The REV It Up List

Creating and Celebrating with IAMADIVA.COM

Mother's Day is coming up and moms just love gifts created by hand. But, if you're anything like us, you just really have no time to stop what you are doing and make one more thing this week. Click on over to IAMADIVA.COM and order some fanfreakingtastic art and crafty supplies and have them shipped to your mom! Let her create something for YOU! She'd love to!  There are wonderful rubber stamps to choose from (many under $10. If you have two moms, check out the West Hollywood-Friendly section ). I love the unique selection of stamps at IAMADIVA.COM! If  Mom is into the scrapbooking and altered art craze, check out all the fun embellishments and cool finds.

Queen Diva Suzi Finer has a great idea for making your favorite chocolate bars look as delicious as they taste. Turn them into art, too! Her fancy chocolate bars can be adapted to any occasion. Simply coordinate the papers to go with whatever event you are celebrating. Don't forget to make one for yourself, too!

Connecting with Arboretum

Reviewed by Maria Hammon

 

Today I found a new book I fell in love with. It is always a thrill to me when I find a book that makes me feel connected. Not to the concepts and ideas in it, although that is always a plus, too; but to the fact that no matter who we are, we all are small puzzle pieces of the same big picture. That with a pencil in our hands, we can all, in our own individual way, explore ourselves and recognize the parts of us that were meant to fit in this world, and the parts that are unique to each of us. In Arboretum, David Byrne explores himself and finds connections “where none were thought to exist.” His faux science, his personal drawings, and diagrams are incredibly fun to discover.

Through his tree-shaped drawings, Arboretum discusses many subjects. It is often philosophical and artistic. And perhaps even poetic. It is like a little bit of freedom and fresh air.

David Byrne is perhaps one of the most talented artists of our era. From his music with Talking Heads; his thought provoking books Your Action World, The new Sins and Arboretum, to most recently, his outspoken online journal, Mr. Byrne continues to show a true creative spirit in his work. And that, is certainly something to admire and applaud.

 

Blog Stalking: Artist Dina Wakley

Interview by Maria Hammon

I cannot tell you how truly inspiring the art of Dina Wakley is to me, specially considering that I have diligently been stalking her blog for at least two years!  This is one of the reasons I find this interview so exciting! 

Dina, just how and when did you get started in the world of art journaling?

I've always been art-minded and I subscribed to Somerset Studio from the day it was first published. I devoured every issue, but was too chicken to try art myself. I started stamping and my skill level grew. Finally, I bought a blank book and started creating a visual journal. I've kept a regular journal since I was 9 years old, so I'm familiar with the process of putting yourself down onto paper. But with the visual journal I was combining words and paint. My very first art journal was about how I was too insecure to call myself an "artist." The great thing about art journaling is that it's a way to experiment and express yourself and it doesn't have to be "good"...it just has to be honest.

That is one of the many things I love about what you do, it is SO real. Raw. I love it!  What is your favorite art medium?                                     

I love collage and mixed media--acrylic paint and odds and ends and bits of whatever is laying around.

I love it when you say you "slapped a quick page together" and I see this masterpiece (from your current post.) Exactly how do you manage to create your art?  What is your process; does the theme come first?  Or is it the kind of colors?  The concept?  How do you typically start and finish a project?

This is a hard question...I rarely ever have an end product in mind when I start a page. I just start putting down paint and layers and see where it takes me. Often I'm driven by my emotions, or by something that is bothering me. I'll work on a page in my art journal, and as I have extra paint I'll wipe it on pages further back in the journal...I figure one day I'll get to those pages and there will be a little paint or something there to jump start me. I tend to work quickly, too...I don't agonize over the perfect thing to put on the page. I use what is within reach. I guess the process is kind of organic and intuitive. I love to layer...paints, inks, collage elements, etc. I think the layers create visual interest and combined together have meaning. I also love to use letters in my work. I was an English major in college and the written word has always moved me.

How do you manage life, family (with boys!) and the never ending daily chores and still find the time you need to create the beautiful works of art you create?  Come on, share the secrets!

Well, there's no secret. I'm always behind on housework. I figure the dishes can wait.

I love that!  Thank you.  I really needed to hear that today. Specially since my dishes haven't been done yet...this interview is much more important!  If you could pick any place in the world to live, where would it be and why? 

How about Del Mar in a house on the beach...or Lake Tahoe (North shore, Nevada side)...or Tuscany...or in a fun flat in London....oh wait, you said one place, right?

It is quite all right...we can always have more than one favorite place.  There are no rules when dreaming, right?  Now on a sweeter note, what is your favorite candy bar?

Milky Way Midnight...yum...and anything by Cadbury. When we lived in England we got hooked on British chocolate. I still crave Curly Wurlys and Star Bars and Double Deckers!

Where do you create?  Do you have a dedicated space at home? 

I do have a room...it's not really a studio, and it's not decorated nicely. But it's functional and it's mine. Someday I want built-in shelving, a sealed concrete floor, and a utility sink.

Funny you mention a utility sink...that's one of my dreams, too!  Specially because I always find myself splattered in paint!  What do you find most inspiring to you and why?

I find so many things in life inspiring...poetry, art, people who triumph over adversity, hummingbirds outside my window...I think I get inspiration from everything.

Here is one of my favorite pieces created by you last year, have you ever considered selling your art in Etsy or other similar places? 

No...I'm not trying to be self-defeating, but I really don't consider myself at the caliber I would need to be to sell anything. I feel like an infant when it comes to art...I have so much to learn. I look at how far I've come since I first started art journaling, and I'm amazed at the growth.

Where do you see yourself in the future?  Any goals or plans you'd like to share with us?

I just want to keep creating! :)

Etsy Stalking: Artist Linda Solovic (lindasolovic)

Artist Linda Solovic creates masterpieces out of art paper, found paper, found objects, fabric and just about anything she finds interesting or intriguing. And, like most true artists, she excels at multi-tasking! She works on her creations while watching tv and talking to her friends on a cordless headset. We love that (because that is how we work, too.). Lucky for the world, Linda has an etsy shop where you can find prints of her limited edition collages at really good prices.

Blog Stalking: Artist Claudine Hellmuth

I am sure you have read about her before. Or read her blog. Perhaps even been a fan of her books or saw her at the Martha Stewart show last year. And if you haven't done any of these things yet, it is time you get caught up with current times and join all of us who love her work!  Here are a few questions that might help you get to know the wonderful, charismatic, Claudine Hellmuth that we know! 

1. When did you decide you would become an artist? Did you ever have a moment of epiphany about it as a child, or a young adult?

I never really did have a moment where I said "I am going to be an artist" it's always been something that has been present in my life for as long as I can remember. I have always made things and taken art lessons and been creative and except for a brief moment (one day when I was 8) when I thought I wanted to be an archaeologist -- artist has always been what I thought I would be or be doing in some way.

2. What is your favorite part of what you do and why?
I like different parts of what I do for different reasons. Some days I think it's the actual art making that is the most fun. But when things aren't working right in the studio I find the art making stressful and I decide that I like doing the business part best. I find that toggling between business person and artist works well for me because it gives me a break from each!

3. What are your three favorite TV shows and what is what makes you like them?
Pushing Daisies - my favorite and I pray this doesn't get canceled. I love how it is like Amelie +  Big Fish rolled into one. I love how they match colors on that show, all the orange and green. yummy!! And the story is so cute!

Project Runway -- of course!!

Breaking Bad -- this is my new fav, I love the darkness of this show. It must appeal to my moody German side.

I do like a lot of TV and I do not feel guilty about watching it. It's one of the few ways I relax.

4. And I'm sure many people would want to read about (I know I do) how many times did you change outfits the day of your Martha Stewart show? 
Actually only once! I knew I would be wearing jeans and heels on the bottoms because that is my uniform that I wear all the time. So I wore a regular shirt on my way over there with my jeans and heels and then I brought 4 different shirts for the wardrobe guy to pick from. All the others that I brought wouldn't work for one reason or another, too much pattern or the fabric would moire on the camera so we were left at the last shirt which I ended up wearing. It actually wasn't my favorite choice, but oh well. it looked OK. I ran out of time before the show to do proper shirt shopping and there are so many rules with what you can and can not wear on camera, things that don't film well etc. And one shirt I actually wore on TV before -- the Martha wardrobe guy said I couldn't because it would moire. Just when I thought I was figuring it out. it is very confusing.

5. Were you nervous the moments before the show started?  And, what was your BEST memory of that day? 
I was nervous in a crazy way the night before - I knew it was going to be live TV so that is what freaked me out the most. I had to take an Ambien to get to sleep. In the morning when I was getting ready in the hotel i as nervous. And then in the dressing room, But once I was there on the set and it was time, I got really calm. Paul (my husband) got really nervous right before, I could tell because his hands were all sweaty!!!

My best memory of that day.... hmmm. it was sort of like my wedding day. A big blur. I would have to say my best memory was after the segment I got to sit in the audience with Paul and watch the rest of the show being filmed and knowing I had done it and I hadn't messed up and it was OK. Later that day Paul took me canoing on the lake in central park which was so cute and fun!

Roaming the Desert with Photographer Kyle Cassidy

Photographer Kyle Cassidy has been roaming the Mohave Desert with his camera, his ipod, and his thoughts and we are so lucky he did. Kyle created Mojave: A Travel Diary in Words and Images which can be ooohhed and aaaaaahed over and downloaded (for free!) here. The photographs are stunning and full of emotion, as are Kyle's words. Pay attention to both so you don't miss anything!

Kyle Cassidy is an award winning writer, photographer, and graphic designer living in Philadelphia. He is the author of six books, most recently Armed America:
Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes, which was named one of the 100 best books of 2007 by Amazon.com. His Photo-a-Week blog was one of the first photography blogs on the Internet and is viewed by some crazy thousands of people every day.

Loving Life: Artist Kal Barteski

She loves life and creates art every day. This is, in fact, her core, as she tells us. She is one busy woman making art daily, being a new mom, becoming a baby book author, being a photographer, getting ready to teach, and continue to inspire so many of us while still being who she is, Kal Barteski. Her bulletproof positive attitude is contagious. Her vibrant energy travels as fast as light. One can't help to just LOVE her and her fabulous artful creations. This is why I am so very happy to share this interview which she so candidly agreed to do with us.

As an artist, a woman and now a mother; what is the single most important thing in your life that keeps you motivated in your search for creative expression?

Ouch! You started right off the top with a hard question... It's part of my core to create - it has nothing to do with being an 'artist' or a woman or a mother and everything to do with just being who I am... I'm not sure it that makes any sense at all - but, I don't paint or create to try to fill quotas or sell canvasses. I paint and I move when the mood strikes me - and it strikes me a lot. It's who I am and how I operate. There's a need within my art - like breathing.

I know create in more ways than one, what is your favorite medium, if you could pick just one?   

If I had to pick only one medium that would be like choosing to see through only one colour - or visit one place. I believe that media are just tools to express a basic need - a basic art - a communication of life. Like breathing. I would say that I feel most comfortable in paint, pencil crayons, chalks and pens. I'm comfortable with words. I like to work on papers, woods, canvasses and boards. I like to work with my hands but, I also work digitally and with photography... That said - if I had to pick just one medium or you would kill me - then I would say paint.

Who, or what, are the major influences in your art?

I was pretty traditional growing up. I liked to paint wildlife. I liked to paint what I saw. I studied Bateman, Carr, O'Keefe - until I got to college where I ran into the works of Basquiat. He sort of ripped opened a new deal for me - art with WORDS and attitude and a rawness that moved me so much more than anything I had seen before. From his work, I learned to paint what I felt. I went to design school and learned (and loved) the idea of language as a visual form. I loved his total unapologetic way of looking at things. I loved his courage.

Some people are lucky to know from a very young age what they want the rest of their life to be, and others must take a few years to discover their calling. When did you know that you were meant to be an artist?

I don't know that people are meant to be anything in particular - I know that creating brings me a level of peace and happiness that I don't find in other activities. There's a freedom in putting yourself into a painting that's hard to replicate within a conversation or an equation... I've always known that this was my passion and this is what I did best and this is what drew people towards me. I consciously decided that this was how I would earn my living.

Can you imagine your life without the benefit of self expression through your art?

After reading this question - I actually tried. Really hard. The answer is no.

Blog Stalking: Shutter Sisters

A new blog I have been stalking visiting lately is called Shutter Sisters. I initially found these photo inspiring sisters at the recommendation of the wonderful Ali Edwards and I always trust her judgment on such things as good places to get inspiration from. And, oh boy, she was certainly right. Again.

Plus, who doesn't just love a blog that includes the word "sisters" in it? And those sisters happen to be a group of phenomenal shutter happy photographers with a willingness to share their art, inspiration, ideas and so much more!

A recent post by Karen Walrond called Love Thursday got my attention recently. It's all about how love can help to halve the potato. Karen's perspective on this totally captured me. Life is indeed about giving and sharing, isn't it? And Easter day is a reminder of that, too. God shared the life of his only son to save us from our sins. He had no problem when it was time to half the potato because his infinite LOVE for us made it all happen. We can too, follow that example and half our potatoes for the sake of love.

One fun fact about Karen Walrond is not only that she shares her first name with our own Karen Dinino and is an amazing photographer, but also, she is an attorney, too! Must be a trait for those named Karen. They are attorneys, and also creative, fun, great photographers and fabulous sisters!

And while you are visiting this wonderful new blog, be sure to meet the rest of the shutter sisters!

I'll share with you the picture that Karen Walrond so kindly linked in her post, one of my favorite pictures of a recent photoshoot with my very own adopted two seesters, Linda and Karen! 

Originally downloaded by Justmeagain2006 as a contribution for the flickr shutter sisters' pool.

Secret skin...a rebirth into the world of adventure.

Last weekend, in my way flight back from L.A., I picked up the March 10, 2008 edition of the New Yorker.  I don't read that magazine very often to be honest, but I noticed the front page had a very artsy looking face with swirls which I thought would be perfect to use, in part, for an altered journal of sorts (if you are a literary genius and/or a fan of the New Yorker you'll just have to get over it.) But then, I noticed that the magazine actually had an essay written by Michael Chabon. I remember Chabon from his brilliant 2000 novel, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for the following year, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay." Chabon's novel has been one of my favorites since then! Not only because it was beautifully written and included so much history (the Holocaust and WWII) as well as an overall view of the American culture from the mid-20s, but also because of its ground breaking narrative of the development of the comic book industry while maintaining a fresh and vivid story with lovely characters. Chabon's characters are missed -well after you are finished reading the book...in fact, I still do!

Needless to say, the discovery of his essay in the magazine, certainly made my day. He talked about his memories from Sunday school religious classes (Jewish Ethics), to the meaning behind superhero costumes. I particularly loved these two paragraphs:

We say “secret identity,” and adopt a series of cloaking strategies to preserve it, but what we are actually trying to conceal is a narrative: not who we are but the story of how we got that way—and, by implication, of all that we lacked, and all that we were not, before the spider bit us. Yet our costume conceals nothing, reveals everything: it is our secret skin, exposed and exposing us for all the world to see. Superheroism is a kind of transvestism; our superdrag serves at once to obscure the exterior self that no longer defines us while betraying, with half-unconscious panache, the truth of the story we carry in our hearts, the story of our transformation, of our story’s recommencement, of our rebirth into the world of adventure, of story itself.

He later shares of his own childhood escapism through his "secret skin" when he became his own superhero, "Aztec" (gotta love the fact that he created a Mesoamerican wizard for his superhero):

And the self you knew you contained, the story you knew you had inside you, might find its way like an emblem onto the spot right over your heart. All we needed to do was accept the standing invitation that superhero comics extended to us by means of a towel. It was an invitation to enter into the world of story, to join in the ongoing business of comic books, and, with the knotting of a magical beach towel, to begin to wear what we knew to be hidden inside us.

I loved Chabon's topics: superheros, childhood and memories. I loved that his essay invites us to the idea that superhero costumes are really nothing else than the "the truth of the story we carry in our hearts...our rebirth into the world of adventure, of story itself."

I loved his essay. In fact, think I'll have to dust off the old Kavalier and Clay and read it, again. For the sake of good memories.

Blog Stalking: Artist Thereza Rowe

Eclectic, unrestrained, versatile, vivid....artist Thereza Rowe embodies all these and a cool accent to boot!

Karen and I are blog stalking amazing artist Thereza Rowe. We admit that it has turned a bit into real stalking and poor T-Rowe may open her door to find two sisters asking to use her WC one day soon. Judging by her fearless and fun art, she'd just write down her thoughts about it and celebrate the fun of the moment, and that is what we absolutely love about her. That, and she has a cool accent. She captures moments- all moments- the good, the bad, the annoying, and  the funny! And, she does it all with a hint of RED.   Click on  Thereza's flickr page to see her wide variety of art from  collages, drawings, art on trees (YES!), photos, and if you are also a fan of doodling on envelopes (who is not?), she has a flickr group you can join.

Thereza, thanks for sharing your life with the world through your art!