Inspiration

These are some people who are inspiring me lately. The closer I get to becoming a teacher the more I think about what kind of teacher I want to be and what I want to do. Sometimes I wonder if the things I dream about will ever become a reality. Can I really do it? Hope is so important amidst these dreams, otherwise they slowly slip away.

Shelter from the Storm from John X. Carey on Vimeo.

Voices from the Field from John X. Carey on Vimeo.

Gabriel Dawe

The other day I came across the work of Gabriel Dawe via Design Sponge and was instantly captivated. Dawe works in fibers to create installation pieces that are intricately woven together. His designs are simple which allow the colors he uses to transform the space into an other-worldly experience. I'm amazed at his work because, as I am learning through my weaving class, working in fibers in not an easy thing. There are a lot of precise calculations and patterns involved which, in my case, lead to a lot of headaches and frustrations. But the great thing about weaving is the consistency and rhythm it affords you as you work. I'm slowly getting the hang of it...

Carnegie Inspiration

Degas, Dancer Examining Her Right Foot

Martin Johnson Heade, Thunderstorm At The Shore, 1871

John Frederick Kensett, Long Neck Point From Contentment Island, 1872

William Merritt Chase, Mrs. Chase, 1895

Tim Rollins, The Temptation of Saint Anthony XV- XXXIV The Solitaries (XXX) 1990

Last week I went to the Carnegie Museum of Art for my birthday. I have a habit of carrying a small notebook and a pen with me when I go into any museum because seeing so much art makes my mind spin with thoughts, ideas, and inspirations. If I don't write everything down that catches my attention I am sure to lose all those thoughts before I even step out of the museum. These are some of the works that I jotted down and my own photos I took (my cell phone doesn't have the best quality but you get the idea).

The three paintings pictured above are my very favorites from the Carnegie. Whenever I see those two landscapes I can't help but just stand right in front of them and gaze, captivated by their colors (the photos really don't do them justice). I could probably write a whole lengthy art history paper just about those two paintings. But I won't...at least not on this blog. And the portrait of the woman is just so striking, her gaze and expression is haunting.

The piece by Tim Rollins was featured in the exhibit Ordinary Madness. Seeing his work was a happy discovery for me because as I read about the piece I learned that it was a work by Tim Rollins and KOS.

What is KOS you ask? Good question. I realized this is a topic that I would like to say a lot about, as it ties into my own ideas about art education (look, a hint!) so I am going to write a separate post about it (there's no telling how long this post would get if I tried to combine the two). It will either be up later today or tomorrow...