Blog Love: Little Paper Planes

Today, I rediscovered Little Paper Planes' Blog.  What an inspirational site! It has so much to offer artists to include other artist's work, interviews, and studio visits. This is a great source of inspiration and community. 

Debt be gone

Stephanie and Rob

Here's a great example of why creativity is not just for artist.  Stephanie (above) paid off $90,000.00 of debt in almost three years by thinking outside the box. Now, that's impressive!! If she's able to pay off $90,000.00 in just three years imagine the cuts we can make to reach our own goals. This article is proof that if you focus on a challenge and are open to an answer (may not be the answer you're looking for) there will always be a solution!

To read how Stephanie paid off her debt, visit the Forbes.com article here.

“Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym

Quote of the day

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"The author makes a tacit deal with the reader. You hand them a backpack. You ask them to place certain things in it — to remember, to keep in mind — as they make their way up the hill. If you hand them a yellow Volkswagen and they have to haul this to the top of the mountain — to the end of the story — and they find that this Volkswagen has nothing whatsoever to do with your story, you're going to have a very irritated reader on your hands." ~ Frank Conroy

Book Recommendation #1: Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Art Making by David Bayles & Ted Orland

Read a few pages here.

  

Every artist should have "Art & Fear" in their home library. It's a classic book on the trials and tribulations of the art making process. When you're feeling blocked, this is the book you want to go to to get unstuck. 

If you like this book, you will definitely like the sequel "The View From The Studio Door: How Artists Find Their Way In An Uncertain World" by Ted Orland.

  

Meet Sophie Calle

Sophie Calle
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Sophie Calle. Take Care of Yourself, 2007
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Sophie Calle (born 1953) is a French writer, photographer, installation artist, and conceptual artist.^[1] Calle's work is distinguished by its use of arbitrary sets of constraints, and evokes the French literary movement of the 1960s known as Oulipo. Her work frequently depicts human vulnerability, and examines identity and intimacy. She is recognized for her detective-like ability to follow strangers and investigate their private lives. Her photographic work often includes panels of text of her own writing. source 

I love Sophie's work. I was telling my husband that she does work that I would come up with but never execute on. I would think "this is a crazy idea. It's not "art" it's research or me being a little nutty. But nope, I have been proven wrong. Sophie rocks her ideas out with no remorse and in return, has a portfolio of gems.  Her work provides freedom to artist to explore art and life. You don't have to do art a certain way. Do what feels right to you and follow through. Chances are, if you think it's a great idea, other will too. 

Our Deepest Fear

Susan Boyle (Source)
Susan's story can be found here.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~by Marianne Williamson

The New York Times Article On Marcel Duchamp, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, and Robert Rauschenberg

Jasper Johns – Painting with Two Balls
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Robert Rauschenberg - Canyon, 1959

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Marcel Duchamp - Fountain 1917

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"What it was, was skee-ball." From left, Bill Giles, Anna Moreska, Robert Rauschenberg, Merce Cunningham and John Cage watch Jasper Johns play skee-ball in New York City, November 10, 1959.”

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There is a great article in the New York Times about a couple of my old time favorite artists. I used to devour the work of the Duchamp, Rauschenberg and Johns in my high school years.  It's neat to see that they all played well together. 

There are some interesting items taken from the article that would be worth looking into such as the “Merce 65”ipad app and the Philadelphia Art Museum. It’s been on my list of museums to visit. Perhaps the time has come to visit it. 

The New York Times

January 7, 2013

Cunningham and Johns: Rare Glimpses Into a Collaboration

By ALASTAIR MACAULAY

PHILADELPHIA — The current exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, “Dancing Around the Bride,” on view through Jan. 21, honors five artists: Marcel Duchamp, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. These artists led a movement away from expressionism in art and often away from art as an artist’s expression of personal feelings. The exhibition shows innumerable links among them…

Link to full article here.

Movie Recommendation #1: Bill Cunningham New York (2010)

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Bill Cunningham New York (2010) NR 1hr 24min

Living simply and using a bicycle to get around New York, 80-year-old photographer Bill Cunningham tirelessly records what people are wearing in the city -- both out on the sidewalk and in the salons of the wealthy. -Netflix

I had no idea who Bill Cunningham was until I saw this movie. It was sitting in my Netflix que for weeks and then finally I gave in and watched it. This happened about 6 months ago and it has still stuck with me so I thought it would be a good movie to start off my recommendations with.  

I'm a sucker for movies about older ladies and gentlemen who have mastered their trade and continue to fulfill there life's purpose at a ripe age. There's a confidence in purpose that I admire and hope to achieve in the years to come. This is one of those movies.

Below are some quotes from the movie that I believe make it worth watching.

Cunningham On Process:

"See, I don't decide anything.  I let the streets speak to me and in order for the street to speak to you, you've got to stay out there and see what it is. You just don't manufacture in your head that skirts at the knee are the  thing. And then you go out and photograph skirts at the Knee. You have to stay out on the streets and let the street tell you what it is. There are no short cuts. Believe me."

"You have to do three things. You don't get the most information from anyone. You have to photograph the collections, you have to photograph the women on the streets who have bought the things and how they're wearing them. And they you have to go to the evening events. You can't report to the public until you see it all." "It's not what I think, it's what I see."

Cunningham On Style: 

"See, a lot of people have taste, but they don't have the daring to be creative. Here we are at the age of the cookie cutter sameness. There are few that are rarities. Someone that doesn't look like they were stamped out of 10 million other people looking all the same."

Cunningham On Money:

"If you don't take money, they can't tell you what to do kid. That's the key to the whole thing! Don't touch money. It's the worst thing you can do." "Money is the cheapest thing. Liberty is the most expensive!"

Meet Iris Apfel

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"It's really hard to describe oneself because I think one lives very often in other people's visions. I see myself as the worlds oldest living teenager. Because I have such a good time and I try to get as much kick out of things as possible. I have all my little animals who by the way are very jealous of me and so I have to give them jewelry, otherwise they bite." 

~Iris Apfel