Sunday, September 1, 2013

A Humbling Experience


I recently finished part one of Lilla Rogers' online course, Make Art That Sells, and it was quite a humbling experience. 
Flow Collage

With 400 students from 22 different countries, I was astounded by the level of talent in the group, and as the weeks passed, I struggled with feeling insignificant and unseen. After almost four years of designing and running Dream Speak Design, I was used to feeling like a happy little fish in my artistic life, swimming in familiar, comfortable waters. Occasionally I might swim to the far end of my pond, but never much farther. Taking the class was like being thrust into a deep wide ocean, a minuscule dot of plankton in an enormous sea. 

Dream Collage
As the weeks went by, and we worked through challenging, professional-level illustration briefs, I learned how to navigate the difficult waters of comparison, insecurity and overwhelm. The key for me was returning again and again to my own experience, my own inner light of creativity, my own visions and dreams.

Beauty Collage
I drew strength from the fact that I have continued to build my business year after year, and that my images, symbols, patterns and color palettes are born of me, and they couldn't come into being from any other person. 

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.” ― Martha Graham

Joy Collage
Creating the four collages (above) was one of the highlights of the course for me. The assignment was to create a square piece of Wall Art that incorporated collage techniques and one or more words. For inspiration I visited one of my favorite stores in Fairfax, CA, Beach House Style. With permission, I took photos of textured fabric, driftwood, windows, and lace. When I got home I printed out the photos on matte photo paper and had an absolute blast creating 10 different collages! 

To make the words, I painted each of them with Japanese Sumi ink on white paper, then transferred them to colored paper and cut them out using an x acto knife. I did this because I wanted the words to have a fluid feel. 

It was the most fun I've had creating art in a long time & it reminded me of the pure joy of creativity~ instinctive, intuitive, playful!

{I have produced a very limited edition of greeting cards based on these collage designs that are available at Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax or directly from me.}

The Snail and the Rose Tree
Another week we were asked to illustrate Hans Christian Anderson's story The Snail and the Rose Tree. I placed my snail in a Moroccan garden with the Atlas mountains in the distance.

After the last week of class we were invited to enter Lilla Rogers' Global Talent Search. {I was not chosen as a finalist, but I loved creating this piece.}The instructions were to create a journal cover inspired by vintage playground equipment (slides, merry-go-rounds, etc.). I had the idea to set my playground under the sea, inspired by a childhood dream where I was swept up in a tidal wave and taken to a magical land under the sea, where people rode seahorses, and neon lights glowed brightly in the rippling water. 
Under the Sea Playground
Part one of the class stretched me outside of my comfort zone, but it also strengthened my ability to support and believe in myself, to manage my time, and to produce a whole lot of new work! 

I'm currently working on new Autumn card designs, and part two of the class starts in October.

Wishing you a wonderful Autumn~
Tenaya