I just finished my 7 paper collage portraits. Each of them has a little “wink” in them about the subject of identity. I’ve had a lot of fun exploring bold colors, textures, and ideas in this group. What makes us who we are? How do we see ourselves? How do others see us? And how do we reconcile the differences within us?
From the upper left corner, the collage titles are:
Inspire the Future
Always Pay Your Rent
The Best Things
A Certain Recognition
Don’t Crack Under Pressure
Writer in Transit
Mrs. President
I really like this art form and I’m thinking of ideas for a much larger piece with a greater variety of materials.
“Listen, I wish I could tell you it gets better, but it doesn’t. You get better.” ~Joan Rivers to Louis C.K. on being a comedian
Say what you want about Joan Rivers. The woman was brave, fierce, and she defined her life on her terms. She was knocked down over and over again, and each time she used her hardship to become better – at her craft and in life.
If you’re in the midst of hard times now, just know you aren’t alone. Not by a long shot. When that happens to me, I think about this quote from Joan Rivers. Obviously, I always want things to get better. But even if they don’t, I take a lot of comfort in knowing that I’m always getting better. We all are.
“Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” ~ Picasso
I’m an extrovert by nature and I love to be around people. However, I do my best creative work alone. My alone time allows me to focus and let my imagination run wild. My mind, spirit, and heart need that time on my own to reflect, and that reflection is crucial to my personal growth as a person and as an artist.
I relish the solitude when I can get it. I use the time alone to build something beautiful purely for the joy of using my imagination. If we let it, creativity will fill every moment.
Collage amalgamation tribute to Steve Jobs by artist Charis Tsevis
“You don’t have to just be this or that. You can be all of it. You can be an amalgamation.” ~Rapper DDm at Creative Mornings DC at Renwick Gallery
I’m still thinking about Rapper DDm’s presentation about language and identity at the Creative Mornings DC talk. I’m still energized and inspired by his words, his decision, and his encouragement to be everything that we are. From Diana Ross to Li’l Kim to the influences of ancient fashion from the Moors to the rough streets of West Baltimore, DDm put all of that inspiration into a mixing bowl to invent himself, his look, his language, and his art. And he continues to reinvent, learn, grow, evolve, and experiment. The only thing he sets in stone is his right to be exactly who is in every moment on his terms.
That’s a right we all have—to joyfully be who we are, to make the decisions that are right for us, and to live the lives we want to live. Embrace your own unique brand of madness. Surround yourself with people who support that journey. Have the confidence to be exactly who you are and to become all that you want to become.
Rapper DDm at Renwick Gallery for Creative Mornings Washington, D.C.
“You find who you are by seeing it. It takes a journey to develop your voice.” ~Rapper DDm at Creative Mornings Washington, D.C.
I was blown away by the Creative Mornings event with DDm about the power of language. He redefined language as our entire presence – what we say, what we do, and how we look. Hundreds of creative people sat enraptured at 8:30am in the main room at the Renwick Gallery on Friday. We laughed and we learned, together. Language conveys who we are. To learn who we are, we need to explore.
So get out there, way out there. Leave your comfort zone. Try new things. Meet new people. Put yourself in a place that inspires you. Be around people who are proud of who they are, and who celebrate your unique perspective. Learn something that you’ve always been curious about. Create something beautiful. Be shiny. Do something that makes you smile for the joy it brings you. Find your voice, and use it.
Paper collage “painting” by boddhi15 on Instructables
I’ve become mildly obsessed with paper collage work and I was looking for some new techniques to try. I somehow found my way to Instructables, a website that teaches you to do just about any DIY project step-by-step and gives you the chance to share your DIY process and knowledge. I’m kind of in love with it and the 2 million+ people who belong to the Instructables community.
Whether your passion is visual arts, cooking, gardening, sewing, party decor, or any and every other DIY project where the result is something you make, this site is for you. Learn, document, share, and be nice about it—those are the only guidelines on Instructables. There’s so much to learn and explore. No excuses for boredom!
The Waterfront on South Street in NYC. 1935. By Berenice Abbott.
One thing that I really miss about New York City is the New York Public Library. Luckily, this week we saw a massive digital expansion of its collections and you can access the now 672,182 digitized items by clicking here. A few short clicks and search terms give you a passport to history like never before. And it’s all free.
Whether you want to see photos of a changing New York City (or almost any of other city for that matter!), construct 20th century floor plans of mansions through archival blueprints, or learn new paper collage techniques, it’s all here for you to use and reuse in limitless ways.
Yesterday, Marc Maron had director Todd Haynes on his WTF podcast. They talked about the first movies they’d ever seen in a theater and how those movies shaped them. The first movie I remember seeing in a theater was The Secret of NIMH. I was 6. Right around that same time, my grandmother took me to see the original movie Annie. Those two movies shaped my love of powerful and personal narratives.
The Secret of NIMH fostered my already deep love for animals and my disdain for those who are cruel to them. The main character, Mrs. Brisby (a rat) was caring and compassionate, but also tough and brave. That was the first time I realized one person could be all of those things. She felt compelled to protect those she loved, and also to protect and rescue those who were being marginalized.
Annie showed me that we can define the word “family” on our terms, and demonstrated how music can unite people and move a story along. I also remember being completely wowed by the Indian character, Punjab, and I absolutely loved the dancing. If I close my eyes, I can still see that mansion. I couldn’t believe that anyone had a house that big and that extravagant.
I guess it’s no wonder that I ended up working in theater and environmental conservation, and why my passion for those causes continues to this day. It all started when the lights went down in a theater, and a light started to glow in me.
What was the first movie you saw in a theater and how did it shape you?
Somehow Andra Day’s album Cheers to the Fall had escaped my notice until I saw her on the Apple commercial with Stevie Wonder. Now I can’t stop listening to it on loop on Amazon Prime. There’s something so painful about her lyrics and yet so strong about her voice that strikes just the right chord to keep me hooked until the very last note. If you haven’t yet, give it a listen and get ready to dance, cry, and reflect.
Christa Avampato 