Don't Say "I Could Do That!"

I feel like venting for a second. 

..Or for a few paragraphs.

I have an artistic pet-peeve. 

People think 'simple' art is "easy" or "bad." For example, if I had a dollar for every time I heard "I could do that" or worse, "I could do better than that," in reference to a children's book illustration, a fine art piece, or really any kind of art, I would be a rich woman.
Now, I am going to make it clear right here that there are a lot of artists that get published that do not design well. But, for the most part, I think most are misunderstanding the beauty of simplicity, expression, and composition. Most artists compose everything. They design the character, the environment, the negative (or empty) space, the text...everything. If it looks simplified, it is because they meant to draw it in that style, not because that is the only way they know how to draw.

 I read in a book once that children typically draw really expressive and creative until they hit about 10-12. Then, they develop this fascination with realism. They want everything they draw to look like it does in their mind, or in real life. They get frustrated when doesn't, and they loose their passion for creating for the sake of creating. Who cares if a 4-year-old draws her mom with 10 fingers? I bet she had a blast making all those lines! (AND, sadly, many parents, siblings, and teachers also stifle children's creativity at this age by pushing realism. For example "the grass isn't purple," or "That doesn't look like Bobby!" But that is a vent for another day.) (AAAAAND, let me add that I loooove realism, and this is in no way a kabosh against representational art.)
So, according to the book I read, that is why most adults draw like a 10-12 year old. Because that is when they basically gave up. Tragic day.


Wow, that was a side track. I am talking about misunderstand art here.

Here are some examples:

                  A) One of my all-time favorite illustrators is Quentin Blake. He illustrated many of the Roald Dahl books. I am ashamed to admit it, but as a child I really disliked his artwork. I thought it was sloppy. But now, I love the way his marks are so expressive and loose, and they are all beautifully, and simply composed. You can tell he has fun with each illustration. I would really love to hang a print in my home.

                B) Picasso. I think he was artistic genius, but his work--especially his cubist pieces, are definitely over critiqued by the ignorant. 

Pablo Picasso was actually an incredibly skilled realist painter. You can see his progression in early paintings:

But he was passionate about discovering and pushing the envelope. Cubism was the result of finding geometric shapes in the human form, and depicting multiple planes at the same time. 

I love what Lori McNee says, "He learned the illusion of volume then he deliberately learned how to flatten it. It didn’t happen overnight. In fact, he spent his whole life trying to remember how to paint like a child! Despite his childlike painting, there was never a man who explored art more seriously."

Read more: http://www.finearttips.com/2009/03/breaking-the-rules-2/#ixzz2vcqyyBF5

I am a fan of Picasso. I love how he wasn't afraid to change his style as he learned and discovered. 

          C) The KING of the 'bad-art rap' is non-objective or abstract art. This is something I am really passionate about defending, because non-objective art is all about the design and composition, or it is about a specific statement. Of course I don't find all abstract art beautiful. But I'll defend them never the less....
I love making my own non-objective art. It is a stress-relief, especially when I am working on a big project with a lot of people that look like people and so forth. Sometimes it just feels so good to pull a "Jackson Polluck" and get crazy with the paint (or pixels in my case)...

(A painting by Jackson Polluck. He was known for putting a canvas on the floor and throwing paint at it. I don't know about you, but it sounds like a blast. I would love to get paid millions of dollars to do that.)

Here are some other examples of famous shape-oriented pieces that I find beautiful. 

This piece by Josef Albers called Homage to the Square: Confidant is a great example of the beauty of simple shape and careful composition. He demonstrates that colors have value (or a lightness and darkness), and that ordering the values helps emphasize a focal point. I love tidy, neat lines...probably because that isn't usually how I paint. But there is something profoundly beautiful to me about order, and clean, crisp lines. 

This piece by Mark Rothko, No. 13, I would love to hang in my home. I love anytime I see the artist's brushstrokes on their work, because it is like seeing their thought process. I guess it is a little like having a mathematician 'show their work' on paper. I also love the 'torn' paper look with the uneven edges. And, while they are rough and uneven, they still easily communicate 'rectangle.' I also easily find a symbolic meaning with this...the white rectangle seems to be transcending the others...like a spiritual or uplifting experience. 

Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow, Piet Mondrian. I guess I really do have a thing for squares and rectangles, because I just realized all the examples I chose are really geometric. I love the power of contrasts in this piece..the values are controlled well to bring your eye to the red square, then down to the yellow, then to the blue. I also love the variety of the lines..some are thicker and some are shorter. Definitely not a boring painting!

And just to mix it up, here is a more organic one:

This is by Theresa Paden. Check out more of her art at http://www.abstractartistgallery.org/theresa-paden/

The colors and values frame the composition well, and I really enjoy the juicy brushstrokes. Truly a beautiful painting. 

I'm not saying you have to find all art beautiful, just try to understand it. Beautiful compositions take a lot of trial, error, practice and patience to perfect.

And just for fun, here are a few that I did!

Country or City?

Hey Everyone! Hope you are having a wonderful sunday! I hope you get to spend time with loved ones today.
Here is a post from long ago that I never published. Now seems like a great time to post it, because it means I don't have to write anything :)
------

Where would your ideal home be? In a bustling, crowded, exciting city--or in a quite, quaint country side?

Do you find energy in crowds and love to be where the action is, or do you find large groups of people unsettling and prefer the quiet of nature with a few close friends?

When you think of a perfect view, do you think city scape or mountain vista?

Public life or private life?

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a "City Girl" or a "Country Girl" (or boy, respectively). Can preferring one over another really be a refection on your personality? Do extroverts prefer the city, and introverts the country? Is it strictly a matter of where you were raised, or can you secretly be a City Girl if you spend your life in the country?

I have always lived in small towns. The first town I remember living in had a population of a little less than 6,000. My parents lived out of town on several acres, and I feel like my childhood was absolutely idyllic. I would spend hours playing outside and exploring the world around me. We had great homemade fun---such as a cable zip line that propelled your body down a very steep hill at incredible speeds (I was always too chicken to ride...especially since I watched my brothers smack into the tree at the other end!). We would hike around our property, or play in an old wooden fort. We also raised livestock (sheep, a few cows, horses, pigs, chickens), and I could write a novel about those crazy and entertaining moments---really an unorganized rodeo.

As a teenager, my parents moved to another town, population about 12,000. We again moved to a home on acreage, several miles outside of town. Most of the land is a large hill behind our home ( about 30 acres), and I loved running up that hill. It is something I still do when I visit my family. I can't believe the beauty and solitude in my backyard.

Now, my husband and I live in a city.

 At first it was a real challenge. I hated that the "fresh air" smelt (and smells) like cigarettes and animal feces. And just feeling trapped, buildings, streets, people everywhere...

But now, I don't know. I getting more used to it...or maybe I just forgot what the country is like.

What do you think?
Are you a Country Bumpkin or a City Slicker?
How does your population preference effect your personality and lifestyle?

(http://misguidedchildren.com/politics/2013/11/a-sick-sad-country/7699)

(http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/is-new-york-city-the-next-detroit/)

Scripture of the day:

John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (KJV)

Such a short scripture, but such a profound message. We obey laws or rules for many different reasons. We may follow order because of tradition or habit. We may follow out of fear---fear for the chaos that would occur, for example, if no one heeded traffic signals. Or, the personal fear of being 'caught'. We may obey because of a sense of duty. Feeling like it is the "right" thing to do. Many of these motives may also apply to moral laws and standards as well.
Christ teaches a deep lesson here. It is good to keep the commandments, but it is best to keep the commandments because we are motivated by the love we feel for our Savior. But if you don't feel that love it certainly isn't bad to just do what you should anyway. Conversion will come.

On the flip side, I believe if we make loving Jesus Christ, and loving others as He loved us, our highest priority, then we will naturally want to be obedient.

True love inspires and motivates great action. This is true for parenting as well.
It is all about the love.

Estoy aprendiendo español!

Hola amigos!

Hope all is well on your end. Hope you had something great for dinner. I didn't. I kind of forgot to make dinner, and my husband was so hungry when he got home that he ate all the left overs....so jr. and I were on our own. I really wanted a baked sweet potato, but those take forever to cook. I decided to try the microwave. I'll wrap this up by saying don't ever turn to a microwave to do an oven's job. It just wasn't the same...well, I also didn't have plastic wrap, so I am sure that made 93% of the difference. I hope your dinner was better. On the plus side I did have 2 bowls of Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries tonight. It was delish.

Moving on.

I am not doing so hot with my 'no added-refined sugary treat goal'.
I'd give myself an A for the first three days,
an A- for the rest of the first week...

And a D for this week.

Oh well. I'll keep trying....after I finish this cookie.

But really, I will..I just need to fill my house with healthy snacks so I am not tempted. That will be a great post for another day.

BUT! I have been very successful at one goal for 7 entire days!

I am learning Spanish.

Here is my plan: I only (or mostly only) watch movies and listen to music in español (which I do at least once a day. It also takes away my guilt for watching movies :) )

I also write down vocabulary I don't know as I watch and then look up the words later. And I try to read a page a day in The Book of Mormon in Spanish. 

It's only been a week, and already I:

1) Understand more

2) Don't even mind watching kid movies in spanish

3) Have a strong desire to habla with any spanish-speaker I meet

I say it's been a success! 

I just makes sense! My hub speaks fluently, so why not?! Anyway, this is really like a really long term goal, but I really feel like it is obtainable if I stick with it. 

What goals are you working on? What goals do you struggle to keep? It's still February, so I say you have time to swap your New Year's resolutions if you want:) 

On another note: I did THIS workout today. It is AWESOME. By that I mean killer (not for the faint of heart). Try it, let me know what you think!

And here is the little guy who has just ripped my heart out the past few days. 

Seriously, he is such a cutie! I just wish I could hit 'pause' and keep him little for a while. I'm just trying to enjoy every second. 

New Art Blog!

I TOLD you I am all in to art again! Seriously, I have been a mad, painting woman for the past three days. It's been awesome. It is amazing how much you can do if you put your mind to it! If you followed my old art blog, please stop (I'll delete it soon), and migrate towards my NEW and fantastic art blog: arieltheartist.blogspot.com

There will be lots of posts, because there is no stopping this art craze that has come over me!

AAAND, I may have just finished some awesome paintings, but you have to go to my blog to see them! :) Check it out!

Love Birds

Just finished this little guy. I had a lot of fun playing around on Photoshop. I always thought it would be fun to be a bird and sit on a power line. 

Scripture of the day: "O be wise; what can I say more?" Jacob 6:12 (The Book of Mormon)

Can't say any more than that. Be wise. Wisdom=peace and security. 

Out of a Rut

I've been in an artistic rut lately. I can admit that with full confidence because I am once again excited about creating, and I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I'll be honest: I pretty much decided to put my art on the shelf for a while. I even stopped posting on my art blog. We've been without any income for 7 months, and I felt an incredible, and overwhelming pressure to make some money with my art. Thankfully my wonderful husband didn't say or expect anything, and this was all in my head (which can sometimes be worse....ha ha!), but lets just say I don't perform well under pressure.  I never do. I overworked my paintings to death in college while sitting in a puddle of sweat, then, I'd turn them in after starting over for the bazillionth time. My work sometimes got so rigid, rather than fun and loose, because I was so anxious about a pending deadline.

My other obstacle has been the struggle with balancing my life (right along with the other 6 billion people on earth). I am very time and goal oriented. Maybe it is a fault, but I obsess about trying to make the most of every second. It would struggle because I know being a mom and a wife is most important, but that doesn't mean I can't do the things I love, right? I just worried that I would never be able to do art, because I felt I was neglecting something (or someone) more important.

When jr. napped or went to bed I had many other things on my mind than picking up my sketchbook. First, I am a bit of a neat-freak, so I usually resort to cleaning the house, or at least doing the dishes. Second, I love working out. Pumping out a quick, hard, cardio or strength workout during Max's nap was my #2 priority. Then there was sleeping myself, or spending time with the husband, working on church responsibilities, being a good friend or neighbor, or just vegging out for a second. (Check out this awesome workout I did yesterday!)

I was definitely not unhappy, I just felt a little unfulfilled. I read my scriptures and prayed everyday, and tried to spend valuable time serving family, friends, and sometimes strangers--but I just wasn't being creative, and despite all the other good things I thought I was doing, I felt a void in my life.

But, thanks to two recent 'events', I have restored my desire to be an artist for life, no matter what.

1) I was asked to make a poster and invitations for a large women's conference for my church. This really was a blessing for me because it helped remind me that I can use my talents to further God's work and serve others. I don't have to be the best, I just have to be willing. The woman who asked me to do the poster was really happy with it, and that helped me realize sometimes being over-anxious is selfish, and I just need to think more of others. Sometimes the key is to simplify and be satisfied rather than overwork ourselves into a pit (or puddle).

2) Today I watched THIS video on YouTube. I've actually watched it before, but it really didn't sink in. It's an illustrator I really admire (Will Terry) voicing his thoughts about illustrators making it in the world today. It was exactly what I needed to restart my artistic fire. A few things he says that really resonated with me are:
"Success is a product of what you do in your spare time."
"Are you committed for life?"
Am I passionate enough about art to do it for the sake of art? Am I committed for life? Committed regardless of whether or not I "make it big"?

Yes.

Thanks to these little reminders I am. I love art because it's fun to create. Of course I want success, and I am working towards that...towards being a published author/illustrator, to be more specific. 

I really, truly believe if we really try the Lord won't let us fail.
I believe if we put Him first, and our most important relationships first, we'll have the time we need to do other things that are important to us.

I'll keep you posted, but I just had to share my little enlightenment :)
Thanks for listening.

And, if you have a passion or talent (or a talent you are passionate about, or a passion you hope to be talents with), go for it! You can do anything you want, if you want it enough. Desire leads to action, which leads to becoming, remember? Anyway, I believe in you.

One of the first sketches I have really enjoyed doing in a long time. 

Oh, and I'll be revamping my art blog, so stay tuned!

Random Ramblings and Running Rendezvous

Hey friends! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and week, and that you smiled and laughed a lot. My sister kindly mentioned I should post more pictures, and ramble a little less..so here is my attempt at doing just that! 

I decided the time had come for Mr. Max to start finger painting. He really just ate it...but I had fun!

I cut my hair again! (Not sure if this picture is before or after...ha ha!) But, guys! I cut an A-LINE all by myself!!! THE BACK of my hair! With SCISSORS (that is a really weird word. Anyone ever thought about that? Why does it have a 'c' after the 's'?? Gotta love English!)! Anyway, it was fun, and doesn't even look bad!

Oh, that was definitely before. Here is an after:

Kind of a gross picture, but it really doesn't look bad!

Oh Max, how I love you, and all your moods! ( Do you love his precious sunflower!? Bahaha!)

If I looked this cute when I cried, maybe I'd do it more often.

This is an adorable little girl I babysit sometimes. Max spends the entire time following her around trying to hug her. He does the same thing in nursery. He's only 1 and a half, and already he's got a thing for the ladies!

Ok, I am officially one of *those* people who posts pictures of their food just to make your mouth water. Sorry! But this was really a monumental occasion because it was the first time I actually liked spaghetti! 100% homemade, simmered low and slow, baby! And homemade garlic bread (meaning I made the bread) too! 

And here are pictures of my dream home! I have really thought about this a lot, enough to even draw out my own floor plan. I don't want a big home, and I want everything to be open concept, colorful, eclectic and wonderful!

And yes, I would love to live in a renovated barn. Seriously.

I love this dining room. I told my husband I would be really mad it he got me matching kitchen chairs. :)

Love the colors and especially the green chair on the left.

A must in my future home is a built-in library. With a ladder just like in Beauty and the Beast!

Love the cheery wall color. But sadly the chairs match...

And I want a breakfast nook!

... and a window-seat (with gorgeous view) is a must in my little library!

Anyway, that is what I think about if I can't fall asleep:) Oh and about my running rendezvous. I live in an area that sadly isn't safe to run...so, it is very rare that I get to lace up my running shoes and pound the pavement. But yesterday we drove to near my hub's job and I found the cutest little running trail (yes, running trails can be cute), and had the best run. Oh it was awesome. I love running. More than I love mis-matched kitchen chairs and window-seats. 

(Disclaimer: I am trying to be ethical, so I will readily admit the photos of the barn house and interiors and not mine, and you should not think they are mine. If you do, please change your mind as you read this very sentence. Credit to the wonderful designers and photographers. Check out websites HERE,)