Tell My Story #1

Today in my studio... listening to ethereal music by Ludovico Einaudi while a candle flickers softly in the distance, and the sweet fragrance of Nag Champa Flower incense fills my studio as my hands steadily prepare prints of my original artwork for our Art & Gift show.  I became more aware how profoundly connected I am to my art.   Each piece tells a story, it would seem to be my story since I created the art yet at the same time it is everyone's story.  I became teary eyed with that realization and a calm, peaceful feeling enveloped me.  It was as if I now know on a deeper level what I have always thought.  Me doing art is much, much more than brush strokes or pencil markings.  My art is about the story.   We are all alike, we all feel the same feelings, from time to time, just in a little different way.  My stories aren't unique.  I am simply expressing them thru my art.  This explains why people resonate with my art.  As I look back I can see that my soul was whispering this to me thru my experience at Fort Vallonia Days a couple weeks ago.  So...today in my studio... while I listened  to ethereal music by Ludovico Einaudi while a candle flickered softly in the distance, and the sweet fragrance of Champa Flower incense filled  my studio... I got it, I truly got it.

Following comes the inspiration from today's nudges.   Tell the story behind each and every piece of art.  Each story is important to share.   Perhaps you will identify with the story plus you will learn more about the artist behind the art... called ME!

This is Tell My Story #1.

June 2011
This was my very first painting.  It was me beginning to work thru the notion that I am "good enough,  just as I am".  As a child I never felt that I fit in.  I always seemed to be an outcast.  That scenario continued into my adolescent years followed by my young adult life.  It would be fair to say that I have spent a good portion of my life not believing I was good enough.  When I answered the calling in 2011 to follow my creative path it stirred many uneasy feelings.  Once again I was in turmoil over the repetitive question.  Am I good enough?  Would I ever be good enough to make it in the art world?  The pivotal difference between then and now is I know that we all face fears often in our lives, that we all feel unworthy from time to time, that we all are sad, lonely, and afraid.   For sure, you will get knocked down often, just get back up.

The answer to the question is -  if you don't fit into one vase (metaphorically speaking) that's OK.  It doesn't mean you aren't good enough.    Bloom where you are planted and improve upon it to the best of your ability.   YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH - JUST AS YOU ARE!

www.teresacash.com

I'm stretching

This was my week last week...  

                  

                   

This is how my week is starting today... Magical Monday

I am stretching...

Peaceful flowers

I wanted to show you this 3D project I completed yesterday.  I've been working on it for a few days, I can honestly say the entire time I was feeling this surge of creativity.  It has truly been a labor of love.  Right now it's adorning my wall in my Living Room then it will be sold to anyone who can see it hanging on their wall.  If that person is you let me know and I will send you more details.

I've been asked "how did you make it".  Let me tell you:

• it's on a 12 x 24 gallery wrapped canvas with a 1 1/2 " cradle
• the left side of the canvas is textured with modeling paste, then delicately painted with various color from the colors
• the right side is painted with varying shades of Paynes Grey acrylic paint, it difficult to see the texture from the photo
• flowers are made from burlap that I stiffened and shaped
• stigmas of the flower are from wire then I threaded a bead to the end
• stems are from a clothes hanger I wrapped with torn painted paper
• the leaves are several pages from a vintage book glued together then I lightly painted on them making sure some of the text showing thru
• the flower pot-cardboard cut out and shaped like a clay pot, textured with crackle past then painted

I belong to an ATC card swap.  (In case you don't know what that is, ATCs are 2.5" x 3.5" cards that you create magic on-using any medium you want.)  You make 3 and send them to the hostess for the month and she returns 3 from other people.  You can get some really creative stuff!  They may be small but they are powerful.  Sometimes quite the challenge to figure out what to do, too.   If you have the opportunity to join a swap I would highly recommend.  It's just another way to strech your creative muscles.

I had fun with this month.  The theme was April showers bring May flowers.  I thought I would share them with you.  Aren't they cute?

where did my inspiration come from?

I've been asked by several people where my inspiration came from for my latest piece, "Hello There".

It was only recently that I learned to open my eyes and see things that are around me as inspirations.  Just to take a moment and look a little deeper.  To ask myself what I like about this or that and perhaps incorporate it in my art.  This piece is probably one of the first times I truly used that concept. 

All I knew is I wanted to do something whimsical.  What came to mind was the picture I had taken

 of my sister, Linda, several years ago.   Everytime I take her picture she makes a face of some sort, usually crossing her eyes.  I loved her crossed eyes and expression she had on her face, it was as if something just landed on the tip of her nose. Which prompted me to photoshop a butterfly on her nose.   I sent her this card, which made her smile.    

I find my  most challenging part of drawing/painting a face is doing the hair.  To make this part a little less painful I decided to put a hat on her head.  I found this photo. I liked the hat but I just couldn't draw it to get it to look right.This was about the time the my whole painting started going south.  Click here to see the details.  And the chanting began..."there's no mistakes in art".  I decided to go out on a limb a try to draw a hat that would be a little more youthful. That reminded me of a nice summer day.

When it came to the background I remembered this top I had.  The main reason I was attracted to this top was the softness of the flowers and the rich colors.  I love the purple and yellow colors together with the little pink flowers floating around.

Now that I am learning to see things differently I'm already looking for my next inspirations

Let me know what inspires you to create?  I really am interested in hearing your stories.