(my warhol-esque piece i digitally created over a year ago.)
& the other thing, i was wondering if there were anyone out there who would want to be a “moderator”, a sort of “fill-in” or “guest-host”, particularly during the times that i anticipate being away. my other thought was that if i didn’t have any volunteers, then i would just let you know that there will be a brief break in the blog until my return. just thinking ahead because there are a few events that will involve getting away for the weekend. & i’m hoping that i can enlist some help for those times. just let me know at follow_your_bliss07@hotmail.com if you are at all interested. thanks!
okay, back to our regularly scheduled program, hehehe…
last week, i had the honor & privilege to guest-host at my dear pal melanie’s community blog & the following is a creative challenge that i posted there.
actually, one of my bloggy pals, jo, inspired me to come up with that challenge. she had suggested a while back about making something as a tribute to someone/something who has had some sort of impact on your creative journey in terms of inspiration & motivation, etc. (thanks jo!!! for suggesting this week’s creative challenge, be on the lookout for some handmade love coming your way!)
so i took it a bit further & came up with the following, which are excerpts of my original post here, entitled, paying homage:
on my way home on this snowy afternoon, i got to thinking about how to end my week as your guest host. somehow, admist the swirling dusts of blowing snow, i was reminded of those art history classes i took in college. you see, at that time i was minoring in art history. i learned in those classes that throughout time artists were constantly paying homage (a fancy schmancy term for “copying”) to the great masters of the day. i remembered reading about lesser known artists or proteges as they were sometimes referred to (or aka “the wannabes”) copying the works of the old masters, like rembrandt, da vinci, michelangelo, monet, etc. (to name a few). it wasn’t really plagiarism…not exactly. more like, paying tribute & showing their respectful appreciation for the old masters’ awe-inspiring works.
where am i going with this, you wonder? well, i thought why not think of someone(s) (a specific individual or group of artists/artisans/crafters) whom you have admired, respected, and/or been inspired by & perhaps would want to emulate. the task that i am prosposing is to create something utilizing some aspect, technique, color palette, style, whatever & pay homage to that particular artist/artisan.
for example, if you are enamored with the works by wassily kandinsky, then go ahead and create something kandinsky-esque. or if jackson pollock is more your game, then a pollock-esque piece. or if amy butler’s designs float your boat, then a butler-esque piece. get the idea? the artist(s) you want to emulate is totally up to you. they can be old world or contemporary. well-known figure or obscure. a trendsetter or a renegade. whomever or whatever sparks your creative juices or causes loss of control over your salivary glands (i.e., drool factor), then you have a pretty good starting point for your homage piece.
once you have someone(s) in mind, take your artwork further & try to add your own flare. aim not for an exact replica, but rather an inspired one with bits & pieces of your own personality/style evident in the artwork. in other words, bring your own special brand of uniqueness into your homage piece.
when you are ready to share your “______-esque” piece, then come by here & leave your direct link in the guestbook below so that we can all visit you & admire your efforts.
who knows? we just may pay homage to you.
xoxo mary ann
