Almost an Artist Quote

"When I stand before God at the end of my life. I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'" Erma Bombeck

"An oil change and some art work, please."

That pesky "maintenance required" light came on and I finally took the car into the dealership for its needed oil change. I got to the dealership and one of my regular service advisors assisted me, Paul Dolan. As he wrote up my service order, he told me to check out a surfboard that he had painted that was hanging inside the waiting area of the Service Dept. I don't know what made him want to tell me about his art....maybe it was the artsy jewelry magazines that I was carrying, maybe I looked like a fellow artist or....maybe he just wanted to share it with someone. I love when people want to share their artwork with me....I always feel honored, because art is a very personal thing and it can be a very vulnerable, but great experience for the artist. I also love the interaction with fellow artists, its like we have this unspoken instant connection....that we are part of a secret brotherhood of sorts.  I am always amazed at the creativity that people have and how they express it. So I not only got my oil changed, I also got to see a mini art show of sorts. It goes to show that you can find art in places that you would not expect.

Paul Dolan's surfboard (pictured below) is displayed at the Toyota Carlsbad Service Center in Carlsbad, CA. Paul paints surfboards, boogie boards and also does painting on plexiglass sheets. Paul creates artwork under the business name of 'Pauldoeartco' (Paul Doe Art Co).

My Name is Karilyn, and I am a Beadaholic

Probably the one supply or material that I buy for no specific project at any given time are beads. I have quite a stash of beads!! I know that there are other crafters, artists, sewers, etc that have hoards of papers, fabrics, found objects, old photos, buttons, fibers, paints, pens and pencils, embellishments......and beads. I've thought about the reason for my hoard of beads and I've decided that I buy and hoard beads because I need to have them, but not for any specific purpose. I buy beads because I like their color, sparkle, shape, texture, patina....and so on. I usually buy beads with no project in mind or with a general idea of what I may do with them. Rarely do go bead shopping for a project and have a design sketched out or shopping list made of the bead types, sizes, colors, etc that I need. I guess I am a 'bead by the seat of my pants' kind of gal. To add to my craziness of bead buying, my husband will occasionally go with me to bead shows or stores and will show me things that catch his eye....I appreciate this because he often shows me strings of beads that I would have otherwise overlooked and gets me to look at colors, in particular, that I am normally not drawn to. And of course, my husband is enabling me to add to my stash o' beads. For now, I will make occasional additions to my bead stash, but I am going to start making time for creating. I want to bring those beads out of their boxes and bags and let them shine......then I can go bead shopping for more!!

Artist Quote

"There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun." Pablo Picasso

Fonts, Fonts & More Fonts

My last posting was about the details found at Disney Parks. Disney is also great with fonts and lettering of any sort. They understand that the right signage adds to the theme or time period that they are presenting. I took a lettering class at Ricks College (now BYU Idaho) many years ago and learned a bit about font or letter design. Ever since then, I've been more aware of signage and how a font or the placement of lettering can really make a product or location stand out. Below are just a few examples of font types and lettering that are in use at Disney's California Adventure and Disneyland. Some of the fonts are very simple with no serifs and others are quite ornate with swirls and ornamentation added. 'Disneyland' is more calligraphic in nature, 'Waste Please' (from a trash can in Frontierland) is made up of logs and 'Grizzly Peak' is chisled into rock- proving that letters can come from anywhere and be created in many different ways. Even Walt Disney's own handwriting has become a distinct font in itself.

I am very inspired by all of these letter forms and I have a project in mind....I guess more of a personal challenge. I want to create an exemplar to send into 'Somerset Studio' for the lettering section of their magazine. What a kick if it got published....and if it didn't, what a great exercise just to see what I come up with. I'll definitely post the finished product.

Disney is in the details

It has been said that "God is in the details" and I believe Disney also understands detail. On a recent visit to California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort, I took some pictures around the Hollywood Backlot and side street area that leads to the Tower of Terror. The details that Disney put into some of the facades and architecture are phenomenal. For me, this is pure eye candy. Not only did Disney do a great job of 'reproducing' beautiful buildings, but they also transport you to another time and era. You catch a glimpse of early to mid 20th century California architecture. The influence of Art Nouveau, Greek Revival, Victorian, Gothic and Spanish design are mixed for a unique look. I took quite a few pictures, but I plan on going back for more....I like having a stash of photos like this for inspiration and reference for my own artwork.

Artist Quote

"Blessed are they who see beautiful thngs in humble places where other people see nothing." Camille Pissarro

To Use or Not To Use

My mom and dad just purchased a new car. It isn't the first new car that they have ever purchased, but mom said that they were being so careful so as not to incur that first ding. I think this is so true with so many new things that we have in life. I know it is how I am with so many things, but particularly art and craft materials.....even found objects. I'll buy fabrics because I like the print or color of it. I buy beads because they are sparkly, shiny, colorful or just plain unusual. I buy paint, glues, papers, thread, yarn, ribbon, jewelry findings, canvases, tools, felt, colored pencils, silk flowers, rubber stamps, paint brushes,etc....the list goes on and on. Some of these supplies are bought with a specific purpose, but most are purchased without any project in mind. The material just begs to be brought home in hopes of one day being used. I bring these purchases home and carefully store them away in boxes or on shelves in my craft room for future use. Like my mother being careful with her new car, I find myself careful with my art and craft supplies. I have thought about why I am so slow to use some of my supplies and I think it is fear of failure. Fear that a project will not be what I want it to look like. Fear that I will waste good materials and never have them available to use again. Fear that I will not be able to learn a new technique. Fear of experimenting and being okay with the outcome, no matter what it may be. Fear of not getting it right the first time. (I'm sure there are other fears that I have not thought of yet.) Understanding these fears, or at least realizing them, will help me be more free to delve into some of my boxes of treasures and begin to use them. I know that part of this process will involve planning projects and being meditative about creativity, but the other part of this process is being okay with just playing and experimenting regardless of the outcome. I think the greatest tool that I have started to use is a notebook to write down ideas and sketch in....basically a journal of sorts. I'm sure as I regularly brainstorm, problem solve and doodle in my journal, I will be more at ease about the course of a project. There is one quote that comes to mind, "Plan your work and work your plan"......I think I will be using that more often too.