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Chantal Powell 2008
Chantal Powell - 2008
Chantal Powell - 2008
Chantal Powell - 2008
Remaining - 2008
Latest box. Small, antique cigarette holder, engraved on outside and with burnt photo and text from a letter inside. Don’t think this one needs much explaining its pretty simple and speaks for itself.
Remaining - 2008
Remaining - 2008
“Art cannot be separated from life. It is the expression of the greatest need of which life is capable, and we value art not because of the skilled product, but because of its revelation of a life’s experience.”
“Paint what you feel. Paint what you see. Paint what is real to you.”
Robert Henri 1865-1929
Fancied a bit of fun trying something different Sunday afternoon and so bought a very cheap set of oil paints and had a go. Was great fun trying something new and I think I’ll definitely give it a go again. In the interest of letting it all hang out I thought I would be very forthcoming and share my first attempt in all its true beginners glory!
I guess what I really want to share though is that part of the joy in creativity is in playing around with new things. Its easy to stick with what we believe we are good at and label ourselves in that way – “I’m a photographer, I don’t paint” etc. These are just the tools we use rather than what our creative identity is. My friend who expresses his creativity through painting told me he is planning on having a go at some sculpting, and I found it really refreshing to pick up a paint brush today. Doing something new is stimulating in itself, great for stretching ourselves and gives our creativity a kind of opportunity to catch us unawares by coming at things from a different angle. Because we appreciate its pretty much impossible to be technically good at something first time round, it enables us to relax and not have expectations or make negative judgements about what we are doing. Whats left is the fun and joy of creating that a child experiences. I recommend it – give it a go!
Working at trying to get a certain feeling/emotion across with these (be interested to know what if anything they make you feel?). I feel they work better togther as a pair than they do standing alone. I think they have a soft dream-like quality to them quite different to the high contrast black and white stuff I had been doing.
Chantal Powell 2008
Chantal Powell 2008
this morning
A particularly beautiful misty morning.
Being inspired by a book on polaroid photographs (I feel an ebay purchase coming on).
Swimming outside in the pouring rain.
Driving down dark roads at night listening to The Doors.
Recieving mail in the post from a friend.
Holding my children and feeling them giggling.
Drinking Baileys whilst lounging in a hot scented bath.
What about you?
A few days ago I posted a quote from Picasso about how all children are artists and the problem being how we can remain so. Bobby commented that we need to keep looking at the world through a child’s eyes so that everything remains fascinating to us. I think that is most certainly true but as I was watching my son Oliver drawing this morning it occurred to me that it is also about the freedom from rules and judgement they have in their creativity, and the confidence and joy that results in.
Oliver's machine
When Oliver had finished his picture he was so proud of what he had done – so excited about his creativity and desperate to share it. He insisted it go straight on his bedroom wall and then proceeded to enthusiastically describe to me what he had done,
“It’s a machine and its got a heart inside. It’s really delicate – look! I’ve done lots of lines, and circles, and squiggles. And look there’s a hill!”
It was a joy to see how pleased and happy he was in the knowledge that what he had made was good and right purely because it was something he had created. There are no preconceptions or fears of being “wrong”. It’s an inspiration really. How wonderful if we could all recapture that freedom and confidence in our creativity.
At the risk of sounding very Oprah, the last 4 months have been a bit of a journey of self discovery. The starting point of which was the difficult admission that the sole role of being a mother was leaving me unfulfilled, isolated and depressed. Properly embracing my creativity, probably for the first time in my life, has bought a sense of identity, renewed passion and purpose. In all honesty that change wouldn’t have been possible without a particular friend who was able to see that desire and potential within me. The same friend who, despite living miles away and having only really known me for a few months at that point, was the only person both brave and insightful enough to suggest to me that I may be depressed and went on to help me deal with it.
I’m reading a book at the moment called The Artists Way by Julia Cameron, that was given to me by another thoughtful friend. I really identified with how the book talked about some people being afraid to take their own creativity seriously and as a result feeling life to be, “a discontented experience, filled with a sense of missed purpose and unfulfilled promise.”
It also stated,
“One of our chief needs as creative beings is support. Unfortunately, this can be hard to come by. . . As young artists, we need and want to be acknowledged for our attempts and efforts as well as for our achievements and triumphs. Unfortunately, many artists never receive this critical early encouragement. As a result, they may not know they are artists at all”
This is what my friend provided for me. As well as being an inspiration with his own work he encouraged me to explore what I was passionate about and provided a safe playground to experiment with thoughts and ideas. It was, and still is, a place to make mistakes (something that is inevitable and essential to learn and grow) and not feel humiliated. His encouragement and support has made me confident to now share with others and, most importantly, to believe in myself.
He has said that I would have gotten there anyway without his help but I honestly doubt that and even if I had it wouldn’t have been at this moment in time. I don’t know where my journey will take me but I do know through his friendship he has provided me with an invaluable gift that will now always be part of my life and that I will always treasure and be thankful for.
Thanks Dean!
Detail from Pluto and Proserpina - Bernini
Detail from Pluto and Proserpina (1621-22) white marble cm. 255 | Gian Lorenzo Bernini
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