Guest post: Collaboration in art and crafts - part 3

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by Shauna Busto Gilligan and Annemiek Hamelink

Part 3 of 3 (read part 1 here and part 2 here)

Shauna and Annemiek got together in Ireland to define the details of their collaboration with as few restrictions as possible so as not to impose on the needed freedom.

As they had both arrived at the same idea – a bowl should inspire a story which in turn should be the source of inspiration for another bowl – the need for inspirational freedom was decided easily.

Shauna is to start with a story and Annemiek with a bowl. They will both work on their stories/ bowls for about a year, updating progress, issues, inspirations in a blog dedicated to the project.

What remained to be decided upon was a topic. Again, this had to be open as previous experience had shown that if this was too restrictive, it would block the inspiration and thus render the project impossible to do.

It happened (unusual for an Irish autumn!) that the weather was great when Annemiek was in Ireland. They decided to take a break from the blogging and took Shauna's children to the Botanic Gardens in Dublin where a temporary sculpture exhibition was on.

Interestingly the exhibition was called Sculpture In Context. It was during this wonderful autumn day when Annemiek took photographs and Shauna wrote in her notebook that they both realised that engaging in other types of art can lead to a feeling of freedom in ones own craft.

They decided to start from here:

We hope we inspired you to collaborate too;

Please feel free to follow our adventure on our blog dedicated to this project.

Guestpost: Through The Viewfinder

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By Jenya from Evaforeva

When I got my DSLR it was like a new beginning for me - beginning of discovering photography and a new way of expressing myself. But I never stopped loving the old polaroids and beautiful photographs that were shot by Diana and other vintage cameras. The outdated retro look just captivated me but the inability to edit the pictures afterwords was a big turn off. And then I found Through The Viewfinder (TTV) technique! How brilliant? You get the genuine old looking photograph in a digital format! You get to bake your cake and eat it too!

There is a lot of information about TTV on the internet and it is becoming more and more popular. If you want to try it you will need a digital SLR (most people recommend macro lens but I am using 18-55mm that came with the kit and it works just fine), an old twin-lens reflex camera (it doesn't even have to work as long as the viewfinder isn't broken), and a contraption. I bought my twin lens reflex from Canemah and my father built a contraption for me and he really did an amazing job with it.
The hardest part is determining the length of your contraption and Russ Morris has a great website that helped me a lot. Once you are done with that step - you are ready to start!

Now, shooting through the viewfinder can be challenging. You need to learn how to manipulate the whole structure (both cameras and contraption) in order to stage the shot you are looking to get.
After downloading my images to the computer I crop them in Photoshop. Sometimes I like to keep the black frame and sometimes I like how light and fresh the images look without it.

If you are interested to see more of my TTV experiments feel free to stop by and say hi.

Guestpost: Similarties in collaborations

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by Shauna Busto Gilligan and Annemiek Hamelink

Part 2 of 3 (read part 1 here)

Shauna, the writer

After my initial collaboration with Annemiek, I presented a paper at Great Writing Conference 2010 (an international creative writing conference held at a UK university every year) with screen writer Karen Lee Street. We examined the creative processes Annemiek uses in jewellery making and analysised Karen’s collaboration with the painter Sam Street:

Karen and I found that while the outcomes and materials used differ hugely, the creative processes involved in creating jewellery/stories, art/stories have a lot in common – all rely on natural inspiration in order to create. Karen and Sam’s collaborations and inspirations echoed the “accidental” collaboration which myself and Annemiek had naturally experienced earlier. The academic research was an interesting way for me to then reflect on my collaboration with Annemiek.

After the initial story/bowl collaboration (see part 1) we attempted to collaborate using themes.

Based on my story “Lucky Horseshoe” we went with the idea of lucky numbers. Interestingly, neither of us were inspired by this to actually create. We talked via email about it, but still, nothing came of it. So, we decided to meet in person to talk about our collaborations. We both felt that meeting face to face would allow more freedom and movement to come into the collaboration.

Expression of Freedom
photograph by Astur Photograpy

Our previous “accidental” collaboration had followed the “process” of allowing creative freedom to work its way into a shape of its own. As we talked, we realised that we both felt the same - inspiration for both writing and craft was what led to the creation of something. So, the stories and the bowls, the products, will form the “plan” rather than a logical plan of “action”, we’re following now a plan led by the outcomes.

I’m currently working on a story based on one of Annemiek’s story bowls and we’re hoping that Annemiek in turn will be inspired by my story to create another bowl. In this way our collaboration is an evolving, cyclical process where image and word are assigned equal importance. The end results are tangible, measurable and indeed, for sale.

Every bowl, as they say, tells a story....

Annemiek, the crafter

As both Shauna and myself had left our desk jobs to create, very soon we both formed the idea to do something together, but as Shauna describes the initial idea of lucky numbers was too restricting and did not lead to anything. It was only when we let go that it started to work. And I guess that is part of the creative process, the freedom, the letting go.

I do like that way of working very much. Let a story, a line, the material speak to me and so create something new, very intuitive, nothing complicated. I do like the idea of a bowl leading to a story and leading to another completely new and different story. Thus the whole of bowls and stories form a never ending story and becomes part of the natural flow, thus reflecting the original inspiration of nature itself.

Even before I knew I would be creating story bowls and before I knew would be collaborating with Shauna, I had this logo designed for my company Two Trees which I wanted to be so that it would remind one of the circle of life too. Amazing how things always come together :-)

So how about you, do you get into a collaboration with other creative minds and if so how does it work for you? We would love to hear your comments.

Guest post: Collaboration in art and crafts

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by Shauna Busto Gilligan and Annemiek Hamelink Part 1 of 3

Annemiek and Shauna met each other in Ireland over ten years ago. At the time they both worked in desk jobs. Since then Shauna has returned to writing and Annemiek felt the urge to create with her hands and found clay, glass and silver very satisfying. Similarly, Shauna's husband Xuan left the corporate world to return to his first career as a photographer. Photographs which Xuan took formed the basis of the inspiration for some short stories, they produced a book together and sent Annemiek a copy as a present. She read the stories and some inspired her. Xuan's pictures bear no relation to the creations Annemiek made in any way, but Shauna's writing brings the two creative outputs together.

In this series of blogs we track how Shauna as a writer and Annemiek as a crafter have found the "accidental" collaboration of photograph-story-bowl in terms of artistic process and tangible outcomes. Currently we are using this experience to formalise further collaboration using Annemiek's "story bowls" as the starting point.

Step 1: Photograph to Story – Shauna, the writer
Xuan’s took the photograph of the lighthouse (above) at an open day run by the Irish Landmark Trust which gave open access to the public. As a writer, I found myself interested in what was within the lighthouse while Xuan as a photographer, looked outward beyond the lighthouse. It was the domestic details which captured me like the a chair or a towel on a rail. The idea of a winding road, seen as disjointed vertical lines in the photograph led me to thoughts of journeys and why one makes these journeys. It was the going away from something that made me create a character who is seated on the chair in the photograph, anticipating the journey her man is going to make in his new car, waiting to glimpse the shine of the metal in the sun – like the lucky horseshoe on the car – at a distance on the winding road. Read the story.

Step 2: Story to Bowl – Annemiek, the crafter
Reading the story I got clear images and flashbacks in my mind, the winding roads and the rolling hills of Ireland. I did not know the picture was taken in Ireland. Some stories will not have the same film-like effect on ones mind and the images stay kind of blurry, but this came through clear. I could see the man in a shiny open sports car with long wavy hair flowing in the wind while driving; the winding road, the wife looking out for him. The scenery something like this:

Now to capture this in a bowl I had to boil it down to the essentials for me, so I kept it in my head and let it mature. What came out was the lone oldtimer-type sports car in typical red on a winding road. I choose the dark clay as it feels right, if I had choosen crisp white porcelain, the feel would be different entirely.

Conclusions: Shauna’s thoughts on the tangible creation
It was interesting for me to see what image Annemiek had picked to hone in on when she created the bowl. While the car was indeed one of the main images in the story, it was more of the texture of the car, silver, reflection of the metal off the sun that was the strongest for me. The change in colour from silver to red was interesting but in practial terms works much better on the dark clay than a silver one would have worked. Annemiek had picked up on the notion of speed and movement in the story and what better image than a red sports car to portray that.

In this “accidental” collaboration the end product is something which can be used. I now use Annemiek’s bowl with the red car in it to keep silver paperclips which hold drafts of my stories together....

Guest post: Loves Ballet

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By Michelle from Road to Being

Since a young girl, I've written lyrics - tangles of words that described what stirred in my mind. I eventually realized that it was a great emotional release, to put what was inside, outside. Whether reading or writing it, poetry can be healing. It helps you feel grounded, connects you with feelings, and allows you to be expressive - to just be in the powerful, creative process.
I've always wished that I could be the next Van Gogh or Van Eyck, painting the images in my mind onto canvas, in ways that were breathtaking, magical. I've always envied painters more than poets. But with paper as canvas, and words as paintbrush, a poet can give my imagination inspiration that I think even Van Gogh would appreciate.
I hope you enjoy my poem.

Loves Ballet

At prides insistence
I whispered, in the distance
you’ll find yourself returning -
And bit my lip until it bled to stay tears that were burning
Gauzy love
was blowing through the air
while children ran round a fish-shaped fountain -
Then up red mossy stairs
And through my soft grey skirt
the coldness of the wall
was nothing like the sorrow -
Of the flight of love now stalled
As if they sensed
this tête-à-tête was of regret
the trees began to grieve -
Swirling round then floating down they cried a thousand leaves
And I
I longed to touch your face
My soul reeled from neglect and begged for one more taste
But while your eyes were lit lamps of concern -
The flames I used to see for me were now a fire that barely burned
And at guilt’s insistence
you said, in the distance
you might find the fog was clearing -
But that you’d spurned cupids pomp though it seemed your eyes were tearing
And the heaviness within my heart lurched against my chest
but I remembered vividly you said you thought it best
and I could try a magicians tricks but stubborn as you were -
To pull a talking rabbit from my hat to you'd just be obscure
I turned my face against an ill and chilly wind
I stood and one last look at you about did me in
My blurry eyes fell onto a hedge-shaped Queen of Hearts -
I longed to hide beneath her spongy cloak till you at last did part
Since now it seemed
the frozen ground
held an imaginary line, that I wanted to -
But dared not pass as we said goodbye
The children splashed in the fountain as I walked away
They snatched a plump orange goldfish but it made a grand escape
When I turned around, you were gone, and I wondered if you felt that way
Or if, like me, you were sad to see -
The death of Loves Ballet

Image by Ben Heine

Guest post: A is for Art

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by John Fidler from Scribblz n' Doodlz

A couple of years ago, whilst idly doodling, I hit upon the idea of using a letter as the starting point for drawing absolutely anything - almost!
The letter was 'A', as in 'A is for Art', coincidently the title of a little book that I've put together that details easy step by step instructions for drawing people, animals and machines.

I found that by using slight variations of an A, it was incredibly easy to draw something that looked like what it was supposed to.

As a school teacher this has proved to be an invaluable tool, as I can quickly show children a simple way of drawing something. Far from limiting or stifling their own creativity it actually provides the springboard to get them going. Lots of children (and adults!) lack confidence when it comes to drawing. By giving them a consistent, simple starting point you can open the door to enable them to experiment and try things out.

One of my colleagues is currently using the idea to coax a very reluctant writer, but an able drawer, into producing simple, illustrated texts.

By using this method you won't necessarily become the next da Vinci and the resultant images obviously lack photographic realism, but you will find yourself able to quickly sketch out a recognisable picture.

If nothing else, it will at least add to your doodle repertoire and take you beyond random squiggles and shapes. Happy drawing!

I have one copy of 'A is for Art' to give away to a randomly picked person who leaves an alphabet related comment!

The give-away is now closed and the winner is Tash! Congrats on your brilliant comment and winning the book! :)

Guest post: The deal that fell through

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by Laura from BlueTerracotta

What would you do with fifty-odd black and white handmade fabric ornaments? Especially if you had them because a PR agency in London ordered them but never paid. Well, it happened to me, and I was so disappointed last year that I packed them away, carefully flat, all lined up in a bag and placed them at the bottom of my fabric basket. And there they lay until a few days ago.

It all started with a message on etsy last year from the PR agency, mid-November. They liked my nostalgic fabric ornaments printed with vintage lace. Would I be interested in creating about 50 bespoke ornaments for a gala being held for British interior designers on December 9? The client was a non-profit organization working to build awareness about saving energy in the design field. A well-known designer was associated with the project. A rock star in her younger days, she now creates clothes and home deco items in black and white lace. My ornaments were to match her style, and at the gala, the designers would receive one in their press packets.

I was already imagining the designers discovering their ornaments at the glamorous evening event in London!

Within the next two weeks:

• I received a brief for artists.

• I sent in a cost estimate and photos of samples.

• My contact person at the agency loved the samples, but I had to wait for approval from the client, who was considering a few artists.

• I reminded them that I'd have to ship by December 1.

• My contact person went on holiday!

• I phoned London and spoke to my new contact person who assured me the client would decide in a few days.

• I began sewing.

• I got word that the client loved my work and wanted them.

• I finished sewing them up.

• I sent a polite reminder that I couldn't ship without first receiving payment.

And then, just like that, no more word from the agency. December 1 came and went. Nothing. I think it was an honest miscalculation in timing on their part. They realized that the ornaments would never get there in time. But a message from them would have been nice.

So, I swallowed my disappointment, packed up my ornaments and put them away.

The other day, I found them in my basket and had a fun photo session with my daughter!

Regrets? Not really. I had a good feeling about the project and went with my intuition. It was for a good cause. I gave it my best effort, but it just didn't work out.

What am I going to do with black and white Christmas ornaments? Not exactly Christmas colors, you say?

Some ideas:

• decorate our tree this year in black and white

• give them as gifts

• put them for sale in my etsy shop

• make some orange ones too, and use them as Victorian-themed Halloween decorations

• create a line of black and white items to match

I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments section, and from the people that mention ideas, I will randomly pick 2 people who will receive a set of four assorted ornaments, shipped anywhere in the world. Don't forget to leave your name & e-mail address.

HURRAY SONJA & RAPIDMOODSWINGS FOR WINNING A FABULOUS SET OF THESE ORNAMENTS! :)

Guest post: 4 Tips for Viewing Art: A Beginner's Guide

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By Roger from hospitality management schools

Jean-Luc Goddard, famed Swiss French film director and critic once said, "Art attracts us only by what it reveals of our most secret self." Here, Goddard aptly noted what it is about art that makes us a appreciate it--it connects the work, the artist, and ourselves into a seamless unit.

Although we may not be artists ourselves, we can look at a work of art and recognize something profoundly true about an individual mind as well as about the human condition as a whole. That being said, anyone can appreciate art. But simply walking through an art gallery doesn't qualify as viewing art. Here are some tips to get you started on looking at art so that it moves you in an exciting way.

by restlessthings

1. Check preconceptions at the door.
Don't come in with any specific expectations. The best way to look at a piece of art is with a blank slate. Why? This is because when we approach something without any preformed ideas, we are approaching it with an open mind. Even if you've seen a particular artist's other works before, try to view as if viewing for the first time.

2. Spend several minutes taking in the piece.
While it is tempting to take one look at an artwork and move on to the next piece, you'd be surprised by how much you can miss if you leave too quickly. First just get a general idea, then move up closer and look for details.

3. Note how a piece makes you feel.
Although "feelings" and art are a rather vague notion that can't be properly translated into words, art appreciation isn't about "being cultured" or what have you. It's about your personal reactions. Viewing a piece of art and being aware of your physical and emotional reactions is what makes the process so rewarding.

4. Read the title and background information afterwards.
The other aspects of artwork aside from the piece itself can help you to gain some sort of context. While a good piece of art should transcend its historical context, it's good to get this other information in order to deepen your sense of where and under what circumstances the artist created the work. It also gives you better insight into what the artist was hoping to accomplish and convey.

Since viewing art is a highly personal experience, there is no one way to do it correctly. However, if you want to be methodical about it, these are only some general tips to get you started. Whatever you do, always remember that an artist put much thought and a lot of work into any given piece in order to bring you, her audience, pleasure or at least food for thought. Do the artist and art in general a favor by taking the time to look every work over carefully. Of course, there will be some that you don't quite understand or don't particularly like, but be sure to give each work a shot.

Feel free to drop me a comment or your thoughts at my e-mail (Roger Elmore).

Promise or not?

image by BigTallGuy

About a month ago, I announced on my blog that I wanted guestbloggers for my blog. Here is what I wrote at the end of my post:
I'd like to give back to the blogging community as I have received so much from it.
I hope this works and that you will all enjoy reading what the guest-blogger 'on duty' comes up with. I'm sure you will get to know a lot of awesome people this way. That's a promise!

Now I wonder if I kept my promise or not. I feel that guest posts bring more diversity to my blog and for me it's a wonderful experience meeting all these fun people that submit a guestpost.
But I do wonder: do you feel the same?
I'd like to know so please vote below to let me know...
Thank you & happy Sunday! :)

Guest post: Jason's awesome underwater pics

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

By Lauriane from View from the 6th Floor

My friend Jason takes beautiful underwater photographs and videos. I love checking out his new ones every time he comes back from a dive. It exposes a whole world that I know nothing about and thus seems so totally surreal. Its appears to be so effortlessly graceful under the sea.
Need a break from land-lubber reality?
Watch a seal play with a seven gill shark, on his blog - the sound is relaxing too.

Guest post: Tutorial: How to Make a Paper Spike Bow

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

By Amy from amarshall

This fun little paper craft is something my grandmother taught me to make as a small child. I usually make one when I want to add a special touch to a wrapped gift. They also look pretty sitting on a shelf or turned into a fridge magnet.

Here is what you need:
Wrapping paper or craft paper, glue- any craft glue that dries clear,
a sharpened pencil, scissors, a cup or other circular object to trace around,
a damp cloth to wipe up the glue that you are sure to get on your fingers!

Trace & cut out several circles from your paper, 5 or 6 should do. Fold each circle in half, half again, and again (you will have 8 sections).
Cut on each fold line about 3/4 of the way, leaving the center in tact. Roll each cut section by holding the pencil at an angle to one corner.
As you roll the paper around the pencil it will make a cone.
Add a dab of glue near the end. If your paper is heavy,
you may have to hold it in place for a moment so the glue can set.
This is where I get glue all over my fingers and
use the damp cloth to keep clean. Now you are ready to assemble your bow!
Layer each circle one on top of the next with a dab of glue.
Be sure to off set each layer so the points land in between the
previous layer's points. When you get to the very middle,
use the eraser end of your pencil to stick the last layer in place. What a nice way to top off a gift!

Guest post: Creating a simple and sweet logo

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By Vanessa Sky at vanessasky.com

Branding starts with a good look and having a catchy logo is essential.
Here's how I created a simple and sweet logo.
I started with what I make, sculptures. Mostly trees with a funny shape.

So I began drawing dozens of trees with this shape, keeping it simple and clear. I wanted it to be easily readable 10 pixels high and in black and white.

I picked my favorite tree.

I then drew my name, including the tricky s's.

I scanned them, cleaned them up, and put them together.

I loved that white space. Then I sent them out to make rubber stamps since I wanted to stamp it into clay for more texture. You can use the stamps to brand your packaging. Here is where I get my stamps.

This was the look I wanted. I had the foundation of my brand and you can see the logo in action here.

If you would like to read some more on logo's and design resources, check out these sites:
Some beautiful logos using negative pace - this is what professional Graphic Designers can do!
Graphic Design Association, they have standards if you are looking to hire a Graphic Designer - AIGA

Some artists with simple and sweet branding:

Paloma's Nest

The Small Object

Yokoo

Any other artists that you love the look of?

Guest post: A Walk in the Woods...

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

By Charlotte Hupfield from Charlotte Hupfield Ceramics.

Many artists, designers and makers say that they have not had the chance or taken the time to unlock their imagination by really looking and seeing what is around them. For ceramicists for example, it is easy to get carried away by the feel of the clay when in fact the most vital consideration is the 'idea' and making work that has individuality and a personal voice. To do this requires inspiration.

Inspiration for me comes from the natural world: the amazing effects from weathering and sea erosion evident in rocks and coves, the bumpy and colourful linear patterns found within hills and fields, a walk in the woods, and the surfaces in nature where no two marks are ever the same. It is this particular aspect that my ceramics connects to.

I often spend time at my local country park, whether it be enjoying the surroundings on a quiet walk, walking a friends dog, or collecting nature. It is a perfect little place where I sometimes go to get away from the rest of the world for a while.

I have a 'thing' about trees - the roots, bark, textures, forms... and I sometimes like certain peculiar things that other people wouldn't stop to look at, such as a patch of mould because it has pretty colours growing in it. Does that make me weird?!

When I'm at craft fairs and events, many customers comment on how natural and earthy my work looks, and I take this as a huge compliment because I'm glad other people can relate to what my work is about. A customer once picked up one of my little sculptural vessels and said "This looks like it has just been taken from nature."

I love to photograph my ceramics outside amongst pebbles and greenery because it shows strong relations to my influence of nature. I find that natural light is also the best for taking photos!

I think I have recently discovered a new fascination with combining twigs and branches with pieces of ceramics, shells and copper wire to make hanging mobiles/wind chimes. I made the first one a few weeks ago after collecting some twigs from the woods, and now I can't stop! They look so pretty hung up and make a delightful sound when blown in the breeze. I sold one of my newest mobiles last weekend whilst at a craft fair and was so happy that someone else liked the beauty of it enough to buy it :)

I will have to make another trip to the woods soon to collect some more twigs to continue developing my new project!

From what I have researched, it seems many people are inspired by the different elements of nature, as it is so diverse. What are you inspired by?

Guest post: a new direction

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By Kylie from Chasing Purple Dreams

I’ve always rebelled against the idea of having a personal style or working in a series as an artist. I wanted to challenge myself to master different mediums and techniques, textures and colour schemes. I thought I would get bored working in the same style all the time.

Adrift

Kylie Marie Stevens

Oil on canvas

600 x 900mm

2010

I thought it would be "cheating" that it would just get easier and easier. Now I find I've thrown my long-held opinion out the window and started creating a series. Oops!

Afloat

Kylie Marie Stevens

Oil on canvas

1020 x 510mm

2010

I’ve never worked this way before. Instead of cheating I find I am telling myself a story, delving deeper. In this series of abstract oil paintings there are symbols: a little boat filled with my creativity; floating, drifting or cruising with purpose towards a light that represents my creative goals, the place I want to be.
I don’t mind at all if the story you find is different from the one I am exploring myself. To me that is part of the beauty of abstracts.

Abound

Kylie Marie Stevens

Oil on canvas

1060 x 1210mm

2010

I’m always curious to hear what other people see in my work and what draws them to one piece over another. On that note I’d love to know what you see here. Do you have a favourite? Are they telling you a story?

Approach

Kylie Marie Stevens

Oil on canvas

840 x 760mm

2010

If you’re curious to see what came before or where this series is going, pop on over to Chasing Purple Dreams, I’d love to have your company on my journey.