As such, I’ll summarize the month of July in the end but first I’d REALLY like to share a TED talk I keep coming across on the Sci channel and that moves me more & more each time I see it. Moves and intrigues me.
So my friends here might remember that I once (5 years ago) posted about being an “Ambiturner” (tongue in cheek joke from the movie Zoolander where the term was used for people who can turn both left and right). I was born ambidextrous. My kindergarten teacher forced me to pick a side to write with so I chose left handed. I think though that I’ve always been more right handed about many things. Listening to Dr Taylor’s description of right brained activities is fascinating to me because it’s NOT a state I’m constantly dwelling in. In fact the hard sciences were more my thing.. yet while the “global picture” hard science concepts were a cinch for me to grasp typically, linear 1, 2, 3 steps, terms etc still elude me. Anyhow, but that’s not the aspect I find fascinating… just a btw this is where I live sort of thing.
What fascinates me is how very very few of my artist friends like to listen to talking while they work. Where as it’s my totally preferred state of working. For me it’s as if I have to give my left brain something to do to get it out of the way so my right brain can really flourish and work. Although the more I’ve thought about it the more I’ve come to realize that at times things that require some focus technically (ala left brain logic coming into play – such as measuring proportions), are when I stop hearing whatever it is I’m playing on the tape/cd. So it really has been an interesting journey to find where/how I work most efficiently actually!
I won't even get into the synesthesia aspect of it for me much except to say that I do tend to insert mental "memory" points onto my sculptures too. I return to a point in the mane per say & suddenly flash back to a point in the story I was listening to when I created it. But that's a lot more complicated & probably could get it's own post. The brain is so fascinating. The games it plays on us are fascinating too! ;)
So in watching Dr Taylor’s talk last night again with my fiancé impressed me about a few things. He’s my polar opposite, engineer.. highly methodical and thorough. It was hysterical to watch him watch her talk about the whole magical exposure (for the first time?) to her euphoric states. He must think I walk around in lala land (well ok, granted this isn’t so far from the truth a LOT.. many people who know me know this).. but also I was a bit surprised to realize that I missed the first time that she had this pretty severe stroke at the tender age of 37. It’s really amazing that she recovered so thoroughly and just plain lived imo. Humbling how much we can do with our brains and yet how fragile they are.
Anyhow, so of course I have to think too of how much like Dr Strangelove & the alien hand I can be with my 2 sides. It rather cracks me up. Just this past month I got this whole ribbing from my pals about being like this cartoon character (of course I have only seen 5 mins of this character in action) “Rainbow Dash” who is all serious and driven and scientific apparently. Huh. Meanwhile MY personal self image is of a seriously dippy girl who is barely staying on top of stuff and more often has a dorky expression going on…
(:-P
On that note, last month has been a wild time of much happening. I’ve officially launched my new fine bone china line with my new pony’s arrival; http://www.artbymorgen.com/available_clinky_etc.htm It’s been really exciting to share him with fine bone china collectors and he’s been very well received I think (I’m honored folks like him and the initial slots sold out in a few hours!). :) In a week or two here I will offer him up at auction. The glazes will each be unique/one-of-a-kind on my edition. This is more costly to produce of course but OH so worth it imo since mini horses come in every color under the sun and this company, Horsing Around, has been producing the most amazing glazes lately.. even a non-collector like me has been sorely tempted to get one now & then. Anyhow, their workmanship is phenomenal!
A week after Kipling’s release I loaded up a rental car and drove off to Lexington Kentucky again to set up a booth in the covered arena of the Kentucky Horse Park for Breyerfest. I shared it with Maggie Bennett and she & a great helper (thank you Claire!) manned it while I taught 3 little sculpting workshops at the park that weekend.
On a random side note, in sculpting (back to the left/right meanderings), I often sculpt upside down myself... a way to dismiss preconceptions and simply focus on what you are literally seeing.
Anyhow, back to last month's big event (not just for me but for everyone I hear) sales were great this year from within the Horse Park and from what I hear back at other venues. I normally don’t talk much about that but I want people to know that perhaps we’re all seeing more optimism in buyers again...? Yay! Spreading the hope baby!
OH! And how could I forget that I finally got to show my newest (1:12 scale) sculpture “Nemo” there. Details will be forthcoming on him, he’s literally getting his 2 alternative mane and tail options for Destriers by Design (a new company founded by Wendy Galbreath) right now. In fact he’d be done already if I hadn’t gotten knocked down badly by a bit of a tummy thing this week and been grounded for 2 days.
So let me get back to that. He looks fabulous in his 2 new doo’s --> one braided up for working equitation (tail knot & all), and the other long mane and tail).. below is the info on the sales of the bald “hair prep” version (shown in photo above). Here https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150998512754652&set=a.301552199651.148478.300014514651&type=1&theater is what I can share from last month’s release about him. She will also be marketing him (and more) to doll house and military collectible scale hobbyists. It’s always exciting to be involved in new ventures!
Righto, so that was far too short and sweet synopsis of nearly 30days but that was the gist of it. Going forward I have some horses in the works I’m considering and some long overdue obligations to wrap up. OH! And in a few months I’ll have a whole new bunch of gorgeous shiny little fragile fine bone china ponies in a variety of utterly individual colors to share! Cheers & hope folks are staying cool!!!
5 comments:
Great blog post. It really surprised me to hear you say that many of the artists you know do not like to listen to talking while they work. Personally, I cannot work without some sort of noise, be it a book on tape, movie, etc. Even though I don't exactly watch/listen to it(most of the time I just play the same book or tape over and over again), I find that having noise always improves, not only the quality of my work, but also my attention span. I never really gave any thought to this until now, though.
Also, I wanted to ask you if you had ever considered giving online workshops/mentoring. Ex: For a small fee, would you be willing to help give tips or walkthroughs on sculpting, or give critiques and helpful hints on works in progress? You could do it via Skype, or for an even less hurried atmosphere, via e-mail with photographs. Just throwing it out there.
I look forward to more updates. Have a fantastic day.
Glad I'm not alone! Well I could've been clearer but specifically - it's talking, not just noise. It's the language and learning centers of my brain that have to be distracted. I'm perfectly into my books I'm listening to too (well usually, but sometimes not). It's as if though I have to let my right brain do it's thing without my left brain paying attention though.
I'm still not being clear.
ON that note, having issues getting my thoughts across with the written word; yes and no. I do do critiques for $. (Gotta eat!).. I vastly vastly prefer to do them in person. So much so because I can show the person what I'm talking about, whip out an anatomy book, do a sketch and wave around & gesture to help overcompensate for the fact that I lack a certain amount of words at time to convey changes I'm trying to suggest.
Skype and online period would be exceptionally hard for me to do however. And when it comes to writing up say a little pictorial essay of a critique I'm always feeling like I'm not expressing nearly enough of all I'm seeing. In person it's just so much faster to point and show areas. Some artists really want to only critique works shipped to them in person and I could sort of see that. Perhaps that might be the route I might be convinced to try taking... But I'd be afraid to necessarily do the over-the-phone method as well. Really in person is my preferred method. Not so helpful when I don't leave the house too often though, eh? ;)
ANYWHO, glad it intrigued you too!
I'm lie you there. I have the laptop with a movie or speaking book or just something going. I can't stand having utter silence around me. I have to mash my brain with art AND noise at the same time....
Twilight Sparkle, silly. You are like TWILIGHT SPARKLE. Love, Pinkie Pie.
Ok - laughing now... I tried to google but found one example where she turns into a radish. I think I'll have to accept that I don't get this one. lol! :D Love you though all the same Pinkie!!
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