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

Me and Tink

Sometimes a piece will make itself. I’ll get an idea and bam, it all falls together seamlessly. No laboring. No redoing. No tinkering.

But at other times, ugh, work, rework, think about it, and tinker with it.

Usually I’ll do the required dance to bring the piece to fruition. Tinker here. Tweak there. And then, wah-lah, it’s done.

Other times I have to call it quits on the idea. And that’s okay. Frustrating, but part of the process.

Currently, I have been tinkering on a piece for almost a year. A year! Not consistently, but it sits in my studio and I often ponder how I can see it through to completion.

See it completed I do. Knowing how to accomplish that, I don’t.

Maybe now would be the times to wish for a deadline.  Possibly that would force me to figure it out.  Or call it quits.

No, I don't think so.  There is something about this installation that I feel the need to see.  So I’ll keep tweaking here and there and eventually I’ll figure out what to do.

Tweaking, tinkering, all the same, methinks.

If only I had her wings too. :)

May your day be a magical one!

What is it You Want?

In It’s a Wonderful Life, George asks Mary, “What is it you want, Mary? What do you want?”

The question bears repeating in real life as well.

What is it you want?

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I love having targets to shoot at. But sometimes I loose site of those targets and things get a bit muddled up.

What to do, what to do?

Get back on track by identifying what my target is. Often times this requires some fine tuning and/or adjusting as life changes. But that’s okay, because I am reaffirming the target(s) at the same time.

But what if you don’t know what you want?

According to Jennifer Grisham of Everyday Bright, “One of the most undervalued commodities in our society is clarity.”

Really? Interesting thought. And one well worth the trouble of fixing. Because as we have discussed before, you can’t aim at something if you don't have a target.  Which means lots of bullets could be flying about willy-nilly and accomplishing very little.

Just putting pen to paper is a huge step towards identifying and understanding what you want. But if you need more help, I’d highly recommend Jen’s blog post on the subject as she has some great tips to share.

Until the next time, may you have creativity and clarity in your day!

I AM…… SURPRISED

Somebody asked me recently if I had seen the new Dr. Pepper commercial with the t-shirts. Nope, I hadn’t, but I should have asked them more questions.

Like “what did the shirts look like?”

Because, much to my surprise while I was watching TV yesterday I saw the new commercial.  Guess what? The people in the new Dr. Pepper commercial are wearing t-shirts that say, “I’m a Pepper.”

And even more surprising, the slogan was used previously in a commercial from the 1970’s. 1970’s????

Where have I been? Obviously not watching TV commercials.

Nope, my "I AM" concept didn’t stem from that commercial, but rather my Mirror, Mirror piece.  And both are completely different in concept, even if they look similar.  Which sounds a little like being a twin to me. Still, though,it's a bit disheartening to see something you have nurtured show up in somebody elses portfolio too.

But alas, that's life, yes?  I'm just gonna chalk this up to one of lifes' crazy coincidences.

Until the next time, may your days be creative and original!

Who're You Calling Weird?

Have you seen this Scientific American article floating around on Facebook?

The Unleashed Mind: Why Creative People Are Eccentric 

"Highly creative people often seem weirder than the rest of us. Now researchers know why."

It's quite interesting, check it out.

Here's a Cliff Notes excerpt:

Too Much Information

We are all equipped with mental filters that hide most of the processing that goes on in our brains behind the scenes…and thanks to these filters, most information never reaches our conscious awareness.

Creative people, however, seem to have reduced functioning in the filters. Therefore, much more information reaches their consciousness and “is associated with offbeat thoughts."


If I am able to be more consciously aware due to reduced functioning of a pesky filter, then A-O-K.

Bring it on, I am completely happy being weird!

May you too have a weird and wonderful day!

Abstract Thinking



Or maybe better said, sometimes you just have to punt.

I came to Miami for Art Basel.

I scoured the catalogs and brochures.

I made detailed notes.

I planned day by day.

Then I started my day by visiting with a friend.

And then I blew off the list.

I love lists, but it just felt right to drop everything and visit the Miami I knew while I lived here.

I moved to Miami from New York in 1977 and left for Tampa in 1998. A lot of years to do a lot of things.

I worked here. I was educated here. I met and married my husband here. I helped raise my step-children here. Essentially, I grew up here. Not as in years, though, naturally that happened too, but in maturity. I owe much to Miami.

So, today I visited the places I where I had lived, where I worked, the colleges I attended, and some of the people I met along the way.

Bittersweet.  And wonderful.

Tomorrow will be a killer day catching up with all of the “should’s” from today.

But sometimes it is more important to LIVE life than it is to do the stuff we “should” do.

I’m glad I did.

I know the emotions that I experienced today will come out in my work.

I can’t wait to see what it will be.

If I am able, I will post some work that I have seen tomorrow night.

Until the next time, may all be well with you.

 

Image from Internet



Are You Good at Saying NO?



Letters to My Lover, I said No, No, No

©Kim Radatz, 2011

I hope you are better at it than I.  I suck at it!

But 10 days of unexpected down time has forced me to rethink how I spend my energy from day to day.

I fell down the stairs 7 years ago. Graceful, I am not. As I was airborne I made a conscious effort to protect my spine from a direct hit. Quick thinker, thankfully, I am. It worked, though I did suffer some permanent damage. Multiple herniated disks top that list. Which periodically rear their ugly heads and force me to stop everything.

Hence the rethinking.

I know my priorities. I make lists. I remind myself. But inevitably I say "yes" to things that take more out of me than I gain in return. This has to stop.

I don’t expect to change completely overnight, but hopefully I will remember to take care of myself and my needs first. How can I help other people when I need help getting out of bed?

I'll keep you posted on how that goes. :)

I did manage to make more envelopes for my Letters to My Lover series which will be in the SCOPE show in Miami next week. Nothing like a motivator such as that! :)

Here are a few that I’d like to share with you:

Letters to My Lover
©Kim Radatz, 2011



Letters to My Lover
©Kim Radatz, 2011



Letters to My Lover
©Kim Radatz, 2011

And now I am going to go get ready for the holiday tomorrow. Down time will have to wait.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend! May your heart be full of love and may many blessings come your way!

Do You Donate Your Art?



T-Shirt design by he said tee shed
 at http://www.hesaidteeshed.com/

I saw the above on Facebook this past week and it reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend earlier this year.

She has a “No Donations” policy. Period. And here is why.

• The work we donate is always first rate as our names are attached to it.
• We work just as hard on the free work as the work we will sell.
• If there is no return on the investment, why spend all of that time and energy on it?

I donate art because of guilt. Or because I believe in the cause. And because somebody has asked me to do so, and I’m fairly obedient (though my husband might disagree. :)

So, I am wondering, why do you donate your art?

And if you don’t donate your art, why not?

I know I’d love to hear the ins and outs of your decision, and I bet others will too.

Thanks much, and may your day be a creative one.

Do You Call Yourself an Artist?

In reading Joanne Mattera’s blog today on “Who is a Professional Artist?” I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend a few years back. I was telling her that I hadn’t had any sales in a while, but I was okay with that as sales are not my primary issue.

In response she said something along the lines of, “If you aren’t selling, why do it?”

I like this person very much and really respect her opinion, so her question did not offend me in any way, though at times I think she thinks she did.

Nope. Not at all. But she did give me much to think about.

Exactly why don’t I care about sales? And why do I keep doing it if I am not selling?

It is a subject I have come back to from time to time in the years since our conversation. Both at times when I am not selling, to times like now, when I am.

After all the pondering, I arrive at the same answer time and time again.

I make art because I have to. It’s not a choice, but a passion.

Yes, a bit cliché, but I’m okay with that too.

Here’s what I think:

• Sales don’t make you an artist.
• Gallery representation doesn’t make you an artist.
• It is consistently working towards a body of work and your belief in what you are doing that makes you an artist.

It took me years to believe in myself and my work. But I kept putting one foot in front of the other and wah-lah, at some point I was comfortable calling myself an artist. The rest just falls in place.

I think titles are nice, don’t get me wrong, but I think it is more important to believe in your journey.

So if you are doubting yourself, just forge ahead. It takes time and determination, but eventually you’ll get there. I promise, I’ve been in your shoes.

Until the next time, may your day be a creative one!

Clowning Around and Thinking Out Loud in the Bag

I have been teaching myself to sew this summer. Yep, for more than a few years I have used the sewing machine as my main tool, yet I officially don’t know how to sew.

I can get the job done, mind you, my work just hasn’t been about the sewing. To me, using the sewing machine is akin to using welding torches, (which I do know how to use); the end result is the same, it’s the materials and the tools used to attach two parts together that are different. But connecting together they both do.

So I bought a book about sewing and started the lessons. It has been an interesting journey so far. Obviously, some things worked out better than others, but each one has taught me something, and that is always a good thing.

About the time I started my lessons I received my dresses back from the Cloth Paper Scissors Artisan Search which now hang in my studio. After looking at them for a while I was inspired to try one of the projects in the book with the paper fabric that I used for the CPS dresses.

Below are a few of the bags I have made. Not sure where they’ll go from here but I have been enjoying the process. It has been a labor of fun, with a touch of aggravation thrown in. =D

And now I shall put the fabrics and sewing machine away for the weekend, very appropriate for the Labor Day Weekend, me thinks.

Wherever you are and whatever you do, I hope you have a fantastic and safe Labor Day Weekend!


Kim Radatz©



Clowning Around Red, Kim Radatz©

 

Clowning Around Blue, Kim Radatz©



Thinking Out Loud, Kim Radatz©



Rules Were Made to Be Broken

Today I read a blog post by Seth Apter of The Altered Page on blogging tips for artists and found it interesting, so I am sharing it with you.  Give it a read, I think you might find it interesting too.

One thing Seth said really stood out for me. It reads:

The idea of posting interesting content, day after day, can be daunting to many artists, who would often rather be in the studio than writing blog posts. However, if you think of your blog as an extension of your creative endeavors, the two activities can seamlessly combine.

Spot on. What a great way to think about writing, as an extension of your own work. I will share this advice with my non-writing artist friends to see if it will help them overcome their writers block.

Later in the post he advises to always include an image with your blog post. Advice I have heard often before, especially since we are visual artist, but a rule I choose to break for a variety of reasons.

First of all, I get overwhelmed from the visuals that confront me on a day to day basis. It’s like a visual vacation to see only the text and let my imagination make up the visuals, if they are even necessary.

Also, blogging in and of itself takes time. To feel like I must include an image each time overwhelms me with guilt and guilt is something I am trying to eliminate from my life.

But more importantly, it takes time to get a good image, time I don’t always have. Work is my main focus, allotting some of that time to a blog photo is not something I am willing to do. Granted, if you are selling from your blog good images would be a necessity, but I don’t fit in that category.

With my blog I am thinking out loud and learning from others in the process. At the same time I am fine tuning my own voice and growing as an individual and as an artist. But in order to find my own voice, I must listen first and foremost to myself. And sometimes that means I’ve gotta break the rules.

May you swim upstream a little today!

Failing Forward

I just read Julie Fei-Fan Balzer‘s great post about being rejected and it inspired me to revisit the subject again because it is so darned important.

When I was a budding artist I thought the work I did was SO FANTASTIC, that I would blow everybody’s mind with my creativity. So when I was rejected, it was a crushing blow. The first time I was rejected from a show I cried for hours. Now, bazillions of rejections later, being rejected is a tiny blip on my radar screen.

Why? Well, first of all, I no longer place such importance on one piece.  Nor do I have such lofty feelings about my work. I like some pieces better than others, and I know some are indeed better than others, but each piece is just one part of a collective whole. I’m not banking ALL of me on any one piece. So, if it doesn’t sell, isn’t selected, gets a bad review or…. (fill in the blank), it is okay as it is just one small part of me.

Don’t get me wrong, I am completely devoted to my work, but I have come to learn that what other people think about my work has nothing to do with how I feel about it.

Why do we artist put so much pressure on ourselves to be the cream of the crop each and every time? Let’s face it; we can’t win every race we run. Or hit home runs every time we are up to bat. Why can’t we just be happy by being the best that we can be in that one moment?

I think this is where rejection and failure earn their keep.

They teach us that tenacity trumps talent and to keep on working.

That we need to face our fears and forge ahead, especially in doubt.

That we need to take risks and have the courage to fail.

That maybe we should throw caution to the wind and just do it. Right or wrong, let the chips fall where they may.

Or, that maybe we were swan diving into the wrong pool and to research more carefully the things we apply for.

That we need to hone our skills in all aspects of the business of art.

And, through it all, they help us find our own voices and grow as individuals and as artists.

They are just part of the process and are wonderful teachers, if we listen carefully.

I am so very glad to have spent time with both.

How about you?

I hope you have a creative day!

The Gleaners

It is impossible for me dig potatoes from my garden without thinking about Millet’s The Gleaners. Impossible, I tell you. Which is a good thing. I always feel connected to the art world and women throughout history. Nature’s bounty teaching me life’s lessons.

Recently I was talking with my Mom about a farm that was down the street from my suburban LA home (yes, there used to be many farms in So Cal) and she told me that we were allowed to pick veggies from the fields after the farmer was done harvesting. How about that, I was a gleaner and didn’t even know it. More of life’s lesson. Fantastic.

Here are the first potatoes we have picked this season, some of which we had for dinner last night.

And the original inspiration.

The Gleaners by François Millet, 1857

And just in case you wanted to know more about the practice of gleaning, here it is:
 
In this depiction of the rural life of nineteenth century France, we see three female figures gathering the leftovers after the harvest. This practice – known as gleaning – was traditionally part of the natural cycle of the agricultural calendar undertaken by the poor, and was regarded as a right to unwanted leftovers. Although the practice of agricultural gleaning has gradually died away due to a number of historical factors (including industrialization and the organization of social welfare for the poor), there are nonetheless still people in the present day that we might understand to be gleaners.

I hope you glean much from your day!

Swan Diving Into the Wrong Pool

Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out

  -Alanis Morissette

A while back I told you that I was applying for a residency and had my fingers crossed for good news. Well, the good news is that I didn’t get it. Yep, that seems like the wrong answer, but I mean it. I am so very happy that I didn’t get accepted.

If I had, I’d be packing up and leaving right now for the 2 month stint working on a new body of work. Instead, I am home (very important to a home body such as myself), working diligently in my studio on the pieces that I already have in my head and need to get out.

Also, if I had, I wouldn’t be able to watch Summer slowly fade into Fall from my small house on the farm. My favorite time of year in one of my favorite places on earth.

I got excited by an idea, and instead of working through it in my sketchbook, (which is sometimes all I need to do to work through an idea and then be done with it) I had a momentary lapse in objective thinking that made me swan dive into the pool, the wrong pool.

And the universe jumped in to save me from my own mistake. Thankfully.

Did it smart a bit? Maybe a touch. But I am so HAPPY that it worked out this way.

And, rejection helps toughen the skin. Who doesn’t need that from time to time?

Life indeed has a funny way of helping us out.

May your day bring you wonderful surprises!

Q and A Mondays- Are you a 2D or 3D artist? Or both?

I recently wrote in my sketchbook, “I am a 3D artist.”

That statement came after a show in which I had both 2D and 3D work and I felt the 2D didn’t hold up to the 3D work.

It is a train of thought I have considered before.

Am I one or the other?

Need I be one or the other?

I know we artists all struggle with multiple personalities in our work and it is important for the work to be consistent, but does that mean it must be only 2D or 3D? Or does a consistent theme trump all else, no matter what the materials or method of making?

I think the latter is correct.

But, I could use your feedback.

What do you think? And do you struggle with similar thoughts?

I Quit

Yep, I know I am supposed to persevere through all challenges as happiness comes at the end of great challenges. Right?

Well, sometimes.

And at other times things are just an uphill battle.

Which has been the case this past week with the new series I am working on.

So, today I shall follow my own advice from the Cloth Paper Scissors interview:

What do you do when a piece isn’t working out the way you want it to?

"Keep forging ahead. Making a piece requires and open dialog with the materials. It’s not just about me; I am a partner in this dance called art. I have to listen to what is working and if its not, adjust accordingly. If a piece continues to be a struggle I move on to another piece."

Which is exactly what I am doing today, moving on from this new series. I will return to it eventually but we need a break from each other right now.

Happily I already have a new piece started in my head. Time to get out the tools and bring it to fruition. I’ll keep you posted.

Until then, may you have a creative day!

A Kiss for Luck and It's On Its Way

The other day I shared with you that I was considering applying for a 2 month residency and that I was afraid. One of the reasons for my fear is that I have taken workshops and done residencies in the past, and they haven’t always lived up to what I had hoped for.

Silly me. Worrying that something won’t work out exactly as I planned. But then I remembered that nothing in life ever works out exactly as we think they will, right? Does that mean the experience isn’t worth it? Or worth trying something similar in the future? A definitive no. It might take months or even years to realize the benefit, but it’s there, it’s always there. There are always benefits to every experience. Sometimes we just have to look a little harder to see them.

All of that to say, I shoved aside my fears, with some force, mind you, and did it. Application completed and submitted. Now I just hope for the best, knowing full well that whatever the outcome, it is as it should be.

On that happy note, I bid your farewell. May your day be a creative one!

More Targets to Shoot At. More Bullets to Fire.

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. There have been many deadlines as of late. More targets to shoot at. More bullets to fire.

Which is good, as they keep me moving forward. Most are easy-breezy applications. Fill in the blanks and send in your money. But, I am also applying for a residency. Minimum of 2 months. Which has this homebody a bit nervous.

Well, actually, I am afraid.

And yes, it is easy to say “face your fears,” but it is much harder to do so.

So, I have had some sleepless nights. And heart wrenching conversations.

Is this right for me?
Should I do it?
What if I am not selected?
What if I am selected?
Do I really want to do it?
Will it really be good for me?
And on and on.

In the end, the pros outweigh the cons. So I gotta do it.

Scary, indeed, but I’m just gonna ride it out and see where it takes me.

I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

Do You Do Morning Pages?

Julia Cameron hit a home run with The Artist’s Way. Have you read the book? Done your 3 pages daily? If you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend doing so. It is well worth the read. Check out Julia Cameron’s website here for information on the book and more.

The reason I ask you about the 3 pages is that today I stumbled upon a notebook full of my daily pages from early 2000 and what an interesting read it has been!

Here is an excerpt from March 2000.
“I really, really, really do want to be successful…but I don’t know if I’ll ever get there. I don’t’ think I’m talented enough. I don’t think I work hard enough…what if the ideas don’t come.”

When I first read this I was saddened to hear such self doubt. But, wait a minute. I needn’t feel sad, I should be glad as I don’t feel this way anymore.

Not talented enough? As you already know, I accept that I have never been the most talented artist, but I have tenacity and that takes me much further. And I work very hard in my studio daily.

Ideas won’t come? Hardly. I can’t turn off the ideas. There currently aren’t enough hours in the day to finish all of them.

And success? Well, I’ve matured since then. I’m not sure what I was pining for back then, but I imagine it had to do with accolades from my peers. Fortunately, I have received recognition for my work since then in the form of awards and such, but more importantly, I realize that success isn’t measured by outside sources, but how I feel within.

All of this to say, wow, I honestly feel the pages worked for me. I am happy I took the advice to heart and devoted the time to them. I feel certain they had a great impact upon who I am today. Seeing hard work come to fruition, well, what better testimonial can there be.

So, my advice is to check out the book, if you haven’t already done so, and do the pages, whether you are new to them or starting anew.  And I plan to do the same. Keep me posted on how they go, and I shall do the same.

May your day be filled with new beginnings!

Do You Do it Too?

I worked on some mixed media pieces to match décor this week and my Artist Within that likes angst was up in arms. In my head I kept hearing, “You shouldn’t make art that matches a sofa!”

Also, a friend recently voiced apologetically that she was painting a room to match her art. These “shoulds” gotta go. What we should never do is feel guilty about any creativity we participate in. Our life should be full of joy, not guilt. So, I’m making the choice to ignore my inner artist as she obviously has some issues of her own that she needs to work out.

For me, I’m gonna keep making whatever interests me at the moment. There will be a lesson in all work that I do and I don’t want to miss those lessons because I was feeling guilty.

Those “shoulds,” and the ensuing guilt that comes with them, kill creativity. Don’t let them in. And when they do creep in from time to time, get rid of them as soon as possible. Honor your own special creativity and your true voice will emerge.

On that happy note, I hope you have a creative day!



Fruitful Life, 2011
Kim Radatz©