Hello fellow artists,

Speaking of being an artist no matter what your profession is, the story of Trong and Rani Hong is an inspiration. For those of you who missed the Oprah Winfrey show Oct. 30, we were introduced to Trong and Rani and heard their stories.

Nine year old Trong Hong was sent on a boat trip out of Vietnam during the war by his father because his father wanted Trong to have a better life. The boat, filled with other people desperate to leave Vietnam, ran out of food and water, was attacked by pirates who killed and raped many of the passengers. The boat eventually capsized near Indonesia and the remaining passengers swam to shore. Trong hid in a cave for two years, struggling to stay alive. He was discovered by Indonesians and sent to Seattle, WA where he was able to rebuild his life.

Rani was born in India to a very poor family. Her mother gave Rani to a social worker who sold Rani into slavery when she was seven. Beaten and bruised, she was adopted by an American woman when she was eight and thrived after that.

Remarkably, Rani and Trong met on a blind date. They married, have four children and have established the Tronie Foundation to help end human trafficking by building shelters in the U.S. and around the world. Approximately 1.2 million women and children are trafficked each year and children as young as 4 years are sold into slavery. Human trafficking also occurs in the United States.

If Trong and Rani can live the life they have led and make a difference, it seems that we all can do the same. It takes passion. Find your passion. Refine your abilities. Be an artist.

Technorati Tags: human trafficking, child slavery, Trong and Rani Hong, The Tronie Foundation, Oprah Winfrey

Horse
Patricia Roshaven
Photo Album

Hello fellow artists,

I believe we are all artists, but we are not all artists in the traditional sense. That is, we are not all painters, potters, weavers, writers, dancers, singers, actors, photographers. An artist is anyone who refines his or her talents, whatever they are. An artist can be a politician (tough, but possible), farmer, carpenter, janitor, clerical worker, doctor, attorney, firefighter, police officer, cook, librarian, banker, philanthropist, computer scientist, student, teacher, accountant, business person, baseball player.

Anyone who finds his or her inner passion and develops it with fervor knows what I mean. Artistry involves sensitive development and expression of this part of yourself. Get in touch through courage, dedication, intuition, dreams, meditation and love. Read this tutorial: Find your artistry. Be committed to your excellence. Be an artist.

Technorati Tags: creativity, inner artist, professionalism

Columbine
Patricia Roshaven
Photo Album

Hello fellow artists,

This year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year, has been announced. Awesome photos are at the British Natural History Museum with notes about how the photos were taken. These wildlife photographers are an example of artists who refuse to produce anything but the finest. The competiton is owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine.

Technorati Tags: wildlife photography, wildlife photographer of the year, British Natural History Museum

Watercolor #8
Patricia Roshaven
Photo Album

Hello fellow artists,

Do you sometimes wonder if you have a single creative idea left? If so, Scarlet Star Studios is a place you should know about. About one year ago, Sven provided a list of 10 ideas to keep you moving on your creative projects. Here are the first four:

"Quality through quantity. Don't get hung up on making this one piece good -- make ten and one will certainly be pretty good.

Do NOT mix generating and editing. When you're making a piece, don't stop and get judgmental half-way through. If it's a piece of crap, get that piece of crap out of your system -- don't try to fix it mid-flow. Finish it, move on.

When to judge: After you've completed a piece, look at it and decide what direction you want to go in next. Or if you're selecting pieces for submission to a show, apply your critiquing mind then. Make a piece of art; look at it; make another.

Don't be afraid to re-use elements. If each piece has to be unique, then you're going to get hung-up when you create some bit that you like. But if you can re-use bits, then you can keep moving."

If you'd like to see the rest of the list, go to the Sept. 22 entry. No excuses. Be an artist.

Technorati Tags: creative process, creative block, art tutorial

Late for School
Patricia Roshaven
Photo Album

Hello fellow artists,

I've recently found two articles that back up my thoughts that it's never too late to get out there and be creative. If you think you can't be an artist because you've never been one, read these articles:
-- From July 2006 Wired Magazine, "What Kind of Genius Are You?" and
-- from July 19, 2006 New York Times, "An Exhibition About Drawing Conjures a Time When Amateurs Roamed the Earth"

Mill Spring

Technorati Tags: genius, creativity, drawing, innovators, experimentalists, art history

Hello fellow artists,

This is a continuation of the discussion of what it means to be an artist. It is so important to get beyond the idea that if one does not paint, take pictures, sculpt, etc., like Rembrandt or (fill in the blank), that one is not worthy of being called an artist, or of even trying to be an artist.

Mark Rothko (1903-1970), whose paintings now sell in the million dollar range, taught art to children for many years. He also thought very deeply about what it meant to be an artist and his writings are articulate. The following is a quote from Writings on Art by Rothko: "Is the child mad, the madman childish, and does Picasso try to be a little of both. All of them employ the same elements of speech." (By elements of speech, he means color, line, form and texture, which are the elements of communication to a painter.) "The child by the inner necessity of a vivid statement to be immediately realized, hence employing the most instinctive representation thru instinctive, primitive elementary symbols. The madman by his symbolism. The artist having analyzed his problem thru to these basic elements of plastic shapes and emotional symbols."

To see the similarities, look at art work by children, by those considered to be insane and by Picasso. Then take up a paintbrush, clay, your camera (whatever is right for you) and let yourself be like a child and a little bit mad. Be an artist.

Technorati Tags: Mark Rothko, Picasso, art and madness, children's art

Technorati Tags: encouragement, art tutorial, self expression

Technorati Tags: art tutorial, encouragement, excuses, success