Cuteable

My blue bird was featured at a wonderful blog, full of inspiration and ideas! Yeee! :)

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(click on the picture to jump there)

Whiteness

It started yesterday - at the market in Logatec:

My exhibited works were in harmony with it as well:

And it continues today - from the warm home:

I love whiteness!

Sneak peek...

...into the Creative Lab...

(work in progress, or: we don't hang just the screenprints)

The finished works will be in Logatec on Friday.
Wishing you a beautiful, creative day!

Invitation waiting for you...

...in Creatissimo Lab...

Click on the link below to jump there and read more info:

St.Nicholas' Market

(screenprinting in progress)

A perfect time for holiday shopping. And you will be able to see my works 'eye to eye' ;)!
See you there!

Holiday gift and/or decoration

And how will you wrap holiday gifts?

Find my idea on the www Dom In Stil. It is suitable for children and your skilled fingers. Click on the link below to jump to the guide with pictures:

festively decorated gift or decoration

Wishing you lots of creativity and fun!

Wrong and Right

Teachers note and I have noticed at my workshops that many children hold pencils incorrectly:

1. they hold thumbs over pens
2. they press the middle finger on the pen instead of supporting the pen with the finger
3. even when they rest their hands for a while, you can see who is holding a pen incorrectly
4. who can write or draw anything precisely, if he/she holds the pen with squashed fingers?...

I can barely find those who hold a pen properly: with a pipette grip (thumb and forefinger hold the pen in place, the middle finger supports the pen).

I do not know how many today's kindergartens and schools devote time to this issue... Maybe I will be unfair if I say: too little. If it was enough, we would not see so many children who write incorrectly. When I was in The States years ago, experts in kindergarten regularly monitored the children and checked their abilities, which I loved. Because, in my opinion we should start this in child's early age, not when he/she is in 5th grade...

Sometimes I wonder where are the experts to talk about it? Are we aware of the implications of poor motor skills, poor concentration, poor coordination of eye and hand?
We should help the children before it's not too late!

PS: If you or your kids have problems with holding the pens, you can buy a special 'adapter' for the correct posture of a pencil (here in Slovenia we buy them in a special pharmacy shop) or buy 'triangular' pens. Of course, you still have to take care to properly hold a pen and train yourself in graphomotor skills, but this tool is a good start to improve the problem.

Good luck!

Creative studio - part 3

...where dreams come true...

Do you also have a feeling sometimes that you should nest your creative space in a creative shop or put the creative shop into your creative studio?!?

Today I'll show you the last part of my creative studio. Visit the www Dom in Stil - click on the link below to see the article with the pictures:

creative studio - part 3

Wishing you a beautiful, creative day!

You are invited...

...to a regional exhibition of art works:

Med besedo in podobo

the opening will be on
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 7 pm - in Logatec

39 artists will exhibit art works which were inspired by a literature and other texts.


(a detail from my triptych: Steps)

Looking forward seeing you there!

Christmas gifts from our Lab

It all smells and sparkles in our CreatissimoLab Shop already!!

Have you been to our website and checked this year's collection of eco Xmas cards (from the recycling paper)?
Or saw the famous cats (from my reprinted hit gift book: 'Mačji recepti z mišjo prilogo'), that have settled in a pocket calendar and are waiting for you to color them according to your taste?
What about the bookmarks for passionate readers? The bookmarks can be used as Xmas cards as well!
And for those who want to bring the holiday spirit in their home, there's a section with Decor gifts for every home (some are still in our Lab, but will be added soon).

Click on the link below to enter a special, festive section of our shop, and treat yourself with special, handmade Xmas goodies:

CreatissimoLab: Christmas gifts

Some of the works are unique (one and only), and some of them can be ordered if you want more (so hurry with the orders, reservations and shopping as quantities are limited!).

When you get to the website, open the collection that you want to view, click on the thumbnails to see the products in close up, and below them you can read how many are in stock and other useful information.
All works are hand-made, including templates (for screenprinting and text on the cards).

For orders, reservations and purchases please click the links which will lead you to the e-shop or email us ('contact') for details.


And those who will receive such great handmade and special cards... - Why don't you prepare a special place for them?
On DomInStil website you can look at the idea that I have prepared for you,; just follow the simple instructions and create your own special board. Click on the link below to jump there:

Xmas cards board

Wishing you a great creative energy and sunshine (if not in nature, then at least in your heart), and we'll see you in our store! - We can't wait!!

I admit...

...I have a professional deformation too...

Yesterday I read one of the many articles about plagiarism and copying. The article in humorous way shows the differences between the original and plagirism, and explains where and how the person made mistakes and made a bad copy of the original.

And so it is, we, the art teachers can easily see (= we have an eye for that so to say):
- who is an amateur and who is a trained artist
- who copied and who did not
- who made a drawing or painting after observation and who made it up (from his mind or imagination)
- who does so, as someone told him or taught him, and followed his feelings
- who didn't use his style
- ...

(Ivana Kobilca is my inspiration, from her works I learn a lot!)

When I see the various courses over the Internet, I can tell which participants attended which There is not enough encouraging to find their own way of expression. If the course would be held by a pro, then he would encourage the artistic mode of observation and explorations of their own expressive style. Then there would not be such, basic mistakes as: a black bordered mouth, eyes, which are typically drawn by school children in 3.grade, the background, which is not in harmony with the figure (because usually it is painted or treated separately)...
And so we have this huge amount of art works that resemble to one another, that they were not made in relaxed, spontaneous feelings, and they don't reflect the true feelings of the creator. This is something that is characteristic for the copied products. Realism or abstraction do not have any role here. Both have to have the same goal: to be expressed in their own way.
What we want to say with a product, what feelings we want to bring up?
Of course, the courses teach techniques to create, but it does not mean that we should generate almost identical things. You can look at the famous artists who sometimes gathered together and painted the same motif (Van Gogh and Gaugain, etc..) to see the approach. Did they really all used the same technique, same gestures, same colors, same light? No, each of them created their own work their own way and that's why we also recognize them as true artists even today.

But don't get me wrong - I have nothing against the Internet and other art courses (on the contrary, I think this is something great that came along with the tech growth), but I suggest that we choose the course that will actually teach us to express ourselves, rather than producing products reminiscent of copies and without any soul. Once you fall into the routine creating, it is very difficult to get out of this vicious circle, so we better move on before we fall into it!

(the same artist, the same style, but are these two works really 'the same'??)

And another thing to think about: creativity is not static, it is not 'punching' one thing after another until you drop dead, it is not copying every single dot. This is called 'Crafts' (even if this would be a rather lousy Crafts too), not creativity. And so, it's easy for us to recognize the copy, the picture that emerged after photography, naive 'art'... How wrong are those who think that the thing they've copied from a 'Japanese' web site will not be seen and recognized as a copy if they are from Slovenia! This is really naive thinking! (Boomerang will always return).

...And I admit, if you have a professional deformation, it is not easy as well. If you give a praise to such 'artistical' products, you encourage a person that he continues to create in that vicious circle. If you tell the truth, you can hurt the person to completely lose creative enthusiasm... How many times I have had to bite the tongue, so that there would be no resentment, to not look 'smart' or 'better'. In doing so, I don't do it to hurt somebody, I just want to help, but how to say that, hot to explain?

So far I found this way to resolve this for those who want to create in their own style and want to learn along the way: I prepare Creative Meetings, where people are open to criticism, debate about their works, praise, learn and grow. At the Meetings we learn to listen to our inner selves... I hope the Meetings will help them to get off the vicious circle in which they might have been caught...

So, I wish for you to find the art course that will teach you creativity, not 'craft', and I wish you many creative days and enjoyment in expressing yourselves, esp. in these upcoming festive days!
Good luck!

Inspiration...

...for today.

One of the oldest frescos in Slovenia. Gothic, from 15.c. Castle Turjak.

Colors and kids

The question in one of the comments has been on the use of color among children. What if the child is using a specific color?... So I said to write a few words on this topic.

Colors impact on humans a lot, although we are consciously unaware of that. Their vibrations irritate our eyes, which send stimuli to the brain, etc. Simple logics. Then there is the psychological effect of colors too, which can be summarized in one sentence: the colors are important!
Today I see many people manipulate with the others with the colors. Advertisments, painted rooms, packaging, fashion. But there are also those who use colors just ike that, without thinking, and unwittingly do damage to themselves or others.
It is popular to have a colorful apartment, and even more 'screaming' facade, purple hair, red sports car... The result are the people who respond to those colors accordingly.
I know a school that has classroom walls painted with red paint. Completely wrong. But I also know another school (Waldorf), who has painted the walls of classes with exactly chosen colors, based on research. They also use red, but the color is different and how the walls are painted is also important because their effect is totally different from the above-mentioned school.
But I could write a book about this, so let's get back on the track and talk about color and children now.

Research has shown that children choose the colors the way they feel it (their emotions, emotional mood), so we should not say to them that the Sun on their drawing should not be red. Children, before they enter the school or. approximately before the age 6, don't draw a realistic world through observation and with realistic colors (green grass...). Some will test all crayons (they are more interested in the traces the crayons leave on paper rather than the color of that trace), the youngest children tend to choose only two colors.
Upon entering the school, most children enter a new level - a realistic portrayal of the world, including with the colors. Whether or not the child during this period depicts objects in realistic colors, that is something that the experts (art teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists) don't agree yet. Some believe that it is not necessary, others see in unrealism pathological signs.

My opinion is that the child should not be 'judged' only from his choice of colors. It is necessary to consider the drawings, his behavior, speech skills, his development..., that we'd understand his personality as a whole.

However, the most "problematic" colors when used by younger children are: black, purple and bright red. These are signs of suffering, aggression, hidden anger. But he might just have a period of his favorite color, so we should be careful with our conclusions.

(hm, which would be her favorite color, huh?)

It bothers me that the various 'experts' quickly put the children into a 'box' according to some quick conclusions without checking if their findings are right.
At art therapy, I first analyse the client, to learn more about him and his problems. However, this result does not end there. After several meetings, I give the client an additional task on the basis to re-analyze the previous results and determine whether I really set the correct 'diagnosis' (I compare first and second analysis). When I am in doubt, I give the client more such exercises, where I can get more useful information for working with the client. Playing with people, especially the weak persons, I find it highly inappropriate.

Therefore, I would say as follows: Observe what color you choose, and why your child choose exactly 'that' color. Do not judge it just on general and superficial basis, and do not paint the bedroom in purple, because purple is a hit this year or because you like it this month. Be careful with colors and chose them with your own feelings, and that's when your health and mood will look like a big, bright rainbow!

Now, get yourself on the feet and explore your place to find the color that will give you a new, creative energy! Go, go, go!

PS - Have you ever wondered:
Why is the most popular Ferrari red and not white or in any other color?
Why are witches depicted in black and purple (+ orange for fire)?
Why are life jackets orange or yellow?
Why you never notice people on the streets, dressed in brown clothes?
...