New art and ideas!

I'm still playing around with a new prop that arrived today.  I fully intend to make a skirt out of it.  For today's "playtime" - i made a full character.  I didn't mean to do it but my original ideas spawned a new idea!   I just love letting things flow and go. 

ENJOY!!!!

Inspired?  Join me at the Women's retreat in July 2015.

AFTER DARK Education - huge blow out, the LAST of the last and embracing new changes.

Dear God, what is Jen talking about now? :)

I'm talking about the little big thing we call AFTER DARK.  A place where I have thrived and challenged myself as an artist and business person.  To grow within and move forward to my future.  I have met people that have changed my life for the better and have accepted me for being myself and my art as unique and completely UNIQUE to me.

I have been encouraged, disappointed, enlightened, enraptured and ENJOYED every minute that After Dark gave me.  I feel that every single emotion I could name I might have felt before, during and after.  I know that they had been announcing the END, but I think most of us know.....

it is only the beginning.

I have to thank a huge number of people that I just can't list off here....I've met great models, designers, photographers, artists and more at this place.  I have been truly taken aback at how I could find a place to feel like I fit into this crazee art world....and push myself beyond my greatest limits.  I truly can be my biggest obstacle.  The obstacle of comparison and the obstacle of fears have plagued me in the past....but I say....NO MORE!!!! :)

I am home after about 2 weeks of traveling - and I have barely any edits to show for it yet...but I can tell that this will be some of my most inspired work yet.  I truly believe that I'm here for a reason and I've met the people I meet for a reason as well.  I'm truly thankful to you all - I know you don't know this - but i am! :)

Thanks to the naysayers & questioners.
Thanks to the believers & the encouragers.
Thanks to the darkness & light.
Thanks to the light makers & shadow creators.

You are inspiring.

New posts to come...and I'll work through them one by one...to share the back stories, ideas & concepts....or not....BAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

SHOCKING Sidenote: 
I also took it up a notch with everything I've learned.  I literally SHOCKED a few people and inspired quite a bit of laughter and amazement.  I can't wait to tell the stories. <3

I love you guys.
 Images and ART to come.....................

Creating something out of nothing.........STARTS with an idea.

I know the CREATIVES understand ideas....we probably have a MILLION of them!!! They are a constant riverflow of words and thoughts swirling around in our minds as we try to capture or caress what we want to say think and do.  But hooooow do we harness that to make art?

Well, the simplest of the simple is - TIME.  Taking a few moments to stare at a set of pictures you might have taken in the last 24 hours...and letting yourself gravitate towards an idea.  It might start with "hey, i really really like that color and shape going on here!".....and move towards...oh wow, from there i could blend these 2 backgrounds...what would THAT look like?  Asking yourself...what if? over and over and over.

This is the creative processing!

I start with an image that inspires me....and I move forward without fears or hangups.  No fears of failing or succeeding - simply WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.  I loved soooo many of Brooke's classes because she does break down everything simply as an artist you could go through and do checklists and see what you think and feel about an image.  I think it is very helpful to have amazing teachers in your life that help you HARNESS your ideas to make a great story of them. :) So here is where I began....

We stopped out WAYYYY OUTTTTT towards a lake off I45 in the middle of the night almost.  Here we are at maybe dusk and I'm with my point and shoot trying to see about capturing some scenic stuff - you know, just trying stuff!!!!  So I was inspired by this because of the water and the twigs coming off the water.  It was a semi-rainy day so clouds were already a factor in our journey that entire time.   THIS is what I started with.

The very next day, I had a large fashion shoot that we put together...and in visiting that night's images plus THOSE images I was able to find an image I was happy to insert into the scene and figure out what was next.

This is a raw image of some of the stuff we shot that Sunday whilst I was playing I thought - hmm, this image might be fun!!!!  So i took it upon myself to play a bit more by trying to insert her into this scene I was creating combined with MORE and light photography....to create her world she was accessing.

Also into my background I had been inspired by the weird sunset clouds going on............so I figured...hmm...let's play with THAT TOO.

see what i mean? WEIRD! look at that line!!!! :)

 So now...I've started my background....and now starting on my character....but to me, the landscape wasn't enough.  Her look and feel got me thinking about all those great light bursties I had captured the night before....and i started playing with the idea of placing that in too.  I think I went through about THREE options before finding one that worked for me.

starting to see it yet?????

So as I looked at my previous images.....and laid....and played....I found that morphing through the ideas and looks and textures....helped me to wind up close to my final product.  I honestly have a LOT TO LEARN about true finishing.  I think sometimes I jump the gun and finish too soon - or I go back and re-think or think too much about something.  I decided to COMMIT to this one because if I can't be honest about growth....then what is the POINT. I don't know what I'm doing and I'm following a formula in my mind that works for ME.  I'm trying to harness that INNER SELF and expression...and there is nothing easy about it.  NONE OF THIS COMES EASY!!!! :)  But i'm so glad i'm not scared to jump, leap and just keep going.

So I bring you to my final image for now...part of my story...and part of my creations....the extra texture came way later....and it was snow and rain droplets from my trip to Chicago. LOL :)

I hope you enjoy this and are inspired to create and "modge podge" your own pieces as you create your continual reality.  There is nothing like starting with your ideas...and whether they succeed or not is not the question....ARE YOU TAPPING INTO THEM...and making steps to make realities!!!!!!

All the best to you,
Happy Friday.

Love Jen

Adventure time: Checkerboard Flooring.

So, after kinda wandering around online while waiting for images to copy/download....I took a few minutes to do a quick concept that I had in my mind with my new checkerboard flooring.  I had bought it for my bridal shows because I felt that the floors just needed a "stand out" feel.  I've always love the checkerboard look.  (or chess).

So tonite I wanted to explore my legs only.  I had gone to the local party city and grabbed checkered tights...and was determined, eventually to capture the both together.

It just so happens that my LOVELY friend Hallie left her petticoats here too - so i used the black petticoat!  So tights/petticoat and floor....and a camera. :)

As of right now this is roughly version 3 or 4.  If you get to know me well enough - sometimes it can take up to 9 version of an idea to get something I will feel strongly about.  Right now....I'm still working on it.  I think it can be improved - but also can be ok AS IS. :)

Thanks so much to Brooke Shaden yet again for always reading my creative "mail"....everyday she posts something relevant to the creative life - like a livestream right into the heart and soul of what i'm trying to accomplish.  So greatful!!!!

SO HERE YOU GO:

1st of many of a series i'm going to try.  THANK YOU!

Inspired by Inspiration. - Art here and Art there.

Here recently I was a part of the Girlfriends retreat in which me and some ladies that i knew or didn't know went away for a couple of days and did some out-of-routine activities to really do something new and learn something new. 

We did our version of the "Paint with a Twist" where we took our personal vision of a tree....and painted what our trees would look like with leaves/fruit/backgrounds.

I was brought in to guide everyone through the process...and it helped that I had just been through that process in the spring so  I could help break it down and lead everyone through the basics.  We had 2 examples of 2 very different trees and how God used us to speak about those trees.  Tawana's tree - she kept trying to get it to look one way and it always came out so different and she wanted someone else's tree.  She had the same tools as her friend, but always seemed to get that same result.  A tree that in some ways was representing her personality. My tree was something that the example I was painting from had SO much detail - but I ended up with super large extensions of that same look - but nowhere near the fine details of the original picture.

My painting from April 2013 - the "process" :) - the top right has the original picture.

My tree example, was a result of picking a picture of my own choice at the place and then following the instructions of the art lady to start with the background first.  I knew the background was just as important as the tree!  I took everyone through the background phase with the ideas if anything goes!  Water, Sky...GRASS!  Whatever you wanted or saw...you could do. :)  The results from everyone were vastly different from anything I've ever seen! It was super super fun.  My tree ended up a tad bushy and full - a little billowy and fluffy. :)  I called it almost a tree afro - my hair is naturally curly - so i have a coarse textured hair anyways.  It makes sense and speaks to me.

Each lady had their own process.  Some fast and furious...other meticulous and questioning everything along the way.  I stopped myself to let myself visualize where I was going.  It was different than any other tree i've ever done.  When the final times came for us to be done and lay it out for the final drying phase...we took a few moments to look at each other's trees and really see what spoke to us about our tree and others' trees.  The results were all soooo different and unique that it couldn't have been more beautiful!  :)

I hope you enjoy the pictures of us doing our thing!  You can see truly how each lady brought out their own personality. :)

VLOG 26!!!! - things and a phaser

So, I got something in the mail today!

I'm prepping for my "original" Star Trek shoot fun day....just for fun, creativity and laughing with friends.  I love stepping away and doing additional projects that just are nostalgic AND fun for me.  My friends are super super super excited about this - as we are going to re-create at least 2 characters and have some good times.  I believe we make memories and have fun...there is nothing too much more awesome than that. ;)

Thanks to everyone involved so far! See you soon!