Selecting Subject Material For Your Artwork and Allowing Your Inner Voice To Be Shared

Beginning a new piece of artwork can sometimes be very intimidating. It is very bold action to take a blank piece of paper or canvas and decide I am going to create an image, translate a subject that I have some kind of personal connection with, render a visual image that is unique and let others view it to be judge by the critics of the world.
Sharing your artwork is a leap of faith. It is trusting that what you are creating is worthwhile no matter what your level of skill. Even sharing artwork with closest family and friends that we love and trust can sometimes be difficult. We are all critics and it is impossible to receive a positive response from everyone. How come when we voice an opinion we can understand that some people will disagree, but with visual expression we don’t always want to put ourselves on the line to be judged.
From my experience, the 22 years that I have been serious about making art as a way to express something within me that just needs to be fulfilled and communicated, I have spent a whole lot of time struggling to balance making art that will be accepted and liked by the people who view it and art that communicates who I am. It has only been in the past couple years that I have found comfort in the way I pick subject material and use it to communicate a small voice inside of me that has been waiting, ever so patiently, to be heard. Why now? How come it took so long? Is there some new technical skill in my art that I now possess that allows me to be able to connect with my art? The best answer that I can offer is trust. I have learned to trust that what I am expressing is the beauty, the pain, the hope, dreams and sometimes fears that I encounter in life.
So here is my advice on maybe getting a bit closer to finding your voice and letting it speak through your artwork. Pick subject matter that you have a connection with. Trust your instincts of what you like or are repelled by. Both can be valuable as subjects to represent in your art. When you pick your subjects take the time to analyze what is it that made you react.
All subjects will connect to some of the Elements of Art, (color, line, shape, texture, value, form, space), and the Principles of Design, (balance, contrast, unity, variety, emphasis, movement, pattern, repetition.) You can see that with each of the examples from below I also am drawn to specific elements and principles that I feel are essential aspects of my subjects. This is another way to help you translate your subjects into your own personal artistic voice.
Here are some examples of subject material that I have found connections with and why I love using them in my artwork.

Flowers – color, organic shape, and contrast. That sometimes you find them in the most unusual places standing boldly alone and other times they blend in with the bunch.
Things that fly (butterflies, dragonflies, bird) – form, variety, balance, and movement. Dreaming of flying off to new adventures, loving the feeling of the wind and imagining what it might feel like to soar and glide with the wind carrying me on my journey. Knowing that even with flight you still need to come back to rest and be grounded.
Trees- line, texture, repetition, and pattern. Connection to nature and a world that is bigger than me. The give and take they bring to life.
Girls and Women- Form, value, unity, and variety. My connection with femininity and those who have influenced me, helped me grow, comforted me on my journey through the good and hard times. Bringing me to the understanding that essentially we all embrace our emotional nature and we try to do the best we can to love and share ourselves with others.
So now I hope you can translate this information to help you with your process. Set aside some time to search the Internet, magazines, books, and your photos, ECT. to find subjects that you are drawn to. Start your collection of photo references for your subject material. When you have a good collection separate them into categories and take a few minutes with each to select some elements of art and principles of design that jump out at you. Then get personal and write down what these subjects represent in your life. Don’t worry right away about your technical skills and how well you will be able to render your subject. That will comes with time and practice that you devote to your artwork. Be patient and trust in yourself.

What is stopping you from living your dreams this new year?

A new year is just starting and there are so many things that I want to do. At times I almost feel paralyzed from trying to do it all. Sometimes I am wandering back and forth from task to task just trying to decide what to do first. I envy the people who can make a to do list and then actually follow it up. If I were to actually make a list it would be incredibly long and I would be so overwhelmed. What I have learned that helps me is to choose a few things to focus on. It often takes me day, weeks or even months to accomplish them. The one thing I can say for myself is when I do finally get to a task I really put my heart and soul into it.

Last year was a really good year. Some of the highlights for me are that I found a great new studio space that I love, I created my website http://www.carynduncan.com/ , I have started the process of getting my work into public shows, I got to meet Kelly Rae Roberts and registered for the Art Nest Winter Retreat which she will be teaching at, and I am slowly expanding my creative community.

So I wonder what is in store for me this coming

year? Here are some of my dreams for 2009. I will share my love of mixed media with others who want to learn and experience the joy of this creative process. I will buy myself a new digital camera. This spring I will organize an Artist Retreat for the women in my expanding creative community. I promise to myself that I will work at the practice of art journalling and let my voice continue to emerge in my artwork. I will nourish my spirit and body by returning to my yoga practice, something that I really neglected in 2008, in hopes for a balanced and healthy new year!

So what are your dreams for 2009? Share them with me and you will be entered for my January giveaway. This months giveaway will be a goody bag filled with some art materials, papers, and wonderful embellishments that are just waiting for you to use in your own artwork.
Have a dreamy new year!

Love, Caryn

Scraps of Love this Holiday Season

I am thankful for all this holiday season has given to me. It has been full of a variety of experiences, some wonderful and peaceful and others pushing my limits of emotional comfort. My Christmas celebration was relaxed which is a big gift. I have so many memories with tears of melt down from the stress and pressure that used to be the norm.

This year we shared a warm and cozy Christmas Eve and Morning with family at our house. We ate yummy food, played Katie's new game Apples to Apples, exchanged gifts, and let go of expectations just enjoying our time together. By Christmas afternoon everyone had left to be with other family and friends, our house was quiet and I actually had the luxury of crawling back into bed to take a much need nap. Then in the evening Brian and I headed to the movies to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a terrific story of life, growth and death.

It is now the day after Christmas I woke to find Brian already off to work, Katie is spending a few days with her dad and I am here peaceful and calm with my sweet Abby Cat by my side. Today I hope to go into the studio and paint for a while. I do have a few gift exchanges to take care of and I really need to start researching cameras. Mine is on its very last legs. I was trying to take a few shots this morning and had little success. The one above is of an incredibly cool gift from Brian of an antique scrapbook just bursting with goodies to incorporate into my artwork. He bought it years ago, pre Caryn and Brian (this is our 8th Christmas together), at an antique store. Some times I can't believe how long he holds onto things. He really uses things and doesn't like to shop and replace unless something doesn't work. Sometimes it can be a bit bothersome because I tend to want to replace things before their time. Well I was so happy when he pulled this out of his stash of keepsakes. It was a perfect gift.

So here are the last two pieces for the December giveaway. The sweet love notes that I have received have brightened my days and I am hoping for a couple more to go along with these two pieces. I'll be contacting the winners of the prints next week. To enter a chance to win a limited edition print of one of these pieces just leave me a comment with your love note. Take a minute and think of love, write down your thoughts and share your tender heart!

Spreading the Love, Caryn

Some truths about me on Christmas Eve

It's 2 a.m. on Christmas eve morning, I woke with thoughts of my life running through my head laying awake thinking for over an hour of things to do, past memories and truths about me. So here I am putting it down letting it rest with hopes to bring some ease and peace so that I may get a few more hours of sleep before the last rush of Christmas errands to do today.

I like to be calm. I think I am up at this crazy hour because I still have things to do for the holiday. I have been putting off my gift wrapping and shopping. Most of my memories of holidays past are of frantic attempts to try to make the rounds to visit family or preparing for family to come celebrate at our house. I have worked to change this behavior which started in my childhood. I feel more peaceful in the way we celebrate the holidays now. We still get together with family, enjoy good food and exchange gifts but we keep it is more simple. There are less expectations and it is really more enjoyable.

Yesterday when I thought I would go out and do my last errands, I took the day to go skiing with Brian. I suggested that we should take advantage of all the snow we got this past weekend. Monday night before we left I could feel my nerves start to rise. I love to ski and I would say that I am a strong intermediate skier and I can handle some of the most difficult trails, but my confidence holds me back. I am afraid that I am going to fall and get hurt.

We ski mostly at Mad River Glen in VT. It is my favorite place to ski. I know the mountain well and feel very comfortable there. Yesterday we went to Cannon, I have never been there before and it being my first day out this season and a new place I asked Brian to be gentle with me. Brian is an excellent skier, he started when he was three. He usually is skiing off trail, doing things I can't even imagine and he makes it look easy. He is a telemark skier and the first time we skied together I thought it looked like ballet on skis because of his natural rhythm and grace.

So yesterday, it was our first run, we get to the top, I see the caution sign (I ask Brian if he know where he is going -all the other skiers are headed off in the other direction) and he says follow me. Well off I go and as soon as we start skiing my nerves really kick in. For me in my mind this is not a first run of the season warm up trail. It is steep, icy in some areas, with bumps and some nice powder here and there. It was a challenge. When I am facing challenges I am not happy. I knew shortly after we were on this trail if it had been my 3rd or 4th run I would have loved it. I did ski this trail quite a bit more and enjoyed it. It it made me realize my truth, in life I like staying in my comfort zone. It is hard for me to face challenges even though I know they make me stronger and better. All in all it was a challenging day of skiing for me. It is hard for me to keep up with Brian, but I am skiing trails that I would have never attempted on my own and my skiing is continually improving.

Now it is back to my tasks for today. Crazy me I told Katie that I would take her to the mall so she could do the last of her shopping. I think she just wants to get me into the mall in so that I will buy her the last minute Christmas wish of the Nike Air sneakers that she is hoping for. I believe that Santa will have to cover that one. She is a good girl I am sure he will be good to her.

My wish to you is for peace and joy!
Happy Holidays with love,
Caryn

Hoping You Will Participate in My Give Away!

I am a little behind on posting this weeks giveaway. I think you can all relate to the business of this season and how time just seems to be slipping through our lives. So I am finally finding a few minutes to ask for you to participate in this months give away. There will be four winners selected this month, each will receive a limited edition print of the images that I am using in my series of love notes, which by the way I am going to make into sets of cards. The originals are 6"x6" mixed media pieces made to look like cancelled stamps. So here is how you can participate. Send me a little love note, this can be a few simple well chosen words, it could be your favorite poem, it could be some touching music lyrics(speaking of which check out my new playlist on the blog you can use the pop out and listen even while you are not on my blog. My favorite song is "When she loved me by Sarah McLachlin because it reminds me of my sweet Katie!) Remember there are many loves: love of friends, love of family, and ohhh the bliss of romantic love. So send me a note of whatever kind of love that you may be inspired by. The winning love notes will be the inside messages for my set of cards. You can participate each week and increase your odds of winning and by doing so think of how lucky I'll feel to be receiving the joy of reading your love notes.
Love you,
Caryn XOXO

Small Works Show at The Galleries at One Washington Center

Hoping to see you there this Friday!

Caryn

In The Spirit Of Giving

Ti's the season for giving. I was up early this morning working on my monthly giveaway, but of course I had to check in with some of the blogs I enjoy following. I found a link on Herland Story which brought me to another cool blog, Art by Chrysti, that is doing a 29 days of giving for you. Check it out! For those of you who love to give to others you may feel connected to her story. For those of you who like to receive you have the chance to win some of her giveaways for the next 29 days. And for those who love to give and receive today could be your lucky day!

Well, back to my giveaway for the month of December. It is not a 29 day event, but it will be a month long event. My latest works have be mixed media pieces that use vintage images, sheet music, poetry, colorful paper, paint, and ink to create the finished pieces in the style of cancelled stamps. I have decided to call them my "love notes" and create card sets. This month I will be giving away four limited edition prints, one each week of the image posted. Here's how you can win. Each week check in to view the image and send me back a sweet love note that may be chosen to be the inside message for that image in the card set. Remember to check back each week for another opportunity to win.
Sending wishes for peace and love this holiday season,
Caryn