Changing With The Times

In this day an age it is tough to keep up with all the changes that are happening. With new electronics coming out every six months and new software it is downright overwhelming! It's easy to start to cling to the familiar with such ferocity that we become dependant on it.

I love painting with acrylics. I use to draw a lot when I was growing up (middle school and high school). I used to doodle a lot too. I dropped a lot of those habits when I went to university and have only now started reconnecting with my creative side (the visual arts stuff anyway).

We are planning to go on vacation in February, and I've been trying to think of ways to stay in touch with my artistic side. I have a small boy so lugging around a bunch of acrylics and brushes didn't seem very realistic. I had been wondering about trying my hand at cartooning or using Copic markers. They're expensive but all I would need is a sketch pad, some pencils and markers. It was a very new art to me but I was hoping to use it to practice drawing people and maybe transfer the skill to portraits down the road.

Anyway, I was at Chapters when I came across a book called "Creative Illustration & Beyond" by Stephanie Corfee. It looked interesting as the cover was covered with doodles and patterns and there was what looked like a cartoon on the front.... I thought aha! This looks promising. I leafed through the book quickly and was transported back to my drawing and doodling days. I thought, "I could get back into this!" I ordered the book and have been busy doodling ever since.

Now for those of you who think you might like doodling but have never really done it there is a book called "Creative Doodling & Beyond" by the same author that precedes the book I am currently reading. Doodling and Illustrating are simple forms of art that I think are amazingly versatile. You can use them on cards, invitations, to tell a story, to decorate stationary.... etc. There are lots of other doodling books, some targeted to girls, some that focus on colouring patterns and playing with colour pairing and combinations.

The book I'm using has some great exercises and projects that I'm excited to try. She also talks about using watercolour and acrylic paint to add colour to the project which makes me feel like I can tie my current love in to this new affair.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the idea of painting. I'll never stop now that I've started, but it's nice to stretch and expand my skills and knowledge in other areas as well and if I can combine them from time to time even better!

My advice is don't think you have to figure it all out for yourself. Go out and look at some books to get you started. Even if you have been doing something for a while, it's good to take a look at what else is out there. A book can spark a whole new kind of creative energy and give you lots of ideas. You don't always have to try something totally new, sometimes just taking your current art and trying something different with it is all you need to grow!

The Good. The Bad. The "Ugly"

I had this great post all written out on my iPhone and I guess I didn't save it (go figure). I was nursing my teething son to sleep and was thinking about how pop culture tends to gravitate towards "pretty" art and turns away from "ugly" art. I am one of those people who love "pretty" art, but not "ugly" art. Or I used to be.

During the Toronto International Film Festival I had the opportunity to see a documentary called "For No Good Reason". Johnny Depp was in it and it was about an English Cartoonist, Ralph Steadman; that was about all I knew. I was excited to go, maybe spot a star I actually recognized, maybe see some people I hadn't seen in a long time....

Anyway, as we took our seats and the film started and I was struck by how "ugly" Ralph's cartoons are. If I had seen them in an art gallery I would probably have rushed past them and not given them any thought except "ugh". Being forced to sit through an entire documentary, however, forced me to look at these sometimes grotesque (personal opinion) pictures for a long time. The commentary was extremely helpful; listening to Ralph talk about what was going at the time, gave the images some depth and I began to see them differently. They told a story, many stories actually. Stories that "pretty" cartoons and images just couldn't tell with the same impact.

"Ugly" tends to be dark (but not always), a little chaotic (but not always), and depicts things we'd rather not think about. I don't believe that any art is truly "ugly". Some of it is not to my taste, but as long as it's thought provoking I believe it can just be art. I believe that very little in the world is truly "ugly" and that no art is really ugly, it just requires some thought and maybe some getting used to. I'll admit that by the end of the documentary I was genuinely starting to like some of Ralph Steadman's cartoons (not in the way I like pretty landscape art, but I could appreciate the images).

I am happy to report that I have grown in my appreciation of art and will continue to look harder at the art that is not immediately appealing to me to try to find the message/story it is telling me.

What this is all about

It started in 2010 when I picked up a plastic palette knife, canvas board, paint brush and paints at my sister's place in Thunder Bay. I'd been wanting to try painting for a couple of years but was too afraid to sink any money into. Thanks to my brave sister, I have a new hobby and will never look back.

I started a Facebook page called Paint It Beautiful. The idea being to focus on my painting with the hopes of selling some of them. I like to post suggestions and ideas relevant to other parts of my life other than just painting. One day my sister suggested I start a blog... I have another blog I started many months ago before my son turned 1 year called My Cheerios. It is reflections of life and always trying to find the good in the bad. I also want to have a record of those awe inspiring moments and what I thought and felt during these early years of being married and being a mom.

This blog will be more encompassing. This will have a focus on art and seeing the beauty in everything. Some things may double up between this blog and my Facebook page. Themes may also be shared between this blog and "My Cheerios" as many things in life relate to each other. I will try to keep things unique to each space, or tackle a specific view point in each to keep things interesting. My Cheerios will definitely always strive to be positive and uplifting while this blog will delve into both bright and darker feelings.

So you are welcome to join me on my journey and I invite you to have conversations with me and with others about what ever moves you.