Little White Lies

I took the Encaustic class at Penland School of Crafts that I mentioned in an earlier post a year ago knowing I wanted to work 3 dimensionally, but it took me this long to finally get a piece done.

Sometimes work just has to percolate for a while.

And the main piece that has been brewing and stewing all along is Little White Lies.  It took me that long to bring it fruition because I struggled with what I wanted.  I am a big proponent of working in tandem with each piece, but I need to have some aspects in mind before starting or I could flail around wasting time.

Some of the issues I struggled with were:

• Should I have a wheel or not?  At first I thought the piece should be that literal.  But as I struggled through one wheel after the next, each looking just like a wheel that Fred Flinstone might have on his car, I started to reconsider.  The wheel barrow was stopped in its tracks, after all, so why have a wheel.
• What should I fill it with, if anything?  One thing I wanted to use were the little fortune tellers from my childhood, and something I use repeatedly in my work.  At this point I had thought the entire piece should be a pale pink for a sense of innocence, but the little voice in my head kept telling me, "no" to both.
• I landed on just using text to fill the bucket part.  So, what should the text look like?  How much text should there be? And what should be made of?

I decided to keep it pale white with a gray wash to highlight parts of it, and to use large flat text that is attached to the bucket with just a little overflowing out of it.

Here is an image of it in progress:

Kim Radatz
Little White Lies, 2013

And a detail near the completion:

Kim Radatz
Little White Lies, detail, 2013

Better photos to follow, just a quick peek for now.

What do you think?  Any input would be greatly appreciated!

May your day be a creative one!

Kim

One Year, One Month, One Day

That is exactly the amount of time that has passed since I last blogged.

Mercy me.

It wasn’t an intentional choice to stop, it just happened.

First, I went to Penland School of Crafts for an encaustic class.  Which was FABULOUS, by the way.  I learned lots and met a wonderful group of artists.  Hands down one of the best experiences that I have had taking a workshop.  (Below are a few pieces I made during the workshop.)

And then one thing led to another, and then another, and I got out of the habit of blogging.

I toyed with different blog post ideas from time to time, but they never made it past the idea stage.

But, here I am back again.

I’d like to think I’ll make it a regular habit, but in the past year I have also tried to let go of the many “shoulds” in my life, so I’m not going to force myself into a “one size fits all model.”  Instead, I’ll shoot towards once a week and hope for the best.

I do have much to share and much to learn from you, so I look forward to reconnecting again.

Until the next time, may your days be filled with lots of creativity.

Artfully,

Kim

Encaustic work done at Penland 2012
Kim Radatz

Encaustic work done at Penland 2012
Kim Radatz

Letting Go, Orange
Kim Radatz

Letting Go, Green
Kim Radatz 

Polka Dot House
Kim Radatz

You Say
Kim Radatz

Seeking North
Kim Radatz

Hump Day Happy Hour - Stephanie Metz

I received the Penland School of Crafts workshop catalog recently and in flipping through it came across the work of Stephanie Metz.  Really terrific work!  I enjoy all of her work but I have a particular affinity to the ‘Pelts’, as I’m sure you can see why.  Great name for the series too.  Check her out.

Stephanie Metz

Stephanie Metz

Stephanie Metz

Stephanie Metz

How Rejection Made Me A Better Artist

As I prepare my proposal packet to send off next week I keep wondering, “How can I make my proposal shine over all of the other proposals that the gallery receives?” And it made me realize that although acceptance letters are the ones that make me feel good inside, it is the rejection letters that have made me grow, and that in turn has made me a better artist.

If I hadn’t been rejected down through the years I might not have taken time to evaluate my work.

• Was it the quality of the slides/images?
• Was it the quality of the work?
• Was the work appropriate for the show/venue?
• And on and on.

To help strengthen my weaknesses I have taken many workshops on career development, for both artists and business people in general. And I have listened to countless self-help CD’s while I drive and exercise.

I have continued my art education to improve my skills and learned new ones which has enabled me to try new paths. Some lessons I can use immediately while others percolate for years before I find a good use for them. Some I never use, but that does not bother me for it is the knowledge that has given me strength and assuages my fears to consider future risks more comfortably.

I have taken classes and read up on how to take better photographs, though you wouldn't always know it from my blog snapshsots (hah! :-D). I’m not computer savvy, but I am learning my way around the computer and Photoshop. This has probably been the hardest for me, but I keep pluggin’ along and I am surprised at how much I have learned. Don’t get me wrong, I probably couldn’t keep up with a 5th grader, but I look like a genius compared to my sister.

All of these subjects and many more are ongoing as education is my number one priority. Boy, do I still have lots to learn. And I hope I continue doing so until I take my last breath.

And on that happy note, I better get back to work.

I hope your day is a creative one!

Twins, Kim Radatz

Twins, detail, Kim Radatz

This piece was made while I was at Penland School of Crafts in 2006 for the Spring Concentration.  It is a mixed media piece consisting of Vandyke brown photo prints on muslin.