep it professional?

AF: That's one area where my other job helps me deal with it. I talk to models about other photographers they work with and I find out that a few of them can be very unprofessional and kind of scummy. Some have said that most of the photographers they work with are 40 or 50-something year old men who use the photos as their personal spank banks. I am not like that at all. I am only 27, I do this for art, and I have a job that keeps me in a professional mindset always. 

My (day) job has everyone take sexual harassment training, and in the United States over the last 50 years or so, with the women's liberation movement, many men are afraid to "come on" to women lest they face consequences, so sexual harassment in the workplace is now more rare. 

A lot of it has to do with the strong female influences in my early life from my mother and grandmother. I consider them to both be quasi-feminists. They taught me from early on to be immensely respectful towards all people, especially women. I try very hard to achieve this, and I hope it comes out in my art.

Andrew F, Shock and Awe, 2011

Inspiration
Like many artists, Andrew's inspiration is derived from daily as well as extracurricular activities. "I go hiking and see a vista and think, "wow, I'd like to take some shots with a model here" or I see an advertisement and say, "I'd like to incorporate some of this idea into my work". When I'm at work I'm also thinking about an idea I want to realize in my photography."

TC: Who are you inspired by?

AF: When I started, I was really into the work of Ralf Mohr and Thomas Karsten, and their work was primarily just nudes. Then I discovered the work of other artists like Laurent Benaim, Tony Ward, or Aeric Meredith-Goujon and saw that their work was a lot more erotic, and it's like they opened up so much more of my brain to the creative process. Four American photographers I really like at the moment are K Leo, Scott Nichol, David Hilton, and Gary Breckheimer.

TC: What is it about creating a photo that excites you?
AF: It's the emotion that is conveyed by the model. Are they sad, happy, angry and why? Why would a model be happy if she were naked? Emotion is really important. I hate when I see a nude photograph and the model has a wooden, lifeless expression. I find humanity to be quite amazing, it's so incredibly beautiful. Granted, I would not want to photograph someone like a co-worker or family member!

Andrew F, The Space In Between, 2011

Taboo
Living a bit of a secret life, Andrew is still doubtful about the reactions his family and friends would have about his work. Erotic art is still taboo, even in semi (pseudo) liberated societies.

TC: It's easier to work with strangers then?

AF: Absolutely. People say it's easier to open up to a stranger than to a close friend. Maybe it's because we're worried about being judged by those whose opinions we care about.


TC: I think I am closer to many online friends than offline.
AF: I agree. My "real-life" friends would never understand this. If they found out, they would either say it was awful to do this or would get all testosterone-y as guys get when they find out about naked girls. 

TC: So who knows about your work?

AF: No friends, no family, no co-workers. The models, other artists, and the people who've seen my work online, they all know.

TC: You may also be surprised by who accepts it.

AF: That's true, but I might be afraid to find out. I find that some of the models do this on the down-low as well.


TC: Do you think you'll eventually "come out" publicly?
AF: Oh, maybe but I'm sure I'll be outed first, and that will be one bad, crazy day.

You can see Andrew's work on Flickr and Tumblr. I'm starting on a collaborative series with him so look out for that at some point.

Worky Wednesday: Chakra

Ajna 3, (Chakra Series), 2011, Gouache, paint on mat board, 6.5"x11"

I'm a bit unimpressed with my scanner at the moment - it takes out the pretty shine of the gold paint.
I'm adding to the Chakra series that I restarted earlier this year. These are photographs so there's some icky reflection but at least you can see some more of the detail.

Ajna 1, Chakra Series, 2011, Mixed media acrylic on canvas, 12" x 12"

Ajna 2, (Chakra Series), 2011, Mixed media acrylic on canvas, 12" x 12"

If you're curious about the history of the Chakra series, you can have a look here at the full series. It started in 2006 in school and I've returned once again. I'm planning to continue and build upon it in my future works because for the moment I am drawn to this again.