Show and Tell Sunday-It Takes Two, Baby

In November I wrote about “twos.”  Killing Two Birds with One Stone, to be exact. Which is a subject that is often on my mind. You see, I am an identical twin. It sort of colors my world. We were hanging out together before we ever took our first breath. That’s pretty powerful stuff.

I have other sibs, a brother and a sister, and I love them immensely, but there is no denying that what I feel about my twin is different. I don’t know why that is, I just accept it as part of my world.

But the pairs of things that always show up in my work, well that I do know about.  It's the twin thing.

Below are two more small skins that deal with twos.

May your day be doubly fantastic!

Long and Lanky, Kim Radatz

Prim and Proper, Kim Radatz

Words To Live By

I love words of affirmation. They are little gems of wisdom to ponder as I move about my day. Posted here, taped there, purchased magnets, or hand written notes, it matters not. I’ve got them all over the place. I’ll be doing something else and suddenly come across one and it will lift my spirits. What can be better than that?

In addition to the one above, here are a few more that I have out and about now:

Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers ‘grow, grow’

-The Talmud

Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.

-Dr. Spock

And the following excerpt from a Harvard commencement address given by J.K. Rowling (of Harry Potter fame) that I clipped out of a magazine:

The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or [your] strength…, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift…. It is painfully won, and it has been worth more to me than any qualification I ever earned.

Wow, great words from one who faced many failures herself, yet forged ahead and succeeded in a very big way.

May these words lift your spirits too.

Have a great day.

Hump Day Happy Hour

Looking at other people's art makes me happy, but I don’t always allow myself the time to search it out. So I’ve decided to set aside part of a day to do a little research and share some of my finds with you each week.

I'll be looking forward to seeing you each Wednesday at 5:00!

Today I want to share some work I saw at the Morean Arts Center this past weekend.  Fabulous work by a local artist! And great titles too. Enjoy.

Karen Tucker Kuykendall, Keep on the Sunny Side, Always on the Sunny Side…and gimme some biscuits and mustard…Songs Along the Highway #2.

Karen Tucker Kuykendall

Rejection and Failure Go Hand in Hand

I have kept the word “failure” at the forefront of my mind since posting about rejection and how it helped me along my merry way as an artist. Hmmm, I wondered, if rejection can help, how about failures?

And then I stumbled upon the Cloth Paper Scissors questionnaire and see that failure has been on my mind much longer than just last week.

Below are two of CPS's question and my corresponding answers that deal with failure.

-If you could go back in time five years, what would you tell yourself about your art?
To trust in yourself and your art. There will be failures, mistakes, wrong turns, and distractions, but keep forging ahead. Work through the problems as in time they will resolve themselves.

-What do you wish they taught kids in school about art?
To trust in their inner artist and appreciate that they have been given a gift. But of utmost importance is that it takes more than just being gifted to make it as an artist.

Artists of all ages must persevere in times of doubt. Accept failure as part of the process. Be disciplined and focused even when it’s hard to find the time to do so. Be tenacious in their endeavor. And to be humble and open to change as teachers appear along their paths.

Maybe failure and rejection go hand in hand with being an artist. Or, more importantly, it just comes as part of this game called life. Might as well take advantage of them both and learn from them, me thinks.

Now I’m gonna go ponder mistakes that I have made. Surely there will be lessons there too.  I'll keep you posted on that front.

Until next time, have a creative day!



Hand in Hand, Kim Radatz



Show and Tell Sunday- The Story Goes Round and Round

Individually each piece documents an idea, a thought, or experience for one moment in time.   Collectively they are part of an ongoing dialog.  Each is tied to the next and the one before.  They are all intrinsically linked together and the conversation continues.



Small Skins, © Kim Radatz

 

Small Skins, © Kim Radatz

 

Small Skins, © Kim Radatz

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.

Skinned Again

Been busy as a bee.  On the computer and also with artwork. Though mostly on the computer.

But I did get a chance to work a little on Remembering When and wanted to share the progress with you. She still needs lots more stitching, text, and then binding, but here she is to date.

(I wish you could see these works in person as the translucent “skin” quality doesn’t really translate in photos. So there is my disclaimer.)


Remembering When, Kim Radatz

 

Remembering When, detail, Kim Radatz


A little dark and disturbing, but I like it that way.

Any thoughts?

Off to finish up and have a quiet evening. Whatever you do, may yours be a good one too!