Artist's Prayer


Give us Your daily Inspiration
So, we can live a Creative Life.
And lead us away from self-doubt,
For to doubt our creativity
Is to doubt Your Voice within us.
Amen.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Is There Such A Thing As 'too much' Of Creative Fun....?


'ChinaTown'
Altered B&W Photograph
Mixed Media & Paper on Wood
15'x21' by Tatiana Kuzyk


When it comes to Creative Fun in the process of art~making, 'too much' turns the preceding expression into an oxymoron.... I've been savoring long hours of indulgence of transforming my B&W photos into something quiet stunning, marked by a definite character of their subject matter re~captured anew through a creative application of a brown paper bag as a strata and element of design in its own right, as well as re~framing of selected elements of the photograph itself through an unexpected application of colored pencils, acrylic gels, paints and mediums, not to mention corrugated cardboard background and an eventual wooden support (not seen in the photos)....

I feel internally re~juvenated by 'pushing the envelope' of my inner resistance in a somewhat unorthodox manners through which the seeming 'boring', visually uninteresting composition can come to life and actually shine, the way it was intended to when my camera first fell in love with the imagery in front of me....

So, let's get off our butts this winter season and pull out some real ugly piX that have been collecting dust in an album or on your hard drive and see how an 'ugly duckling' can become your very own masterpiece.... and I'm not talking 'scrapbooking' here, this process takes a healthy dose of creative courage when it comes to imagery manipulation that is quiet 'physical' in its scope while it reaches the deep recesses of your Creative Self through this wonderful journey.....

To get your creative juices flowing let me throw in few creative 'prompts' by providing an imagination~stimulating list of suggested materials to use in your process:
  • as a strata experiment with printing your image on fabric, transparency, or a previously printed surface (newspaper, magazine, old poster, calendar, greeting card, your wedding photo...)
  • use leftover interior latex paint that may collect dust in your basement, or garage to prime the background before printing, or afterwards
  • stain the printed surface with tea or coffee
  • cover randomly selected areas of your photos with a sticky tape and paint, or color the rest of the surface, in the end leave, or remove the tape
  • cover the surface with stamps or stencil images
  • spill something on the surface: red wine, ink, etc.
  • burn the edges of your photo (paper only)
.....I think, by now you may be taking a mental stock of the photos you've collected, or find something intriguing online at any of the royalty free image depositories..... the possibilities are endless, my friend....

I look forward to seeing snapshots from your Adventures In Altered Photography....!

Below are few pictures of my latest Altered Photo~Journey, that particular image was taken last fall during one of my walks in the dog park....it is also printed on a brown paper bag which is congruent with the theme of my upcoming exhibition in two weeks....


The original color photo for this project.


....what can a brown shopping bag do for a photograph....? Bless it with beauty, uniqueness while being up~cycled, from the profane to the profound. After all how much of conscious attention do we pay to an 'ordinary' paper bag...?


I used a shape of one of my view finders and a round lid to accentuate few selected areas of the composition with a white charcoal pencil....


A light waterColor wash will create lens~like quality and a series of focal points throughout the surface.


For more contrast I re~drew the contours with a permanent Deco Color paint marker.


After aging the surface with various liquid acrylic paint colors, I set out to fill in the pre~drown shapes with Golden Acrylics Self-Leveling Gel that will bestow some much needed 'glass~like' surface character while extending excellent clarity....The rest of the surface will retain its matte quality for a more dramatic contrast...


After finding an appropriate cardboard backing, I used an Xacto knife to expose its corrugated core.... to be continued.....

7 comments:

  1. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished piece. I love the corrugated look, it works brilliantly with the shiny surface.

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  2. Fabulous! So very earthy and inviting!

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  3. How interesting. I'll be glad to see Part 2. Heck, I thought the paper bag image looked nice. You always think up such neat creative projects. :-))

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  4. Just found your blog via Carol Ann Strange and I must say...I am SMITTEN!
    From the artist's prayer to the luscious work you share.
    Please continue. I'll be back.
    Must put you in my blogroll~
    Love & Laughter,
    DJ

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  5. This is just awesome.......has the feel of nature....love it.

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  6. wow! This is so cool! I love how you give us instructions. I just found your blog and am glad that I did.

    Lee Ann

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  7. HI: I'm always peeking in to see what creativity you have shared. You have a generous heart. Thank you!

    I’ve nominated you for a Sunshine Award. It is awarded to bloggers whose positiveness and creativity inspire others in the blog world.
    You can pick it up over on my blog at
    http://pono12.blogspot.com/
    Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete