Guest post: Loves Ballet

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

By Michelle from Road to Being

Since a young girl, I've written lyrics - tangles of words that described what stirred in my mind. I eventually realized that it was a great emotional release, to put what was inside, outside. Whether reading or writing it, poetry can be healing. It helps you feel grounded, connects you with feelings, and allows you to be expressive - to just be in the powerful, creative process.
I've always wished that I could be the next Van Gogh or Van Eyck, painting the images in my mind onto canvas, in ways that were breathtaking, magical. I've always envied painters more than poets. But with paper as canvas, and words as paintbrush, a poet can give my imagination inspiration that I think even Van Gogh would appreciate.
I hope you enjoy my poem.

Loves Ballet

At prides insistence
I whispered, in the distance
you’ll find yourself returning -
And bit my lip until it bled to stay tears that were burning
Gauzy love
was blowing through the air
while children ran round a fish-shaped fountain -
Then up red mossy stairs
And through my soft grey skirt
the coldness of the wall
was nothing like the sorrow -
Of the flight of love now stalled
As if they sensed
this tête-à-tête was of regret
the trees began to grieve -
Swirling round then floating down they cried a thousand leaves
And I
I longed to touch your face
My soul reeled from neglect and begged for one more taste
But while your eyes were lit lamps of concern -
The flames I used to see for me were now a fire that barely burned
And at guilt’s insistence
you said, in the distance
you might find the fog was clearing -
But that you’d spurned cupids pomp though it seemed your eyes were tearing
And the heaviness within my heart lurched against my chest
but I remembered vividly you said you thought it best
and I could try a magicians tricks but stubborn as you were -
To pull a talking rabbit from my hat to you'd just be obscure
I turned my face against an ill and chilly wind
I stood and one last look at you about did me in
My blurry eyes fell onto a hedge-shaped Queen of Hearts -
I longed to hide beneath her spongy cloak till you at last did part
Since now it seemed
the frozen ground
held an imaginary line, that I wanted to -
But dared not pass as we said goodbye
The children splashed in the fountain as I walked away
They snatched a plump orange goldfish but it made a grand escape
When I turned around, you were gone, and I wondered if you felt that way
Or if, like me, you were sad to see -
The death of Loves Ballet

Image by Ben Heine

Guest post: A is for Art

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by John Fidler from Scribblz n' Doodlz

A couple of years ago, whilst idly doodling, I hit upon the idea of using a letter as the starting point for drawing absolutely anything - almost!
The letter was 'A', as in 'A is for Art', coincidently the title of a little book that I've put together that details easy step by step instructions for drawing people, animals and machines.

I found that by using slight variations of an A, it was incredibly easy to draw something that looked like what it was supposed to.

As a school teacher this has proved to be an invaluable tool, as I can quickly show children a simple way of drawing something. Far from limiting or stifling their own creativity it actually provides the springboard to get them going. Lots of children (and adults!) lack confidence when it comes to drawing. By giving them a consistent, simple starting point you can open the door to enable them to experiment and try things out.

One of my colleagues is currently using the idea to coax a very reluctant writer, but an able drawer, into producing simple, illustrated texts.

By using this method you won't necessarily become the next da Vinci and the resultant images obviously lack photographic realism, but you will find yourself able to quickly sketch out a recognisable picture.

If nothing else, it will at least add to your doodle repertoire and take you beyond random squiggles and shapes. Happy drawing!

I have one copy of 'A is for Art' to give away to a randomly picked person who leaves an alphabet related comment!

The give-away is now closed and the winner is Tash! Congrats on your brilliant comment and winning the book! :)

Guest post: The deal that fell through

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

by Laura from BlueTerracotta

What would you do with fifty-odd black and white handmade fabric ornaments? Especially if you had them because a PR agency in London ordered them but never paid. Well, it happened to me, and I was so disappointed last year that I packed them away, carefully flat, all lined up in a bag and placed them at the bottom of my fabric basket. And there they lay until a few days ago.

It all started with a message on etsy last year from the PR agency, mid-November. They liked my nostalgic fabric ornaments printed with vintage lace. Would I be interested in creating about 50 bespoke ornaments for a gala being held for British interior designers on December 9? The client was a non-profit organization working to build awareness about saving energy in the design field. A well-known designer was associated with the project. A rock star in her younger days, she now creates clothes and home deco items in black and white lace. My ornaments were to match her style, and at the gala, the designers would receive one in their press packets.

I was already imagining the designers discovering their ornaments at the glamorous evening event in London!

Within the next two weeks:

• I received a brief for artists.

• I sent in a cost estimate and photos of samples.

• My contact person at the agency loved the samples, but I had to wait for approval from the client, who was considering a few artists.

• I reminded them that I'd have to ship by December 1.

• My contact person went on holiday!

• I phoned London and spoke to my new contact person who assured me the client would decide in a few days.

• I began sewing.

• I got word that the client loved my work and wanted them.

• I finished sewing them up.

• I sent a polite reminder that I couldn't ship without first receiving payment.

And then, just like that, no more word from the agency. December 1 came and went. Nothing. I think it was an honest miscalculation in timing on their part. They realized that the ornaments would never get there in time. But a message from them would have been nice.

So, I swallowed my disappointment, packed up my ornaments and put them away.

The other day, I found them in my basket and had a fun photo session with my daughter!

Regrets? Not really. I had a good feeling about the project and went with my intuition. It was for a good cause. I gave it my best effort, but it just didn't work out.

What am I going to do with black and white Christmas ornaments? Not exactly Christmas colors, you say?

Some ideas:

• decorate our tree this year in black and white

• give them as gifts

• put them for sale in my etsy shop

• make some orange ones too, and use them as Victorian-themed Halloween decorations

• create a line of black and white items to match

I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments section, and from the people that mention ideas, I will randomly pick 2 people who will receive a set of four assorted ornaments, shipped anywhere in the world. Don't forget to leave your name & e-mail address.

HURRAY SONJA & RAPIDMOODSWINGS FOR WINNING A FABULOUS SET OF THESE ORNAMENTS! :)

Guest post: Jason's awesome underwater pics

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

By Lauriane from View from the 6th Floor

My friend Jason takes beautiful underwater photographs and videos. I love checking out his new ones every time he comes back from a dive. It exposes a whole world that I know nothing about and thus seems so totally surreal. Its appears to be so effortlessly graceful under the sea.
Need a break from land-lubber reality?
Watch a seal play with a seven gill shark, on his blog - the sound is relaxing too.

Guest post: Tutorial: How to Make a Paper Spike Bow

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

By Amy from amarshall

This fun little paper craft is something my grandmother taught me to make as a small child. I usually make one when I want to add a special touch to a wrapped gift. They also look pretty sitting on a shelf or turned into a fridge magnet.

Here is what you need:
Wrapping paper or craft paper, glue- any craft glue that dries clear,
a sharpened pencil, scissors, a cup or other circular object to trace around,
a damp cloth to wipe up the glue that you are sure to get on your fingers!

Trace & cut out several circles from your paper, 5 or 6 should do. Fold each circle in half, half again, and again (you will have 8 sections).
Cut on each fold line about 3/4 of the way, leaving the center in tact. Roll each cut section by holding the pencil at an angle to one corner.
As you roll the paper around the pencil it will make a cone.
Add a dab of glue near the end. If your paper is heavy,
you may have to hold it in place for a moment so the glue can set.
This is where I get glue all over my fingers and
use the damp cloth to keep clean. Now you are ready to assemble your bow!
Layer each circle one on top of the next with a dab of glue.
Be sure to off set each layer so the points land in between the
previous layer's points. When you get to the very middle,
use the eraser end of your pencil to stick the last layer in place. What a nice way to top off a gift!

Guest post: just leap!

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

Guest post by Davia of daviadesigns.blogspot.com

image by Davia of daviadesigns

The first step is always the hardest. You know it’s true, you have heard it a thousand times. But how do you take that first step in the face of all that fear? What if no-one likes my stuff? Maybe it’s not good enough? How do I even get people to see my work? Perhaps you suffer from an inability to finish things to that “perfect” standard that you are happy to show people?

I hear you loud and clear! It is so frustrating when you work tirelessly at your craft, fine tuning your talent and then it sits on the shelf at home and you think to yourself “I know I could be great if only someone would just notice what I can do.”

YOU CAN BE GREAT, IF THAT IS WHAT YOU CHOOSE!

I recently made the leap after years of painting, drawing, sculpting and mosaicing in my home studio. I have amassed a huge body of work that no-one knows about. Until now!

5 tips to help you make the leap:

1. IT DOESN’T GET BETTER THAN THIS!
I never used to finish my pieces, I had hundreds of almost complete works around the studio. People would visit and say “Wow..that’s great” and I would say “yeah...it will be when it’s finished.” Finishing things is like saying “This is as good at it gets, that’s all there is folks” And that is exactly ALL THERE EVER IS folks. There will always be more, better and different, no matter what we do or how hard we try, so let it go, set your work free.

2. IF YOU LOVE IT, OTHERS WILL TOO!
You can’t please all the people all the time, so please the ones who are in sync with you. They are out there. You can not make a handbag that suits every woman, everyone has different needs. Just ask a girlfriend what she thinks is the perfect bag and you will see what I mean. So now I produce what I like, I love it and so do plenty of others.

3. TOOT YOUR OWN HORN!
You may be lucky enough to have a huge fan club that runs around waving banners saying “Hey Check out this chicky babe” but most of us don’t! We have to toot our own horns, Loud and Proud. It’s not ‘showing off’. NO! It is taking a stand for YOU as a successful artist.

4. BE THE INSPIRATION!
Be honest and share about what you are up to. People find this incredibly inspiring. Let others know about the journey you are taking. It is always great to know we are not alone.

5. BE COURAGEOUS AND LEAP!
One step at a time. You don’t have to complete it, perfect it over night or get it right. There is a whole world waiting to know who you are.

I hope this provides you with a little inspiration. Just leap!

Guest post: In need of time

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

By Sandra from zsazsazsu

I would like to share a song written by a wunderful Belgian singer Axelle Red.
I freeform rewrote the lyrics in English.
Originally, the song is about having a busy life and
not having enough spare time for a relationship.
In my version, I dedicate this song to
not having enough spare time for our passion/hobby.

24 hours in a day

246400 seconds and still no time

forget the hugs in the morning, the world is calling

Even at work no time to dream away with new ideas

At last we can go home, but still no time to start creating

first a dinner for the family,

In front of the television we try to dream away of

new creations, but no, we have to discuss about the kids and the plumbers invoice.

We are in need of time, in need of time for our hobby,

just a little time, a time for creation

just a little time, a time for new ideas

Only 24 hours a day, I tried to add some,

I need time for the passion in my life

I wanted to give up and become a number in the statistics

but no way, I will still keep trying

We cancel all appointments, sorry for that,

friends that call will understand,

stop googling and leave the dishes,

just get into our workspace and shut the door !

We are in need of time ....