Art reflecting Journal Entries

21 creative works found

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• In Reflection
  by RedBubble

  I’ve been reading the American humorist David Sedaris. He rabbits on about himself. He makes…

  I’ve been reading the American humorist David Sedaris. He rabbits on about himself. He makes me laugh and wince and sometimes ponder. In his art he puts a mirror up to himself and tells us what he sees. He is in equal measure intolerably self-obsessed and sublimely self-reflective: “After a few months in my parents’ basement, I took an apartment near the state university, where I discovered both crystal methamphetamine and conceptual art. Either one of these things are dangerous, but in combination they have the potential to destroy entire civilizations.” (from Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim) You get the idea. Ironically, in creating his art he has lifted himself out of the alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness that provided the initial fuel for it. As you cruise through many of the journal entries on RedBubble you will find that Sedaris is not alone in finding his art to be profoundly healing. Try here. I regularly build and fix things at the farm and will often stare back at what I have done. Well-laid concrete will transform a gloomy day. Hours can pass in the creation with my mind at rest. Anxiety or despondency sinks in when I am no longer creating. Or even worse when I constantly measure what I create by what others think of if it or what it may achieve. Farm work isn’t art. Art ponders on the very act of creation itself and reaches towards an even deeper significance. I am going to do a glass blowing course next month. Without RedBubble I doubt I would have sought to journey further into the reflection. Martin (aka Pilgrim)

• Art For Sale
  by Jo O'Brien

  What happened? When did I stop making art for me? / Just for me? / The kind that made me twinkle inside and feel like a child? / The kind…

  What happened? When did I stop making art for me? / Just for me? / The kind that made me twinkle inside and feel like a child? / The kind that made me throw off my shoes and eat spaghetti with a spoon? When did it become more important to live off it than grow from it? / When did all my good ideas start costing something to someone? / And leaving me with nothing? Well that’s it from me. / No more selling myself out, or short. / I’m wiping the diary clean, and starting again. And this time it’s going to be so much fun / It will be a wild ride and I’m not holding on Art for sale right here. / And the price is ‘free’ / And that’s the way I like it / Just smile and I’ve made a profit

• art, life, and the rest of it
  by Jo O'Brien

  This is a direct copy of a journal entry I posted to redbubble just over a year ago. From a time when I was bright eyed and bushy tailed …

  This is a direct copy of a journal entry I posted to redbubble just over a year ago. From a time when I was bright eyed and bushy tailed and meeting people for the first time who understood me creatively. I think it’s still relevant. I just want to take a minute to let you know where it is I am coming from in terms of my art both visually and written. I have almost no hang ups and laugh in the face of most taboos. My art reflects this and I sometimes push people’s emotional buttons for better or worse. I certainly hope you enjoy my stuff and I do make every effort to ensure those people who do not want to be exposed to it are not. The subjectiveness of art means that I can mean one thing, but it is interpreted as another. In the interests of maintaining the amazing tone and quality of this site I will happily remove any works if requested. I do tend to use myself as a subject, mainly out of a lack of options, but also out of my perfectionist nature. Again this is something that really changes the dynamic of art and as such I am doing my best to tread lightly. I also like to draw from reality which provokes strong reactions. It is harder to confront something if it is personalised and has a context which is meaningful to you. I think this makes art more real and exciting and dangerous and limitless. It can be emotionally draining (and plain terrifying) for the creator but of amazing value to the viewer. I hope I am not the only person who appreciates this perspective on the creation of art. So what is all this getting at? I guess what I’m saying is that I’m trying my best to walk a fine line between making the art I want to make, and doing it in an inoffensive way. If you want to talk to me about it, I welcome and encourage you to do so. Jo

• The artist within....
  by jaycee

  Art and what it represents to me…. For a long time I struggled with my artist within, I fought it, I tried everything else. No matt…

  Art and what it represents to me…. For a long time I struggled with my artist within, I fought it, I tried everything else. No matter what I did I could not seem to thrive anywhere else. It is one of the only things that settle my mind, my soul my everything. My art is who I am just expressed on the outside… it may not make sense to many, not even to me sometimes but for some reason it puts me in a space of meditation, a space of inner peace, a reflection, an observation, a state of now. What else can I truly ask for.

• Features
  by Sharon Anne Mau

  Featured 12 September 2008 in the group Dimensions / The Supreme Soul / Mahalo! !http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/cropped/size:xsma…

  Featured 12 September 2008 in the group Dimensions / The Supreme Soul / Mahalo! Featured 12 September 2008 in the group Colours of Water / Mahalo!! Featured 12 September 2008 in the group Live, Love, Dream / The Supreme Soul / Mahalo!! Featured 12 September 2008 in the group Dimensions / Expanded Awareness / Mahalo!! Featured 11 September 2008 in the group Dimensions / Sharon Anne Coultrap ~ Ourjrny ~ The Heart Within the Art / Mahalo A nui loa! Featured 11 September 2008 in the group Dimensions / In Contemplation of Nature and as Lovers of Wisdom / Mahalo!! Featured 11 September 2008 in the group Dimensions / Akeakamai ~ Lover of Wisdom / Mahalo!! Featured 11 September 2008 in the group Dimensions / Ku’au Cove Maui North Shore Hawai’i / Mahalo! Featured 11 September 2008 in the group Dawn and Dusk Light / Mi-Ni-Ci-No ~ Tried and Proven (Miami) ~ Alaska Sunset Reflections Chena Lakes / Mahalo!! Featured 18 September 2008 in the group All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philisophical / Plumeria ~ Frangipani ~ Temple Tree ~ Ha’iku Maui Hawai’i

• A Big Salute to photo ''Lovers ''
  by rog99

  Roger Baillargeon / from Quebec Canada …. my home is located near the Peaceful National Capital. I’m Retired as a Public Relation Agent…

  Roger Baillargeon / from Quebec Canada …. my home is located near the Peaceful National Capital. I’m Retired as a Public Relation Agent. My main Hobby is about re-arranging my photos in’‘Painted-Style Images ”...... Other Activities… I like to Write, RollerBlade,Play Hockey,Hike and Take Good Long Walks in the CountrySide…..... I’m easy living and I like to trade ideas and suggestions on all kind of topics. So feel free to get in touch with me on any given day at… rogerfern99@ hotmail.com Roger Baillargeon / Quebec, Canada… ...Hoping my photographs can help !! Warmly, Roger B.

• Page Five Popularity! Yay Me!
  by Michelle Wrighton

  Wow and WooHoo! I wake up this morning to find even more fantastic changes to RedBubble, and was blown away to find my photo of “Gan…

  Wow and WooHoo! I wake up this morning to find even more fantastic changes to RedBubble, and was blown away to find my photo of “Gandalf in the Garden” on Page five in the new Popular Gallery, “The Eyes Have It” and “Reflections” both on page six and “Sand Dunes near South Mole Lighthouse” on page nine, “Elemental Power” (my favourite shot of the Albany Wind farm) on page ten. What a boost to my fragile artist’s ego:) Oh happy day!

• Landscape,Iceberg,blue sky,blue sea,flowers and countryside images
  by rog99

  Landscape,Iceberg,blue sky,blue sea,flowers and countryside images. ...my favorite combination in photograph…

  Landscape,Iceberg,blue sky,blue sea,flowers and countryside images. ...my favorite combination in photography. What’s Yours Friends ? Roger B. ( rog99 ) Roger Baillargeon / Qc. Canada / http://redbubble.com/people/rog99

• Maunaleo ~ Journey With Spirit ~ Keali'i Reichel
  by Sharon Anne Mau

  This beautiful mele is one of my favourites and I love the gentle power of his angelic voice!! It is the beautiful Maunaleo Mele Keali’i …

  This beautiful mele is one of my favourites and I love the gentle power of his angelic voice!! It is the beautiful Maunaleo Mele Keali’i composed for his beloved Mother, Lei, and the one I included on my signature image I created with deepest respect and appreciation for Keali’i Reichel ~ Darkly, deeply, beautifully blue! / Aloha! Sharon Maunaleo ~ Journey With Spirit ~ This is one of my signature pieces, a composite of seven of my images blended into one using photographs I have taken on the lava seacliffs of Wa’ianapanapa Maui Hawai’i and a full moon in Fairbanks Alaska. Maunaleo ~ Journey With Spirit is dedicated with deepest respect and appreciation for Keali’i Reichel. Carleton Lewis Keali’inaniaimokuokalani Reichel (born 1962) popularly known as Keali’i Reichel, is a popular and bestselling singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, chanter, scholar, teacher, and personality from the State of Hawai’i. He has spent his life educating the world about Hawaiian culture through music and dance. Maunaleo is one of his most beautiful songs and one of my favourites! / Lyrics Source: Keali`i Reichel album “Melelana” Copyright 1999 Punahele, Inc. – “Composed for Keali`i’s mother Lei, she is compared to the majestic sentinel mountain, Maunaleo, who guards, comforts, nourishes and loves her people. Mälie is the gentle wind of the area. ~ Maunaleo – Words by Keali`i Reichel & Puakea Nogelemeier, Music by Keali`i Reichel ~ “He aloha nö `o Maunaleo / I lohia e ke kilihuna / Kohu `ahu`ao no ka uka / He kamalani kamaehu kau i ka hanoë / He kamalei, kamahiwa pä i ka lani ë / ka lani ë He aloha nö `o Maunaleo / I lohia e ke kilihuna / Kohu `ahu`ao no ka uka / He kamalani kamaehu kau i ka hanoë / He kamalei, kamahiwa pä i ka lani ë / ka lani ë Po`ohina i ka `ohu kolo / Kahiko no ka poli `olu / Apo `ia e nä kualono / He hi`ina, hi`ialo, alohaë / Hi`ipoli, hi`ilei, hi`ilanië / ilanië Po`ohina i ka `ohu kolo / Kahiko no ka poli `olu / Apo `ia e nä kualono / He hi`ina, hi`ialo, alohaë / Hi`ipoli, hi`ilei, hi`ilanië / ilanië Eia ku`u lei aloha / No Maunaleo i ka nani / `Ohu`ohu i ka Mälie / He kamalani kamaehu kau i ka hanoë / He kamalei, hamahiwa pä i ka lani e / ka lani e Eia ku`u lei aloha / No Maunaleo i ka nani / `Ohu`ohu i ka Mälie / He kamalani kamaehu kau i ka hanoë / He kamalei, hamahiwa pä i ka lani e / ka lani e No Maunaleo ke aloha kü i ka la`i e Aloha ë, alohaë ~ Beloved indeed in Maunaleo ~ / Sparkling in the light, wind-blown rain. A finely woven cloak for the highlands. / A cherished one, respected for power and strength. / Esteemed, treasured, touched by heaven. / Capped by the silver of the rolling mists. / An adornment for that gentle heart. / Embraced by the surrounding ridges. / One to hold close, to hold near, to love. / One dear to the heart, precious, exalted. / This is my garland of affection for Maunaleo in its beauty. / Glorified by the Mälie breeze. / A cherished one, respected for power and strength. / Esteemed, treasured, touched by heaven. / For Maunaleo is the serenity of deep love. / Beloved are you, beloved indeed.” .... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA1xzuP0nkI / Maunaleo by Keali’i Reichel

• reflected moment - featured
  by Cheryl Dunning

  woohoo! yet another one featured… / wow..

  woohoo! yet another one featured… / wow..

• I'm there-the year in recap
  by sunset

  I dunno. I had such an exciting year, so many good things to appreciate. Now the weather is sun shiny, warm and I can wear shorts. Or any…

  I dunno. I had such an exciting year, so many good things to appreciate. Now the weather is sun shiny, warm and I can wear shorts. Or any other thing that is not much. I can sleep half naked. I am on holidays and don’t have the ’’potential’/ threat’ of being woken up to come in to work and face large groups of unknown hostile teenagers. So. Let’s get happy. I am a pretty happy person, and sometimes I don’t realize it! I’m fairly positive most of the time and can find solutions to most things, which I see as obvious, but hadn’t occurred to others, yet. I’m satisfied by the variety of means I earn my living from. How many people can say they are a this/slash that slash the other as well? I have a long list of things I do, have done, can do. I love the space I have to be creative…and to be on my own sometimes. I really enjoy ‘people’ time, but at this time of year, now I’ve caught up with my friends, and family, I am enjoying doing not much at all. It feels like a revelation. A secret that I’ve never admitted. Hilarious. I hear other people talk about it all the time! It changes from moment to moment. Can I tell you, though, now the BF’s mate is here, and they are out shopping for the third day of continuous shopping, I am so glad I have the house to myself. I have music on, playing what I want to hear, at the volume, wearing what I want to wear, not having to impress anybody. And not hearing, most importantly, swearing, cursing, damning, talk of blowing things up, or the sound of the xbox. My 36 yo BF has just bought the 360 version, and as wonderful it is to him, and his mates, I am so glad he kindly listened to me, from the edge of reason, to get earphones to go with them. I know I’ll be ok now! When we have kids, god help me if it’s not accidently broken. Permanently. Do you think anyone will mind if I go to bed early on New Year’s Eve? Will anyone care if I don’t stay up to watch fireworks. Anyhow. The year that was. If I’m going to bed early-let’s have some good memories to sleep on. Summarize. hm. Now I have tutoring set up, I feel pretty confident. There was a shaky moment mid year, where a student I felt should’ve been moved the term earlier was still with me, and his spelling was not improved…(that is a hellish moment for a teacher-you want them to improve…and if they don’t, not for lack of effort!) but the rest were all going great guns and everyone was happy. I have an awesome ‘wall of fame’ of all the students, photoshopped and glamourized. I’ve seen each student light up, seeing themselves up there. They sit there and wonder if they know them, which school do they go to and when do I have them? Anything to get out of w_erk_. But mostly, it’s fun. I have student’s who get excited about coming to maths. It’s true! (I’m feeling very happy, just thinking about it!) We play snakes n ladders (who would of thought), memory (with timestables) and pretend we are rich, adding up our fortunes (you are designer/own a horse/ artist) and paying fabulous bills (premiere in Hollywood/ horse trainers etc / paint) and make sure we come out even. We talk about a-cute angles, obese angles, I mean, obtuse…I don’t know why they teach them baby language of ‘sharp’ and blunt’ angles. Why? Learn the proper names first off. Parents say they look forward to coming to tutoring, and I get presents. How much do I love my job! Very much, actually. It’s a shame I have to catch a bus, walk, train, bus to get there-it’s not really worth the effort, pay wise, but I love going, so I’ve kept it up. See! See! lots of good things. (feeling better-I use my time wisely!) And because it’s in the afternoon, I can paint, and draw, and go for walks, and wax and move the furniture around, and feed this RB hunger. At the beginning I bought a screen printing kit, to finally, finally make those t-shirts I’d been meaning to. then RB came along-they are so much better than this hands on business! And believe me, many a happy hour, not even thinking about what I ‘should’ be doing, crossed it. I’m there! In the right place. Because that my friend, is the secret. Now, you’ve read this far. Is there more? Of course there’s more. There’s always more, always better. How much do you need to know? recap. Quickly. the BF and I (he who does not like to be named) took four months of looking, pondering, deliberating, but we found a place. We moved in. We’re satisfied. Yes, we argued, and still argued. Loudly. Nigglingly. We’ve learnt, we’re learning, and are good. I want more cleaning. I want more…? We have plenty of nights out. Plenty of nights in. We grow closer in our own company. We have friends over. No one has quite grasped talking louder, even me, and sometimes even I don’t realise how much M is missing, until he asks me to repeat myself frequently. But then he changes the batteries (to his hearing aid) and it seems to help. Funny how it’s only sometimes he misses things…there still is selective hearing. erm, oh yeah, and I got him to ask me to marry him. He graciously asked me on my birthday. Cloud nine all day and then some. I’m still pretty happy about it. Happier each day. Love him more, as much and more each day. He helps me with delivering art. For TWO exhibitions. I feel really professional now. I sold ten from the first show, and now three at Gallery 26. I did a paid photo shoot for a family-when I have done it for free too many times! I’ve sold t-shirts and cards. and have loads of beautiful photos and paintings in my collection. I feel like a real artist now. I’ve been featured on RB front page a few times, in the Mosman Daily and MX (oh funny, the girl at the bank, who I always talk to, got all mushy about how she’d seen me in it, and didn’t realise I was an artist! celebrity!) I have a website (finally!) thanks to webgrrl! Next on the list-the MCA. I just went in today-inspired, I’m back at home, painting away, and making it real. Cool. Cool bananas. At the end of the day, I’ve made lots of new friends which really has been very cool, getting out of my little bubble and into the red one. Thanks everyone who’s commented on my art, photos and t-shirts. I really like youse a lot. Hope you have a very merry new years as well. Appreciate what you’ve got. Keep on keepin it on! lotsa love, sunset.

• Art is....
  by Ants

  Art is / Passion & possibilities, experiments & excursions, responsive reflections, instant/laboured, complex & layered, affirming, physic…

  Art is / Passion & possibilities, experiments & excursions, responsive reflections, instant/laboured, complex & layered, affirming, physical (paint big!!), fragmented & consuming, an allegorical narrative, the everyday, moments, happy accidents, honest & direct, distant, the ‘bits n pieces’,structured/cluttered, a language, organic/fluid, inspiring, an escape, ‘its dark in here’, distracting, plastic, ambigious,silent, psychotic, abstracted, distracting, explosive, informative, fun, beyond boundaries, problematic, iconic,fragile, subtle, imagined observations of the vicissitudes that make up the day! Oh & it is a matter of opinion….. But there is nothing so lonely as a bare wall !!!

• A New Year Reflection
  by Erica Corr

  2007 has turned out to be such a great year, looking back, especially in terms of opportunities for expanding my creative outlets. Fi…

  2007 has turned out to be such a great year, looking back, especially in terms of opportunities for expanding my creative outlets. Finding Artellaland was totally fabulous and has had me doing some really enjoyable work with collage and digital art techniques. And discovering Artists’ Trading Cards has been immense fun, too: I really enjoy the challenge of working inside such a small space. Perhaps my one intention this year is to become more involved in the community side of things, interact more with the other artists there. And there is a tutorial I want to write and share with others there. It shall be done! And of course getting into Redbubble has made such a difference for me in terms of my view of my own work. I have also learned so much from others and been inspired to keep going with this hobby of mine. Most of all, I love the opportunity to just immerse myself in the gorgeous work that comes out of the RB community. I intend to keep on experiencing and enjoying this nexus. I’m not very good at getting into and becoming involved in the forums here, either, though. I enjoy reading them and have gained lots. What and how to give back, though. I shall ponder this! And starting pottery classes has allowed me another opportunity for “beginner’s mind”, even though I did some pottery classes when I was a teenager. I am finding it quite difficult to take in all the intricacies of this new craft. But after only six months, once a week, I can’t really expect to be a master yet. I started this class with a view to making just one item and then more and more ideas came as I continued, so I will just have to keep on going!!! I have missed the classes during the holidays and I don’t start back until February. I have tried to do some work at home, but it isn’t really the same. However, I did have a great time dealing with my resistances on the couple of occasions I did work at home. So maybe next time will be better for me. I shall schedule an extra day per week or fortnight to spend some time on projects at home this year. And I shall make a point of continuing to enjoy what I have already created. I feel really satisfied with my creations so far. Finding cheap wool on ebay has allowed me to do much more knitting than I would ordinarily be able to afford to do. I couple this with my love of movie-watching. I do so like to see how both the movie and my knitting turn out in the end! And finding free patterns on the net has also allowed me more choice of projects. What a great hobby. I’m so glad I learned how to do it all those years ago and I am soooo grateful to those who have provided those lovely freebies for my crafting pleasure. I shall attempt to design a knitting pattern myself this year and share it with others for free, in return for what I have received. Even being involved in renovating our house has been a wonderful creative act. The spaces we have designed work really well and our house is becoming more and more of a pleasure to live in each day. And if I ever have to have anything to do with builders again, I will do a lot better than I did this time!!! Landscaping the backyard is the next project there. Should be a hoot…. Well, that lot ought to keep me going. It’s going to be a busy year, I think. Must intend some holidays and downtime, too, to recharge those batteries now and then. Still, I’m enjoying the view from this end of the stretch of time ahead called 2008. Here’s to all you Redbubblers for a happy, safe and fulfilling New Year!!! Cheers….and thanks for being there and doing what you do so well.

• My new Cityscape Collection for 2008
  by Matt Ware

  Hi Guys! Just listed my new Cityscape Collection for 2008. Browse and enjoy! Its your chance to get your hands on some of my lates…

  Hi Guys! Just listed my new Cityscape Collection for 2008. Browse and enjoy! Its your chance to get your hands on some of my latest works! Matt

• Wheatbelt Landscape Series comes to an end.
  by GCPhoto

  Hi all, Have just uploaded the final pic’s to my series on the wheatbelt area of Western Australia. By all accounts, they have be…

  Hi all, Have just uploaded the final pic’s to my series on the wheatbelt area of Western Australia. By all accounts, they have been enjoyed by bubblers. It has put a big smile on my face to share them with you all and receive such a warm response in return – many thanks for the kind comments and sales. Cheers / Grant.

• Why a camera?
  by Susan Trigg

  Over the years I’ve tried many art forms – tapestry weaving, drawing, painting, printmaking, even silversmithing, but somehow it is photo…

  Over the years I’ve tried many art forms – tapestry weaving, drawing, painting, printmaking, even silversmithing, but somehow it is photography that enables me to best express my creativity. So, what is it about the camera, that heavy, hard-edged lump of black that lets me express what I cannot through the wondrous scent of oil paint or the silky softness of thread? I find the world, with it’s endless vistas and masses of detail and clutter, almost overwhelming, so I practice a heavy filtering process in my mind. However, this means that I often completely miss wonderful sights, sounds and experiences. I’ve learnt that, unless I do this, I feel like I walk around without my skin. But when I look through a camera lens I’m able to focus my mind on a very small piece of the world and so it becomes manageable. And, for me, the smaller the piece the better. I love my world in macro. And, just as I am in danger of suffering from sensory overload in a visual sense, so my brain is cluttered with millions of thoughts, each jostling to be heard. But when I look through the camera lens, then later work on the image on my computer screen, I’m able to focus clearly and completely. So, the hard work of photography becomes my private peaceful space. For the brief moment when I look through the viewfinder, nothing else exists and I can find a point of perfect clarity.

• My latest work in progress and first vector style attempt - Robo Bunny Bot
  by Kyra Webb

  A work in progress, the Bunny Bot is my first attempt at Vector Style Art. I have hand styled a figure from one of my photos taken at …

  A work in progress, the Bunny Bot is my first attempt at Vector Style Art. I have hand styled a figure from one of my photos taken at the Tokyo Anime Fair 2008. She is definitely a labour of love and I thought I would never finish her, but here she is. I am not sure if she is an actual anime character or where she originates from. I would greatly appreciate any help to credit her creators and origins. I have not made her available for sale as a print yet as I am stuck on ideas for a suitable background/ home for her to appear in. If she inspires ideas please share. Robo Bunny Bot is available as a T-shirt print. I thought she could easily stand alone in this format.

• Do you remember the clarity?
  by Ben Farrell

  Do you remember the clarity of childhood? Out in the playground you would sit observant and care free. Do you remember the smell of the f…

  Do you remember the clarity of childhood? Out in the playground you would sit observant and care free. Do you remember the smell of the freshly cut woodchips underneath the monkey bars? Everything was so crisp, so fresh and so new. You remember the smell of the damp soil as you dig in the garden. The change in sunlight as the summer’s day turned to a cool afternoon doused in shade. You really did live in the moment. It’s funny how when you recall childhood memories you really do remember the small details. You remember the smells, the tastes, the texture and the emotion. I remember the colours of my plastic trike, every single part and the sound it used to make when the plastic wheels ground over the asphalt below as the vibrations shook my small happy body. I remember the faded and paint chipped blue bubblers that stood looking sad outside my primary school classroom window and the way the cool water would spurt in different directions, as I would sip during lunchtime of a summer’s afternoon. I can see the weaving and faded patterns of different coloured handball courts that wove through the playground. I remember the colour, feel and smell of my rug for ‘sleep time’ at preschool. Yet why is it that memories of late seem less vivid? They appear as faded VHS recorded moments with poor colour saturation and void of the associated smells, texture and emotion of the moment itself. Why is it that something I recall from five years ago may have less impact and detail as a memory from childhood? It is as if we go from directly experiencing the world to then experiencing it through a veil of modern day stress and mental noise. As we get older we give things labels. Likes and dislikes, wants and needs, pleasant and unpleasant and once we do this we no longer really every ‘see’ these now labelled things but experience them through a clouded lens of pre determined judgment that changes our entire view of the world. Never again do you experience things just as they are. Nothing is new anymore, everything has been done. We go from no longer seeing the beach but instead we see a place on dangerous rips, sharks and bluebottles. We no longer see the beautiful sun drenched day, but we see another day of exhausting heat, sunstroke and skin cancer. We don’t see the beautiful view as we gaze from the peak of a mountain but we see a dangerous height where one could fall and bush below where people get lost and die. It’s as if we go from the playground to inside the house where we dwell in what we are so sure we already know. At first we sit in a clean freshly painted white room with big clear windows through which we still interact with the world, but it’s different. We may still get a waft of spring wattle on the coming summer breeze that floats in through, but we won’t often venture outside to experience it directly. We stare out confused with that look of distracted interest you remember so well witnessing on your parents faces as they watched you play and you craved for attention in the yard outside. As time goes on the window gets a little dusty and the view through the dirty glass is a little more obscured. The clean new white room has changed and begins to fill with a few objects that grab your attention and distract you slightly from the outside world. Things of worry, concern or dismay fill the room and you begin to focus more on these things than the window now. Time moves on and again the window gets cloudier and the room fills with more objects that demand your attention as dust fills the corners and your own kids can be viewed outside the now even cloudier window as they glance back to see if you’re looking. But it’s hard, it’s really hard to be present and live in this moment. It’s hard to step outside this room and into the yard when there are so many issues. We live more and more in our own head than we do the actual world. Every now and then we fling open the windows and experience the world again. We are present for a tiny moment as we sit, smell the air and bath in the beauty of the garden but before long our mind takes over and we’re back indoors. In this modern age we are very rarely present. We don’t notice the details of everyday life as much as we should. We turn to art and media to tell us about the world and we sit in our air-conditioned comfort on our Ikea lounge suite and watch ‘the world’ brought to our living room. Or we may go to a gallery, theatre and other medium in which to qualify ourselves as ‘worldly’. However even the artist whose job it is to reflect our own world back to us reflects a fragmented version of his own preconceived idea of our world. Every now and then a masterpiece will be created. This usually happens when an artist is present long enough to notice the beauty and detail in an everyday object or place and is able to capture it free of pre conceived judgement and ideas and can reflect that experience back to us. When this happens it is astonishing because it communicates with our inner child linking directly back to a time of freedom, clarity, and happiness. It takes us to a time when we really did experience the world. This is the ultimate triumph for the artist. So how do we go back to experiencing the world as new? How do we get out of our minds because if we don’t you will be stuck in that room and it will get worse. / You will start to draw the curtains over the only window for fear the sun may fade the furniture and the room will fill with clutter that you begin to cling to. You associate yourself with these inanimate objects more than you do the real world. The dust builds, the cobwebs grow and you’re stuck in a cluttered room of material possessions that represent faded memories of a time when you used to live in the real world so you cling on to them harder. What’s the answer? Be present. Learn to tame your mind to stop its incessant noise and commentary. Try to simply view the world without judging. Enjoy the little things, bath in the detail, the sights, the smells, the texture the feeling. / Get out of the room and step into the garden, even if just to sit there. Otherwise the window will grow smaller and the world will change without you. Be present and observant like a child swinging on the cool smooth steel monkey bars smelling the fresh woodchips and thinking nothing else but that.

• wow to REDBUBBLE
  by Gina ...

  I ordered a set of my cards and the calendar to check out the quality … and really .. WOW ! ... they are so beautiful … i am very…

  I ordered a set of my cards and the calendar to check out the quality … and really .. WOW ! ... they are so beautiful … i am very excited … the quality of the cards are fantastic and the calendar looks so beautiful …. i often wondered if there was one pic i the whole calendar i may not like so much or something … (or worse, more than 1) ... each page is gorgeous and the work looks fantastic … thank you REDBUBBLE ! >>> Gina

• "Absent Reflection" art exhibition
  by Danni Sommers

  For anyone living in Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley, if you are interested in art, / I will be part of a group art exhibition in July. / ...

  For anyone living in Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley, if you are interested in art, / I will be part of a group art exhibition in July. / It will be held at the West Gippsland Art Centre in Warragul, from Monday 14th July to Monday 28th July. / The opening night is Thursday 17th July from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. / The exhibition consists of work from about 14 different artists, all exploring different themes and mediums. / It will be a great night, with food and drinks provided. / It is a free event. / Anyone interested is more than welcome to come! / Thanks for your time, / Danni Sommers.

• redBubble you have expanded my horizon
  by lizey

  I love to see people’s favourites, they seem to reflect exactly the bits I like about their art. redBubble you have expanded my horizon

  I love to see people’s favourites, they seem to reflect exactly the bits I like about their art. redBubble you have expanded my horizon