I was out with my kids for mother’s day and snapped photos randomly with both my iphone and my digital camera. While posting them to my social blog, I started seeing more in the photos. So I played. I put them into photoshop and cropped and posterized until they FELT like the day we’d shared together.
We’d spend the day playing at the Boardwalk at the beach in Santa Cruz. The beautiful girl in my photos is my 21 year old daughter, Cas.
When I was little - anything could be art.
It was not the materials, it was the process.
In the spirit of discovery I dragged random materials to my courtyard and … played. The paper was old and crinkled. I started with pencils, then oil crayons (note to self: you ‘re going to need a LOT more white), then to acrylic paint. I rubbed and scraped and moved my hands. I focused on how I feel about my courtyard and all the little things in it. Just like a kid I kept playing until the paper was covered. At the end - I was dipping my fingers in paint and smearing it around.
At the bottom right - I even pressed my hand to the paper.
Photos of the elements in my courtyard that inspired me to art today - 4.27.08
All children are artists. They dip their fingers in bright, slick paint and smear their feelings across the page. If asked, they define their masterpieces - but before that - there is just joy of color and line and expression. Their hands move and magic happens.
I was trained as an artist. I have a piece of paper (somewhere) that proclaims I earned a Bachelor of Fine Art in Graphic Design. I have worked for over 30 years doing print and then web for a wide range of clients and industries. I can solve any graphic problem and pull disparate elements together and the result is clean and focused. But when I am not working my mind wanders.
I see color and shape and type and I want to capture it. I read words in blogs and see photos in social media and what I see go beyond words. The child in me wants paint and pencils and paper and scissors and glue. She yearns to move her hands - effortlessly and with feeling.
My first post and my desire to create art again is inspired by the blog of a virtual friend. This is from his blog, Tuesday, April 22, 2008. pleasefindthis.blogspot.com
I plan on looking back, with the hope it will move me forward…
Thank you “i” whoever you are.