Showing Up.

Having read several books this year: 

(Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland, 

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, 

The Creative Call by Elsheimer, 

How to be an Explorer of theWorld by Keri Smith, 

How to be Interesting by Jessica Hagy, 

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, and 

Steal like and Artist by Austin Kleon)

Throughout all the books, I noticed a similar trend in topics.  

It turns out that creatives struggle the most with the act of just

showing up, 

and believing that Art is real work and that they can do it. 

Writers have the torturous task to sit at their computers staring at a blank screen, painters similarly at a blank canvas, musicians at a blank composition notebook. The encouragement was to just show up and start. 

“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” 

― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life  

To carve out the time is a great struggle, then fighting off the negative voices, ugh. 

The TRUTH is that Art fills the world with beauty, creativity, problem solving, new technologies, and much much more. So I am speaking truth to myself all the time now.   

Okay, so I am showing up. 

I hope you will too. 

Today: I am dreaming of the possibilities of photo transfers and what I want to create. 

In preparation for my new photo transfer work, I am going back through old files to find a ton of images that I have taken over the years, this is one of my "drive by shootings". (pictures that I take as we are on a road trip, what ever we are passing that catches my eye).  

Below:  Raw verses after processed in PS CS5. 

original and manipulated in photoshop using actions and textures and my own adjustments. Photo work around 30 min.  

Tomorrow: 

I will have several transfers to show you too. 

I want to try one with Modge Podge with paper, and one with Modge Podge and transparency, one with the xylene and one with the Acetone. come back tomorrow!!! 

I might add words and paint in the end. 

Also: Photo Transfer Letters coming soon. 

Part of my trekking around NYC involves this new project. 

I am finding letters in the environments and then I am going to spell out things that are related to that particular place/neighborhood that I am in. Then make photo transfer art from those letters. Stay tuned for more!!  

A messy first attempt (without gas mask, which made me hold my breath and probably rush through it). I will be attempting this again very soon. These are letters found in Brooklyn then processed and transferred via Blender Pen on press board painted with gesso. If you like, stay tuned for more fun art.