Inspiration, Marriage, and Art

(Artwork done before I was married...circa 2008)

In a month I will have been married for 4 years...where does the time go?! But alas, this is not a post about time, but rather inspiration. Before I was married, or even seriously dating (Andy and I only dated for 3-months before we married, yes another story for another day.) I was quite the artistic person. Not saying I was good or anything, but I was full of inspiration and I usually surfed that inspiration wave into artistic bliss.

Some artistic background here. My grandmother (mom's side) was an artist for the majority of her life. In Rhode Island, where she mostly lived, she was quite the well known artist. She painted everything from still life, to historic buildings and parks, to scenery...everything really. In fact, my family still has over 50 of her paintings...maybe more. Every time we visited her growing up, she would have an easel with canvas and paint for each of my brothers and me. We would all sit and paint together in her home gallery. I loved it! Usually I painted ice-cream cones, but sometimes I ventured into other areas like flowers or trees.

(Artwork I did as a kid, probably about 6th grade.)

My grandmother was the artistic base of my family, but both of my parents had their fair share of creativity as well. My mom was a great sketcher. She was always sketching little people with funny thought bubbles. My dad was more creative in a 3D way, with building things out of wood. Growing up around constant creativity allowed me to fully express myself in colorful ways. I was never as good of a drawer or painter as my little brother, and I definitely couldn't cartoon like my older brother, but that was never an issue. We were all encouraged by my parents and we each felt like our art was great.

Shortly after I got married I decided to spend some of the time that I was unemployed and looking for a job, getting back into art. I wanted to combine painting with photography. While working on my first piece I asked Andy what he thought and he straight up laughed, then he proceeded to make fun of my art. I was aghast, shocked, hurt! No one had ever laughed or made fun of my art. No matter how crazy or silly my artwork had been in the past, my family was fully supportive and positive towards it. Andy's reaction shocked and stunned me. I stopped the artwork immediately and didn't even look at any of my art materials until just a month ago. That is 4-years with no painting or drawing in my life. I don't know how I did it and quite frankly, I have been afraid to go back to it since Andy made fun of it. It is funny how something as simple as liquid pigment on paper can be so personal.

So you may be wondering, why go back to it now after 4-years? Well...I recently got a job at an art shop and gallery. When I sit at work and stare at artwork from local artists and all the art supplies that we sell, the inspiration comes pouring back in. I get that excitement for art that I haven't had in 4 years. Finally, I have unpacked all of my art supplies that I have been lugging from place to place each time we move. The supplies came out, the inspiration was overflowing, and I started. This time I was prepared for the laughing when it came. Yes, Andy still makes fun of my art. We have fought and talked and yes, I even threatened divorce if he makes fun of my artwork anymore. Slowly, he is changing his comments. He doesn't understand artwork because he didn't grow up around it the way that I did. He also doesn't understand how personal it can be.

All in all, I am happy and excited to be back at painting. I have decided to take myself outside of my comfort box and try new abstract things. It is exciting and I am really enjoying a more spontaneous go of painting this time rather than the planned out precise geometric pieces I would do before. I am having fun re-engaging in an old passion and discovering new things about myself. I think my grandmother would be proud...and as for my husband, well, he will come around one of these days.

(A current piece that I just finished!)

Art Inspiration: Peter Perlegas

I recently stumbled upon some of Peter Perlegas's sketches and was wow'd! His sketches are very realistic. I cannot sketch for my life, so seeing someone else that can draw well is really impressive to me. After finding his website though, I was a little unimpressed. I love his sketches and drawings, but his website is WAY over commercialized. Oh well...

Art Inspiration: Big Appetites

A friend recently introduced me to this series called 'Big Appetites' and I knew I had to share it on the blog. It is right down my alley of favorite types of art/photography. This series of small detailed figures interacting with food was created by photographer Christopher Boffoli. He started the series in 2003 based on the media he was exposed to as a small child. A lot of television shows juxtaposed small people in a big world, and Boffoli relates that to being a small child in a big world full of detailed things. Boffoli liked adding the element of food because of its beautiful texture and color. Boffoli has a whole take on the food aspect of his photograph of which you can read more about on his website. What a fun idea. I enjoy how the little characters in the photographs each seem to have a personality to them.

Art Inspiration: kids without candy

This morning I stumbled upon this series called 'End Times' by Jill Greenberg and had to share it. It is a series of photographs where children have been given candy, then the candy was taken away, and Jill started photographing. Obviously when you take candy away from a kid they are going to cry, and that is the exact reaction Jill got. At first when you look at the photographs you think it is some kind of cruel joke. Then it just becomes funny. Funny in a not so funny way. It is definitely a strange series of photos to take, but that's what I love about it.

 (The rest of the pictures have a level of humor to them, but this one is just plain heartbreaking!)

Art Inspiration: Wonderland

Wonderland is a series of magical photographs created by English photographer Kristy Mitchell. She created the series over a few years as a way of coping to her mothers death of breast cancer. Mitchell's English Teacher mother raised her on books and fairytales that instilled in her imagination and beauty. When her mother died "photography became an overwhelming passion that [she] could not stop". She turned parts of her dreams into whimsical photographs with the occasional help of her friends. Through a background of costume and set design, she created fairytale scenes to photograph.

"Since embarking on this path, I have walked on snow covered in flowers, stood in lakes at sunset, painted trees, set fire to chairs, made smoking umbrellas, and giant wigs from stolen flowers. I have laughed, been overwhelmed, and left in awe of all the things I had previously passed unnoticed until now …" -Kristy Mitchell

I love this series! In college I worked on a few projects similar to this, trying to create the magical and mystical. Being able to get lost in the land of fantasy and capturing it through photography to share with the rest of the world is a great thing. Mitchell has done an incredible job!

Art Inspiration: Created Equal

This is a black and white photo series of diptych's. A diptych is when two photos are displayed side by side. Mark Laita created this series to "remind us that we are all equal, until our environment, circumstances, or fate molded or weathered us into who we have become". This series is Laita's personal view of the people in the US in which he shows us the details and does not airbrush out the 'ugly' parts. He has a really great writeup about the series which is also a book, on his website.

Astronaut/Alien Abductee, 2003/2005

Homeless Man/Real Estate Developer, 2002/2005

Ballerina/Boxer, 2002/1999

Marine/War Veteran, 2002/2004

 

French Chef/Short Order Cook, 2006/1999

 

Fur Trapper/Woman With Dog, 2003/2004

 

Amish Teenagers/Punk Teenagers, 2004/2004

Art Inspiration: Hugh Kretschmer

If you can't tell, I LOVE photo manipulations! I have featured them quite a few times already. Check out some of the other manipulation series I have posted about here and here. I love to leave my life of reality and explore the unknown worlds of photo manipulation. This series by Hugh Kretschmer leaves a lot to the imagination. I enjoy thinking up titles for each picture.

Hugh Kretschmer is a Los Angeles photographer who enjoys "trick-the-eye elements". He grew up in a family of artists and discovered photograph at the age of 13. Now he works with photography for both art and commerce. Check out his website here.

Art Inspiration: 4 Sisters, 36 Years

This series of photos not only blows my mind, but is also kind of eerie. Nicholas Nixon took this series of pictures once a year for 36 years starting in 1975. His wife is one of the four sisters who range in 10 years of age. See all 36 pictures here.

1975

1979

1986

1993

1999

2004

2010

Art Inspiration: Erik Johansson

Erik Johansson is a photographer and photo retoucher from Sweden. He creates abnormal surreal photos that make your imagination run wild. "I don’t capture moments, I capture ideas." That is what Johansson is all about and it truly shines through in his work. His photo manipulations take you to places out of this world and create the dialogue for stories you can finish in your own head.

Johansson's photo manipulations are some of my favorites in this line of art. I enjoy it when he takes a normal everyday setting and turns it into a fairy tale. His type of photo art is one that will forever inspire me to work at creating my own manipulations. Unlike Johansson though, my manipulations have a lot more perfecting to do.

See more of his work here.