...On to the Next

Winter Demon - Watercolor, Ink, Digital - ©Johnny Perez 2017

It may be the biggest understatement to say that I am ready for this year to be over.   Maybe it's not the worst, but it is a close contender.   Looking back I see struggle after struggle, and yet I know that's not all it was.  

I hesitate to write any more than that.  

The real challenge here is to find the lesson, find the silver lining in all of 2017.  Good things happened.  I know that.  Bad things happen too, and usually get all the focus.

Staying positive is the right move.  But I'm here to convince you of that.   I began writing because its the end of the year, and if I need to accomplish something, it has to start here, with my thoughts, my actions, my work.   It has to start with getting back to what's important still.   I may not feel like it, and it's been hard to focus, but when all is said and done, I cannot let the problems of 2017 take me down another notch before its over.

This is my art blog where I let you in on my process, my inspiration, and in essence my mind.   It's chaotic in here guys, but please bear with me.   This psychobabble has some purpose I think.   For those that haven't a clue what I'm getting at, here it is.    The events of 2017 have spurred a need to get more personal.   These events began with recovering from a broken finger,  consequently trying to stay afloat financially, sinking into a quiet depression,  and ultimately the end of my relationship of 3 years.

Detail of Demon sketchbook study - ©Johnny Perez 2017

Finding pieces of myself that I've lost over the course of all this, has shown me that I don't have time to play around.   There ARE bigger problems than these.  That doesn't make it hurt less, but it at least helps put things in perspective.  With that in mind,  I recall the work I began with my last heartbreak.  Years ago, my goal was to work through the pain with my art.   I got pretty far in that endeavor, and honestly can't believe I'd lost most of that progress to find myself here again attempting to pick up where I left off.

It all began with the simplest of narratives,  Good vs. Evil.  Classic.  Easy.  I spent my nights photographing myself for reference.  The Hero looked like me, as did the Villain.  I had intended to make this short story comic book documenting my struggle with the Dark Side.   As I began to sketch out the photos, it seemed like too much.  As I tried to write a script,  I realized I'm not that kind of writer.   This was going to take time.  Life happened,  I recovered, and the project was benched.  It floated in the back of my mind for years now.

Reference photo - Self Portrait - ©Johnny Perez 2017

Now in the present, I am back to finish it.  Not just the project though, but the work I put into myself.   This latest setback was a shining reminder of what I'd left undone both on and off the page.   Things I thought I'd left in the past, reared their horned heads.   The hero is back on his journey with fresh Hell to pay.   This might get ugly.  I hope this explains a bit the direction I'm going, though.

Animated Winter Demon gif created by Werble app - ©Johnny Perez

Prints and Merchandise site

If you're looking for prints of my work, and merch like T-shirts,  I'll be adding my work to RedBubble!

Johnny Perez RedBubble Print and Merch site

#INKTOBER #WITCHTOBER

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Witches Brew - Ink, Paper - ©JohnnyPerez 2017

Every year I am inspired to create during the month of October because that is when Inktober happens!  Artists from around the world hashtag their work to practice, engage, and inspire using ink as the main medium.

This year I chose witches as my theme.  All sorts of witches.  I'm listing my creations this month in my Etsy shop.  In celebration of Halloween, I am offering 40% for email subscribers!  I hope you enjoy, and have a safe candy eating, horror movie watching, costume dressing day!

Etsy Shop Link!

Fantasy Faces: Labyrinth!

I don't really know when the first time I saw Labyrinth was. It released in 1986 and I was 4 years old at the time, but it must've been some years later when our family could afford a VCR that I was able to watch it.  For some reason I remember thinking these movies had always existed and that my mom must've grown up on them, because she spoke as if she knew what was happening.  I can only assume she pre-screened the movies before showing them to me and MAYBE she saw them in the theater.

All I really know is that since I did see it, it's stayed with me, along with many fantasy movies at the time.  They are part of what made me want to be an artist, why I was reluctant but excited to play D&D in college, and why for many years I was in my own bubble of magic and glitter.  There are few movies that are cut from this cloth, and I can't imagine them not being burned into my psyche.

Ludo (detail) ©Johnny Perez

Fantasy Faces Painted in Watercolor...cont'd

Studio Ghibli fantasy faces set by Johnny Perez

Thanks for sticking around and checking out my progress on this project!  In case you missed it I have a video playlist you can watch of all the faces I've painted so far.  I'll keep adding to this playlist as they're done till I get 31 total!

In the last post I gave you some of the work in progress photos from face #s 12-18 I think.  So here are some photos up to #23.  This includes the last Studio Ghibli face: Yubaba, and The Dark Crystal faces of Skeksis, Podling, Aughra, and Kira!

Yubaba from Spirited Away in watercolor by Johnny Perez

I asked in the previous post to vote on the last set of 4 faces, or give me something better! I'm leaning toward Lord of the Rings, but Game of Thrones would be a hot topic.  So I'll still be taking your suggestions in the comments, so let me know!

Now on to some art photos from the studio!

Fantasy Faces in Watercolor Process Photos

The Dark Crystal group set by Johnny Perez

I've been making some headway into my 31 Days of Watercolor featuring fantasy faces from mythology to movies.  If you're a sucker for seeing the art process, check out this playlist of videos that I've compiled.  I initially started this project with a contest in mind, but then I thought the contest had been deleted, I couldn't find it for a while, and then before I knew it, I was behind, and the contest winners were announced.  :-/   I mean I got some entries in in the beginning but still, it was disappointing.  But I don't want to dwell on that, instead I'm just gonna finish the challenge.  SO 31 tiny portraits of fantasy characters are still in the works, I think I'm at 23 now?

WIP drawing of "Howl" by Johnny Perez

So I wanted to get ahead for a moment so I thought I'd just do well-known characters instead of making them up like when I started.  That way I didn't have to spend so much time thinking of something.  It helped and it hurt. LOL! These characters are some of my favorites so I wanted to do them justice, so while I was just playing and experimenting more with my own characters, I was now spending this "extra" time with details and trying to get a good likeness done.  All in all I'd have to say I love doing them though, because I love having this type of fanart added to my repertoire (fancy), and I like knowing that I'm working (even for myself) on a franchise I love!

WIP Harry Potter group set by Johnny Perez

And hey who knows if I get lucky and someone from these franchises sees my work and asks me to work on them for real?! *Mindblown*  SO far I've done:

The Trials, Hardships, and Cons of Being an Artist

Detail of "Fool" - Watercolor, Ink - by Johnny Perez, 2007

We hear it all our lives as young artists...

Don't be an artist!  You'll starve!  You'll be poor!  You'll never make it, it's too competitive!

 I mean its not entirely wrong, but starting out is hard for most people, and giving up too early is a common thing.  I was lucky to have an encouraging family, and the fact that I grew up poor most of my life somehow made it ok or rather doable to live with no money.  So if I wanted to pursue a career with no money but I was happy, then I was confident I could still live, even if it was on nothing.   It really comes down to a matter of perspective for me.

I want to be real for a moment to say that I'm not some crazy successful artist, but neither do I consider myself less of an artist because I'm not "known."  I don't pretend to be more than I am, but I do choose to look at the bright side.   I do choose to think of myself as capable.  And I choose to define success as a never ending goal to better myself.  In that regard it is hard to lose.  I am faced with the same challenges as most in the world,  there is always someone out there better than you, and there is always someone out there more successful than you.  So what?  Am I just supposed to quit?

31 Days of Watercolor | Fantasy Faces

Blick Art Materials announced a daily watercolor art challenge for the month of July, and I had to jump on board!  I like daily challenges because they force me to keep with art making when life gets in the way.  I may lag behind a day or two but I'm quick to catch up and keep playing.

There was no specific theme so I decided I would do fantasy faces.  I'm looking into classic fairy tales, and spinning some other familiar concepts.  I'm hoping to end up with a wide range color and ideas for future paintings.  To make it simple I'm keeping these small.  On top of that I have to fight the daylight for attention, since I don't like to use my regular desk lamps, but I will if I have too.

Chalchiutlicue | Aztec Goddess of the Sea

Chalchiutlicue - Watercolor, Ink - 9 in x 6 in - Johnny Perez

What happens when you dive into the rabbit's hole?  You discover a massive fountain of potential inspiration perhaps?  I've been into mythology since I can remember going to the library, I mean its the closest thing to fantasy in the real world.  Ancient cultures sacrificed lives for these beings, and whatever your beliefs, the pantheon of gods in any religion was as real as night and day.

That being said, I had only ever paid attention to the Greek pantheon because that was the only book our small library had.  The internet was *gasp* not a thing in my grade school years.  But lets face it, I feel robbed.  I mean I knew of ancient cultures but where was the WEALTH of stories and information that seemed to be in abundance in the Greek mythos.  I was neck-deep in Xena: The Warrior Princess, and even comic books made reference to these gods.  That was all fine and well, but here I am thirthy-*ahem* years old and I'm just now learning of my own cultural roots!

Which brings me to my painting of Chalchiutlicue.  I've had an affinity for water since forever, and mermaids rank top of the list of favorite things to illustrate.  In recent years I've heard many references to African gods, more specificially Orishas.  I'm not near as educated in cultures of the world as I'd like, but it seemed odd to me that I'd hear this word so often in everyday conversations and in popular media.  Yes I love black culture including music and television, so this could be why.   But even when I was listening to Spanish music all day long and trying to practice my Spanish by watching novelas on Univision, I never heard any reference to anything other than Catholicism or namely La Virgen.   Of course I come to expect this from the deeply rooted seed of religion in Mexican culture.  Maybe its because I didn't grow up in Mexico, but even then, there's a passing knowledge of the pantheon, but there's no reference in popular media or entertainment.  I don't know, am I not really paying attention?

Going Home Home for Memorial Day

I traveled to my hometown to visit my family and do a little celebrating of Memorial Day.  I don't celebrate it regularly, but its hard not to when you're with family and surroundings you used to know.  Of course I took the beaux out to see the local cemetery.  Not surprised to see quite a few confederate flags there in a small row of small graves.  I'm from a small town!  The cemetery was big and full of 100s of tombstones and these (possibly racists and/or misguided) were only a small part.

Speaking of small, I found out yesterday that where I grew up is considered a ghost town!  I thought it was pretty cool. I lived in this small town called Odell for many years off and on.  I visited there a couple of years ago to get pictures of the old houses I used to live in, but they were all gone, except for two.  I lived in about 7 houses in the area and the 2 that remain are still inhabited, so I didn't wanna look like a weirdo in their front yard.  Anyway, a ghost town indeed!

I enjoyed living there as a kid, playing with the neighborhood kids and running the streets with hardly a car in sight all day.  Then we would run up to the local grocery store, Cooper Grocery run by Leoda, a little old lady who'd lived out there for years.  She looked perpetually grumpy, and the store was always warm, but we loved it.  The store has been made into something of a museum since her passing, and next door the old Post Office is now a small recording studio with a stage outside.  I heard they do "Odell Days" art and music festival, but I haven't heard if it still continues. 

Its funny to think there are parts of Vernon I have never seen, but going to explore it as an adult has proved fun on many occasions.  Things are changing here and there and some things never do.

What Various Pens I Use for Art Making

My lineup of pens

Pens can be something of a guilty pleasure for me.  Especially GellyRoll pens because they come in so many colors and versions like metallic and glitter.  I paint more than I draw so the necessity of all the pens I have is what makes me feel guilty.  This somewhat prompted me to practice my drawing skills and make some art with them.

Recently I made some very colorful small drawings on dark slate grey cardstock that is perfect for the bright colors to be shown off.  I sold more than a few of these so I'd say it was a success.  Here are a few of them!

Artist Life Series | Episode 002 | A Sampler

This one's a modge podge, a tit for tat, some bric-a-brac, a sampling if you will, of a day in this artist's life.  And a bit of my artist boyfriend's life.  I'd be content to stay in and play video games all day between art-making, but it I have to say that recording this series gives me some other things to look forward to and share.   There's nothing all that glamorous about an artist's life, perhaps not in the beginning, or middle.  It's just a lot of work and staying afloat and just trying to live.

Perhaps later there's some glamour, but I'm definitely not there yet!  See my previous post about answering questions from an artist.  Anyway the main idea here is to give you a slice of life.  Yes I like to art it up, but I also like to watch TV, and go to graveyards.. eehh well accompany my man to graveyards (he's one of those gothics) lol.  It makes me a bit nervous to be honest, but there's something there besides the spookiness and threat of a Victorian haunting.

And I threw in a bit of Food Network to boot! Check it out.  And oh! If you have some good recipes or copies of restaurant recipes let me know!  I'm a foodie too. :D

Answers from a Practicing Artist (But Not an Expert)!

If no one's ever told you before, being an artist is hard!  I love art and I love being able to create, it gives me a great sense of purpose in this chaotic world.  But trying to elevate yourself to any kind of next level can be quite the challenge!   I am by no means the best expert on the subject, but I do like to share my experiences because there is always someone out there looking to answer a question you may have asked and answered yourself.  I've been lucky to reach a few such people who have approached me with questions about being an artist.  I'd like to share with you some of what I told them.

Questions from a student of art:

1.    What first got you interested in illustration, and how long have you been illustrating?

I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil!  I didn't start selling my art until high school, to friends mostly, and then to strangers when I went to college in 2003.  Ever since then I've been on the path to making it big!

2.    What is your educational background? 

I have a BFA in Studio Art.

3.    What are the skills that are most important for a position in your field?

Determination! Perseverance! Patience! Working as an artist can be lonely, one must know how to be sociable and personable to market and sell work outside the studio, and disciplined to make work on a constant basis in the studio.

4.    Can you briefly explain your creative process?

I have videos! My new YouTube Channel is here. My creative process is linked to one of my favorite books The Artists Way by Julia Cameron.  Through this book I've learned that it's important to make art everyday or at least frequently, and that you must let go of perfection because more often it will create a block.  Thus I find inspiration in something everyday (almost) and make a small finished piece of work or study in the sketchbook.  This keeps creative skills sharp, and keeps artist block away.

5.    Do you have any side projects you work on? How is your time managed between both professional and personal projects? How many projects do you work on at a time?

This can be a difficult one. I try not to take on more than 3 projects at a time depending on the size/scope.  Professional projects always must come first in the day to finish on time.  I will either put personal projects on the back burner or work on them for a short time after the pro work.  I find it's best to switch between the two at times to keep from getting bored or overwhelmed with either.

6.    What are the best and worst parts of your job?

The best part, of course, is doing what you love! It gives you a great sense of pride and accomplishment, not to mention fulfillment.  The worst part is being responsible for EVERYTHING: Scheduling, Marketing, Financing, Bookkeeping, Inventory, Packaging, etc.  It all can get in the way of the one thing you want to do which is make art! There's also dealing with rejection of your work, and the fear of being vulnerable.  You find out quickly that making the work ends up being a much smaller fraction of your time.

7.    What mediums do you use/favorite to use? What does your workstation consist of?

My favorite medium is watercolor, but when I have time, and depending on the concept, I will work in acrylic, collage, or digital, and have enjoyed some paper sculpture before as well!  My workstation is setup for watercolor work mostly, I have brushes and pens, blank paper ready to work with, tubes of paints nearby, stacks of paper nearby, I have my favorite small pieces hanging on the wall in front of me as well as inspiration pics, pics of loved ones, and a calendar of upcoming events and shows!  I can't work without music, and often have the tv on playing a beautiful movie or inspiring music videos. 

8.    What is a typical day like for you? What kinds of problems do you deal with or decisions do you make on a daily basis?

Working alone can make it very tempting to avoid the studio and get distracted, there is always a desire to be out on the town, hanging out with friends, or any other distraction (including being on social media).  It can be very hard to develop the discipline necessary to stay focused, and the motivation to keep working when you're tired or busy with other areas of life.  You just have to learn the best way to find a balance.

9.    How did you get your job? What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?

a.    Can you suggest some ways a student could obtain this necessary experience?

b.    What things did you do before you entered this occupation?

         i.         – Which ones have been most helpful

Being an artist is like being self-employed, so your job starts when you're ready to work. Not when you think your work is good enough or you've learned enough, or you've got a degree, or anything that tells you that you're ready. You may not ever be in the best position in life to "start' being an artist. You will never stop learning to get better.

a.)  I would suggest taking business courses with art, because they are both important.  I didn't want to learn business when I was in school, but now many years later I've had to teach myself, which is really hard.  Most artists do not want to know about business, its not as fun for sure.  But remember you have to do it all, on your own, for a long time.  And selling art is a business, and you'll have to treat it as such if you plan to make it work for you.

 b.)  I carry a sketchbook around with me everywhere I go, and draw in it at least once a day.  Make art that you like, and show it to people you know, and who like what you do.  These are your first customers.  Learn new techniques, and try new mediums, to keep the creativity fresh and new.  Once you have a lot of art on loose paper or canvas, ask around businesses to display it.  When you feel confident, enter art shows for free or cheap, and win prize money maybe.  ASK FOR HELP! You'll need people to help you carry your work around, hang it up, frame it, and talk about it to others. Galleries sometimes have free shows that allow ANY work to be shown, get in there!  Don't be shy and don't feel like you're not good enough yet.  There are artists of all levels and styles in these shows, they like a good mix.  And galleries are NOT the only choice!  Explore other ways to expose your art that you can do yourself, especially early on. These are all helpful to me, but anything that keeps you motivated in working, just keep doing.

10. What special advice do you have for a student seeking employment?

Make art everyday.  Learn something new about your techniques everyday.  Don't be afraid to copy for learning purposes, but always use your own references and photos for your finished work.  Everything has been done, but don't let that stop you from doing it better.  Market yourself for free on the internet but never post anything in full without your name or watermark on it!  Sell to everyone you know. Don't work for free (unless for a good cause).  Talk to other artists around you, develop a sense of community with them to help you keep going, it shouldn't be a competition. Fellow artists are sometimes the only people who will encourage you and be able to critique your work for improvement after you graduate.

Making art is very much an entrepreneurship and you will want to be self-employed, as most artists do.  The ability to make your own schedule and live off your own sales, will take a lot of work, but also a lot of help.  Artists tend to be used to working alone, which is great sometimes, but sometimes you need to know when to ask for help, to move on, and move on faster.  You do this by talking to new people, getting your art seen by more people, and creating relationships.  Its often been said that people don't buy artwork so much as they're buying into an artist.  It's maybe not true  100% of the time, but MANY of my sales come from people I know, and who want to support what I do.  The more people you have like that, the better.  Even when you have sales from strangers, they've probably looked up on you on their own, or heard great things about you. 

Questions from a fellow creative blogger: 

How did you first get into art?

I’ve been drawing pictures since I could hold a crayon. But I didn’t think of it as a career until around 6th grade, when we began looking at our futures for a class project. I have always been told I would be an artist, but I wanted to be many things before I chose to use my talents for work. My family was always nurturing, so I never had to fight to become an artist. My sister has great talent and helped me improve as a child, and then my own research took over from there. Plus I don’t sing very well, so that was out.

What inspires your work?

I have no lack of inspiration! My constant sources are mythology, folklore, animation, and comics. I find inspiration in nature, in people around me, and colorful environments like my recent trip to Mexico. I love authors like Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, and it’s no secret I love “Harry Potter”! I love directors like Guillermo del Toro and Baz Luhrmann, and old fantasy movies like “Dark Crystal”, “Labrynth”, and “Legend”. My childhood influences I believe are very strong in my work and come out in my color choices, my subject matter, and the fact that I really like to have fun with an image. Probably because I’m a big kid.

Your website mentions that your work features “figurative fantasy and cultural diversity.” What does that mean to you? How do those two things work together in your art?

To me figurative fantasy is a play on the traditional figurative model. In my work I don’t just want to portray the figure as it is in reality, because I believe there is so much unseen mysticism. I want to capture something that speaks more about who they are perhaps if dreams could be realized. For instance I painted one of my favorite singers, Erykah Badu, and instead of a traditional portrait, she is painted as a siren atop a jukebox in a sea of records with speaker-head fish, and a crane carrying a microphone. There is a nod to fantasy, and a bit of surrealism there. I believe in the veil between our world and others and I believe they are always influencing one another.

As far as cultural diversity, I try not to limit myself to what I know, but I want to heavily lean on ambiguity when it comes to cultures. Living in America I still hope for peace because I truly believe we are a melting pot of the world, and I find it so odd when people forget that. I want to express my cultural heritage from Mexico and Native America. I want to express my upbringing with Hip-Hop/African-American culture. I want to express the excitement of learning about cultures from all the continents, because it’s all so fascinating and it should be celebrated.

Beyond that broad sentiment I want to bring what I know to be a serious lack of diverse entertainment and imagery to what I do. I look at what other people are doing and I can’t help but see that I’ve been blindsided by popular media. I use my work to correct that. I’m not just talking about Hollywood, because sometimes they get it, and sometimes they don’t. But on TV, in movies, and on the internet, fantasy images (and images in general) are often devoid of colorful, unique characters. For a few years I took a break from American movies, because I got tired of the lack of flavor and tired repeating stories. I was missing some imagination. I was inspired by anime movies by Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai, and those series that really pushed boundaries on what the medium could do. I try to do the same with my work...

Theres more to this great interview but you should give that blogger some love as well so here's the link to the rest of the interview!  The Quibblerview with Johnny Perez!
 

Watercolor Mermaid Painting in Time Lapse Video

I want to be...where the people are.. I mean fishes are...
I love mermaids!  The Little Mermaid has been a staple of my existence for longer than I can remember.  I grew up first seeing the Live Action video on VHS from Shelley Duvall's Fairytale Theatre.  In it, the original storyline is used from the Hans Christian Anderson book where the mermaid dies in the end because she'd rather not have to kill the prince to return home when he falls in love with another girl.  SO SAD!  I was delighted to have a happy ending when Disney's came out, but I can't deny the effect the original had on me.

Anyway, MerMay is going around so I thought it would be a good time to put out a new time lapse video of me painting a mermaid in blue and green watercolors. For highlights and pearls I used GellyRoll's gel ink pen.  Enjoy!

Buddha Board Mini | Drawing Meditation Exercise

One of the many relaxing things I do as an artist, is to practice the fundamentals.  Drawing facial features, usually eyes.  Drawing hands, and random faces, or maybe just doodles.  One of the best tools I've found for practicing brushstrokes is the Buddha Board!

I have the mini version right now, I can't wait to get the bigger regular version that comes with a reservoir and stand.  But this works for now especially for travel.  The board has a special material that accepts water and drys quickly, so that it creates and mimics the ink brush on rice paper.  Its like creating magical fading scrolls.  I wish I knew how to write kanji :-/

But for now, the brushstrokes look very realistic to real ink, and I don't waste any paper while I'm drawing over and over!  This is my second video, check out my first one here!  Have a look at the Buddha Board Mini in action below and quick time-lapse for your convenience!

It's DAISO! Shopping at the Japanese Dollar Store!

My first visit to Daiso was so much fun!  I had heard that they had some cheap art supplies to boot.   I'd heard so many good things, I had to make the trip north to Plano to see what the fuss was about for myself.   It was a stormy day, but there was plenty of sunshine on the inside!  Haha.  There was loungy Japanese music playing, the place was so clean, and there were so many chachkies for all the rooms in your house!

Anyway check out the video below to see some footage of the inside, and then what I came home with.   Did I mention the majority of it was $1.50?!?  This place can't be beat!

Artist Vlog Series: Episode 001

Ok I'm taking the plunge into Vlogging, YIKES!  Its way out of my comfort zone, but I can't deny that it will be great talking practice, and all the cool kids are doing it!  I just really want to make it easier for new fans and current fans to connect with me on a personal level, since I've been out of the convention scene, and I'm not quite yet ready to jump into a public scene again just yet.   So here you go, me in all my awkwardness, please enjoy.  Vlog Episode 001.

Cleaning Out the Studio - Visit My Shop!

My work is piling up!

It needs some good homes to hang in!

My shop link is : http://www.etsy.com/shop/hotpressed

Here's a few things I'm putting in the shop that I've dug up from the archives...

Be sure to use the discount code to take advantage of the sale!  And I am offering an extra discount to my newsletter subscribers!   Contact me to get that code after signing up!

Mexico 1900-1950 @ The Dallas Museum of Art

I had the pleasure of viewing the new exhibition at the DMA focusing on 50 years of Mexican artists.  The big names of course drew ins the crowds including  Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Jose Clemente Orozco.  I was myself waiting to see Las Dos Fridas after failed attempts to see her work during my trip to Mexico.  I was not disappointed.  I didn't quite know what to expect, but I was surprised to the see the breadth of work as well as the diversity of subject matter from the fruit seller to the revolutionary.  I was delighted, and saddened, and motivated by so many works, that I was immediately sorry that I hadn't delved further into Mexican artists before.

The Fruit Vendor - Olga Costa

Portrait of Guadalupe Marin de Rivera - Amado de la Cueva

I found many new favorites to follow in this exhibition and I appreciate how much of a learning experience it was for me.  It made me truly proud. 

Project for a Monument to the Birth of Venus - Juan O'Gorman

Mexican Adam & Eve - Alfredo Ramos Martinez

 Indian Woman from Oaxaca - Ramon Cano Manilla

Woman with Pitcher - Jean Charlot

Me posing with "Las Dos Fridas" by Frida Kahlo

I saved Frida for last because I knew I wanted to take my time.  I also wanted a moment to pose in front of it.  Afterward I took a moment admire the grand size of it, and to take in the fact that I was standing in front of a work of art she made herself.  That she stood in front of herself once upon a time.  And for a moment perhaps feel her presence.  I left its side, to leave the exhibition and tears welled up in my eyes.  I became a little self conscious that people would stare at me.  But I was too proud to stop, or perhaps I was too happy to have had this experience. 

What Is Liminal Space & What Does It Mean to Your Art?

My significant other and I have these conversations about art and concepts pretty often.  It's one of the reasons I love him.  We often trade posts we find on social media, including mostly memes just to make each other laugh.  I believe we got into talking about liminal space after sharing photos from a tumblr we both like, called Glow Blog.  It features photos usually at night, that depict simple spaces or other subjects that are lit up with colors from faraway neon lights, or lights with atmospheric interference.  Basically anything that causes a "glow."  I had run across these images many times, and while I thought they were interesting I didn't look deeper until recently,  I can't really explain why.  I think it had to do with the feeling I began to feel when I saw some of them, which I later came to understand was a result of liminal space.

All images courtesy of GlowBlog.tumblr.com

Most of the photographs can be attributed to a simple recording of light, especially unnatural man-made light cast on various environments like neon lights or car lights.  Some take a step further in causing an eerie, empty, or mysterious feeling.  It can be seen in the middle of the night in almost any public space like a train station.  During the day this place is bustling with activity, at night it is lit up, but empty, as if waiting for any activity to start.  It is in transition, and being there or seeing this space at this time almost causes us to fear an unknown.  Quite literally a fear of change, if you will.

What is liminality exactly?

Ruts in the Road to Creative Productivity

It's not uncommon for artists to find themselves at a standstill in their work.  It can be an excruciating experience especially when one WANTS to work, but can't seem to find the magic.  Julia Cameron writes in The Artist's Way that obstacles of all kinds will always stunt creativity, and the only way over, is through.  Creatives must train to work on their craft even when work seems unreachable. The inspiration is not there. The well of ideas has dried up.  All are excuses.

Sure the process may be hard at first but pouring one's soul into a project is not always easy.  It's important to realize that "easy" is not always a luxury one can count on.  Inspiration is also not a luxury you can count on.  When artists talk about a block,  they often don't see that the act of waiting for inspiration is itself a common block.  Writing your To-Do lists and Things to Remember can help clear the way.   But often what is stopping the flow of creativity is perfectionism.

"I don't have a great idea yet, so why should I start working?"

"I don't wanna waste my time making bad art."

"I need more time to make something really good."

"I don't want to be reductive."

"I don't have the talent to churn out masterpieces all the time."  

If these sound familiar, or you have a small voice uttering something similar, you're selling yourself short.  You're getting in your own way.  It's not your brain, or lack of ideas, or lack of talent that's holding you back, it is you.  It's your old nemesis fear.  It shows up in various forms trying to fool you that something else is to blame.

"What am I supposed to do then?"

Seen on tumblr: @heartsl0b

Aisle Horror - Mixed Media - Savannah (heartsl0b) - used with permission

Clean Up - Mixed Media - Savannah (heartsl0b) - used with permission

I ran across these artworks on a friend's blog on tumblr and thought they were so amazing even with a mundane setting/subject, the colors transform it into a liminal space filled with mystery and magic. You can see more of Savannah's work on tumblr here: heartsl0b.tumblr.com  I love how she perfectly captures how an artist might see the beauty in these images that could be passed by in everday life, even repulsed by.  I can't stop looking at these!  Please see more of her beautiful work at the above link.

I'm writing about liminal space in an upcoming post because I find the concept very mysterious and yet so common to our everyday lives.  I'm tying the concept into art, and things I've read that seem to be a common thread.  A softly glowing curious thread urging me forward down a dark yet hypnotizing road.  :-P