tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81394422024-03-07T02:40:03.130-05:00The Accidental ArtistUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger369125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-69583885136034806192013-12-06T07:57:00.004-05:002013-12-06T07:58:56.567-05:00Gallery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiSOGQCytQH7-I_uWK5N-biQsuob4pLUjlK_TCEjXnWM4PgBs5OytmrjxB1FgTjFeMU6juFseAE7UZ_igpzPCldXx0x3k_rxb52vqjFEv5EpcAV0JbcpsXAXLCWZBdxCg9Ul2eg/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-12-06+at+7.35.59+AM.png" height="318" width="640" /></div>
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I've set up a <a href="http://michelemmartin.blogspot.com/?view=magazine">gallery of works that are for sale</a> to make it easier to see the art in one place. So far I've posted only prints, although I will be adding some original paintings as well. </div>
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Right now, the <a href="http://michelemmartin.blogspot.com/p/purchase.html?view=magazine">purchase process</a> isn't "one click." I have it set up so that you <a href="http://michelemmartin.blogspot.com/p/purchase.html?view=magazine">contact me</a> through a form to let me know the piece you're interested in and then I can let you know what sizes are available and the prices. This is partly because I want to keep some of the "personal" in the sales process. I know that we go for "easy" in this world, but when it comes to art, maybe that's not the best way to go. I like the notion of us having a personal connection. </div>
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I'm still in the midst of finding the best ways to sell art--both on and off-line. Although I've been self-employed for years, there's a big difference in how you market and sell services and how you market and sell art. It's more complicated than you'd think. </div>
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Plus, I have a little ambivalence about selling my art, I've realized, after the All of Me show at InFusion. Although I love that my pieces resonated with people, at the same time it feels a little bit like you're selling your soul, especially since my art is so personal. I'm not painting landscapes here. I'm painting aspects of myself. </div>
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At any rate, tiny steps. I'm focusing on putting myself out there and on trying to learn as much as I can about how to do all this. As with most of life, this is a work in progress. . . </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-24499062408784977812013-10-18T11:43:00.000-05:002013-10-18T11:43:06.187-05:00Artist Statement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oiw63y-XDFZBvRK2DWm0hEzlC9-XNyNfDadT9Inc5e5Xjj0wzpD6fgIz1uAP-U-YrXlnW1KNkr_wvhs9fCSIpXqVB8s1NJZYWZeHGw487kogz_aDIgXK5fJhrJxmxzIucv2w2g/s1600/img138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oiw63y-XDFZBvRK2DWm0hEzlC9-XNyNfDadT9Inc5e5Xjj0wzpD6fgIz1uAP-U-YrXlnW1KNkr_wvhs9fCSIpXqVB8s1NJZYWZeHGw487kogz_aDIgXK5fJhrJxmxzIucv2w2g/s1600/img138.jpg" height="400" width="305" /></a></div>
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I had to prepare an Artist's Statement for a show I'll be doing in December. This is the first time I've had to do something like this. As someone who is self-taught and came to art relatively late in life, I haven't had the experience of reflecting for years on what I create and why. This is what I came up with:</div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-75819f08-cc6e-6165-4831-394389de99d6" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I paint and draw to understand myself. It’s no surprise that art journals are my primary mode of working. While my written journals help me explore and document my experiences in words, my visual journals take me to different realms within myself that I can’t access or express with language. </span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s also no surprise that most of what I create are women’s faces. I’ve come to realize that these are ways that I’m exploring different aspects of myself and lately I’ve become more intentional in teasing out what I’m trying to learn about my hidden moods and feelings, especially those things in myself that I reject and keep in shadow. </span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My art is made intuitively. Many pieces, especially my paintings, begin with symbols and quotes that I use to charge the piece with a particular quality or energy. And then I begin to paint or draw over those initial marks. I look for happy accidents and hidden opportunities--how can I build on the serendipities that come from painting with no particular end in mind? I love layers and depth, but some of my favorite pieces are those that are the simplest. </span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Art, for me, is like therapy. It’s a way to go into flow where I’m beyond conscious thought and the demons of my left brain. In my favorite moments of creating, I’m aware of being tapped into something larger than myself, into an energy that is both exciting and calming in equal measure. </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-35418117260117004022013-10-07T08:57:00.000-05:002013-10-07T08:57:15.562-05:00All of Me Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gA9nXnKDAhOMTJa6bbA7A6L-3QOxa2SISW0NOpHZjft4KqctaKFeyRLigvZbCkHhT7_1RBigJIxmgP9p0UDXr_IBBA6gbrOVTHPUcIEWZsmZB1znX04OfjdrwcYM2Cl2jBY7AA/s1600/2013-10-06+11.15.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gA9nXnKDAhOMTJa6bbA7A6L-3QOxa2SISW0NOpHZjft4KqctaKFeyRLigvZbCkHhT7_1RBigJIxmgP9p0UDXr_IBBA6gbrOVTHPUcIEWZsmZB1znX04OfjdrwcYM2Cl2jBY7AA/s1600/2013-10-06+11.15.09.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hard to believe, but in a few weeks I'll be hanging my first show at InFusion Cafe in Philadelphia, PA! </div>
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Yesterday I matted and framed a couple of prints to see how they'll look and I have to say I'm pretty pleased. </div>
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Even more than the art though, I'm excited about how the dialogue part of this is evolving. We've set up an<i> </i><a href="http://www.michelemmartin.com/all_of_me/"><i>All of Me</i> website</a>, a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/allofmeproject">Facebook Fan Page</a>, and <a href="http://www.michelemmartin.com/all_of_me/get-the-journal.html">a free journal</a> with 7 days of prompts and affirmations to explore different aspects of ourselves. We've also chosen several prompts to use at the show in November, hoping to get people involved in responding and sharing their experiences. </div>
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For me, art is an opportunity for discovery. It's the discovery and exploration that really turns me on and art is just one way to do that. I also love journaling for self-exploration and conversation with other people to get different perspectives on how they are encountering the world and their own lives. </div>
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Although I'm excited about having my art on display, I'm even more excited about how the <i>All of Me </i>project can engage others in that process of discovery. So much for us to learn about ourselves and each other!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-57639003229135655842013-09-17T05:22:00.003-05:002013-09-17T05:22:44.786-05:00Speak Words of Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFrU00ylMVtvzbMtMakKa8XjPfsKX8Y5WcymYyTZ6D1VdmurJmr4uqntWChz7-nIvZp1XLDU6yrG0-c5B-mTU83aMRWkbmJTwMpwURZ0wkCM-hrcJExtx2NAcUI3-u7OC04MPow/s1600/img122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFrU00ylMVtvzbMtMakKa8XjPfsKX8Y5WcymYyTZ6D1VdmurJmr4uqntWChz7-nIvZp1XLDU6yrG0-c5B-mTU83aMRWkbmJTwMpwURZ0wkCM-hrcJExtx2NAcUI3-u7OC04MPow/s1600/img122.jpg" height="640" width="466" /></a></div>
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I'm paying attention lately to how harsh I am with myself--all the ways that I judge my own reactions to things, especially if I'm seeming "weak" or "overly emotional." </div>
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Part of this comes from being a woman and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yashar-hedayat/a-message-to-women-from-a_1_b_958859.html">living in a culture </a>where we are regularly told that we are "crazy." And we buy into this story, so we judge those parts of ourselves that are sad or angry or frustrated. </div>
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This also comes from being human. We all judge those aspects of ourselves that are "unacceptable" to those around us. </div>
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With this piece, I'm trying to remind myself to speak words of love to my inner vulnerable self. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-8026555389348470202013-09-11T05:20:00.000-05:002013-09-11T05:20:09.191-05:00Working Through<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKdifubThR0Uk9oxss1tlZiAzqovOqslZVbNtYULRrFejzEXt9X3It7LJt4q8uQfbh7ttcR0WIS9IcUzBJGR9SL8WWkUBZi291eEkH3k6adhnhtIv-fT34gwgXHrr92kJ6OOxZw/s1600/img120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKdifubThR0Uk9oxss1tlZiAzqovOqslZVbNtYULRrFejzEXt9X3It7LJt4q8uQfbh7ttcR0WIS9IcUzBJGR9SL8WWkUBZi291eEkH3k6adhnhtIv-fT34gwgXHrr92kJ6OOxZw/s1600/img120.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
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I started this over a week ago. Usually I tend to start and finish a piece in one or two sittings, but in this case, I started it and immediately messed it up. So I painted over most of the face, just leaving the right eye and then walked away for several days.<br />
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I would see it in my journal and not know what to do with it. Wasn't even sure I could really salvage it. Then last night, I sat down to work on it again and she emerged.<br />
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I'm always interested in how art becomes a metaphor for life and how we live it. In this case, there have been some things going on in my life that were kind of ugly that I didn't know how to work with. Usually when this happens, I keep working at whatever I don't like, afraid to leave it alone because I hate that ugly in-between stage when I don't know what form my life is going to take. It's not that things always turn out well--they don't. It's the uncertainty I have a hard time with.<br />
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I keep having to learn over and over again (usually through art) that there is a time for just leaving life alone. I need to let things germinate and rest so that their form can begin to emerge. That's what happened with this painting. It just needed some space to breathe.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-30468275399816582252013-09-02T06:13:00.003-05:002013-09-02T06:13:48.509-05:00Shadow Warrior<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1QvJSU26dIyncRcuEQE46Y1zltEb94Ok8EKlgsdS-vUwnotg4qs91jv7vglT3Yx4MGF8DdW5r7IAp3PClReEeoDeXTdNAqe2y4kSadIfoawFAuOEOnRbHpDY7RhxHFtUOKq0Aw/s1600/img118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1QvJSU26dIyncRcuEQE46Y1zltEb94Ok8EKlgsdS-vUwnotg4qs91jv7vglT3Yx4MGF8DdW5r7IAp3PClReEeoDeXTdNAqe2y4kSadIfoawFAuOEOnRbHpDY7RhxHFtUOKq0Aw/s1600/img118.jpg" height="640" width="492" /></a></div>
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This one took me by surprise a little, especially the mouth. It didn't turn out the way I wanted, so I painted over it and got the grey "lips" and then it became her mouth. I scrawled "Shadow Warrior" on the side. It popped into my head and I went with it. </div>
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She's definitely not pretty--a little scary and angry looking actually. She is battle-scarred and is not putting up with anyone's shit. She seemed ghostly to me at first, but then I realized it's more like aboriginal war paint she's wearing. She's expressing a part of me that's ready to kick some spiritual and emotional ass--my own or someone else's. I'm not quite sure yet. </div>
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I turn 50 next week, so she seems part of that movement into the Dark Queen years. I'm less interested in pleasing people and being found "acceptable" now and much more interested in figuring out exactly who the hell I am, why I'm here and what I can get accomplished in the time I have left. Not in the "let's be productive and add to the economy" kind of way that is dominant in our world. No, in the "let's get serious about what's really important/what's my sacred purpose" kind of way. I think she's showing up right now to remind me of this. And to remind me that it's partly about integrating my shadow and partly about being a warrior--fierce and ruthless where it's needed. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-20622821564272809452013-09-01T05:59:00.000-05:002013-09-02T05:59:59.876-05:00All of Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDp1XJjFnewz1dg0dsFOY4RHS6KZGDvxbFFdWlNIe7KOy114XssDR9VxV6CdfgCcGLueSCKM0HoWPv0ZB4I6Nfv8ERIFIs8rrtoso7Xu54Ah24Twx1TJvISE6sebuIV9GLjXDAg/s1600/img117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDp1XJjFnewz1dg0dsFOY4RHS6KZGDvxbFFdWlNIe7KOy114XssDR9VxV6CdfgCcGLueSCKM0HoWPv0ZB4I6Nfv8ERIFIs8rrtoso7Xu54Ah24Twx1TJvISE6sebuIV9GLjXDAg/s1600/img117.jpg" height="640" width="482" /></a></div>
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As my little coffee house art show, scheduled for November, begins to take shape, I've found a name for it--<b><i>All of Me</i></b>. </div>
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I'm working with a writer friend to make it a larger project, beyond just the art, because we've realized that these portraits I paint are really aspects of me. And that all of us, especially women, spend a lifetime working toward wholeness. We have these pieces of ourselves that others consider "beautiful" or not and what we present to the world is largely about what we've accepted in ourselves. I want the art to be a gateway into working with women to help them explore and integrate these fractured, fragmented selves, finding ways for us to heal what's split apart and love it into wholeness. </div>
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This piece I called <b>Medicine Woman</b>. Usually I don't name my art until later and usually the names are kind of lame. But this one started with me journaling about being a healer, resisting that idea a little, but also knowing that it's somehow my fate. I attract wounds and wounded people and do my best to heal them. But I'm just leaning into that a little more. In the past, I've done it unconsciously, which has caused me a lot of psychic pain and drama. Now I'm thinking I need to do this more mindfully, with an eye first to caring for myself. The "put on your own oxygen mask first" school of healing. </div>
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She went through many iterations. The red at her neck is a hint of how she began. I most like the fractured looking cross-hatching on the left side of her face. I realized as I did it that I was playing with the idea of fractures and brokenness and also the idea that for me, being a medicine woman is about integrating Light and Shadow--accepting ALL of ourselves, especially as women. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-60712799538881763262013-08-28T04:10:00.001-05:002013-08-28T04:10:36.542-05:00Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitr9PBgN37xszwet-SjxR6E9Yn0J3nk4Sj-9GKI59b6toh9afl05JSdcSkPROnTip4v5Z-clo1Fj_WlXr7vhcood101AtnSw2TXc0osdsJZb14b-AQzua0d4EyQZ_JaoEGyBm1w/s1600/img115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitr9PBgN37xszwet-SjxR6E9Yn0J3nk4Sj-9GKI59b6toh9afl05JSdcSkPROnTip4v5Z-clo1Fj_WlXr7vhcood101AtnSw2TXc0osdsJZb14b-AQzua0d4EyQZ_JaoEGyBm1w/s1600/img115.jpg" height="640" width="552" /></a></div>
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As if I don't have enough on my plate, I've begun working with a new writer friend on some version of an autobiography. It's partially to help her test out a process for her new business, working with people to tell their stories. But it's serendipitous that she has shown up now, as this is something I've been thinking about for awhile. Maybe it's what happens as you turn 50--you start looking back at your life and wondering what all the threads are that tie it together. </div>
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We met on Monday for the first time and I just sort of vomited out a series of memories, looking for how they connect and (hopefully) lead to some kind of development over the years. </div>
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I told her that I'm interested in how I can recast my story. It's occurred to me at different times that I'm someone who leads with her wounds, seeing them as somehow central to my character. But we all have wounds--it's the human condition--and in some ways, our wounds are the least interesting parts of our story. What we do with those times of challenge and hurt. That's what's really interesting. </div>
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I'm also someone who believes that we come into this life, choosing to learn certain lessons. This makes our lives, the things that happen to us, part of choices we've made to have certain experiences and learn certain things. So it's possible that autobiography is really my way of trying to understand what lessons I've set for myself, to take a step back and see them from that larger perspective. </div>
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What I'm also seeing is that even though I want to recast my story, in some ways it's already set. I've told the story already by what I choose to remember and what I choose to forget.</div>
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I've had conversations with my daughters about their childhoods and have been surprised at the memories they carry. Things that I barely remember are highlights for them, with stories attached to those memories. And those things that I remember more vividly are barely a blip on their radar screens. In seeing that, I realize the extent to which our memories are constructs, stories that we've already told, and that there is no such thing as an "objective" view of our lives. </div>
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Even with that, though, we can still reframe our experiences. I remember during my divorce the stories I told myself about what was happening, why it was happening. Now, from a more distant vantage point, my memories have a different feel. They have different meaning to me, especially as I see them as part of a larger journey. </div>
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So this will be interesting, this project to see who I've been and who I am. I suspect that 10 years from now, everything will have shifted again. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-24039308162792808432013-08-16T07:20:00.000-05:002013-08-16T07:20:07.014-05:00Collage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-E6ZBzYtcPAvtxcokBPCpyeGKRYGeKc1BjwMOhFDr_CdBghG40SvSdxD-baELGDgJ0QATYF0e9zPUJYZk8bF0mWKdzNhqwMyhtigs_kihTBogbifUAddHqpQcMJuOriGk643Aw/s1600/Blue+and+Pink+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-E6ZBzYtcPAvtxcokBPCpyeGKRYGeKc1BjwMOhFDr_CdBghG40SvSdxD-baELGDgJ0QATYF0e9zPUJYZk8bF0mWKdzNhqwMyhtigs_kihTBogbifUAddHqpQcMJuOriGk643Aw/s1600/Blue+and+Pink+Collage.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I had a fabulous coffee date the other day with a writer friend where we began to brainstorm on a collaborative project that would combine my art and her writing. We had my laptop, so we played around with PicMonkey to put together some collages of my art. It was a fun, fresh way to play around with what I've already done, since lately I've had less time to make new art. </div>
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Here's the first one we put together:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYAH20aroxhudywcSATmjQMUXZejNUBFpgVsVtuXZKm7EH6oqrIcLRsCI4Trpyvf7dxJxK9-_187crfaDYbhaX5PL0LF26SfmFfyIpirDYxS3eX5kdzR2fZkvnemAQwiAHzgyhw/s1600/Valley+of+Women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYAH20aroxhudywcSATmjQMUXZejNUBFpgVsVtuXZKm7EH6oqrIcLRsCI4Trpyvf7dxJxK9-_187crfaDYbhaX5PL0LF26SfmFfyIpirDYxS3eX5kdzR2fZkvnemAQwiAHzgyhw/s1600/Valley+of+Women.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now my head is full of ideas about how to link all these women I've created. . . </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-87200370987747660002013-08-14T08:13:00.003-05:002013-08-14T08:13:50.709-05:00The Inner Critic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaavNbKJi4ahNbbINMBGvmNb-G1wE9iROY48esNvpdcH8WrDGKH5LGOg2-p9nc6vU72x0A59nbkhCPBZeJf1fbWzq9dLz3fs0gs9_z4aEj7mWmTeyGGaqzjJpJf_kDRurPZzABg/s1600/img112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaavNbKJi4ahNbbINMBGvmNb-G1wE9iROY48esNvpdcH8WrDGKH5LGOg2-p9nc6vU72x0A59nbkhCPBZeJf1fbWzq9dLz3fs0gs9_z4aEj7mWmTeyGGaqzjJpJf_kDRurPZzABg/s1600/img112.jpg" height="640" width="496" /></a></div>
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Sunday was not a good day for me. Stressed about my business and the huge number of projects on my plate, wondering if any of it is worthwhile. Of course my inner critic showed up for the party. I spent much of the day trying (unsuccessfully) to outrun her. I ended by doing some art. </div>
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The image above was meant to try to make some peace with her. The image below ended up being my "F*%( it, I'm giving in" piece. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXUCH8kGHcYNNfJi8zG6LF_uE0_faRcyWwfbWkVt4jsJKkKrvL3s_gZcwpw6g3v45w6jLS3Kw7UlFrb7iYrfZqsc7FG9zkROEIg6gkOmQtU9m3Vq31YYdf9Nlm51UubWGsHgKkg/s1600/img113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXUCH8kGHcYNNfJi8zG6LF_uE0_faRcyWwfbWkVt4jsJKkKrvL3s_gZcwpw6g3v45w6jLS3Kw7UlFrb7iYrfZqsc7FG9zkROEIg6gkOmQtU9m3Vq31YYdf9Nlm51UubWGsHgKkg/s1600/img113.jpg" height="640" width="500" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-1542353735364719702013-08-02T05:53:00.002-05:002013-08-02T05:53:46.451-05:00Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWaWlbmBx4u5Y5GEaZ4egiHjl0GJvTSlKo5416-HOrqn2DgcxwaXi3nEzZHuDgQhSRYiFO3MCCdFpS3fczi-ANF34Ja1b2uG2CpldCJA1tp-hsyFqdZ8oPpuOxO-vr2HeXVICuA/s1600/img110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWaWlbmBx4u5Y5GEaZ4egiHjl0GJvTSlKo5416-HOrqn2DgcxwaXi3nEzZHuDgQhSRYiFO3MCCdFpS3fczi-ANF34Ja1b2uG2CpldCJA1tp-hsyFqdZ8oPpuOxO-vr2HeXVICuA/s1600/img110.jpg" height="640" width="462" /></a></div>
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After I painted this woman the other night my husband begged me to post her on Facebook. "I think I'm in love with her, " he told me. "I want to be able to see her." </div>
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It's funny how people can respond so strongly to an image. She still feels very unfinished to me, but he loves the tilt of her head and the fullness of her lips. That's enough for him. </div>
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I love her too, but now I'm afraid that I'm going to screw her up as I continue to work on her. This is one of my big art fears--overworking things or adding that touch that ruins a perfectly good piece. At least she is now preserved in all her "Before" glory. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-41709130595334169552013-07-30T05:42:00.000-05:002013-08-02T05:47:32.847-05:00On Risk Taking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcIdInSd1EiS4YETR60rLhWrq0MGIO8fvSAEcKzcLXhzldaDY8W1E7Vh5mtp4vySEweNxJrFEx9aNV2UceFZeGs94eThMcQiWg4XHGa91ibJicqUS35tcLdIeTT5x73q9iOQpVA/s1600/img107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcIdInSd1EiS4YETR60rLhWrq0MGIO8fvSAEcKzcLXhzldaDY8W1E7Vh5mtp4vySEweNxJrFEx9aNV2UceFZeGs94eThMcQiWg4XHGa91ibJicqUS35tcLdIeTT5x73q9iOQpVA/s1600/img107.jpg" height="640" width="506" /></a></div>
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The other day on my professional blog, I used this image to <a href="http://www.michelemmartin.com/thebambooprojectblog/2013/07/taking-risks-to-build-resilience.html">illustrate the value of taking risk</a>s. Every six months I'm setting goals for myself and from July through December, several of my goals have been about art.<br />
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For me, making art has been a hobby, but I'm now pushing myself to see if it could be something more in my life. So I revived this blog and began sharing my art on Facebook. I've also submitted to show my pieces in a few different places--a coffee shop and a show in Collingswood, NJ. I'm thinking about teaching an art journaling workshop through a local organization.<br />
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I turn 50 next month and I feel like it's important for me to keep pushing myself to take on new challenges and try new things. Art is an area where I feel less competent in my life, where I have lots of room to grow and expand. Sometimes it's painful and scary to push myself here because I fear making mistakes or looking "stupid," but we should all find ways to be a beginner. It's what keeps life new and fresh.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-10906350120076710262013-07-10T06:53:00.000-05:002013-07-10T06:56:52.701-05:00When Is It "Done?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-IIKH0R1B02A-DB4mgKI_YJDDuYjEaUEVuyUz8ax3KzQJ-ClKSB9M7_c-bzkO7gK4Pm-IUhWFwmNrtl35SmtFAALmWv672q8fBf_F-LdIIXvwbvkj8DDMRxNjclV5cJ3ACoJjA/s1600/img106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-IIKH0R1B02A-DB4mgKI_YJDDuYjEaUEVuyUz8ax3KzQJ-ClKSB9M7_c-bzkO7gK4Pm-IUhWFwmNrtl35SmtFAALmWv672q8fBf_F-LdIIXvwbvkj8DDMRxNjclV5cJ3ACoJjA/s1600/img106.jpg" height="640" width="532" /></a></div>
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Most of the time it's very clear to me when a painting is finished. I will feel a satisfying sort of "clunk" in my heart. But occasionally, it's less apparent when a painting is complete, as with this piece above. It could be finished--something simple and clean. Or it may need more work. I'm not sure. </div>
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The problem I've found when I'm not sure if it's done is that I can then move into the territory of over-working a piece. It can become a tortured sort of mask that loses it's appeal. Or I'll add embellishments that take away from the piece, rather than adding anything to it. </div>
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This is a metaphor for my life, of course. There are times when I can't leave well enough alone. I don't feel that little "clunk" that says, "Enough, Michele." Instead of continuing to work at it, though, that is just a sign that maybe I need to wait and see. If more is meant to be done, then that will reveal itself in due time. </div>
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Luckily with art, I can have a scan of the image that let's me preserve its original state, before I couldn't resist just one more thing. Sadly, life doesn't generally offer that opportunity. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-74352027089811402722013-07-08T08:07:00.000-05:002013-07-08T08:07:27.797-05:00The In Between<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSj7Hgt2qrVoU7vK66I276TPnhNK6VdkxGa03lMzLsl0tNrOhThXiurKeya-zt2bvvkMv-mt8MtexblCyZ6kkmO2Uot9NR4pJJmLzMH3-SG4a1__kcqfXZjYEajCObv40LuxxEA/s1600/The+In+Between.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSj7Hgt2qrVoU7vK66I276TPnhNK6VdkxGa03lMzLsl0tNrOhThXiurKeya-zt2bvvkMv-mt8MtexblCyZ6kkmO2Uot9NR4pJJmLzMH3-SG4a1__kcqfXZjYEajCObv40LuxxEA/s1600/The+In+Between.jpg" height="640" width="494" /></a></div>
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I was talking with Reiki therapist recently about my tendency to be out of my body and in my head and she suggested that maybe I needed to do more work with earth colors--reds, browns, blacks, oranges. So this weekend I pulled out the Gelli plate and printed up some backgrounds in a more earth-toned color palate. </div>
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This is one that emerged last night--a departure from my usual in many ways. It's acrylic, ink, gel pen and Distress ink on water color paper. I wasn't able to get the full scan, but ended up preferring this cropped version anyway. </div>
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In other art news, I submitted to show my work in a couple of places and now I'm waiting to hear back. The next phase in the art evolution. . . </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-76779985971168213372013-07-02T07:18:00.001-05:002013-07-02T07:18:14.552-05:00She Waits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30znt5Bb_E4c4up27LoFVcWHoLhaTspu6XigPdwGVUNr2l0ZMgKh7RsY0NKVQA-lwGJUZ61duKBVLdFCC64J3FSxL6tUwZoYbfna4qltjTcOzMOP7XCOWKzy6vEXQQXuvoL7NdQ/s1600/img095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30znt5Bb_E4c4up27LoFVcWHoLhaTspu6XigPdwGVUNr2l0ZMgKh7RsY0NKVQA-lwGJUZ61duKBVLdFCC64J3FSxL6tUwZoYbfna4qltjTcOzMOP7XCOWKzy6vEXQQXuvoL7NdQ/s1600/img095.jpg" height="640" width="508" /></a></div>
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This is another piece I did over the weekend on Gelli-printed water color paper. This version is cropped and I like how it makes her face more prominent. She's a little lost in the original, so I may need to go back and add something else in. I like how the eyes and the lips turned out. Her eyes are softer and (for once) seem to be properly sized for the angle of her face. </div>
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I'm officially feeling like working on a Gelli print works well for me because it ends up being much more about discovery when I paint. In this case, I saw where her chin needed to start and grow out into her face, so the drawing came easily. I love finding what the painting is meant to be. (<i>Acrylic, Inktense pencil and Gel pen on water color paper</i>) </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-65385705141856478752013-07-01T08:18:00.000-05:002013-07-01T08:18:13.533-05:00What Lies Beneath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkfWaWPu5v37F4ZZ8Lnn2_T50pe_FYQKjVATvdZmJoDNFMB8Xxx26equdZbuSsp9IXTPuEGEEVAdcRFA0mxWWjahS6BZEPi-lmhjSoYXRGVjQnIbtQ8o-hHC5R_xij2G6dMxWYA/s1600/What+Lies+Beneath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkfWaWPu5v37F4ZZ8Lnn2_T50pe_FYQKjVATvdZmJoDNFMB8Xxx26equdZbuSsp9IXTPuEGEEVAdcRFA0mxWWjahS6BZEPi-lmhjSoYXRGVjQnIbtQ8o-hHC5R_xij2G6dMxWYA/s640/What+Lies+Beneath.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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I do most of my work in a journal, but as I start to sell my art, I realize that I need to do more work outside of that format. Similar techniques, but on separate sheets of water color paper. </div>
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I love starting with Gelli printed backgrounds because usually they give me a starting point--I can see what is "meant" to be painted and I go from there. The hand on the face here, for example, sort of showed up. I saw the body first and then once I drew in the face, there was that hand around her eye. This is one of my favorites now. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-63568221730362521492013-07-01T08:14:00.000-05:002013-07-01T08:14:12.552-05:00Study in Black and White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3eswzNt0nRxWVjZcAeiqVJs4vvisjkYcohOV0zepXkh32xx0mXAmV64u2R9N_QcA2csNRJV2ILbLPyGVQIxipcySEtVNZ0jK7YflAGGvwYn4O6HU9_KmrZa0pUoRZ6FoFNasWQ/s1600/Study+in+Black+and+White.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3eswzNt0nRxWVjZcAeiqVJs4vvisjkYcohOV0zepXkh32xx0mXAmV64u2R9N_QcA2csNRJV2ILbLPyGVQIxipcySEtVNZ0jK7YflAGGvwYn4O6HU9_KmrZa0pUoRZ6FoFNasWQ/s640/Study+in+Black+and+White.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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I usually work in color, but this weekend found a really interesting black and white photo online that I wanted to recreate in my journal. Very minimalist, but I like how it turned out. Something about the stark sadness of it. The reference photo was slightly happier than this, but I tend toward the somber in my expressions. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-53501666403087724502013-06-29T09:53:00.000-05:002013-06-29T09:53:15.309-05:00Completion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wc9Og0iWM-5uopIvHYk3r_1oKwnOsi6qqvUIGwBvdOU2Tkm0w_tkS5gnVp2dkqETqbnnIamWpeahW38_X3nMLjHQD86DzgFD8bPC1h1_iFDEQVk7nLVXau36O3WAhyphenhyphenIQMKv1Hg/s1600/img086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wc9Og0iWM-5uopIvHYk3r_1oKwnOsi6qqvUIGwBvdOU2Tkm0w_tkS5gnVp2dkqETqbnnIamWpeahW38_X3nMLjHQD86DzgFD8bPC1h1_iFDEQVk7nLVXau36O3WAhyphenhyphenIQMKv1Hg/s1600/img086.jpg" height="640" width="440" /></a></div>
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I'm fascinated by the work that resonates with people. The pieces I love the most are often not the ones that others seem to love. I uploaded <a href="http://society6.com/MicheleMartin/Completion-88l_Print">this one to Society 6 </a>yesterday and it's now been promoted more than any other piece I've uploaded. It's the back of one of my journals, done mostly as a sort of extended doodle. </div>
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I'm giving up on understanding what people will respond to and just letting it be what it will be. But it's a lesson for me that you can't just share the work that's your "favorite," because it may be that what you love isn't what really has meaning for other people. And if sharing your art is about giving people a way to enter into some beauty or emotion or whatever, then "judging" your art and only sharing what you deem to be acceptable is probably a problem. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-28160760187068849032013-06-29T09:22:00.002-05:002013-06-29T09:22:37.817-05:00Journal Cover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was looking for some books yesterday and found a journal I did a few months ago but hadn't scanned. This is the cover image I did for it. Gelli print on water color paper with paint markers, distress stains and Inktense pencil. I also see some Gel pen doodles on the side. </div>
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Not sure what was up with those things on her ears. I think I was trying to fix a mistake. So you can see those as earmuffs or head phones, I suppose. I like the color combo a lot--very juicy to me. I'm drawn to those cool colors. She also looks like she has a little smile on her face, which is uncommon for me. Usually I end up with those somber types. And of course, what's not to love about green hair? </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-62304743526011571602013-06-28T12:13:00.000-05:002013-06-28T12:13:34.071-05:00Taking Risks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For years, my art-making has been mostly for me. Actually ALL for me, although if I thought something was particularly good, I would share it with my husband or with friends. I would also put pieces on this blog, but for many years, I blogged anonymously. It's only recently that I added my name.<br />
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About 9 months ago, I decided to to "out" myself. I started by uploading art to my Facebook profile. Then I revived this blog, which was defunct for several years, and added my name and more information about me. I hung my paintings in my house and made prints of them to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArtAbandonment/">"abandon"</a> around town.<br />
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Slowly, I've been putting myself out there, identifying as an "artist," as opposed to using art as another form of journaling done just for myself. It makes me feel naked, though, like this image I did last year in my journal.<br />
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Now I find myself at a crossroads of sorts, where one part of me wants to give myself over to art, especially in terms of ways to make a living and spend more of my time. But another part of me thinks "Who do you think you are?"</div>
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My husband is a consummate marketer--he keeps working on arranging opportunities for me, which is fantastic. But at the same time, I find myself getting freaked out by them. I could teach an art class for older people at an assisted living community near us, but "Oh my God? How to do that?" and "Who am I to think that I could teach someone else how to make art?" </div>
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I could exhibit at a local coffee shop, but then "OMG--who do I think I am?"</div>
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I think it's about identity and about being seen in another way. I'm pretty confident as a self-employed business owner where I make my living selling my intellectual skills and expertise. But art asks for something different. It asks for your soul and for you to share what feels like very private pieces of yourself in a way I'm not used to. </div>
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And to complicate matters, I'm not one of those "born to be an artist," kinds of people. I didn't spend my childhood obsessively drawing and taking art classes. I didn't actually start making any kind of art until about 10 years ago. So "Michele Martin, Artist" still feels like an outfit I've tried on, rather than something deep within my skin. </div>
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But that's OK. Because one of the biggest messages I've gotten from my own personal art experiences is that art is <b>PERSONAL</b>. And it's <b>something we can all make</b>. And it's not about the product, <b>it's about the PROCESS</b>. How do we feel while we're doing it? Do we look at the finished piece and feel a sort of satisfying "clunk" deep down in our souls that says "yes, I did this and it's complete and it says exactly what I need it to say." </div>
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I'm writing this post to remind myself that I I need to stop asking myself "Who are YOU to call yourself an artist?" Because art is about an approach to life, it's about creating and expressing, something we're all born to do. I can take the risks if I just remind myself that everyone should have that opportunity to express themselves. And sometimes what you create speaks to other people too. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-54263549656293736242013-06-24T15:05:00.000-05:002013-06-24T15:05:48.310-05:00Re-Working the Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As part of an online art course I'm taking, I had to create a piece of "mail art"--a postcard, a card in an envelope. You get the idea. The topic was "memories" and I ended up creating a card with an old photo of me as a child on the front and this inside. It was meant to convey how underneath the outward appearances of a happy child, there was a lot of sadness and angst on the inside.<br />
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This isn't one of my better pieces. I ended up printing out and collaging three other pieces I'd done onto water color paper as I'm trying to look at ways I can re-use my older work in new ways.<br />
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The experience got me thinking though about how art for me isn't "on purpose." As soon as you give me an assignment to somehow represent an idea, I freeze up and create work that feels very inauthentic. I never entered that "flow" place I can get into when something seems to really be going somewhere. Ironically, in creating each of these images individually, I was in that place. It's only in collaging them together to represent this new idea that I felt something was somehow lost.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-66890152059343014982013-06-19T06:27:00.002-05:002013-06-19T06:27:34.687-05:00Study in Blue and Yellow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another Gelli printed face. I love how this one turned out. At first I had painted over the red circle on her lips, but then decided to paint it back in and work with it. I think the eyes are my favorite--they seem really haunted, yet peaceful somehow. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-1825151613560343292013-06-19T06:16:00.000-05:002013-06-19T06:16:07.336-05:00Red Madonna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This one was created in my journal on a page I Gelli printed the other night. I'm calling her Red Madonna because of the strange halo-thing I ended up putting on her head. Not sure where it came from, but it seemed to work. </div>
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I had a really good meeting with some new friends last night at one of our local coffee houses that also happens to run little art shows on a regular basis. As part of my ongoing quest to put myself out there as an artist, I spoke with the owner about getting some of my own art on his walls and his response to the pieces I showed him (on my Moo cards) was really gratifying. </div>
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I have to look at how I can display things, since so much of my work is done in journals and I tend to do things back-to-back. Surprisingly, as I was looking at some of my work, though, I saw that the pieces I like the most often have crap on the back of them, so I may be good with taking them out and framing them. It would actually be kind of interesting--you get the "light and the dark" of my art in one piece. Of course, the "dark" would be hidden unless you removed it from the frame. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-67589287277253960232013-06-06T05:54:00.001-05:002013-06-06T05:54:51.603-05:00She's the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not sure why, but every time I look at this one, I think of the globe. I think it's the yellow splotches, which seem like islands to me in the sea of blue/turquoise. I like starting out with the gray paint to get the basic shapes done and then going back in with black and other colors to re-define things. There's something about the gray that sort of softens things. This one is acrylic (including most of the doodles on her face), gel pen and distress ink. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139442.post-71204656049854905472013-06-04T05:41:00.000-05:002013-06-06T05:49:50.469-05:00Rat Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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She is anything but pretty. Sort of rat-like, really. Yet I find myself oddly drawn to her. Her eyes are deeply sad and I like how the shading turned out with the dark brown (paint and distress ink) against the milky white. I started thinking that she stands for the uglier parts of me, the Shadow. Much of life is about accepting and integrating the Shadow, so it seems appropriate that I should love her a little. I don't love her as much as I do my other journal entries, but the fact that I love her at all is progress I think. (Acrylic, Distress Ink, and Pen on water color paper)</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0