Artsmiths

Mentors in My Life by Lelainia Lloyd

So the topic of the month is Mentors. The dictionary defines a mentor as: "A wise and trusted guide and advisor".

I have been thinking alot lately about the people who inform and influence our lives in a positive way. We need to learn from one another in order to grow. The more exposure you have to other people, other cultures, other values and beliefs, the more multidimensional you become. I always think if our souls as a house with many rooms. We only have access to some of the rooms on our own. As we meet people in our lives who are different from us, they bring with them the key to unlocking more of the rooms and discovering more about ourselves.

Here are a few of my mentors:

My Gramps: From the time I was born, we belonged to each other in that magical way that exsists between a grandfather and a graddaughter. I was his shadow and he was lovingly devoted to me. Before I was even born, he began having strokes and TIAs (Smaller strokes). I only ever knew him in varying stages of unwell.

Gramps was a gifted carpenter and cabinet maker. His life was working with his hands. I spent alot of time hanging out with him in his workshop when I was small and as an adult helping him with various projects. One of the last projects we worked on together was building a canoe. He tuaght me about creativity and working with my hands.

He was also dedicated to helping others and served his community, quietly for years as a Mason, Shriner and Lion. He inspired me to work on a crisis line for 8 1/2 years. I learned alot about myself and it was a privilige serving my community in that way. It changed the way I think about alot of important issues and allowed me to develop a deeper understanding and compassion for people.

My Gramps had several devastating strokes over the years, the kind where the doctor would tell us his would likely die in a matter of days but Gramps didn't pay any attention to them-not only did he not die, he recovered far better than they ever anticipated. He came from a time where you did not give up-you fought like hell and carried on. (They just don't make men life that any more.) Over the years, his physical disabilities mounted as the strokes continued. He just kept right on fighting to the end. He taught me courage and strength in the face of great adveristy. He taught me about resiliancy and acceptance. His greatest gift and lesson was really about unconditional love. He passed away 4 1/2 years ago. I miss him every day.

My Friend Anna: Anna and I met by a quirk of fate after she lost her son Ken in the WTC on 9/11. When we met in person 2004, when I went to NYC to see her, her husband Carlos and their family, our hearts knew each other in an instant. She is one of the strongest, most kind and open women I know. She has an enormous faith and makes everyone around her feel blessed, just by being in her prescence. She has made me want to be a better person. The world is a better place by virtue of Anna being in it.

My Friend Penelope: Penn and I met through a local ATC group. She's my art partner in crime. Her head is full of such amazing ideas and if I get stuck on something or just want to toss around ideas, I call her. She's introduced me to so many cool things and I really enjoy spending time with her. We've taken trips together (some of them have been a tad disasterous) and no matter what happens, she always looks on the bright side of things. Artistically, she opened up a whole world of creativity I didn't know I posessed. I am really lucky to call her my friend.

My Best Friend Lisa: Lisa is an absolute gem. We met working on the crisis line. It was funny because when we first met, neither one of us liked the other. She was shy and thought my friendly nature was too overbearing. I mistook her shyness for being snotty and unfriendly. We laugh at that now!

Lisa is wickedly smart and that is one of the things I love most about her. She also has the gift of being able to say exactly what needs to be said, exactly the way I need to hear it. She has taught me how to be more vulnerable with people and let them in. She's taught me to take risks-when I was sitting around talking about going to NYC "someday" to meet my friends Carlos & Anna she said "Why not just GO?!?" She is an incredible support-she cheers me on when I am scared to do something, she listens when things don't work out and celebrates with me when I have success. She is wise and insightful. Everyone should have a friend like her.

It's interesting that in writing this I see that the people I consider mentors are not connected to art, so much as to the nuts and bolts of my life. Curious that I don't really have "art mentors". I admire other people's work as artists, but perhaps I have not connected to them in that deep and meaningful way...not that it makes those relationships less, just different. I guess for me, the form most of the mentorship in my life takes is that of feeding my soul and building my character.

There is a Buddhist saying: "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." I believe we draw to us the kinds of mentors (teachers) we need in our lives. When our hearts and minds are open, they just show up.

A Canadian Summer

All my life, summer for me meant time spent near the ocean. I didn't grow up in British Columbia, but did spend most of my summers here. As much as I love the prairies where I grew up, I have a deep and abiding affection for the ocean and the mountains that surround me now.

One of my favourite things to do is to call the local government agency and get the tide charts for Crescent Beach. I like to pack a picnic and take my guys out there when I know the tides are really low. We can park the car and walk for hours, barefoot in the soft sands, exploring the tidal pools. Sometimes we find tiny sand dollars and occasionally small jellyfish. Once my husband picked up a giant oyster shell and asked me what was inside. It turned out it was a live eel and he was quite surprised!

I love Crescent Beach-it holds really good memories for me. When my son was in grade 2, his class went to camp there for 4 days and I was designated as beach education mum. *laughs* Imagine someone who grew up on the prairies, miles away from any large body of water teaching little kids about ocean life! I loved it though and the kids got a kick out of watching me pick up and handle all kids of sea creatures. Good times!

Our family also spends a great deal of time at Stanley Park and those of you who read my blog regularly know this is my sacred space. I adore Stanley Park. It is my refuge and balm to my soul. Sometimes we go to the aquarium, sometimes just to drive around, sometimes we walk the sea wall...any excuse to be there is a good one.

  Occasionally we take the sea bus across Burrard Inlet to Lonsdale Quay for lunch and shopping. Lonsdale is home to the Beavertail, a fine Canadian dessert. The market has all kinds of wonderful fresh fish and produce and it's a great place to take photos.

The Quay kind of reminds me a bit of Pike Place Market in Seattle. Same sort of idea, really-cool little shops, interesting eateries, lots of tourists.

The culture here in my little corner of Canada is centered around the great outdoors, being out on or near the water, surrounded by the mountains and enjoying the natural beauty of this place we call home.

Challenge #1: One Word by Lelainia Lloyd

Have you ever tried to describe yourself using one word? It's not as easy as it sounds. When we first started talking about this in Artsmiths, folks were making jokes about all the silly words they could use to describe themselves. I was right there with them, but when it came down to brass tacks, the word I chose was "Intuitive". The dictionary defines Intuitive as "Knowing, or perceiving, by intuition; capable of knowing without deduction or reasoning."

I chose this word because intuition colours how I have always lived my life. I think everyone has instincts, but I think this innate "knowing" goes deeper than that. It's the sense of wonderment at seemingly unknowable things that somehow comes to me without any reasonable explanation. It brings with it a sense of utter peace and "rightness" about things. I liken the experience to have an inner compass that is always set to north. I can't see the forces that pull in that direction, but I feel them and if I am wise enough not to discount or disconnect from those feelings, I seem to come out on the right end of things.

I also think this feeling gives me keen perception about people and situations. I have always felt things deeply, sometimes painfully so. It's what moves me to action. I feel responsible for doing the work I am meant to do in this world. The work makes itself apparent if I keep my eyes and heart open.

One of my close friends always shakes her head at the stuff that happens in my life. My husband used to be kind of spooked by it, but he's gotten used to it over the years and realizes that it's normal for me to experience extraordinary things that most folks would call serendipity, kismet, luck or simply being in the right place at the right time on a regular basis. It's the magical way my life works.

I chose to work with a Buddha image which reflects the serenity that comes with embracing inner wisdom. I liked that the head is bowed with humility and the eyes are closed in a moment of inner reflection. The flaming heart represents passion for life, and the wings for healing. The robe represents the weight of responsibility that comes with the gift of awareness.

It's funny-for me making art is a very intuitive thing. This piece actually came together on its own. It wasn't planned-I just kept adding things and working it and this is how it came out. It's always interesting to see what little bits of yourself work their way onto the canvass. You don't often see them till it's finished. I actually didn't choose the word till the entire piece was finished. It was the last thing I did. I guess it was a bit of a backward way to do things, but that's how it happened.

I hope you found this interesting. I enjoyed working this way. I can't wait to see what the other Artsmiths create and which words they choose!

Stretching and Growing by Lelainia Lloyd

Every year I look forward to Artfest. In August I start mulling over which classes I would like to take. The choices are endless and it usually ends up being a difficult decision to come up with just 3.

Last year at show and tell, I saw incredible work come out of Anahata Katkin's classes. I was just amazed at how beautiful the pieces were. I figured everyone in her class was a hard core painter, for that's how good the work was. I was shocked to learn that many of the folks who took her classes were not painters at all and had still managed to turn out beautiful pieces. This is the hallmark of a great teacher!

Part of the reason why sharing class work at show & tell on the last night is so important is that it allows you to explore the possibilities. For one thing, usually your only impression of a class initially is the instructor's sample. Sometimes you can look at it and think "Oh I could never do that!" but when you see their student's work, you realize that it is possible to learn how to do what they are teaching. You also get to see an entire class interpret the instructor's technique. This helps you to understand how the techniques can fit into your own skill set and add another layer to your art.

The reason I wanted to take a class with Anahata is that I wanted to become more painterly in my work. I didn't want to learn to paint, per se, but to learn how to incorporate paint into the collage work I do. I enjoy playing with paint-I find it really relaxing and I love creating multiple layers in my backgrounds.

Anahata's class was pretty fast paced. It wasn't that she was rushing us, but rather she kept us moving to allow us to create more spontaneously. Her own art is made quickly and with a sense of freedom and serendipity. She just grabs things and slaps them down onto her canvass. If it doesn't work, she just keeps layering over with more paper or paint and keeps working it till she feels satisfied. I loved watching her whipping things together. I am always telling my students that mixed media/altered art is fast and dirty-you want to work quickly and avoid over thinking it or fussing it to death. At first this can be really hard for anyone who has perfectionist tendencies, but the pay off is always worth it!

The biggest challenge for me was in working on a canvass larger than I would ever have chosen myself. I prefer to work small. The canvass boards I worked on was 11 x 14 and I was worried when I bought them that I would feel overwhelmed with such a vast expanse to create in. I quickly got over that because we were moving too fast for me to have time to stress about it.

This is my second piece which is still in progress. I will be working on it next week. In the meantime, since I've been home, I have created another piece on a small canvass (4x5 inches) and completed it and begun another that is 8x10. I am so pleased with what I learned and I know I will enjoy exploring what I can do with my new skills as I work in the comfort of my own studio.

A friend of mine took a class with Susan Lenart Kazmer this year and I loved the jewelery she made. I have spent the last two Artfests being intrigued with her work and yet completely intimidated about signing up to learn from her. I know that every time I have taken a class to stretch my creative boundaries, I have learned alot-not only about the techniques I am being taught, but also about myself as a person. I believe we all possess unlimited potential. We just have to be brave enough to embrace it. Taking classes is one way to stretch and grow as artists, whether it's going to a big retreat like Artfest or just taking a local class in your hometown. The results are the same-you get out, you meet people who are interested in the same things you are and you learn what you are capable of. Sometimes, you might just surprise yourself! 

In Search of Inspiration by Lelainia Lloyd

I don't know about you, but come early March every year, I start to feel my creative energy flagging. It's impossible to maintain a high level of output without taking time to allow for some input. I call this filling up the creative well.

I believe that our creativity is cyclic in nature and there are times for each of the "seasons" of creativity. In the spring of creativity, you are filled with inspiration and ideas and are raring to go. Summer follows with a time of feeling good and hitting your stride-you know what to do and are in the midst of accomplishing your goals. Autumn arrives eventually and this is the time when your goals are completed and you are enjoying the fruits of your labour. Then winter hits. Typically this is the time most artists feel out of sorts and begin to wonder if they will ever have another creative idea again! They begin to question their abilities and the wisdom in persuing art on whatever level they are at. I call this "artist angst" and we all have this sometimes. It's a time of deep anxiety for some and feeling stuck.

So what do you do when you are experiencing a "winter"? Well for me, there are a number of things I do to shake myself up creatively. First of all, I do the simplist of things: I get out of the studio! Yes, I get in my car and go out. Sometimes I go to Stanley Park, my favourite place locally and just walk on the sea wall, breathe the fresh air and enjoy the scenery. Stanley Park is an old growth forest in the heart of Vancouver and I find just being near the ocean and amongst the trees renews my spirit. Sometimes I take my camera and take photos of my experience. It's amazing how when you look through the lense of a camera, how different the world looks.

Often, I meet my best friend for coffee. A chai latte and some good conversation (about something other than art) is a nice mental break. You can't be thinking about art all the time! It helps to switch focus occasionally and connect with others. You don't want to turn into an art hermit!

Another thing I find helpful if I can't get inspired about making art, is to do something practical like cleaning up or rearranging my studio. Sometimes I find stuff I forgot I had and that gives me ideas. Sometimes just rearranging things gives me a new perspective and if nothing else, at least when I am ready to make art again I have a freshly cleaned studio to return to.

Surfing the web is another simple way to shake things up. Visit some of the links on other people's websites or blogs, see what's out there. If you have ideas while surfing, write them down! I have a Moleskine journal that is my idea book. I make notes in it and sketch out ideas of things I want to do or make. When I am feeling creatively fried, I can thumb through it for instant inspiration.

If you are looking for inspiration on a larger scale, think about attending a local class or an art retreat. Artfest is the gift I give myself at this time every year and it falls exactly when I start to feel my creative energy flagging. When I go, I not only get to take classes that interest me and build on my skills as an artist, but I also get to meet other people and feel that sense of belonging and community. What we do as artists is a pretty solitary thing-we're mostly working in our studios alone. I don't know about you, but if I didn't get out and meet people who love the same things I do, I'd be pretty lonely! If a big art retreat isn't in your budget, look for classes at a local art store, scrapbooking store, library, arts center or community center. There are probably classes out there you didn't even realize were available! You can also take classes online and some websites even offer free tutorials.

"Winters" are necessary because they are a time of rest before renewal. It can feel like they last forever, but they don't. Spring is inevitable and if you can just remain patient with yourself, your creativity will return!

Happy spring everyone!