Artisan Update

As I previously mentioned I made a promise to myself to create more art this year and here is a little photo update of what I've been up to...

I started a series of motivational digital art pieces made up of marbled jazzy backgrounds with overlays of inspirational text I've dreamed up. I begin with a blank canvas in photoshop and then choose three colours and various different shades/tones with which to create my background. I think of it as a painting process, smearing smidges of colour onto the canvas before smudge them all together to create the backdrop of the piece. This series is based on observations of both my self and others negative tendencies and reworked to have a positive vibe. This is done by juxtaposing the positive words before the negative. It's an experiment but I do hope they inspire at least one person out there. 

I've also been drawing a little, taking inspiration from nature,culture and again sociology- I'm finding it very therapeutic, enjoying it rather than chiding myself for not being as good as I'd like. I keep doodling all over my assignment papers too oopsy but its all good practice! I've recently come across this amazing Pentel Color Brush which has helped to create watercolour-esque effects in my work and is great for tone which I struggle with. The ink is water based and you can refill the cartridges which is very handy and means you won't have to throw away the pen once you are finished with it! I like the way it is essentially a brush but its pen attributes give the artist more control. 

And as for the photography that is still a work in progress, my point and shoot film camera never leaves my bag and is ever ready for any photo opportunity the world throws at it. I must go get my film developed though it is so expensive! I'm hoping at some point this year to attain all the paraphernalia to develop my films at home, fingers crossed!

I've also been admiring the work of other artists, predominantly the street artists of the Shoreditch/Brick Lane area. I really love #thebriancoxeffect posters and admire the artist for creating them. Brian Cox is proving to be science's new pin up. He's young (in comparison to his peers) though Attenborough you are still thoroughly adored, he's charismatic and his programmes are enjoyable as well as educational to watch. I snapped these whilst I was out modelling in the area and wanted to take many more photos but just didn't have the time! The bottom picture is a poster my friend Kevin brought me back from  ART13 at the Olympia  by Stuart Semple. This is something he did alongside mind,  the mental health charity and I love it's message synonmous with the Time To Change television adverts- Its okay to talk about mental health. I also like the obvious typography format as its something I am exploring in my own little creations currently.

What do you think of my art, does it inspire you? Have you experimented with the color brush yourself? What do you think of the art featured in this post?

Why I'll be creating more art this year.

Having enjoyed unforeseen opportunities and experiences as a model last year and juggled that with freelance journalism, my other creative outlets took a backseat. And whilst I do of course enjoy the people I get to meet, the concepts I get to help bring to life and lets not forget the beautiful clothing I get to sample; I like to be more known for my more eloquent produces. That's not to say that modelling isn't a complex role however I get the feeling that unless I didn't speak up people wouldn't perhaps know that I'm also a published journalist, I write poetry, I make digital art and I occasionally host my own radio show on the internet. I'm also studying tv and film production to fill the gaps in between jobs. And whilst that sounds a lot like bragging (it's not meant to sound so) I'd like to reveal a bit more about how my artistic side manifests itself.

Digital Art

Way back when (or about three years ago) one of GCSE choices was Art, I undertook this choice because I saw it as an opportunity to express myself. Oh how I was wrong. It turned out that within the confines of a classroom, art was not always subjective and it could be graded based on the interpretations of a textbook examiner or teacher. All around me my peers were able to create realistic still life pieces whilst I resigned myself to the fact that I couldn't draw. I was however throughly interested in collages, installations, abstract art and the Banksys, Micallefs and Stella Vines of the world. Whilst I respected the attention to detail it was something that with great regret I couldn't emulate within my own work but I haven't let that hinder me. With the great digital age we find ourselves living in, I've discovered that we're not limited to a pencil and paper. Thanks to programmes such as Illustrator and Photoshop we can create pieces just as intriguing as traditional art. It's also prompted me to try and try again with traditional art via tutorials online and such. Creating within this setting has dissipated the trauma of the conventional art teaching of the classroom because this time there are no grades, there is no teacher scrutinising my work and I'm ultimately doing it for myself as opposed to doing it for an examining body.  I'm still very much learning the ropes with digital art, making digital collages based on experiences or topics of interest but also moving into vector portraits too. I've often been told that you can't be good at everything and whilst that is to an extent true, nothing is impossible and I've also been one to strive and attempt to break the boundaries of my limits. I see art in all meanings of the word as an output for emotion and creativity and above all it's a means for expression. 

Photography

I am the proud owner of these babies:

Lubitel 2

Diana Mini

Canon Sure Shot AF-7



There's a rather soft spot in my heart for analog photography. I was introduced to it properly by my good friend Sam who has been an amateur film photographer ever since I've known him. I was taken with the rawness, the ambivalent simplicity and complexity of a point and shoot. The skill that goes into taking a 'good picture' as opposed to hitting 'auto' on a digital.I remember my very first trip to the Lomography store in Carnaby Street, I was enthralled by the results of analog photography and to this day am still touched that they feel so strongly about keeping film alive and I assure you it is by no means dead. So I set about aquiring my very own collection of analog snappers. Everything but the Diana Mini I found on Ebay. My trusty little canon accompanies me everywhere and has served me well when I've been at festivals and on holiday alike, it's super portable and even has a built in flash perfect for shooting at night. My Lubitel 2  is a beautiful little piece of history, look closely at it and it says 'Made in the USSR'. It's a tad bit bulkier and only shoots 12 exposures on 120 film which can make it expensive to upkeep and means you have to be very selective with your shots. I seem to appreciate this fact more though as it demands that you really think of what your taking before you take it as film is expensive and precious. You can also take multiple exposures with the lubitel meaning you can layer image over image to create something with yet more depth. I've had this little camera for a while now and I've still yet to finish the roll but when I do I very much look forward to developing it myself too. I've just acquired the Diana Mini and have yet to use it but whats really exciting about it is not only can it do multiple exposures but it can also shoot half frames and square frames. Now you can essentially fit two shots into one photo doubling the amount of exposures on your roll. I cannot wait to get creative with it!


I could natter on and on for days about each of the mediums I enjoy dabbling in but what are you passionate about art wise? Do you love analog photography? Are you something of a digital artist?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/abitha_arabella/
http://abitha-arabella.deviantart.com