Short post about squishy things.

It’s Pinnotheres again.  Since I put up that nudibranch photo to thank people for the views and the love,  I remembered I had meant to put up photos of the invertebrates and other squishiness in my photography files.  Also, Seckmea got me thinking, yet again, about what really inspires me to do anything creative.

These photos are sort of a more detailed account of the intertidal from my first post.  They in part represent to me what is hidden in the natural world.  In the case of the mudflats I talked about, teeming life is hidden under stinky mud and cold water…but the theme sort of ran through my whole experience with marine field work.  The really interesting stuff was buried, wedged in rock crevices, or only seemed emerge on moonless nights or in what the sea burped up after a storm.  

It’s always been that air of mystery that inspired me, in art or in science – whatever is most typically dismissed as plain, gross, or uninteresting is what draws my attention and makes me want to look closer…

Love and art by,
Pinnotheres
 

Turban snails (Tegula funebralis) crammed into a rock crevice.

A jelly and feather boa kelp (Egregia) washed up after a storm.

A tangle of algae and seagrass also washed up after a storm...the textures!  The colors!

It's really hard for me to believe that some people don't find algae attractive.

Thanks for the supportive comments! You've inspired Seckmea!

We got some really sweet feedback and a bunch of views on FB and here about Seckmea's last post.  It has inspired her to do more cool stuff for this blog.  Hoping to make this whole blog an official collaborative effort with her!

Here is some nudibranch-style love for anyone watching:

This nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis) is a common species in muddy intertidal areas of the Northeast Pacific.

Love and art by,
Pinnotheres

Seckmea: On book-binding and being an artist

Artist/craftswoman/friend Seckmea wrote a post for today!  What follows made me laugh, think, and nerd out.  I think it will do much the same for others!

During my introductory post on Headwaters, Pinnotheres asked me several questions that made me think about what it means to be an artist. As pleased and flattered as I am that Pinnotheres has such wonderful things to say about my artwork I have been reluctant for most of my life to consider myself an artist, artisan, or particularly skilled craftsperson. Indeed...for nearly 30 years you could hear me deny my "artist status." However, I have recently (in part from the acceptance and encouragement of friends such as Pinnotheres and partially due to admitting the truth about myself to myself) claimed my status as an "artist/artisan/skilled craftsperson" of many interests.

It seems silly now that I clung so hard to the idea that I wasn't an artist. Especially since I admired the artistic abilities of others and desperately wanted to be an artist myself. I believe this stems from the fact that much of what I enjoy doing (and get mass compliments for) seems very easy to me and therefore can it really be art? But no one said that you had to Suffer to create art or beauty (though for some this is very true). In addition there were things that I felt I was abysmal at (such as drawing and painting) which I felt were more "true art" than things such as embroidery and beading.

I have come to realize that I genuinely believe that everyone has the ability to be artistic...because art is an expression of a human thought or emotion which evokes a response from those who encounter it (this is my definition). Therefore, if you admire the bracelet someone is wearing that bracelet is art and the person who created it is an artist. Of course not everyone has the same definition of art as I myself have come to. And there is also the human tendency to not only categorize but also rank what we encounter...so there is a difference in the minds of many between "art" and "craft" (art being things like painting and craft being things like embroidery). However, in truth they are all art. There is also the tendency for people such as myself to "over-think" things.

A prime example of me over-thinking things is when I took a book making class in college. We were given an assignment to create several different examples of bindings (accordion, butterfly/pamphlet, Japanese stab bindings, and several others) and in addition we needed to create one book that was an "artist book." the definition of artist book was a book whose binding structure was part of the function of the book...the form followed the function as it were...this of course sounded terribly vague to me and I spent several days in a tizzy over it. However, I finally had a fantastic idea....I would use a shell as the "cover" of my book! Ah, the cleverness of me.

I quickly made several examples of different bindings:

 

Accordion

Accordion #2

Pamphlet stitch #2

Japanese stab binding

My oh-so-clever artist book...a scallop shell containing facts about scallops!

Modified pamphlet stitch with pages cut and then curled to look as if they are escaping the book

Or was it my artist book? I worked on my books until the last possible moment and did not have time to label which one was which for my teacher...I figured it would be obvious. So you can imagine my surprise a few weeks later when I went to an event where the best of our classes "artist" books were being displayed and I did not find my cute scallop anywhere...what I did find however was one of my other books...one I had turned in as an example of an accordion binding! Here are pictures of it in more detail:

Front cover

 

And here we see the inside...a thread is sewn through the "pages" of the accordion and the beading needle is left in the top of the book.

The front cover has a recess cut deeply into it to hold beads meant to be used with embroidery (they are very small and terribly fun to embroider with...and not just because they add sparkle!) The best thing about this is that when you move the cover you can hear the beads shifting around inside it! I was terribly proud of it (but still didn't think it was an artist book when I turned it in).

I made this book on a whim because I liked doing recessed bits on the covers we were making...and I wanted to see what would happen if I put something other than a flat piece of decorative paper in said recess...and once the cover turned out so cool...with the clicking and shushing noises that it made when moved it seemed only right that I put a beading needle and thread through the book as they were embroidery beads in the cover. 

The entire tiny book was an effort in curiosity created with materials I happened to have on hand due to an interest in another form of crafting. To me it was a thing of beauty that celebrated something I loved while at the same time learning something new. I did not consider it art. However, my teacher was blown away by my creativity. I realize now that this moment was when I truly understood what being an artist actually was...it was creating something that pleased YOU FIRST...either out of curiosity or out of a desire to create something beautiful or meaningful to you...and then releasing it to the world and letting the world decide how they felt about it for themselves.

So, what does this mean? Does it mean that it isn't art until someone says it is? No. It is created by you and therefore it is art...even if no one but you likes it. It is an expression of you and therefore it is important. I read an interview once (and have since forgotten where I read it or who it was with) and the journalist asked the interviewee what made someone an artist...and the person replied that anyone who must create or die is an artist (I am paraphrasing as I also don't know the quote by heart). I do not think someone must create or die to qualify as an artist, because I believe that art is an effort to communicate what one is feeling and thinking to others in some way...whether with words in the form of poems and books, or in some other fashion (for me, I create with fabric, string of all types, paper, beads, glass, photography, and anything else I can get my hands on). If you are creating things you are an artist to me. And as my example with art books shows...sometimes you "think" the art right out of a project.

Trust your instincts. Follow your curiosity and joy.

Share your work with those you trust (or via something anonymous such as a blog) and remember: Your point of view is as unique as you are the only one with it and therefore it is of importance.

Love and art by,

Seckmea

Seckmea will be back later this week to do her own solo post!  What wonders from the depths of her creative space will she bring us next???

And also, here is a frog:

Art by me, Pinnotheres.

Obake Inspiration #1 - the Bakeneko

It's just me, Pinnotheres, today.  Bringing you some more stuff from the piles of drivel on my desk!

Lately, I've been fascinated with Obake - Japanese ghosts and shapeshifters.  They feature a lot in modern manga and anime, but their roots are in Shinto.  The thing that makes them so much fun to draw is that they have a cute and comical side that sometimes masks a mischievous or outright predatory nature.  Hoping that folks who aren't familiar with these incredible creatures can have some fun with the ideas as well!

For a LONG illustrated, searchable list of obake, go here:  www.obakemono.com

For this post, I'm focusing on my first piece of digital sketch art inspired by stories of obake.  I'm hoping to put up more as time goes on.
---

The Bakeneko:

Having a cat is like having the creepiest roommate you can imagine.  Secretive and observant, they burst unexpectedly from cabinets, stare at things that only they can see, and tear ass around the upstairs every night at midnight for absolutely no reason.  They also dispense affection and cuteness and encourage frequent naps.  It's no surprise then that the traditional bakeneko, or shapeshifting cat, (From obake - lit. "thing that changes" and neko - "cat") exists on a spectrum from loyal protector to homicidal maniac.

I kin haz merderz? - Image ca. 1754, Japan.  Source: Wikimedia Commons

Modern manga and anime have versions that range from cute to pornographic, but often the bakeneko is a mostly-human female and portrayed with cat ears and a tail that illustrate her emotions in much the way a real cat's would.  In fact, cat-like features such as fangs and ears may appear at any time on human characters to illustrate comical cuteness or mischief.

The pencil sketch.  I try not to erase anything at this point.

I went with the cuteness factor for my bakeneko, combining chibi elements (chibi is an art style in manga and anime where a character is portrayed in a childlike manner with a large head and tiny body) with my own take on things.  Also, I just love drawing kimono with pretty obi bows.  This bakeneko's name is Michi, and she's in a sort of semi-traditional "shy" pose with her paw-hand covering her mouth.  The coloring needs a lot of work, but I was overall pretty pleased with the result for an early attempt.

Like a lot of folks who use computers for art...um...ing...whatever...I do a fast pencil sketch first, then overlay using drawing software.  In my case, I'm learning from the free trail version of DrawPlus, primarily because I'm a cheap-ass, but also because I don't need a lot of features to play around and learn the basics.  There are a lot of other programs that do very similar things - Photoshop and its free clone GIMP are two that spring readily to mind.  You can download the latest version of GIMP at www.gimp.org.

The finished product.  Coloring within the lines is for chumps, apparently.

Back to the fun monster stories:

A bakeneko with two tails (nekomata - split-tailed cat), was also said to animate the recently deceased.  Interestingly enough, other Japanese animal shapeshifters are also portrayed with multiple tails.  Kitsune, or fox-spirits, could have as many as nine tails depending on their age and power.

My next obake project will be some sort of take on the hari-onago (hook-haired woman).  What is it with Japanese ghost women and creepy hair??

GAH!  And crawling out of home electronics!  Source: www.toptenz.com

Love,

Pinnotheres

Photography, beadwork, etc. Seckmea does it all!

Headwaters has its first contributor!

Seckmea is an artist and craftswoman, and I’m honored to say she’s also my friend.  I remember admiring her bead and wire jewelry as well as her knitting skills when we were in high school together – when we weren’t hunting mammoths with spears.  She has continued to expand her repertoire into printing, embroidery, book binding, glass blowing, photography, and quilting.  In addition to her creative work, she works at a crisis call center, helping families in dire financial conditions connect to relief resources in their local areas.  You can find her profile and art at www.deviantart.com.

So, we decided that we’d do this blog entry as a sort of interview, with a few images of her diverse works of art.  The interview was conducted over an online chat, and I’ve copied the text here to preserve her spontaneous awesomeness.  

Seckmea pursues embroidery along with many other interests.  This is a recent project - a needle book with an embroidered garden on the cover.  Diggin' on that cute little sundial in the center!

   

Pinnotheres: Of all your art-related interests, which one was the first?

Seckmea:  Beading. I can still remember the sense of wonder I felt when my mom explained to me I could choose any beads I wanted and put them together to make a bracelet in any way I chose. All the colors! The different shapes! Different materials even...I was in heaven. Of course it broke as my knot tying skill was abysmal at five--but then my mom just picked them all up and said I could remake it...either the same way or differently ~ and I was hooked! The power of creating with beads was too wonderful to give up because it was both endlessly repeatable and also endlessly changeable!

Pinnotheres:  What form of art are you pursuing most right now?

Seckmea:  In the last year I’ve been focusing a lot on quilting for my major projects and then interspersing that with smaller projects when I feel I'm "quilted out" or hit a road block.  Sadly this has occurred several times as I’ve been learning to quilt from my great aunt Leona.  She lives in South Dakota and I live in Washington so it’s been fairly tricky to get our ducks in a row, but I must say she has an amazing ability to describe exactly what you should be doing with your hands, and she also draws great sketches.  For my smaller projects I have been doing small dream catchers and a few paperweights and hand bound journals.

A crazy quilt by Seckmea, being enjoyed by a fuzzy companion.

Pinnotheres: Your family seems to figure a lot in your endeavors.

 

            Seckmea:  Yes, that's why I'm learning to quilt.  My great aunt just turned 90, and she’s had a stroke so I want to take advantage of her skills and knowledge before it’s too late.  Plus, it makes her happy to teach and it is little enough for me to be willing to learn...of course she feels it’s a huge thing since none of her children or grandchildren wished to learn any of the many crafts she does. She says we are sisters of the heart. 

I have been lucky in my life to have learner many crafts from family members.  My mother tried for years to teach me to crochet.  I'm sadly barely proficient.  However, my father taught me to knit and I am also quite good if I do say so myself (Pinnotheres insert:  She really is!).  My mother has never gotten over the fact that I'm "a knitter" but you must do what makes you happy.  

My grandfather was teaching me to woodwork when he died.  I’ve not picked it back up again, but still plan to one day.  My other grandfather worked at a printing press for 50 years -- he did printing for 27 and he was a security guard the rest if the time.  I actually didn't realize he was more than a security guard until I took my first printing class. He claimed my genetics sent me to letterpress.  And he could be right as a similar thing occurred when I took glassblowing only to learn that I came from a long line of glassblowers

Pinnotheres:  That's pretty cool, all the stuff you've picked up and later learned others in your family did as well. This question is a little less defined, but, what does inspiration feel like to you? Do you do art on some form of schedule or do you really have to be inspired to get going with it?

Seckmea: I am one of those horrible people who only creates when inspired by something. Luckily for me, seeing a bunch of colors, shiny objects, weeds, or just about anything can inspire me. I also find that once I create something that inspires me to do something similar but different...so I can end up with twenty things that look like they are related but are completely different.

 

Seckmea takes a lot of inspiration from anything with a pattern.  These structural photos of hers are from her various travels.

As for what it feels like for me it feels like a coiled spring loaded in my belly straining to escape from by bouncing out of my head into my hands.  Weird, I know...but I really feel like the ideas are just waiting to be released...and once they are...bam ~ they explode out into the world

Pinnotheres:  Not weird at all.  I'd describe it differently for me - usually water or lightning, but it sounds like a similar kind of feeling.

Seckmea:  I have noticed if I don't create something for an extended period of time the pressure of "not creating" just about drives me nuts. I get irritable...and I will literally lock myself away so that I can get some time to make something...anything...

Pinnotheres:  Doesn’t surprise me!  Unless you feel like there is something you want to add, that’s what I had prepared (along with some stuff you inspired).  Thanks for sharing your work and your thoughts.  This was fun!

Seckmea:  I don’t think we need to add anything else…I too am headed for bed.  6am comes early!

Hope you enjoyed this!  Seckmea plans to do regular contributions to this blog, and maybe some writing for it in the future.  If you like her stuff, give this entry a like, comment, and/or share.  It will inspire more of this sort of thing.

Love,

Seckmea and Pinnotheres

See this and other images of Seckmea's art via her profile at www.deviantart.com