As we all plummet into a new lockdown let us all remind ourselves what creative, enduring and wonderful creatures we all are. In honour of that fact, I’m taking a course with Patti Normand to delve into the world of sculpture. I’m learning how to make figures at the moment. I’m totally turned on and excited for each new instruction. I’ll do my best to add updates. Here is the first step….you saw it here first!
I’ve come to a place in my artistic life where I need to jerk myself away from the traps of technology and just shutter down for a bit.
My son visited me a few weeks ago. He came to spend time with his mother and to kiss his babies goodbye. See, for quite a few years he has been collecting some rather impressive vinyl. If I had appreciated them like he does I would not have asked him to get them out of my house. He gave them snuggles and then sold them all before heading back to Calgary. It was very hard on him. But it took spending several days listening to them with him to really get it. THIS SHIT IS GOOD. And his eclectic variety in music still makes me shake my head.
After he left to go home to his beautiful wife, my two sisters, the oldest and the youngest, descended upon my home to visit me and my mother who lives one floor above me. She has dementia so I am working hard to give her as much independence as she can have for as long as she can have it. That was a beautiful weekend and I loved the true feeling of family that I came away with.
This is week one of nobody in my home and I thought for sure I would dive into the studio and start the next project. My team, The Otown Bombers, had completed a yarnbombing of an entire park three weeks ago. I am proud to say we broke a record with this one. No media coverage this time, but I did post our own signs requesting that, while we know our stuff is awesome, could you possibly leave it for two weeks before you steal it so that the whole community can enjoy our art form. I also posted a Thank You at the four corners of the park to the Algonquin for the use of their land. It was a good bomb.
But I did not dive into a new project, I ignored the studio for two days but finally went in with the intention of tidying it as it had become a dumping ground. That done, you would think I would be inspired to start a new creation right? With a pinch of shame I say I was not inspired. I dragged my ass for 5 days more.
Tonight, as I walked down the hallway I caught myself peeking into the studio. I walked back to the living room and sat my big ass on the couch to watch tv. After 30 minutes of that felt uneasy. I went past the studio again and said to myself, “Don’t go in there.” Then I heard myself ask myself, ” What are you afraid of?” And my damn self replied, “If I go in I may never want to come out.”
This is the reason my life feels so mundane lately. I’m not feeding my soul, my calling, my intelligence and passion. I’m stuffing it with digital, meaningless and utterly consuming techgarbage. TV, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, asscheck, spitneck, when the heck this shit gonna let me alone! Realistically, I had to ask my own self, ” when am I going to walk away?”
That would be today. I am challenging myself to pay attention to the artist that I am. Realistically I know in this day and age and my level of discipline, that I cannot walk away permanently. I am connected to a lot of special people through technology that I otherwise wouldn’t have the resources or energy to stay connected to people I love.
So, what am I willing to do? Well, sitting here listening to my son’s Rolling Stones, Black and Blue, I am willing to trade one noise for another. I will be replacing the the hum of the internet for the scratchy whispers of all the vinyl in my possesion and if I run out, I’ll just buy some more and learn to appreciate the passion of collecting music like my son. I challenge myself to leave my tv off for 30 days. No more News, Netflix, Crave etc. that keep me bound to a big screened idiot box. I will refrain from social media. I will post nothing. If in an urgent moment, only private messages to save a life or help someone. I can do anything else I chose while listening to music. I am allowed to listen to music online but no videos.
Now, that I’m blogging about this is kinda oxymoronic, yes? Ummm yeah, and it will be my last public post for 30 days beginning June 1st. My birthday falls within the 30 day challenge but if I don’t do it now I know I never will.
You ever have one of those moments where the idea is larger than you logic or fear? This is one of mine.
I hope this made some sense to fellow creatives who get or are snarled in the morass of THE MUNDANE. It happens more often than our free frolic but I do hope this is a way for me to push myself past the swamp and onto the beach.
Artist talk & Vernissage, this Friday with local artist Rob Friday, Anne-Marie Battis, John Felice Ceprano & Justy Lisa Dennis. Join hostess China Doll, as part of her continuing one on one with artists talks. Ask questions, find out more about the artist process & life. Friday sept. 22nd 7pm – shanghai stage.
First show of the year and it was a huge, chaotic, diverse and dynamic one at St. Bridgid’s Art Centre. What a night!
Pictures are worth a million words…find a ton of photos here
Hello everyone. If you missed last weekend’s open studio in conjunction with the Enriched Bread Artists Open Studio please don’t miss this weekend as the final open studio for 2017.
Come and help color in the community Giantangle or add new pieces to it. It’s so much fun to do and to watch a collaborative piece unfold.
The Loft Art Studios will be open for two consecutive weekends. Visitors are welcome to explore our unique art space, meet the artists, and discover our diverse collection of visual art,
Opening Night:
Thursday, September 22, 2016, from 6 to 9 pm
First Weekend:
Friday, September 23, 6 to 9 pm
Saturday, September 24, 11 am to 5 pm
Sunday, September 25, 11 am to 5 pm
Second Weekend:
Friday, September 30, 6 to 9 pm
Saturday, October 1, 11 am to 5 pm
Sunday, October 2, 11 am to 5 pm
The Loft Art Studios are located on the third floor of 951 Gladstone Avenue, Ottawa, directly above the Enriched Bread Artists who will be hosting their open house on the same dates.
I’ve been absent from my art blog for quite some time. As some of you may know I’ve created a bit of a side business for myself besides my full-time job and my art I am now a dog care provider. My business and I am called The Furrrry Godmother. It keeps me quite busy but it doesn’t keep me from my studio. I blog more about the dogs now than my art because it entertains me and keeps the parents of the furr babies informed.
I guess you could call today’s blog a guilty confession concerning my laziness in art blogging but not idle anywhere else in life.
I’ve been working steadily on the giantangles that I began last year in black and white. I’ve completed it and also one in teal. I am currently working on a purple one.
I have one more painting in this series. It’s going to be red but you never know, it could turn out green or orange depending on my mood when I put brush to canvas. Each acrylic painting is 30 x 40 with the exception of the purple one which is 32 x 40. I bought the wrong sized canvas but just had to start painting what was in my head. I like to think that the painting demanded more space than it’s predecessors.
So, that is what I’ve been working on at the studio. At home I’ve been drawing zentangles of all shapes and sizes. I’ll frame some and not frame others. I’m not quite sure what I am doing with most of them yet. I had wanted to make cd case cubes but they are just too tacky for my taste.
In textile I have begun a new yarnbomb project that I hope you will all enjoy for a long time. It has to do with birds and rooftops. Stay tuned there will be a release party. I’m very excited about it.
So, I’ve gone to the dogs but my passion is still very much alive in the arts. I promise you, that flame will burn internally and eternally !
Now I want to share with you a found piece of art I stumbled upon today which prompted me to come and blog. I am of Ukrainian, Irish and British decent. I connect most closely with my Ukrainian roots for some reason. I don`t question it. Today I discovered this gorgeous sculpture by a Kiev artist named Nazar Bilyk. It is simply called, “Rain”. I think its stunning…enjoy and ciao until I blog again.
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Seven Wonders.”
Khalil Gibran once said that people will never understand one another unless language is reduced to seven words. What would your seven words be?
Please may I have your attention. Thankyou for giving me your attention. Yes let us talk about our ideas. I see your point of view. You are allowed to believe that. We can be the same and we can be different. Balance is achieved this way.
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Singular Sensation.”
Today I won 50 million dollars !
The blogs that would follow this one singular sensation in my life would outline the following activities:
There is not much more in this world that I want other than to be a contributing member to my tribe…the humans. Currently the fuel that drives change in this fabulous world that we live in is money. Many of us wish that the currency of change was kindness and cooperation and compassion.
REALITY CHECK!! The world really is not like that at the moment. But by jumping on the “making a difference bandwagon” as opposed to looking out for number one, we can influence each person that we know.
humbly yours,
Justy
Justy Dennis 