Creative Fuel #2
Art inspires more art, am I right?
Tiny drawings in an envelope sent from your cousin's daughter. Snow glittering along the sidewalk before it turns that sloshy grey. A week in NYC visiting with friends, with art and with beautiful French red wines. Little moments inspire big work.
So what's fueling my creativity this week?
Echo of the Star
My creative soul sister, Christine Hilbert, wrote and illustrated a book last year. A legit book: hard cover, gorgeously illustrated and beautifully written. Echo of the Star is a lovely story of a star that passes on its sparkle as morning comes.
Christine is a terrifically talented artist: true. What impresses me and inspires me most about her book, though, is that she did it. She took that moment of inspiration and turned it into a book I'm so proud to gift to friends and family. Dreaming up a project and seeing it from start to finish-- just for fun, not because a client is hiring you to do so-- that's an accomplishment.
The story is thoughtful and sweet- the watercolor illustrations (dotted with glittering jewels) are stunners.
Check out Christine's book here.
AMy turn sharp + Oh happy Day
I've been a fan of Amy Turn Sharp since stumbling on her poetry in 2014. She was kind enough to write a poem back to my fan letter 3+ years ago. When I saw that this talented, thoughtful poet had teamed up with the babes of Oh Happy Day, I was delighted. Balloon Poetry is sweet, whimsical and an art installation I wish I would have thought of myself. I've been thinking about ephemeral art and how I can make it in 2018. Ms. Amy Turn Sharp has inspired me, yet again, to create more.
Bonus: This Inc. article says poetry can be a "productivity tool."
I took Kevin on his first visit to MoMA while we were in NYC earlier this month. We found many pieces that inspired us, of course, but the artist I googled immediately: Vija Celmins. You might look at this photo [that I took of "Untitled (Large Night Sky)"] and assume it's a photo from a telescope, but nope, it's a mezzotint. Mezzotint is an engraving + printing technique: think of it like building a very, very intricate metal stamp and inking it on some fancy paper.
The level of detail is verging on obsessive- and I could not stop obsessing over it.