The REV It Up List

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!

Illustrating stories with Liz Ness

Is you ever want to meet someone creative and fun; someone who loves life and shares her passions openly, I would say you must meet my friend Liz Ness. Both, her blog and her flickr page have been favorite stops for me for a long time now. And recently, she has teamed up with her friend Jackie to create a new wonderful blog  to share their passion for creativity called Illustrating Stories. Today we are talking with Liz about life and so many other fun things. Get yourself a coffee, or tea, and join us in our interview for today.

Rev It Up: Please share with us what you do in your every day life that occupies the most important part of it.

LN: The most important part of my everyday is time spent with my son, Duncan, and husband, Erik. Duncan has a great sense of humor and is curious about life. His enthusiasm is contagious. Likewise, Erik is kind, smart, and a lot of fun, too. I learn so much from both of them and find myself laughing often. One of my favorite things is working together with Erik to help Duncan learn about himself, the world, and how to live in it. In addition, I love keeping in touch with family and friends (near and far). So, it isn't uncommon to catch me visiting or calling a family member or friend on a day-to-day basis. The connection, support, and love we all share is a key element to my personal happiness.

Rev It Up: When did you begin scrapbooking and how did you get into this?

LN: I fell in love with scrapbooks when I was about five years old. My mother kept them and I loved looking at them. In addition, my grandfather kept scrapbooks. So, it is a bit of a family tradition. I began keeping my own shortly after getting my first camera when I was eight years old. Of course, I didn't have all of the wonderful materials available to modern scrappers, so my books were a bit of a mess and some items were lost to decay. Still, I've rescued most of the pieces I collected from those days, including them in new books. (One of the things that thrills me, is that Duncan is interested in keeping scrapbooks, too. In addition, Erik kept them when he was young. So, it looks like the tradition is likely to continue!)

Rev It Up: I've been a loyal follower of your personal blog for quite some time now, and I see that in it you share a lot of ideas, techniques, scrapbooking prompts, and even free digital brushes (which I love by the way!)  What motivates you to share so openly?

LN: Thank you for your loyalty to my blog, Maria! I value our connection and the friendship we share through our blogs. Further, I enjoy following your blog, as well! And, maybe that is one of the reasons it's so easy to share. It's a blessing to discover a tid-bit, have an idea, or create something useful – so is sharing these things with friends!

Rev It Up: I see you have started a new venture now. A new blog called Illustrating Stories (http://www.illustratingstories.com/) What is the main focus of this blog and how did it get started?

LN: My dear (and very creative) friend, Jackie Wood, and I wanted a place to celebrate the creative life and the artifacts that result from that life (like mini-books). We wanted to build a community dedicated to capturing life's stories and illustrating them in some way. So, we developed Illustrating Stories: A blog that encourages creativity, inspires ideas, and shares the insights that we (and others) have had as a result of our own journeys. It consists of interviews, projects to try – including eco-friendly projects, tips for living the creative life, book reviews, and organization ideas. Subsequently, it embraces that which allows us to devote ourselves to illustrating our own life's stories.