Neil Voss rocks the crowd

Last night my friend Neil played the Blip festival, where artists use low-bit videogame consoles and home computers to make visuals and music. Melodic and dark at times, Neil’s music was completely danceable and fun. Even more amazing is the fact that he wrote all his songs in only one week. I really respect people who can write music because it’s the one form of creativity I just could never in a million years attempt. I really don’t understand how one would begin to even start to write a song. Also, this guy is a completely brilliant web designer and flash programmer and he created some of the on-screen visuals for this event as well. Talk about multi-talented!

It’s very inspiring to me because I love working in all kinds of different mediums. Earlier yesterday my friend Phaedra and went to see the Picasso influence on American art exhibit at the Whitney and I was so struck by how many different mediums Picasso worked in during his career. He tried everything and he was a genius at it all. I’ve always felt a little annoyed at myself that I couldn’t stick to one thing, but now I kind of feel like I need to embrace that experimental side of myself.

Check out the great music from the Blip event here.

Also check out more flickr photos from Blip fest including me bopping in the crowd (in pink) next to DJ Vikki Slicks (with dark glasses and white hoodie).

Went to the Dumbo festival a few weeks ago and got to see some exciting diorama work. It was a fun day walking around with my friend Q, drinking beers and eating hot dogs, and checking out a lot of great art (and some ok art, and some blah art too). The only thing I wish the Dumbo festival would provide is a brochure or a website with little thumbnails of the art so you can decide what you want to see in advance.

More on diorama art

I was reading the six feet under fan site because I am totally obsessed when I came across this artist. I just love dioramas and I want to start creating a new series of them as soon as I get the chance. Matt Burlingame’s work is completely dark, surreal, and creepy. Some of his creations are actually a bit too violent for my taste, but for the most part I really love what he’s doing here. The photo below is a detail from Claire’s room in the six feet under house, and instead of beds all the characters have coffins to sleep in.

And by the way, I had no idea the art in six feet under was all done by actual artists that were commissioned to do the works — how cool is that?

http://www.mattburlingame.com/index.html

Went to see my friend Debra Hampton’s art exhibit last Friday. It was an amazing series of large collages on paper using magazine cut-outs and ink. The fractured figures are full of motion and energy when you look at them from afar. Moving up close reveals that the bodies are made up of cut-out magazine body parts and old-fashioned guns. I love that the pieces work on both levels and encourage you to move up close to the piece and discover more. I think this series asks important questions such as why are we so disconnected from our true selves, our souls, in modern society? Why are we so obsessed with violence? Watch out for more great things from this talented artist.

Before I studied art therapy I created my art series, Mentally Ill But Still A Human Being. I think it was a form of art therapy for myself. It explores the effects of mental illness on families. I just sold my first piece and I’m really excited that someone responded to the work. Read more about my artwork here.

Timbuk2 has come out with the canvas artist bag, which you can paint yourself any way you like. It actually has canvas on the outside, which you can prime and paint just as you would a framed canvas. I think it rocks. Except I wish they didn’t have that big spiral logo on them, that’s kind of annoying. Some artists have done some very creative things with these bags, which you can check out on the Timbuk 2 canvas artist bag page.

I just love Super 8 Filmmaking. I bought a camera years ago at Willoughby’s, and you can still get film at B&H. The colors are rich and dense, and there’s no sound, so it actually takes that aspect out of the filmmaking process which I like. It’s a pure visual experience. There’s a great resource for getting started in Super 8 here.

Last May, Kodak announced they were discontinuing the popular Kodachrome Super 8 film, but they are introducing a Ektachrome Super 8 film to replace it. A lot of filmmakers were disappointed, since Kodachrome was so grainy and the color was so saturated. It remains to be seen if Ektachrome can match Kodachrome’s unique film quality, and if Super 8 can survive in this digital video age.

The Sheela Na Gig, besides being a great PJ Harvey song, is thought by some to be a pre-Christian fertility or Earth Goddess figure. These figures carved out of stone are found all over Britian and Ireland. No one is really sure what they mean, and over the ages, people have ascribed different meanings to them. I like to think it’s an image of feminine power and fertility. I created one in art therapy class last night with plaster, and I have to work on it some more, and then paint and decorate it next week. It was really fun to do and it felt empowering and healing in a way. They’re also kind of cute looking and playful figures.

Can I just gush over how much I love Ad Access. Some amazing people over at Duke University are gathering and scanning in vintage magazine advertisements from the 20s to the 50s for scholars to pore over. I just love these old ads, they were crafted with such care, many of them hand drawn. So inspiring!

I tried to get through the Artist’s Way but I just couldn’t. I think I got to chapter 4. Is this because I’m creatively blocked? Or because I have trouble sticking with projects to the end? Or perhaps The Artist’s Way just doesn’t work for me. It’s a little heavy on the religious aspect, and I don’t mind delving into spirituality a bit, but it seems to focus on religion in a heavy-handed way. Or perhaps it’s just too big a commitment, like taking a class, because you need to devote so much time to it. I only have one friend who actually finished it so I know I’m not the only one. So, has anyone reading this ever finished the Artist’s Way? Has it worked well for anyone out there, changed their life, made them an uber-creative person?