ABC Club swap #6

Hello Everyone, Yes I am still among the living but have been busy working on my new classes, new ideas and my altered book club swap. This time the swap took a little more consideration and thought because of the subject. I received Karen's book for our 6th swap. You can see the cover above. The book is called Adventures in Art and Karen is asking for her fellow artist's advice and help. Karen believes that her art in her words is just "nice". Her art is sweet, detailed and predictable. She wants to be "Bold, Brave, Fearless and maybe a little dangerous. Personally I don't see her art this way but I can certainly understand the need to stretch her wings a little. I can understand the hunger and was determined to really try and help with a suggestion or two. But what to tell her? Karen wants a little edge to her art and was looking for it by experimenting with texture in her collage. As I studied the art that Karen created in my book it looked like she achieved everything she wanted by using texture and collage. The work is exquisite. It dawned on me that Karen doesn't need any advice when playing with texture and color. She's a fine artist that knows exactly what to do. In my book, her art had added texture but was still a "sweet, beautiful "collage-still in the style that she is looking to change. So my advice to her is to take it by subject first. What is the flip side to the beautiful woman in the meadow? While considering how to give this advice my inner Art Geek bloomed into a nice little weed. In this case a truly bad poem wrote itself in my head one day. I really tried to silence it but it wouldn't go away. All I could do is to add it to poor Karen's book with some art to illustrate it. Below you can see the art and I will reprint the text/advice below each picture. Ok here goes:

"So you want to be bold and dangerous too?

"If this is truly your wish here's my advice for you."

"A mermaid my be beautiful but she's dangerous too,

A ghost may be frightening but was a person like you."

"Add some spatter, some drips and a large skull,

They say Memento Mori, a warning to all."

" Life's not always pretty, rosy or sweet,

It's Ok to show it, who cares what we think?

Life has a duality pretty pictures can't hide,

And as an artist remember that beauty comes from inside." This last collage is a Karen door. Since I don't have Karen's OK to show her face on my blog the picture above shows the door open representing the beauty inside her.

We all want to create beauty with our art. But that's just not life. If we are to be artists and " hold the mirror up to nature" as Shakespeare says then we must address both the dark and light within us all. My thought, respectfully, is that if Karen wants to be truly bold then she should address the darker side once in awhile. I am in hopes that when she does this everything she was hoping to change in her art will fall right into place.

And for the record: No-I am not a poet and I definately know it.

Connie-over and out.