Art Funk

Lately I've found myself in an art funk. I've found myself in the equivalency of writer's block countless times. I think anyone depending on creativity as their main outlet reaches this and then asks themselves... What next?

So what's my first step? I wallow, I Complain, I wander around aimlessly and then I try and force creativity. Something I have learned the hard way, is impossible to do.

After the babying myself period has passed I take measures to work through my creative paralysis.

So here's my top five steps to get yourself out of that horribly dark and rocking yourself position I like to call creativity block. 


1. Do somewhere new.

What always helps me is to break free of that routine that seems to strangle the mind and creative juices. Even if it's just stopping by a new coffee shop on your way to work instead of the regular Dunkin Donuts, do it. It can make you feel a little more a live and invoke some inspiration.





Remember, it's the small things.

           

 2. Go Somewhere New

I find myself time after time taking walks/roller blading down my neighborhood bike trail. I've probably walked the path at least 400 times since I have lived in my house over the past 18 years. I think a lot of people use nature as a way to inspire beauty... However what happens when what was once beautiful is now common place.

Yes it's easy to say that you can always find beauty even in the old but sometimes you just need a change. So what did I do? During my 1 hour break between classes, I took out my roller blades (Yes, the 90's did call they would like their hobby back) and roller bladed down the streets around my campus. It was neat to see new houses and I even got some good motion pictures.

3. Create a new outlet
Simply put, your creative forte can get boring. If your a photographer your photos get stale, if you paint your paint drys and you feel like there is no point in squeezing a new tube. If you do graphic design it's hard to think of something that hasn't already been done on the web. Sketching? Forget about it I don't have the energy to sharpen one more damn pencil. This goes for all the sub categories of art.

So the answer to this is... Switch it up. If you find yourself to be a creative you no doubt have untapped talent in other areas of art. The key is to never pigeon hole yourself to one category of art. Yes, your tag may be on the verge of professional photographer, skilled painter, talented drawer but the thing is it never hurts to dabble in unentered areas.

I know artists want artists to stay in their own damn areas. Those paint freaks can keep their splotched clothes, the pottery heads to their wheels, the cartoonists at the boards... To some it's even scary to enter a new realm since the skilled becomes the novice.

However the thing is getting practice in other areas opens not only new avenues but one's eyes. Photography has always been my main road but since I have practicing painting I see influences correlating from both topics.

So never be afraid to take a risk and learn a new way to express! When one gets old you have a whole new world to explore.

 4.  Immerse

This may sound like an obvious statement but immerse yourself in art. I'm not just saying look at the old master's classics online. Although web browsing for new and exciting pieces never hurts, but actually get out into the art world. 

You would be surprised at how many local events offer free art gallery viewing. At art gallery opening they serve wine, one world lubrication. If getting a little loose doesn't help open your mind then the free cheese surely will. Plus you get to meet new people and fellow artists, cut out the pretentious art snobs and you're surrounded by good and fun people.

Go to the art institute (if you are lucky enough to be in the Chicago land. Don't complain about the startling $12 cover fee (which I know adds up), behold on Thursday evening it's free after 5pm. Do it, you'll no doubt leave channeling the minds of the greats.

5. Read/Listen to Music
Once again this gets thrown back to the idea of letting yourself get in touch with the hundreds of different art forms the world has to offer. Don't neglect the availability of quotes, they are simply short but offer loads of emotion to feed off of. And you can choose what type of quotes you want to look up, Quotes - check it.


It's simple.

Get Comfortable

Find somewhere quiet

Open and book, put on your headphones or combine the both to really get your mind working.

Try to recreate a scene from a passage of your favorite book.

Create something that you see when you close yours eyes and you're listening to an emotion invoking song.

Don't be afraid to give yourself goals, assign yourself projects, remember you ultimately are your own teacher and self motivater. Don't get discouraged when you don't see your piece as Monet worthy. Remember that you're masterpiece will come with time and each piece is just a stepping stone in practice to get there. Don't get down on yourself and always look a head to new ways to channel something. Nothing you make is useless and even though you might not like it, there sure as hell is someone who will.

Now, Do something!

Van Gogh

It seems like when you ask most people what their favorite painting is, the go to piece is the classic Starry Starry Night. When you ask someone who their favorite artist is, the answer that I generally hear is Van Gogh. Vincent Van Gogh no doubt has an interesting and twisted history. His life style is that of a classic tortured artist. On the verge of losing his mind the man even cut off his ear for his love of a prostitute named Ursula as the story goes.

His parents never believed in him, he lived most of his life in isolation and he lived through letters to his brother. I.e. this is the perfect concoction for a true artist cocktail. Talent, pain, grief, a dash of mad, and poof we have an artist.

No doubt Van Gogh's art is amazing. I could stare at it for hours and admire his unique technique. There's no wonder why when you walk into a dorm anyone with even a slight interest in art has some painting from Van Gogh hanging on there wall.

In fact, I happen to be guilty of this as well!

However I have one confession that I have about Van Gogh.... Am I allowed to say that I'm sick of seeing his classic paintings everywhere? I see it on people's Wardrobe, Bags, I've seen Starry Starry night credit cards,  Umbrellas,and Ties. Please for the love of God, I know it's a beautiful painting but find another way to channel your inner artist please. If I see one more way in which Starry Starry Night has been mass produced to make money, I'll feel even more blank when I look at the painting that used to inspire me.

So, this brings me to my main point. As I was web searching I came across a web site that seemed to breath some life into Van Gogh. Using the new tilt-shift feature Van Gogh's painting takes one a new spin.

Shift-Tilt Photography , in a nutshell is selective focus. The cool part is it makes pictures simulate a miniature scene. I've seen this effect make large cities look like a room in a doll house.  Simply put, it's really unique and cool. 

So when I found that Serena Malyon used the shift-tilt on Van Gogh's artwork I instantly breathed a relieved sigh. Finally a spin on Van Gogh's work that utilizes his painting's depth and shows off his talent instead of exploiting it.

I think this is a creative way to mix old classic art with new technique. In fact it inspired me to try out some shift-tilt artwork of my own... To say the least I need practice but with this tutorial practice is made easy.

How to: Make a Bohemian Animal

   The first step to making your Bohemian Animal is to choose which animal you would like to transform. In this tutorial I chose an owl. Your second step is to make a rough outline of your animal (it's best to use a fine tipped sharpie marker) The outline color can be your choice, in the end the outline is barely seen.

 

Your second step is by simply using the magic wand feature, select certain parts of your animal and color them in. It is important to leave the level of transparency to around 67%. The brush you should use should be soft, simply select colors that you prefer.

The third step is to go to a site such as, Patterns and save patterns in which you like. I prefer swatches which have a good deal of design in them such as these:

 

Next select pieces of the pattern that you like and apply them to selected areas of your animal such as this.

 

This is where your creativity comes into play. Keep selecting pieces of the pattern that you like and apply them to your outline. The transparency, size and shape can vary, creating repetition is a good touch as well. 

Once completed you have yourself a Bohemian animal!

Andrew S. Arconti

The letter read "Now it is time." That was all. It was delivered quickly, almost with urgency, by a small man in a grey suit which had mustard stains running down it that competed with the stripes on the cheap fabric. After reading the letter, I attempted to pursue the deliverer in order to question him on the meaning of it. It was futile. The man, despite his small size and almost rudimentary legs, was already far down the street and had turned a corner which lead to nowhere and thus he was nowhere to be seen.
It could've meant almost anything. Being so free to interpretation, I decided myself that it meant it was time to get back to roots. And so, with some patience and a lot of impatience, and finally a bit of real over reacting and a heap of outrage, I dipped my brush into the lead, the cobalt, and the cadmium and proceeded to turn poison into something beautiful. And then said to myself, "now it is time."
So here I am a year or so after some hard work and self-examination, ready to unveil once again the over ripe fruits of my mind and heart to the public at large. This time however getting back to basics, which really is the best way of all, and doing things the traditional way.
Why would I do such a thing? To say thanks to all those who have inspired me to make the art I do, the great masters and some lesser ones from years and centuries past and some from the present. To hopefully one day similarly affect someone else the same way the works they created affect me when I stand before them totally awe stricken and absorbed, knees buckling.
Andrew Arconti lives with his wife and two cats and alongside painting also enjoys learning to play the Renaissance lute.

Photographer of the Week

Caitlin Worthington takes her photographs and makes a style of her own. When I found this artist I was instantly hooked and drawn to her talent. Her emphasis on her subject's eyes make her pieces highly impacting. Not only does she use a blend of eye catching color, but her use of light adds an interesting flare to her pieces. The viewer feels connected when looking at her photographs

What's really amazing about Caitlin is although her style looks highly professional even to an untrained eye, she's only 20 years old.

Look at more of Caitlin's stuff, Caitlin's Photos