by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Random Acts of Art |
Uh-oh… Looks like Arty Life took a little vaca-shun this week. Like, you know, I forgot to write any posts.
I’m. NOT. Kidding.
Seems I got me a serious case of the summers. Long days. Sun addled brains. Lazy girl panties with ‘Arty Life’ embroidered on the butt. Languid afternoons floating around the crystal clear pool…the blue diamond sparkling pool of clarity, sippin’ G&Ts and readin’ ro-mance novels.
Bwahahahahahah…. In. My. Dreams.
Aside from the day job, aside from painting the walls and ceiling of the new! improved! Studio-Grande-under-construction, aside from scrubbing winter pond scum from the algae green depths of the pool where the mer-trolls dwell (after the day job when I could’ve been writing. Or painting.)… ASIDE FROM ALL THAT…it seems I ignored you, my sweetums. My best beloved readers….
But NOT on purpose. Swear to big G in heaven above. Really. Really really really REALLY. Not. On. Purpose.
Now I’m back. And I have much to tell you. Like about today. And how it was a jumping up and down clicking my heels together kind of day.
Today was the day Catholic Girls Wear Plaid went to her forever home with new friend Betty.
Aren’t they a lovely couple? Betty fell in love with CGWP a few weeks ago when I posted a work-in-progress photo. Every painting should come into the world so appreciated.
Betty and I have known each other on-line since taking a hot wax class with Judy Wise. But we’ve never met in person…until today. We live a little more than an hour away from one another and decided to meet somewhere in between. We decided to meet at High Hand Nursery, a combination conservatory, restaurant and art gallery housed in historic fruit sheds in the hills outside Sacramento.
And since Betty is a member of the RANDOM ACTS OF ART group on FaceBook, well, it was only natural for our meet up to include some RAA. RAA rules are simple…make a little arty something, leave it in a public place for someone to find, take a photo of the hide and walk away. I call it spreading the love one arty token at a time.
We share our photos in the FaceBook group. Check it out. If you like the idea, ask to join. We’re friendly folk and you don’t have to be an artist to create RAA. Really. I just make heart rocks. They’re easy to make, easy to have on hand, easy to hide.
High Hand is the perfect place for RAA. Gardens. Old buildings. Art. Ahhhh…..
A garden bench.
A little old lady frozen in time.
A hanging candle holder.
And my favorite, because I get all kinds of giggles hiding RAA in galleries…
In the gallery on the pedestal with an assemblage sculpture.
Those were some of my RAAs today. Not all of them. And Betty has some of her own which I’m sure she’ll post on the FaceBook group. Watching her position one of her little watercolors in the gallery and take a photo looking for all the world like she was supposed to do that…oh man, it was like watching my kid graduate…it was that good!
So go on over to the FB group and check it out. And come back here on Monday. I’ll be back, I will. I mean, I can’t keep forgetting to post now, can I? So I’ll be back and I’ll have some interesting photos to share. Monday it’ll be all about texture.
Yumm…I loves me my texture!
Ohhhhh…and I loves me my comments too! In other words, don’t be shy. Say hi and join in the conversation.
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Random Acts of Art |
Random Acts of Art has moved to FaceBook and taken on a life of it’s own. Check it out. If you like what you see, join the party. In less than two weeks we’ve grown to over 200 members, people from all over the world are making things, hiding things, stacking things.
And posting the photos.
There are some amazing photos.
Tonight we’ve been wowed by new member James who stacks rocks into seemingly impossible creations all against the backdrop of rivers and mountains. Stacks that sooner or later, probably sooner, will tumble either on their own or helped along by nature or man. James knows his creations are temporary. In his words, “But like the brightest leaves of fall, only there for a moment.”
It all comes back to release. Non-attachment. Seems like that’s been a theme lately. Making things, letting go. No need to stake a claim with name or credit. Random. Acts. Of. ART.
But doesn’t that go against making my living as an artist?
No. Not at all.
In fact, it enhances it.
Because giving something, without any expectation of return, feels GOOD. And when I’m feeling good, the art flows from the feeling good place. The place inside me that’s bold. That takes chances. That isn’t afraid of blowing it. Because if I do…it really doesn’t matter.
Releasing my little arty tokens out into the world makes me a better painter.
Huh? Yeah. It DOES. It. Just. Does.
And that, in turn, gives me the confidence put on my big girl panties, go out into the world and sell my art.
Imagine that!
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Random Acts of Art |
I was on fire Sunday night. Ouch! Sizzlin’ hot…FIRE!!! Because da Muse was lit up big time. And I was her puppet…puppet, I tell you...slapping paint every which way, upside down and backwards.
I was so fired up I declared to the world I would have that painting finished by Wednesday. And I asked you guys to hold me accountable.
It seemed like a good idea at the time….
But I didn’t take into account The. Day. Job. And all the other stuff. Like how addicting FUN the new Random Acts of Art FaceBook group is. Whoo-ee! As of this writing we’re up to 72 73 members. 72 73 women from all over the planet who are hiding little bits of arty love in who’da thunk places. Places like fishing nets, elevators, trees…to name just a few. And then photographing the ‘hides’ and sharing them with the group. If you haven’t been there yet check it out. Just click the link above the laughing Buddha on the right.
And ask to join. We’re a friendly bunch and we’d love to have you. Really, we would.
And now, about that painting…the one that’s supposed to be done. TODAY. Well, it’s not. But I’m making new friends online. And tonight, when I went down to the studio after work fully intending to call on da muse, my tired old (not so old) body just could not remain upright. So I said the hell with self-imposed deadlines. And Studio Quat got some quality lap time. Which is also a priority.
The painting will get done. In its own time.
And I’m okay with that.
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Random Acts of Art |
I WILL write my post tonight. I will. I will. But there are SO MANY bright shiny objects distracting me in a good way…ahhhh…
So lemme tell you about my day. Holy crap, it was AWESOME!!! Bright and shiny awesome.
If you haven’t read Friday’s post yet, go ahead and do it. Because that’s what kicked my day into high gear. Okay, I’m standing here, arms folded, tapping my left foot. I’m waaaaaaiting for you to read all about my SHINY SPANKIN’ NEW RANDOM ACTS OF ART FACEBOOK GROUP. Ta-da…
Join it. Join it NOW because it’s so much fun! Just follow the arrow that’s not there. But if it WAS there, it would be pointing to the laughing Buddha to the right.
He’s laughing because he found one of my arty tokens. He’s laughing because he’s feelin’ the luvvvvv.
You don’t have to be an artist to join. You just need a spirit of adventure and generosity. And the desire to make a stranger’s day.
I started the group Friday and today the FaceBook faries sent all sorts of magical people knocking at the door. I spent most of the day on the computer…aawk…will have to get a handle on that, yes indeed. But I was meeting new people and, in my mind, each and every one of them was a bright and shiny distraction.
I finally tore myself away and went down to Studio Grande. I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do. I picked up a new canvas because preliminary layers are a no brainer. But I was feeling so good I figured, what the hell…I had the power, y’know…I could take on…THE CAT.
Crappy photo alert, both of ’em.
I hated the cat so much I don’t even have a photo of its nearly finished self. Just this, which is nowhere near where I left it. It was all w.r.o.n.g. Contrived. Uninspired. NOT ME.
Something I did because I thought it could sell. And it probably would have. But it didn’t feel right.
Guess I’ve been reading too much of that authenticity crap stuff.
So I was brave. Bold. Turned it upside down so it wouldn’t look so much like a cat. Then I loaded a two inch brush with black acrylic and had at it. Then I took a rag and wiped some of that away. Then I grabbed some colored paper and started cutting. And collaging.
All this time rockin’ out to Springsteen. Da Boss.
Which is probably why the first image that evolved was Catholic Girls Wear Plaid. I’m sure he must have a song about that somewhere.
What the—??? This is SO unlike what I’ve been doing. But…but…it feels RIGHT! Right for me now.
And then another cat entered the picture and …and…well, it’s still not done but I am SO EXCITED about this. I have an idea where I’m taking it. Which doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where it’s going to go. But I have an idea.
So come back Wednesday. It will be done by then. IT WILL. It will it will it will. Well, come back and see if it is.
And if it isn’t, hold me accountable!
In fact, you can begin that right now in the comments below.
And by the way, tell all your friends about the FaceBook group. The more the merrier.
by Susan Lobb Porter | Random Acts of Art |
Tonight…and maybe it’s because it’s late and I’m a little fuzzy in the head…tonight I created a NEW FaceBook group. Random Acts of Art. Because I could.
And you’re ALL invited to join.
Back in February, Valentine’s Day to be exact, I discovered how much fun it was to hide little arty tokens out and about in the community. In the spirit of the holiday I painted hearts on little rocks. I photographed the ‘hides’ and posted the photos here. It was such an adrenalin rush I decided to do it every week. I called it RANDOM ACTS OF ART. I posted my weekly ‘hides’ every Wednesday. I got a blog hop of sorts going but every week there were glitches with the link. And people forgot. And I began getting tired of the every Wednesday routine.
So tonight I did some thinking, THINKING…imagine that, and I thought hmmm…SIMPLIFY.
So I did. No blog to write. No schedule to keep. Just hide a little something when you feel like it and post a picture and description on the FaceBook group. If you do blog about it, share the link. Easy-peasy, right?
And it doesn’t have to be art. It can be words of encouragement tucked into a book at the library. Or rolled into a scroll, tied with a ribbon and left in a cafe. It can be whatever you want it to be…as long as makes someone smile.
And I guarantee doing this will make you smile too. Because it feels good.
So come on over and join the group. And tell your friends. This is a movement, remember…we’re spreading the luvvv, changing the world one arty token at a time.
by Susan Lobb Porter | Random Acts of Art |
Is it Wednesday already? Is it really??? OMG, I’m hyperventilating. Spinning in circles. Because…it’s time once again for RANDOM ACTS OF ART!!!
Random acts of feeling good. Spirit lifting. Day making. Love littering. Random Random RANDOM ACTS OF ART!
YAY!!!
So here’s RAA(W for Wednesday) in a nutshell. First, make something. Anything. We’ve had people leave mini-paintings, painted rocks, posters with feel good rip-off tags. Book marks. Notes of encouragement rolled up in little bitty scrolls. Doesn’t matter what you make, just so long as you put some love into it.
Then hide it some place where it is sure to be found. And walk away. Just let. it. go. But before you do….take a photo. If you’re a blogger, write a post and join the Wednesday blog hop. The directions are down below where it says you are next. If you don’t have a blog, send me the photo and the details so I can add it to next week’s post.
People have hidden things all over the world. There are rocks hidden in the Brisbane airport. On trails in the Australian bush. In a movie theater in Norway. All sorts of hiding spots in the US. New Zeeland. The UK.
In fact, we are going to take over the world with LOVE. With art. With the joy that comes from leaving little treasures to brighten some stranger’s day.
Because it feels sooooo good.
Ah, but enough talking. Enough of that now. Bring on the goods. Show me the RAAW.
Hmmm… first, a confession. From moi. Seems I was a bit of a slacker this week. Only pulled off two hides.
This one was in a tree at the bank. A perfect little nest, don’t you think? And if we can melt a banker’s heart the world will be a better place.
Keeping with the tree theme, this one is nestled among the roots at the base of a birch in front of the health food store.
So now it’s your turn. Enter the link to your post like I explained above. You can enter it any time before 11:59 PM Saturday, Pacific time. So it’s not too late to put something together and join the party. YOU HAVE UNTIL SATURDAY. Oh wait, I said that already. Just checking to see if you were paying attention.
Let’s make this a movement. Help me spread the word. Tell your friends. Like it on FaceBook. Get your kids involved. Let’s spread the luvvv throughout the world.
One arty token at a time.
