Topic #8--"Minimalism" Entry

Thought I'd try my hand at some digital art for this week's topic. This piece is entitled "The Seed." It makes me think about potential--how something so seemingly small can become something so great. Perhaps it is an egg waiting to be fertilized, a marigold seed, a germ of an idea that leads to a work of art, a few words from a stranger that can change your life. Our daily lives are full of seeds. It is our job to find the ones that we will nurture into their greatest potential.

Topic #8--"Minimalism" Entry

Lennea's minimalist entry for this week. Enjoy!

She says, "not minimalist in the traditional sense of the word perhaps, but minimal in the use of color...and it looks great on my bedroom walls."

Topic #8--"Minimalism" Entry

Many thanks Himavant for this very cool entry!

Topic #8--"Minimalism" Entry

Thank you Maggie for your contribution--just beautiful!

Topic #8--"Minimalism" Entry

Thank you Liz for this fantastic entry and commentary!

She says, " i'm not sure this qualifies!!?!!--but is about as close to the theme as i can get! i'm struggling to try and combine my artwork with journal writing--i feel frustrated because i SO admire people like teesha moore and anahata katkin who make their journals SUCH works of art in their own right--i seem to have to do either art on a page or write on it--not both!! it has been bothering me for awhile that i seem to have this block--but-- i think i've decided to just go with it for now and solve the dilemma by having 2 journals to work in side by side. sometimes everything i want to say can be conveyed in a piece of work ...and sometimes i just NEED to get my thoughts down on paper without worrying about the art that might accompany them. so for now , that is what i'm going to do. my guess is that one form will become more appealing and important to me and that is the direction i will go in--just like the quote in this piece, i will learn to spend my life in my own way."

Topic #8--"Minimalism" Entry

What a simply gorgeous, peaceful work from Gillian.

She says, "I was excited by this word because I love minimalist art - there's something remarkable about the negative spaces that are created - they give balance and tension to a piece of artwork. The spare and intuitive art of the Japanese is probably the most ancient of minimalist artforms. Even their gardens are thoughtfully created and peaceful. Just a carefully placed rock and some raked gravel give shape and form and provide a focus for thought and contemplation.

Quite fitting then that I should use the leaf of the Gingko for my minimalist artwork. It wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be. I found a wonderful photo of a leaf on the Stock Xchng and just knew that it was perfect for this challenge, but this leaf was moved, altered, rotated and blended ad nauseum until something just clicked! Okay, it would have been more minimalistic to use just one leaf, but I felt daring....LOL.

Now I want to try more minimalist art. That was fun fun fun."

Topic #8--"Minimalism" Entry

A very beautiful entry from Mary Ann!

She says, "Ever since i took the many art classes in college & then adult continuing education over the years, i have & am always been struck by the innovation & thought-provoking pieces of abstract art...

i remember on a field trip to the art institute of chicago (with my abstract art class back in the day) of looking at a mark rothko piece (i believe it was by him) & there was this gargantuan canvas of "black" paint! a classmate of mine sneered as he said that's art?!!! whatever, i thought... i appreciated that work, just like the many others we sought out that day. my hubby does not get abstract art...he is a realist, in every sense of the word, but art, like beauty, is really in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?"

Topic #8--"Minimalism" Entry

Our first entry for this week by Caron! Incredible as always--many thanks!

She says, "It came about as a result of a discussion a friend and I had this weekend about her desire to have a child colliding with her biological clock."

Topic #8--Minimalism

minimalism
n.
A school of abstract painting and sculpture that emphasizes extreme simplification of form, as by the use of basic shapes and monochromatic palettes of primary colors, objectivity, and anonymity of style. Also called ABC art, minimal art; Also called reductivism, rejective art.
Use of the fewest and barest essentials or elements, as in the arts, literature, or design.
Music. A school or mode of contemporary music marked by extreme simplification of rhythms, patterns, and harmonies, prolonged chordal or melodic repetitions, and often a trancelike effect.

note: The paintings in the photograph are by Frank Badur

Topic #7--"Transformation" Entry

The past few weeks have been ones of great transformation for me in terms of my art. I have been drawn back to the way I originally started making art--in the abstract. I feel like I am coming full circle, but my work has definitely transformed into something very different from where I started- the new techniques I have learned and life experiences I have had have all been contributors. My recent abstracts are rendered on huge canvas (this one entitled "Opus 1" is on 24x24x1.5 canvas). I have opened a new Ebay store "The Purple Studio" where I will attempt to sell these new paintings. You can visit http://stores.ebay.com/The-Purple-Studio if you are interested. I'd love to know what you think.

Topic #7--"Transformation" Entry

Here is Zorana's entry for "transformation"--so well done!

She says, "For some reason after reading the word transformation I thought about pregnancy... At first I wasn't sure if it is on the subject, but the more I thought about it the more transformations I could remember (from the time long ago when I was pregnant). I wanted to show transformations from the time we are born (not only we.... everything in nature) and especially transformations we as women go through. My journal entry didn't turn out completely the way I "saw it"... I may revisit it one day when my skills (hopefully) get better."

Topic #7--"Transformation" Entry

Here is Mary Ann's gorgeous contribution for this week!

Topic #7--"Transformation" Entry

Welcome to Hilfiger.48 from Belgium! Thank you so much for this contribution--excellent!

Hilfiger.48 says, "How can we show hidden dimensions and transform them into visual arts?
Mathematicians can, and also artists can.
I love both.
The transformation of ideas and pure materials (ink, paint, paper, wathever,...) can move people. Maybe art can't save the world but it can transform it into beautiful places to live and share.
This artwork was created as a part of the cyclus "Welcome in the Calabi-Yau space" after meeting/reading Brain Greenes' "The fabric of the cosmos".
Believe me, it changed me..."

Topic #7--"Transformation" Entry

Welcome to Himavant! This is quickly becoming a very international group--so great how we can all come together!!! This is such a beautiful interpretation of transformation--so simple and just perfect--the act of turning water into tea--many thanks Himavant!!!

She says, "Artwords has challenging challenge this week. Transformation. It took time for me to "grab" the gist of transformation (to be expressed in an artwork). I know about "going beyond your form"
but how...? I tried to make series of my pictures into a digital artwork but... I could not see significant "transformation" on it. Ugh. I was going to give up..

I went back to art I like--collage. I made collage using Newsweek recently and I had squeezed the magazine to dry.. Only few left. I changed to Swedish interior magazine a friend gave me. Mm.. flipping flipping..

Then I found this. No.. not tea advertisement, it's glass-ware. Typical Swedish, advertisement looked modern and neat. It became perfect after I found "the background" from car advertisement-it has arrow. Arrow associates with transformation, right?

I cut the pictures the Swedish way, clean and straight (I left the right edge naturally furry so it won't look too boxy). I played with the lines. Mm.. I enjoyed composing. A tea bag into a glass of hot water, then two tea bags getting red after infusing below a flying glass of tea. I fixed a real tea bag of my favorite legendary local brand, Tong Tji, to make the total artwork alive.

Toast!"

Topic #7--"Transformation" Entry

Welcome Gillian! This entry is stunning--many thanks for this contribution!

She says, "This is a digital image I was inspired to do especially for the theme of 'Transformation' on the Art Words blog. I see beauty in decay, and always seek out the most mundane things to photograph. I have been known to snap puddles, old coke cans, hinges, torn posters, door knobs, weathered doors, timber end grain and have even stooped for some time over an interesting drain that had yellow parking restriction lines painted over it. I used to be quite self-conscious in the early days, but few people ever even give you a sideways glance!

For me transformation means the way things change as they age and that includes me, I'm afraid. Rust and peeling paint can make better pictures than any Jackson Pollock or Damien Hurst. Just add rain, sunlight, air, wind and salt-spray to any surface and time will work it's magic. I love it!"

Topic #7--"Transformation" Entry

Check out this entry from Caron! Many thanks for this beautiful piece of art!

She says, "Transformation, to me, brings to mind motion, time, knowledge, and fateful events - like when Persephone ate the pomegranate seeds her father gave her in order to make sure she would be tied to the underworld. Indeed, to live life is to be transformed on a regular basis. "

Topic #7--"Transformation" Entry

Here is a beautiful entry from Cris! Such rich colors and imagery--mank thanks!!

She says, "The word immediately resonated with me and everything seemed to come together as I started working. Transformation, to me, indicates a "renewal" or "rebirth", so I included elements which I feel symbolize this concept."

Topic #7--Transformation

Transformation

"Transformation literally means going beyond your form."
Wayne Dyer

"First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination."
Napolean Hill

"Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives." author unknown

Topic #6--"Secret" Entry

Here is my entry for this week's topic. It is entitled "The Secret" and is a mixed media painting on 9x12 stretched canvas. I've been experimenting with larger works and painting these days, as opposed to the miniature, whimsical collages that I usually do. I am enjoying myself immensely.

This piece is actually based on someone close to me and a secret that she has kept since childhood. I am one of the few people in her life who know about it--for a while I was the only one. Over time I could see how she became a slave to the secret--how it kept growing and sprouting tendrils that were out of control--making it hard for the essence of my friend to shine through. To go on each day was utterly exhausting for her.

Topic #6--"Secret" Entry

Thank you Mary Ann for another thought-provoking entry!

She says, "'I'm the type of person who will share secrets with only those i feel & know i can trust >>> as soon as a secret is let out (& it becomes fodder for gossip-mongers!)...then that trust is undeniably broken...the way i see it, secrets are only for those who really know how to keep them safe & secure...& certainly are not for the weak!

there are times, particulary lately, that it just takes me a little bit longer than usual before something creative comes forth from me...

like the piece that i have here...i originally was going to have the collage go in the vertical plane, rather than the horizontal as it is here. & i was all set to start adhering my torn pieces of handmade paper, lace (which i just got from judy s.! *smile*), herringbone ribbon, metal hearts, stamped image (from paper artsy, btw) & various alpha/word/butterfly stickers...but something told me {my "art angel" perhaps?} to see what would happen if i turned the gold matboard horizontally. it was as if the "lightblub" clicked on!>>> my "a-ha!" moment, if you will, because that position was not what i originally had in mind when i first started this piece!

& i'm so glad i listened to that little voice inside, nudging me along...i rather liked how this came out...& you know, i never know how exactly a piece will turn out...until the very end, when that same little voice has me nodding in approval"

Topic #6--"Secret" Entry

Here is Audrey's entry for this week--clever and so lovely!

She says,"Format is 6" x 8". Image is from a vintage postcard I have and the transparency behind it is from Artchix Studio. The top part is a piece of embossed wallpaper."

Topic #6--"Secret" Entry

Lennea's wonderful creation sheds light on our realities--I found myself nodding to her pearls of wisdom and cracking up as well.....enjoy!

She says, "I think it's just human nature to be curious about other people's lives. Do those perfectly manicured, thin, put together women have secret lives of chin hairs and dust bunnies? I choose to think they do (makes feel better about myself)! For this challenge I used vintage images of women and their lives from a 1930's women's magazine collaged on 4x4" sturdy matboard and tied together with vintage ribbon.These magazines always crack me up in the same way "Leave it to Beaver" and " the Brady Bunch" cracks me up. These women are waaaaay too happy about doing the laundry. So what are some of the secrets of Perfect Women? Glad you asked...

1. serves meals to family on paper plates
2.washed child's hair with dog shampoo
3. plucks stray chin hairs
4. doesn't separate colors
5.has drawer full of skin firming creams
6. counts running thru sprinklers as bathtime
7.counts ketchup as a vegetable group
8. alters clothes with safety pins and staples
9. packed school lunch of pop tart and tic tacs

Of course, these aren't MY secrets...I,uh just made them up....really...."

Topic #6--"Secret" Entry

Here is an entry from Caron--just beautiful!

Topic #6--"Secret" Entry

Here is a very captivating piece by Izabella called "We all have our little secrets"!

Topic #6--Secret

se·cret
adj.
1. Kept hidden from knowledge or view; concealed.
2. Dependably discreet.
3. Operating in a hidden or confidential manner: a secret agent.
4. Not expressed; inward: their secret thoughts.
5. Not frequented; secluded: wandered about the secret byways of Paris.
6. Known or shared only by the initiated: secret rites.
7. Beyond ordinary understanding; mysterious.
8. Containing information, the unauthorized disclosure of which poses a grave threat to national security.
n.
1. Something kept hidden from others or known only to oneself or to a few.
2. Something that remains beyond understanding or explanation; a mystery.
3. A method or formula on which success is based: The secret of this dish is in the sauce.
4. Secret A variable prayer said after the Offertory and before the Preface in the Mass.

Topic #5--"Play" Entry

Look at all of these wonderful colors and layers! Many thanks Zorana!

She says, "I have been thinking about the word play for days... and was getting very frustrated with myself. It shouldn't be so difficult. Is it possible that I forgot how to play? Sometimes I think that all I do is just that - play... but that makes me depressed because you are not supposed to play all the time at 41. On the other hand I have to overthink everything... whether what I created is good enough, what can I do to make it better, when will I stop pretending to be an artist (usually after spending too much time looking at other blogs and websites)... And the 'biggest' thought of all - why bother when I'll never be Leonardo... The answer is simple - because I have to... I love to create... it is fun and challenging and interesting... And this gets me to the topic of PLAY. The workshop I attended yesterday was the right medicine for me - play with colors, textures, materials, pictures... everything. Unleash your creativity and enjoy your art! PLAY! And I did - I created this colorful page with dyed paper towels and other things, I stitched, doodled, colored, stamped... played like a kid and decided that it's okay not to be Leonardo."

Topic #5--"Play" Entry

I finally completed my entry for this week's prompt. It's quite simple and maybe a little trite, but I do have fond memories of playing with my baby dolls.

Topic #5--"Play" Entry

Here is Christine's splendid entry for "play:"

She says, "I love this image -- didn't you all used to change furniture into buses and tents when you were little?!!

I started a journal for myself -- and this is the first page...."

Topic #5--"Play" Entry

I am learning from you wonderful ladies left and right! Here is a very thought-provoking entry from Liz.

She says, "the theme was "play" and it made me think about how i so often play along and go by the rules in my life AND in my art and that sometimes maybe that's not what is right for me. i think sometimes it's ok to break the rules--as long as no one is hurt. when i do something in a different way, try something out that is not the norm for me, i discover things about myself i had no idea were there. i can feel myself start to question more, think about things more openly and have more courage to try out the ideas that come to me. i guess it's all part of growing as a person and an artist--recognising things that keep coming back and acting on them in the best way i can."

Topic #5--"Play" Entry

Izabella's wonderful and whimsical entry!

She says, "I often think I played too much when I was a child~ I always feel like a little girl playing grown~up, it's almost surreal......is this my house, are these my kids, who is this man I am married to......how did I get here!? sometimes feels like it's not my life...my life is all about playing a part, just trying to figure out which part I am playing ;) xo"

Topic #5--"Play" Entry

JoAnnA has graced us with this absolutely adorable entry.

She says, "I started an art journal with these words just for fun. It's all part of the play, enjoying the process. Creating can not be all about selling.

I wrote: "Oh, how I love to use fingers to paint. Like a child, not knowing what I'm doing, but enjoying the play! Keeping a child like heart - life is more fulfilling. I never really want to grow up! Play life like A child!!!!"

Topic #5--"Play" Entry

Many thanks to Lennea for this beautiful "play" entry.

Her words of wisdom: "As an artist, I get to play nearly everyday! I Play with color, ephemera, shapes, texture, words, brushes, inks, stamps... and this has given me my joy back. I had forgotten how to play - how to abandon myself to playing. When I forgot to play, I forgot a big part of what God created me for. God is pleased when a dog is being a dog, a flower a flower and when I am being me. When I am doing those things that make my heart sing, my soul soar and time stand still - I am being the authentic me and I believe God is pleased."

Topic #5--"Play" Entry

Mary Ann had a lot of fun playing with various mediums---check out her fabulous results!

She says, "I had this charming photo of a child dressed up in his/her father's hat & shoes...& how this image also reminded me of a circus (perhaps, the jumper---kind of bozo-ish)... & children do love to play dress--up...then I thought about how one can play around, as in experimentation---I went into my hp photo software that came with my printer & this is what I did to manipulate my original image...it's a totally different effect, don't you think?"

Topic #5--Play

Play

"Without play--without the child that still lives in all of us--we will always be incomplete. And not only physically, but creatively, intellectually, and spiritually as well." --George Sheehan

Topic #4--"Curiosity" Entry

Check out this very creative mixed media interpretation of "curiosity" from Mary Ann!

She says,"all week i racked my brain...
then i happened upon this antique door plate
that i eyed earlier this week...
& i thought about how sometimes our curiosity can get the better of us
when we can't resist but peek through the keyhole...
sometimes we just can't help ourselves."

Topic #4--"Curiosity" Entry

Check out this very cool altered postcard entry from Amber!

She says,"This Altered Postcard was made with Curiosity in mind...
Synonyms: inquisitive, snoopy, nosy...
I think that People are truly curious by nature...
Are we looking in at these curious onlookers or are they looking out at us???"

Topic #4--"Curiosity" Entry

Many thanks to Audrey for this darling entry.

She says, "Curiosity: having a desire to investigate and learn. As soon as I saw what the word for the week was at Artwords I immediately thought of this little girl image. She just looks so fascinated and curious about the little butterfly. Makes me think of Montana when he is outside playing and how he wants to investigate every little thing...the dirt, a blade of grass, a leaf, a butterfly, a flower etc. He just stares at everything curiously and then takes it apart to find out more or to see how it works or what it is made of. Children are so free spirited and innocent and full of wonder...hard for me to believe that I was once a child and full of wonder about the things I now take for granted. Maybe next time I will be curious and investigate things with Montana"