Pages

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Getting In Touch With My Rebel Side

I'm having a blast working on these altered book shrines in Monica Zuniga's "Inspire Me Workshop". This is my latest one: Fortune Teller. So what does this have to do with my rebel side? My internal censor kicked in big time when I started on this one. It kept saying things like, "you don't want to put your Tarot cards on there for people to see! What will they think?" Or, "Now don't you look silly playing with such ideas! Really, a fortune teller! Make something pretty and pleasant!" blah, blah, blah.

But I wanted to do the fortune teller. I sketched this face a while back and even then I thought she looked like a fortune teller or someone mysterious. I left her in my sketch book and went on. But I kept coming back to her.

I'm working on a series of altered art with the Circus theme. I have a book ready to alter and I have a few small canvases prepared. This theme has been in the back of my mind for awhile and I really want to explore it in different media. I made a small set of encaustic pieces with creepy clowns on them and put one on the cover of the "Circus Book". I'm not finished with the cover but I'll post it when I am. And talk about serendipity, the theme for this month's Studio Kit at Artella: Circus D'Artella. ;)

I have found that when I start a project that I'm really passionate about, the time flies and I put all of my heart into it. When I am not so into it, I usually don't finish it or it turns out flat. Most of the time I follow my heart and go with it. But lately I've had this struggle with the inner critic trying to censor my ideas.

Today I was reading Lani Gerity's wonderful blog and she posted this very cool Rebel's Manifesto that she came across on Keri Smith's blog. (Isn't blog hopping wonderful?) ;)


I could really identify with this today! So I posted it in my studio right above my art table where I'll see it every time I sit down.

So, yes, I have Tarot cards (actually, a few decks!). I love the art on them and I think they are pretty cool. I love the darker things: Gothic art, the darker side of the circus, creepy scarey looking dolls, and even...ghosts! Maybe it's from when my brother and sister visited, but they both got me hooked on these ghost shows: Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters. Hubby rolls his eyes but I LOVE that stuff! ;)

So the rebel in me is stepping out today. What a breath of fresh air! I can't wait to get into the studio to see what transpires...

2 comments:

Michele said...

This piece is beautiful, in fact it is one of my very favorites. I love these new altered shrines you do, and I think it's awesome that you admit to having a dark side. I think everyone does to some degree, but a lot of us are afraid to show it.

And I know exactly what you mean about feeling like you should do something pretty and pleasant, I struggle with that too.

A lot of the times I want to do something pretty, since I love color so much it's kind of natural. but to be perfectly honest, some of my very favorite work that I have done, is when I let the "other" side come out (like the Tudor wives).

Long story short, keep doing what you are doing, and let it all hang out, your work is wonderful no matter what side is showing that day!

SKIZO said...

WONDERFUL
WORK
good
cretions