Artsmiths

Angela Cartwright: wishing you a divine...2009

winter by Angela Cartwright

I'm Dreaming Of A Simple Christmas

~ Santa- aka: Mr (has a) Beard ~ by Crystal Neubauer

Well it is that time of year again. The elves are hustling and bustling at the North Poll to get everything wrapped and packed by Christmas Eve, while Santa is getting his frippery and finery out of the mothballs and doing a few toe touches and stretching exercises to prepare for a long night of chimney diving and cookie eating.

It doesn't seem possible but it's true, Christmas comes earlier each year. Okay, the actual date of Christmas doesn't come earlier, but it does seem that the retailers are pushing the start of the season earlier and earlier each year and it does feel like my anxiety and level of busyness increases each year too.

I don't know what it's like at your house, but as the number of days until Christmas grows smaller and my family's wish lists seem to grow longer I find myself dreaming of a more simple Christmas.

Maybe it has to do with the kids growing up so fast and trying to coordinate all of their schedules or maybe it has to do with the economy and needing to find ways to cut down on expenses, or maybe it is just that the harder the retailers push me to buy buy buy my way into a Merry Christmas the more I wonder about the meaning of it all, but this year I've decided to make some changes.

First, my husband and I have decided to cut back on the number of gifts we give to each of the kids. Not just putting a cap on the number of gifts and the amount of money we'll spend on each one, but also on making each gift more meaningful.

We've also decided to have one Christmas Open House Party for all of our friends and family together and instead of knocking ourselves out trying to prepare a huge feast, we will invite each friend or family member to bring a dish to share. And instead of trying to buy gifts for all of those friends and family members (even inexpensive gifts add up) we've decided to host a White Elephant gift exchange.

And finally I am making a lot of gifts this year that I am really excited to give. My daughter has requested a collage to spruce up for her apartment walls. I'm working on personalized guitar picks for my husband and step-daughter using silver salvaged from an old silver spoon. I'm giving matted and framed prints of special pictures that I've taken, etc. This is the first year that I've made so many gifts and in spite of the extra work involved, I am finding the process is bringing the simple peaceful feeling that Christmas is supposed to have and I'm already thinking of the things I want to make next year.

I'm curious about the rest of you. Are you making any changes this year? Are you giving any homespun gifts? Leave us a comment and tell us about it.

And have a Very Merry Simple Christmas (and Happy Hanukkah!)

Angela Cartwright & Sarah Fishburn: In This Garden

 

Here's a news flash from Artsmiths!

Two of our members, Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn, have announced that their new book, In This Garden - Explorations In Mixed Media Narrative, is due to be published in April 2009!

In This Garden is a follow up to their best seller, In This House: A Collection Of Altered Imagery And Collage Techniques.

Sarah and Angela invited some of their fellow Artsmiths members to collaborate by creating their own artistic gardens as well, so be sure and stay tuned for more announcements on this upcoming publication.

For those of you who want to be one of the first to receive In This Garden, you may pre-order it from Amazon here.

Congratulations to Angela and Sarah! We can't wait to see In This Garden!

Sarah Fishburn: Our New Artist of The Month

Please accept our invitation to visit with our latest featured artist, Sarah Fishburn.

Simply click on "Artist of The Month" in the left hand column of our Artsmiths Home Page, and enjoy our interview with Sarah.

I Was A Student of Bernard Hirsch ~ by Deb Trotter

I was a student of Bernard Hirsch.

I had learned the fundamentals of music and band in junior high school. I was fortunate to grow up in Lenoir, North Carolina, which boasted one of the most famous high school bands in the world, The Lenoir High School Band. I was a member of that band, I played the clarinet, and I was a student of Bernard Hirsch.

We had three band directors:  Director Emeritus, Captain James C. Harper.  Mr. John Miller.  And Mr. Bernard Hirsch.

Truly, I never even thought of Mr. Hirsch as having a first name. He was strictly Mr. Hirsch. No other moniker would have suited such a dignified and revered personage. I worshiped him. I respected him. Many years after I graduated from Lenoir High School, I came to realize that I also loved him.

I can still see Mr. Hirsch as if it were yesterday. A product of the U.S. Military, Bernard Hirsch stood tall. Straight as an arrow. Steel gray hair in a crew cut. A white shirt and tie each and every day. Sometimes a coat or a sweater. But the way I remember him most - as if I held his snapshot in my heart - was in a band uniform. Black coat and pants. Epaulets, braids, and brass buttons. A black brimmed hat.

Mr. Hirsch instructed me two to three hours each day. First, there was Practice Hour. If you were in the Lenoir High School Band, Practice Hour was one of your Electives. That was a given. Halfway through the practice hour, Mr. Hirsch would make his way to my room, say good morning, pull out his baton, and we set to work. Various clarinet fingerings. Embouchure. Cadence. Chromatic scale. Dynamics. Interpretation. Intonation. Sharps and flats and scales and ... well, everything a clarinetist should know. All under the expert guidance of Mr. Hirsch.

6th Period, while other kids had study hall, band members met on the third floor of the band building to practice again. Together, instead of individually, we studied the same things all over again - usually with Mr. Hirsch.

After school on Wednedays, there were sectionals. With Mr. Hirsch.

For my mentor, Mr. Hirsch, only your best was acceptable. There was an unspoken standard that perfection was your goal.

I flourished - all of us did - under the direction of Bernard Hirsh. But I didn't really recognize it then - I didn't understand.

How could I have known, determined to sit up as straight as he did - as I practiced scales and and turned the pages - that Mr. Hirsch was molding me? That he was teaching me life skills? Passion. Discipline. Commitment. The sheer, unadultered Joy for Life.

How could I have known, at State Contest, where each and every year the Lenoir High School band continued to earn another consecutive Superior - when he appeared before us in that crisp, black uniform, and the pride swelled up in me like a cresendo in a symphony - how could I have known that I would look back on those years under the tuteledge of Bernard Hirsch, as some of the most significant and noteworthy years of my life?

I should have known when I tried out for State Band. We were identified with nothing but a number - so that none of the judges would know from which town or high school we came. After I had completed playing the music, the Judge smiled and said, "You are a student of Bernard Hirsch."

I nodded and asked, "How can you tell?"

"Your embouchure. The way you hold your instrument," he said, "I'd know one of Bernard Hirsch's protegés anywhere."

It's been over thirty five years since I've seen Mr. Hirsch. I don't think I would remember one note on the clarinet, but I will never forget him. He was, indeed, the most influential and beloved mentor I ever had. When I learned that he had passed away, a great stillness came over me. Once again I could see him lifting his baton before contest - or marching along side us during a parade - and I feel confident I can do anything.

I no longer play the clarinet. I play with a paintbrush. Somehow I think Mr. Hirsch would have liked that.

When friends comment about how much I have embraced my life as an artist - when people tell me how much they enjoy my art and my blog - when I become lost in the rhythym of the brush meeting the canvas - and when I sit back and smile about how good this artist's life is to me - I remember ...

I was a student of Bernard Hirsch.

Mentor me this by Mary Beth Shaw

Like Lelainia, my first mentor was a grandparent, specifically my Dad's mom, Grandma Hoffman. She wasn't a mentor in the traditional sense of the definition, yet memory of her words remain constant.

She was my biggest cheerleader, literally and figuratively. A large woman with more than generous curves, she was a true old-time grandma in that you could get lost and nearly smothered in her powdery hug. She talked a true blue streak and never failed to share her opinion on anything from Grandpa's driving (she didn't have a license) to the quality of meat from the butcher. I could do.no.wrong. in her eyes. This might sound like a recipe for disaster, but even as a child, I was my own worst critic and was so very hard on myself. To hear unconditional unwavering support helped me grow and gain confidence in myself. From playing the piano, to drawing, to my unlikely attempt at becoming a cheerleader, Grandma Hoffman was always in my court, telling me over and over that I could do anything that I set my mind to. Even when I failed (that cheerleading tryout, for example) she was there to pick me up again.

Grandma died more than 15 years ago, but I think of her often, especially when I venture into a zone far from comfort, like the time I played golf in an LPGA Pro-Am tournament. Her voice whispering as I, legendary in my family for a LACK of athletic prowess, practiced hour after hour, day after day preparing like a maniac for this crazy feat that even my husband told me he would not have dared.

I suspect Grandma was watching that day when my team accepted the 1st place trophy. And I feel certain she has told everyone who would listen all about her granddaughter; the girl who could do anything she set her mind to.

Mentors in My Life by Lelainia Lloyd

So the topic of the month is Mentors. The dictionary defines a mentor as: "A wise and trusted guide and advisor".

I have been thinking alot lately about the people who inform and influence our lives in a positive way. We need to learn from one another in order to grow. The more exposure you have to other people, other cultures, other values and beliefs, the more multidimensional you become. I always think if our souls as a house with many rooms. We only have access to some of the rooms on our own. As we meet people in our lives who are different from us, they bring with them the key to unlocking more of the rooms and discovering more about ourselves.

Here are a few of my mentors:

My Gramps: From the time I was born, we belonged to each other in that magical way that exsists between a grandfather and a graddaughter. I was his shadow and he was lovingly devoted to me. Before I was even born, he began having strokes and TIAs (Smaller strokes). I only ever knew him in varying stages of unwell.

Gramps was a gifted carpenter and cabinet maker. His life was working with his hands. I spent alot of time hanging out with him in his workshop when I was small and as an adult helping him with various projects. One of the last projects we worked on together was building a canoe. He tuaght me about creativity and working with my hands.

He was also dedicated to helping others and served his community, quietly for years as a Mason, Shriner and Lion. He inspired me to work on a crisis line for 8 1/2 years. I learned alot about myself and it was a privilige serving my community in that way. It changed the way I think about alot of important issues and allowed me to develop a deeper understanding and compassion for people.

My Gramps had several devastating strokes over the years, the kind where the doctor would tell us his would likely die in a matter of days but Gramps didn't pay any attention to them-not only did he not die, he recovered far better than they ever anticipated. He came from a time where you did not give up-you fought like hell and carried on. (They just don't make men life that any more.) Over the years, his physical disabilities mounted as the strokes continued. He just kept right on fighting to the end. He taught me courage and strength in the face of great adveristy. He taught me about resiliancy and acceptance. His greatest gift and lesson was really about unconditional love. He passed away 4 1/2 years ago. I miss him every day.

My Friend Anna: Anna and I met by a quirk of fate after she lost her son Ken in the WTC on 9/11. When we met in person 2004, when I went to NYC to see her, her husband Carlos and their family, our hearts knew each other in an instant. She is one of the strongest, most kind and open women I know. She has an enormous faith and makes everyone around her feel blessed, just by being in her prescence. She has made me want to be a better person. The world is a better place by virtue of Anna being in it.

My Friend Penelope: Penn and I met through a local ATC group. She's my art partner in crime. Her head is full of such amazing ideas and if I get stuck on something or just want to toss around ideas, I call her. She's introduced me to so many cool things and I really enjoy spending time with her. We've taken trips together (some of them have been a tad disasterous) and no matter what happens, she always looks on the bright side of things. Artistically, she opened up a whole world of creativity I didn't know I posessed. I am really lucky to call her my friend.

My Best Friend Lisa: Lisa is an absolute gem. We met working on the crisis line. It was funny because when we first met, neither one of us liked the other. She was shy and thought my friendly nature was too overbearing. I mistook her shyness for being snotty and unfriendly. We laugh at that now!

Lisa is wickedly smart and that is one of the things I love most about her. She also has the gift of being able to say exactly what needs to be said, exactly the way I need to hear it. She has taught me how to be more vulnerable with people and let them in. She's taught me to take risks-when I was sitting around talking about going to NYC "someday" to meet my friends Carlos & Anna she said "Why not just GO?!?" She is an incredible support-she cheers me on when I am scared to do something, she listens when things don't work out and celebrates with me when I have success. She is wise and insightful. Everyone should have a friend like her.

It's interesting that in writing this I see that the people I consider mentors are not connected to art, so much as to the nuts and bolts of my life. Curious that I don't really have "art mentors". I admire other people's work as artists, but perhaps I have not connected to them in that deep and meaningful way...not that it makes those relationships less, just different. I guess for me, the form most of the mentorship in my life takes is that of feeding my soul and building my character.

There is a Buddhist saying: "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." I believe we draw to us the kinds of mentors (teachers) we need in our lives. When our hearts and minds are open, they just show up.

Summer! Summer! Summer!

Quickly, before summer is gone -- what am I thinking? Summer will be around for a long while yet here in Texas! So, I have plenty of time to tell you what summer means to me.

This year, my favorite summer month has been August -- because I drew August as the month I would be Artist of the Month here at the Artsmiths blog. Now August is surely nearly over so if you haven't had a chance to read the Artist of the Month interview, why not hop over to it right now? And while you're at it, take a look at the Artist of the Month archives. We've had some wonderful artists so far and believe me, Deb Trotter does a bang-up good job tailoring the interviews to match what folks want to know about each artist. It was lots of fun for me and I was able to share many pictures of my artwork and studio.

Deryn Mentock, Sally Turlington, Sharon Tomlinson visit and share techniques.

Beyond my favorite month this year, summer has been a great time to get together with my artist friends who don't live in my town. For example, just recently my good friend, Deryn Mentock and I had the good fortune to spend some time with a blogging artist friend whom we had never met before. Sharon Tomlinson of All Norah's Art came to my studio at the same time Deryn did. Wow, did we have a grand time sharing with each other.

Sharon gave us a lesson in her special techniques for painting faces. This was my try.

Deryn was generous enough to show us how to make her newest jewelry component -- bees! This is mine.

Here is a necklace I made with my little bee:

Yessiree --- Summer is a perfect time to get together with artist friends of like minds for a rollicking good time making art, eating comfort food, and laughing, laughing, laughing. Summer is perfect for reverting back to those girly-girl get-togethers and playing. I challenge you to plan a last minute romp before the summer weather is over in your part of the world.

Posted by Sally Turlington

Oh Summer - What You Are to Me

Summer is winding down. The long days that are warm and sunny are balanced with lush evenings laced with a hint of a breeze. I love the memories that I will carry with me throughout my days. Memories of our days at the beach watching as the ocean danced on the shore creating a chant of beauty; a chant that echoes as the waves pull back once again joining the vast blue - only to repeat the ageless waltz of beauty.

Summer - the long days that will soon dissipate into shorter spaces, making way for the rebirth of fall.

what summer means to me...(by Angela Cartwright)

Better late than never right? It's been a crazy summer...full of changes...from my daughter moving into her new home...to making art...and picking flowers and veggies from my garden...There's a new Pasticcio Quartz Issue 4...and finishing up our new book which will be out in Spring 2009...
Here are a few pix to show what this summer meant to me...