This book is full of fascinating what nots.
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Acrylic Memory Book
This is another memory book created by one of my former staff members (Angie McMinn) who worked at my mega (?) store, Scrapbookers' Delight on the Northshore.
This book is full of fascinating what nots.
This book is full of fascinating what nots.
Heidi Swapp Memory Book
I'm uploading some of the work that my staff had done while working at Scrapbookers' Delight in our Northshore shop.
This one is a memory book made up by Tracy Dixon. We used a selection of Heidi Swapp papers.
This one is a memory book made up by Tracy Dixon. We used a selection of Heidi Swapp papers.
Visual diary notes
Here are some more glimpses into my visual diary.
This one shows designs (swirly ones) that I liked to use in my own artist's business card (which incidentally I never did get done).
This one shows colour palettes I like the look of, and then mixing up those very same colours for my own experimentation.
This one shows designs (swirly ones) that I liked to use in my own artist's business card (which incidentally I never did get done).
This one shows colour palettes I like the look of, and then mixing up those very same colours for my own experimentation.
Ephemera board
We went to a museum and as you may well know I am fascinated with ephemera and there they had a board featuring Victoriana postcards, etc.
Thursday, 5 August 2010
On the Carousel
I know I haven't blogged for ages, so here we go not much but it's a photo of my youngest on a carousel at the fairground. Not the best of photos, although the over exposure can almost work aesthetically.
I have used a lot of Prima Flowers and made it quite girly, as this kid is very girly.
I have used a lot of Prima Flowers and made it quite girly, as this kid is very girly.
Friday, 16 July 2010
Isabella Baudelaire and other silhouetted images
I thank Tristan for showing me these images on his blog. I love silhouetted pieces with that sharp defined contrast between black and white.
And below are some of the works of Isabella Baudelaire a truly magnificent artist.
And below are some of the works of Isabella Baudelaire a truly magnificent artist.
Friday, 25 June 2010
Little Red Riding Hood Escape into Her Mind
Here is a little handmade book made up from old cardboard boxes and then coated with scrapbook papers. Added to this were embellishments, rub ons and cut outs from adverts in magazines. This art book has been made by Tatjana Stefanovic.
Come into the mind of Little Red Riding Hood, who is now a young woman and enter her world.
That is a red coat (it looks orange on here somehow).
Captions are: "What's it like to be you?", "Fabulous", next page "Your mother must be so proud."
Come into the mind of Little Red Riding Hood, who is now a young woman and enter her world.
That is a red coat (it looks orange on here somehow).
Captions are: "What's it like to be you?", "Fabulous", next page "Your mother must be so proud."
Love by Stealth
These are some poems that had been written many, many years ago. One of the poems was published in a poetry book, it was also released online where they had changed the copyright date to 2008. What was embarrassing is that it meant people reading it would probably think I wrote it then, no it wasn't written then, so no need for alarm bells; but in the meantime I did get that publisher to take if off if copyright date was for 2008 as one of the poems was time sensitive.
Anyway I printed the poems out and then stuck them into an altered art book. You may be able to read them, but they are unlikely to make sense for the uninitiated.
Front cover where strips of paper from 7 Gypsies has been inked on the edges and then glued down.
This one is called "Enchante". The cut outs have a veneer of mica covering them.
I don't think the typed verses worked so well as this book did not allow for much text to be accommodated because of the large cut outs. Poems: Love's Snare and He Feeds Upon her Face.
These ones are called: Conquered and No End of Satisfaction.
These ones are called: Love's Enchantment and opposite page Enamoured Presence.
And the back cover, of course!
If people are really interested in the poems they can email me and I will send them direct. In all I did 11 poems, but not all included in this altered art book.
Anyway I printed the poems out and then stuck them into an altered art book. You may be able to read them, but they are unlikely to make sense for the uninitiated.
Front cover where strips of paper from 7 Gypsies has been inked on the edges and then glued down.
This one is called "Enchante". The cut outs have a veneer of mica covering them.
I don't think the typed verses worked so well as this book did not allow for much text to be accommodated because of the large cut outs. Poems: Love's Snare and He Feeds Upon her Face.
These ones are called: Conquered and No End of Satisfaction.
These ones are called: Love's Enchantment and opposite page Enamoured Presence.
And the back cover, of course!
If people are really interested in the poems they can email me and I will send them direct. In all I did 11 poems, but not all included in this altered art book.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Vanitas
Not the nicest thing to look at, but back in the 16th and 17th centuries these were quite popular! The images below are taken from the public domain, I have added them here so one can get the idea of how to make one, or do something similar.
This blog posting is something I am anticipating on experimenting with, and that is doing a vanitas of some sort. I am more likely to collage it rather than draw it.
I've posted some images here if anyone else wants to try their hand at it. Basically vanitas is a Latin word that means 'vanities'. The sixteenth century Dutch painters had quite a penchant for it. It was to be representative of the vanity of life and how easily life is snuffed out and gone. So the artists used symbology to depict life and often used a skull to represent the death of life. Generally they were not meant to appear morbid in that respect.
'Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life' by Harmen Steenwyck is a classic example of a Dutch 'Vanitas' painting. It is essentially a religious works in the guise of a still life. 'Vanitas' paintings caution the viewer to be careful about placing too much importance in the wealth and pleasures of this life, as they could become an obstacle on the path to salvation. The title 'Vanitas' comes from a quotation from the Book of Ecclesiastes 1:2, 'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.'
Some of the symbols that can be used are:
snuffed candles
skulls (the certainty of death)
flowers (alive or dead)
rotten fruit (about decaying and old age)
ink pottles
smoke
watches
hourglasses
butterflies
seafood
peeled lemon (bitterness)
bubbles
musical instruments
books
regal adornments/ornaments
jewellery (these outlive their wearer)
empty or topped over cup
money
purple silk cloth (wealth again)
Dutch Hendrik Andrieszen
More can be found here and here.
This blog posting is something I am anticipating on experimenting with, and that is doing a vanitas of some sort. I am more likely to collage it rather than draw it.
I've posted some images here if anyone else wants to try their hand at it. Basically vanitas is a Latin word that means 'vanities'. The sixteenth century Dutch painters had quite a penchant for it. It was to be representative of the vanity of life and how easily life is snuffed out and gone. So the artists used symbology to depict life and often used a skull to represent the death of life. Generally they were not meant to appear morbid in that respect.
'Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life' by Harmen Steenwyck is a classic example of a Dutch 'Vanitas' painting. It is essentially a religious works in the guise of a still life. 'Vanitas' paintings caution the viewer to be careful about placing too much importance in the wealth and pleasures of this life, as they could become an obstacle on the path to salvation. The title 'Vanitas' comes from a quotation from the Book of Ecclesiastes 1:2, 'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.'
Some of the symbols that can be used are:
snuffed candles
skulls (the certainty of death)
flowers (alive or dead)
rotten fruit (about decaying and old age)
ink pottles
smoke
watches
hourglasses
butterflies
seafood
peeled lemon (bitterness)
bubbles
musical instruments
books
regal adornments/ornaments
jewellery (these outlive their wearer)
empty or topped over cup
money
purple silk cloth (wealth again)
Dutch Hendrik Andrieszen
More can be found here and here.
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Visual Exegesis as Psychoanalysis and Spiritual Guidance
Visual exegesis or pictorial exegesis, what is it?
Exegesis is a theological term used to analyse text and is found in the study of hermeneutics.
Traditionally exegesis analysed biblical and religious writings, but now is used in psychology, forensics, to international relations and politics.
Best definition is from the dictionary:
exegesis: n. exposition especially of scripture. Explanation or critical interpretation of a text.
exegetics: n. the scientific study of exegesis and exegetical methods; the science of interpretation.
Then to define visual exegesis we offer a simple definition:
"To interpret the meaning of an image or picture."
It is a blending of theology with psychology to reveal spiritual or subconscious insight. It can be as simple as interpreting an image, without applied meaning.
It is an attempt to explore systematically the aspect of visual formulated allegories in order to establish a more complex spectrum of meaning.
There are three levels of observation:
The two stages:
The image above is going to be an example.
A primary factor involves the degree to which the sender (artist) and the receiver (viewer) share a common world of discourse and experience. This is a doodle and shows how a soul subconsciously connects with another soul.
A third party perspective can be introduced. The interpreter is neither the sender nor the receiver but an 'intruder', an 'outsider'.
One has to be prepared for cultural gaps and historical gaps, depending on work being viewed.
The secondary level is the spiritual meaning – symbolic, typological or allegorical.
Now to outline the method of interpretation:
Redaction Criticism: seeks to let each image speak for itself. It recognises a distinction between what is being said IN the picture and what is being said THROUGH the picture.
Interpretation is through the interpreter's own hypotheses and intuitions (hence the art part of it). The interpreter's research (knowledge of symbology, spirtuality, theology, psychology, colour, lines, shapes, art, etc) all play a role in informing the interpretation; it does not constitute it. The interpreter needs time for synthesis to occur. The interpreter may need more time for further illumination and elaboration.
There are three ways an image/picture can function when using exegesis:
Prophetically: the interpretation of the image provides new viewpoints and different orientations, challenges; sometimes it threatens the identity, self-understanding and customary behaviour of the individual; it may provide prophetic insight or warning.
Advisorily: the interpretation of the image provides the function of a sage or the wise, offers instruction, wisdom or insight – seeks to illuminate.
Finally, there is the meaning and importance of selectivity – the artist is known by selection.
So from this information I have performed a somewhat rudimentary level of exegesis on the doodles shown above.
What is fundamentally important is that the 'exercise' is in no way contrived or manufactured. It can't be done as an 'exercise' as the results would be skewed, the 'conscious' is already involved. It has to be natural. With my illustration the artist did not have the choice of selectivity; I selected the colours to be used. My friend doodles experimenting with different strokes. The next day I look at it and see a side-view of an angel and a Roman torch.
I was sitting with my friend as he doodles his work. I would be subconsciously influencing him by just my sheer presence. He then gives me his doodled art. I am the receiver, it's not something he has done for himself. I explained what I had seen which he was reluctant to acknowledge and mentioned I was stretching my imagination; but those two images were very distinct; other images such as the speech bubble were not as distinct. Both images were drawn in close proximity to where I had been sitting as well.
Then deeper discussion can be entered into once the image is flipped over, as this shows the shadow side to the soul. I won't go into those details apart from realising that it provided all three functions of what exegesis is meant to do.
Exegesis is a theological term used to analyse text and is found in the study of hermeneutics.
Traditionally exegesis analysed biblical and religious writings, but now is used in psychology, forensics, to international relations and politics.
Best definition is from the dictionary:
exegesis: n. exposition especially of scripture. Explanation or critical interpretation of a text.
exegetics: n. the scientific study of exegesis and exegetical methods; the science of interpretation.
Then to define visual exegesis we offer a simple definition:
"To interpret the meaning of an image or picture."
It is a blending of theology with psychology to reveal spiritual or subconscious insight. It can be as simple as interpreting an image, without applied meaning.
It is an attempt to explore systematically the aspect of visual formulated allegories in order to establish a more complex spectrum of meaning.
There are three levels of observation:
- the viewer's viewpoint;
- the artist's viewpoint;
- the exegetical level: the invisible dimension.
The two stages:
- Analysis: involves the breaking down of discrete units of an image (e.g. symbols, shapes, colours, representations, etc). THEN
- Synthesis: putting these into a coherent whole reacting together; metaphors.
The image above is going to be an example.
A primary factor involves the degree to which the sender (artist) and the receiver (viewer) share a common world of discourse and experience. This is a doodle and shows how a soul subconsciously connects with another soul.
A third party perspective can be introduced. The interpreter is neither the sender nor the receiver but an 'intruder', an 'outsider'.
One has to be prepared for cultural gaps and historical gaps, depending on work being viewed.
The secondary level is the spiritual meaning – symbolic, typological or allegorical.
Now to outline the method of interpretation:
Redaction Criticism: seeks to let each image speak for itself. It recognises a distinction between what is being said IN the picture and what is being said THROUGH the picture.
Interpretation is through the interpreter's own hypotheses and intuitions (hence the art part of it). The interpreter's research (knowledge of symbology, spirtuality, theology, psychology, colour, lines, shapes, art, etc) all play a role in informing the interpretation; it does not constitute it. The interpreter needs time for synthesis to occur. The interpreter may need more time for further illumination and elaboration.
There are three ways an image/picture can function when using exegesis:
- constitutively;
- prophetically;
- advisorily.
Prophetically: the interpretation of the image provides new viewpoints and different orientations, challenges; sometimes it threatens the identity, self-understanding and customary behaviour of the individual; it may provide prophetic insight or warning.
Advisorily: the interpretation of the image provides the function of a sage or the wise, offers instruction, wisdom or insight – seeks to illuminate.
Finally, there is the meaning and importance of selectivity – the artist is known by selection.
So from this information I have performed a somewhat rudimentary level of exegesis on the doodles shown above.
What is fundamentally important is that the 'exercise' is in no way contrived or manufactured. It can't be done as an 'exercise' as the results would be skewed, the 'conscious' is already involved. It has to be natural. With my illustration the artist did not have the choice of selectivity; I selected the colours to be used. My friend doodles experimenting with different strokes. The next day I look at it and see a side-view of an angel and a Roman torch.
I was sitting with my friend as he doodles his work. I would be subconsciously influencing him by just my sheer presence. He then gives me his doodled art. I am the receiver, it's not something he has done for himself. I explained what I had seen which he was reluctant to acknowledge and mentioned I was stretching my imagination; but those two images were very distinct; other images such as the speech bubble were not as distinct. Both images were drawn in close proximity to where I had been sitting as well.
Then deeper discussion can be entered into once the image is flipped over, as this shows the shadow side to the soul. I won't go into those details apart from realising that it provided all three functions of what exegesis is meant to do.
On being a genius
I was listening to a client of mine talk about how everyone can have a 'genius' within them. For myself I have a fascination with geniuses and like to spend some time reading their works (because if they were geniuses we certainly have a lot to learn from them). So in my previous posts I have often mentioned them e.g. Daniel (from the bible), to Emily Bronte the author of Wuthering Heights. So on hearing that I realised yes, perhaps everyone does 'have' a genius, but we just haven't nurtured it, cultivated it ... we probably will just allow it to remain dormant. If we don't use our gift, we can lose our gift, right?
As a child, I think many of us received inspiration which was never really harnessed or channelled into something that we say would become more productive or more prevalent in later year. With some children, however, their 'gifting' or 'talent' or 'genius' within them was cultivated, either by themselves, a teacher or a significant other (e.g. partner, parent, sibling, mentor, counsellor, etc). And that genius within them was allowed to flourish. Some of them became famous, others did not, but still like many of us the genius remains locked inside waiting for the 'key' to come and unlock it.
Elizabeth Gilbert author of Eat, Pray and Love concurs that it's not about being a genius, but 'having' a genius. The Greeks called it Daemons (e.g. Socrates) and the Romans called it Genius (that is they acknowledged inspiration from another spiritual dimension). It's about ideas coming into us – as a source from the outside. Elizabeth believes it to be about a glimpse of God; personally I would not accept that everything is from God in the spiritual dimension, as there is light and darkness (Yin Yang principle if you will), but at least that wonderment and inspiration can have the germ of the divine within it, even if that germ only shows the wretchedness of man and his futile condition (as found in a lot of modern culture). This depravity of the human condition mystically shows a need for redemption and the need to rise above. Well, before I start losing you here I'll get back to the programme Elizabeth is on, and she says that the abilities we have are on loan to us, so use what we have got. Show the world your wonderment, have an olay olay experience. [Olay the Spanish word for cheering and applauding, coming to them via the conquests of the Moors who used the word Allah].
As a child, I think many of us received inspiration which was never really harnessed or channelled into something that we say would become more productive or more prevalent in later year. With some children, however, their 'gifting' or 'talent' or 'genius' within them was cultivated, either by themselves, a teacher or a significant other (e.g. partner, parent, sibling, mentor, counsellor, etc). And that genius within them was allowed to flourish. Some of them became famous, others did not, but still like many of us the genius remains locked inside waiting for the 'key' to come and unlock it.
Elizabeth Gilbert author of Eat, Pray and Love concurs that it's not about being a genius, but 'having' a genius. The Greeks called it Daemons (e.g. Socrates) and the Romans called it Genius (that is they acknowledged inspiration from another spiritual dimension). It's about ideas coming into us – as a source from the outside. Elizabeth believes it to be about a glimpse of God; personally I would not accept that everything is from God in the spiritual dimension, as there is light and darkness (Yin Yang principle if you will), but at least that wonderment and inspiration can have the germ of the divine within it, even if that germ only shows the wretchedness of man and his futile condition (as found in a lot of modern culture). This depravity of the human condition mystically shows a need for redemption and the need to rise above. Well, before I start losing you here I'll get back to the programme Elizabeth is on, and she says that the abilities we have are on loan to us, so use what we have got. Show the world your wonderment, have an olay olay experience. [Olay the Spanish word for cheering and applauding, coming to them via the conquests of the Moors who used the word Allah].
