art
Live Small
Moment by moment,
with each flick of the paintbrush
each note of music played –
each scratch of the pen –
and every key stroke –
beauty!
…and thus, joy
Bliss is in the details
On Love and Life
X is for Xeriscape*
Succulents and needles,
Sand and stone,
In this arid land
I’m not alone
Quail eggs, scorpion and snake on the floor
Wren, dove, and hummingbird above
All of us move unruffled and unrushed
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
*Part of my alphabiography series
Digression
Q is for Quiet*
If I could say anything to my students, I’d say:
“Hi, my name is Mrs. Wyatt and I like it very quiet.”
But alas, my last name is Wipff
(origin: Alsace-Lorraine) Yes, Swiss
I chose this name! I married it.
My surname is Chung but not Chinese, Korean
It is pronounced “Jung” – not “yung” like Carl (who was Swiss, by the way)
What’s that you say?
Oh yes, I love the Quiet
*Part of my alphabiography series
Do You See the Monster?
N is for Negative Space*
In third grade, my art teacher instructed us to never have too much white paper in our art. “Fill the white space!” Ah, Mrs. Raims. She was great. She gave sound art advice. If you have a small figure on a large canvas of white, it ought to be small for a reason. It ought to be making a statement.
Negative space, however, is not all bad.
“Negative space is, quite simply, the space that surrounds an object in a image. Just as important as that object itself, negative space helps to define the boundaries of positive space and brings balance to a composition.”
Jul 26, 2017 (Creativebloq)
The logo on the cup is for an adult-targeted alcohol and gourmet ice cream shop! (Creativebloq)
I embrace this philosophy of negative space. In a literal, every day sense, I love having lots of negative space in my house.
It leaves room for possibility.
*part of my alphabiography series
Art is in the Eye of the Beholder
I is for Illustrating
I’m teaching myself how to illustrate. There are so many resources online:
I don’t have a goal, per se. But it’d be nice if I could illustrate my own books. I just know that I am loving this process. I sit down with my pencils, art pens, watercolor, paper and coffee (or other nice beverage, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and draw!
*Alphabiography post
C is for Cookie, or…
C is for Cooking
I have a love/hate relationship with cooking.
If it’s a lazy Saturday and I have plenty of time, I love cooking. I make a mean lasagna.
What better way to demonstrate love than to nourish people both physically and spiritually at the same time?
But after work, I’m tired. Everyone is looking at me. What’s for dinner?
I don’t know. I just want someone to rub my feet.
For Poetry Lovers Everywhere
If you’re a writer and/or a lover of poetry, you’re likely to be familiar with Poets.org. They offer “Poem-A-Day.” According to their website:
“Poem-a-Day is the original and only daily digital poetry series featuring over 200 new, previously unpublished poems by today’s talented poets each year.”
Today’s poem is a particularly good one, from Ira Sadoff:
Old Selves
Ok, I no longer want them,
the many selves I had to manage
that once exhausted friends. I believed
in angels then, thought I might be
an angel—that was me, flying off
on a tangent, just so we could land
on one of my many balconies
so we could look down on everyone.
This reminds me of my youth: the self-centeredness, naivete, and drama. He captures it all in just a few words.
Check out poets.org. They feature the works of poets from past and present. I’ve replaced the daily news with a poem each day and it does the soul wonders!
Beginner’s Mind
Beginner’s Mind is a term in Buddhist thought referring to how fresh “things” are to someone who is just beginning. I am a beginner when it comes to art (just completed my first online class)! Our society tends to laugh or look down at beginners. But when and how else are you to get good? You have to start at the beginning.
I love learning about basic lines and curves and putting them together to create art. Wow. I surrendered to it. I don’t judge. I just draw. Using Skillshare’s free classes (to start with), I took “Become a Pencil Ninja.” After completing it, my eye caught one of the feedback comments, “This is a perfect class for children.” I had to laugh…for children, indeed. I am a child when it comes to drawing.
Next up: a self portrait. This looks like it will be much more challenging!
Skillshare is pretty cool. You can teach classes as well ask take them. Check them out! Skillshare.com.
Apps Used to Stand for Appetizers
Apps have become so ubiquitous that we joke, “There’s an app for that.”
And yes, technology can help you achieve your goals and it can entertain you, but when it comes to creating art or work or works of art, there is no substitute for the consistent effort and focus on it.
Sitting under a tree, pondering nature all around you…that is how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity. So legend has it.
Objective and careful observation of nature, our pets, our loved ones is how we will help society. Sustained effort for the greater good is what will be effective. Apps and other technology alone won’t do it.
