Posted on March 19, 2015
On Stage? Yes, you can!
What happens when you’re asked to do live art for the first time?
Just say yes!
Will you be nervous? Most likely! But you’ll be ready. So relax and have fun with your short moment of fame. You can do it!
(This is Mary and Child my 20 min of on stage fame.)
How do you plan?
Decide what image or images best fit your theme. If its a complex scene (or even simple) it may take time to do a few sketches. It’s not cheating! Just like every runner needs to warm up so does an artist.
Once you have your idea try it out a few times. If you’re coordinating a program with another person, maybe they’re talking or singing as you draw be forewarned the other person or people may change their theme on you, so if the event is a year out don’t over plan. Just get a basic idea down, something you know you can do, and relax.
As the month approaches revisit your ideas, check on the theme of the program. Does your original idea work? Tweak or change where needed and get started in earnest to planning. Gather your models, whether live or photo images and practice the angles and layout. What is the flow and movement of your piece? Think about how much detail you will be adding and what details can be left out if you run short of time. Practice, think, plan and practice more!
It may be a free-hand, live piece but there’s a lot of intentional thought into it’s creation.
Purchase all your supplies and think about how they will be positioned on stage. Do you need a table, stand or stool to place them on? The key is to have your supplies easy to access. No mess and no fuss. Save yourself that much trouble if you can.
Even if you’re not naturally a planner thinking through the details saves precious time during the performance and embarrassing mishaps. Put little notations on your calendar to spread out the steps to make this event a success and leave you as stress free as possible.
Finally, if you can, practice in the size or nearly the size that you’ll use for the live performance, do so! Set yourself up for success as much as you possibly can. Sounds stressful? No not at all! Anything at all will do to practice. Some of the kids butcher paper taped to the wall or their chalk board. The trick is to simply practice the strokes. Get the feel of shapes and lines in what will be your real space.
Slowly, inexorably the day will dawn. Treat yourself to a hot shower to relax your muscles. Everything is ready so no worries!
If you can bring a friend along to chat backstage with you and keep the nerves away.
Finally, it’s time! There’s your cue. Take a deep breath and go out there and have fun! You are ready for this moment!
by 
Updated on March 25, 2015
What’s in the term low income?
One day this past week I thought I’d see if I could find #’s to support Kidz Klozet. The motto is: helping low income families make ends meet. Found some #’s indeed. After seeing this, I’m glad the choice was made to keep the closet going. Puts a little more understanding behind the blanket term low-income.
“More than 16 million children in the United States – 22% of all children – live in families with incomes below the Federal poverty level – $23,550 a year for a family of four. Research shows that, on average, families need an income of about twice that level to cover basic expenses. Using this standard, 45% of children live in low income families.
Most of these children have parents who work, but low wages and unstable employment leave their families struggling to make ends meet.”
“Child Poverty”
The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP)
by
Posted on March 6, 2015
All you need! Really!!
Think about it… all you really need is a pencil and a bit of paper. It’s as simple as that. Art can happen anywhere and almost anytime.
Yeah, I know, not while holding a squirming little toddler or while trying to cook dinner. All our plans go up in flames when we try and do that.
But what about those little moments as you’re sitting at the park, soaking up sun at the beach or sitting in the waiting room of the dentists office. Art can happen anywhere and anytime and all it takes is a pencil and a bit of pencil.
My favorite is an average no nonsense #2, probably one we’ve picked up at the state fair, and a bit of paper or notebook I can toss down in the sand at the park when one of my kids wants a push on the swings.
The point is to be out there doing, using the skill and talent that you have and developing it further if you are able to. So many people say they can’t draw or have no talent but a huge part of it all is practice and developing the eye to see the line and knowing how to get what you see out there down on paper.
Grab a pencil, a piece of paper out of the computer,whatever works for you and head off to that perfect spot, McDonalds playland perhaps or the park down the block. The kids are happy and you’re free to be your artistic you.
by
Updated on February 28, 2015
Art in a tight space
Nice carpet & Fines!!
Many years ago, when I was first starting out in the world as an artist, we had no money for a studio space or separate area to create an “art mess”. We lived in a two bedroom apartment with no studio style flooring and to be quite honest it was a challenge.
How do you do art – create and be free to create – in a small space, carpet on the floors, nice carpet, and fines and penalties looming over you if you drip or splatter even a little bit?
My solution: I switched from acrylic to watercolor.
Watercolor required less room and is easily doable on any table surface. If you’re able to purchase a length of gatorboard or make a table surface out of laminated plywood or simply primed plywood. Any of these options create an easy surface to tape your paintings to, prop them up against a couch or work flat on the floor. Voila! You now have an easy “work table” that is portable and more versatile.
What about the “Big Ones”
What happens when you have that great idea for a big artistic piece and a 7 ft piece of plywood or gatorboard table is a bit over the top?
There was a big show, my very first, and the entry limit was 6 ft. Of course that’s what I wanted – to push the limit and make a painting 6 ft. I taped trash bags to one of the walls and onto a bit of the floor in our little walk in storage closet. I sewed the canvas into a banner with a wooden dowel across the top and bottom. Put one nail at the top and bottom and primed and painted away.
by
