Archive for the ‘My Right Brain’ Category

After a year of travel I am back and ready to update Colortude.

My travels have taken me all over the United States.  I spent time in the big metro areas and on the back roads of America.

I am again inspired to create. I have been learning how to make various types of jewelry.

I have worked with copper, silver, and brass. Cutting, sawing and sanding. I have learned the basics of stringing beads. I have learned wire-wrapping.

Over the summer I will learn to use the 3D printer and laser cutter. I am partnering with a stone cutter/polisher.

I am very happy to be back in Austin, Texas USA and excited about designing jewelry for Colortude.

~ Laurel Stalla

Lapis lazuli cabochon wrapped in copper wire.

Searching in the garage for some paint boards I found an old pencil drawing that I made of Dizzy Gillespie.  I used pencils and stipple paper.

I have to think about how many drawings, paintings and other art that have disappeared over the years. For some reason this one survived in spite of the warping, mold and dirt.

A trending topic on twitter
#dear14YrOldSelf.
My tweet to this topic:
#dear14YrOldSelf Fluorescent green pants are not a good look for you.

This twitter trending topic started me thinking about my awkward 14 year old self. First thing that came to my mind was wearing bright green pants to school of course paired with a brighter green top. I was very tall and very skinny at that age. I heard a boy say “lean, mean and green”. I felt so happy for about a minute.  The next thing I heard a different boy saying  “Look! There is the Jolly Green Giant” then laughter erupted.   My self-esteem plummeted quite quickly.  But yet that did not stop me from wearing  my bright green outfit throughout the year.

When I was 11 years old I wore bright yellow pants and an orange top to school one day.  When I got home my mom asked me if I had picked out my own clothes or if my dad had helped.  I was so proud to have said that I had picked them out.  I figured that yellow and orange went together because they both were colors of the sun.  Even my elementary school’s colors were maroon and gold.  My mom lightheartedly said “Okay Mary Sunshine, as long as you like it”

After high school I moved to Denver. I showed up to an art class and a fellow classmate was sitting in the hallway.  She looked as if she had a bit of a party the night before.  She covered her eyes and asked me “Why do you always wear such bright colors?” I was wearing my new, deep fuchsia colored corduroy pants.  I actually thought they were toned down compared to what I usually wore.  I think the snow made everything seem brighter.

Later that year I wore a pair of crazy shorts to school.  They were day glo and extremely wild colors.   What the hell, I was in art school.  A male classmate told me to ‘unplug’ them or to ‘turn off the batteries’.  My shorts must have been very insane because even I was aware that they practically glowed in the dark.

Another memorable colored clothing encounter was in Los Angeles. I worked at a digital art studio that created 3D animations for tv and film.  I worked with guys who wore black nail polish, dog collars and metallic silver shoes.  There were people wearing zebra striped cowboy hats, fishnet stockings, shiny jeans. I finally felt as if I didn’t stand out because there was always someone wearing something wackier than I was.

I guess wacky and colorful are two different things.  I went to a morning meeting and was wearing my favorite top.  It was a long sleeve high neck top with every color of graffiti images printed on the fabric.  I paired it with a simple back skirt. A colleague in the room said something about my shirt. I asked with all sincerity “Why are people making comments about my top?”  A manager whom I didn’t even think heard me replied from across the room “Because most people don’t wear such bright colors to work” .

Today I mainly wear black and purple.  I still have my graffiti ‘office’ top that I wear now and then.  I love bright colors and wear them when I feel the need or urge.

So, my dear 14 year old self… although fluorescent green pants are not a good look for you, wear whatever  colors makes you happy and what makes you feels good.

My favorite grafitti top 2004 art show.
(doing the platinum thing ha)

I was able to experience Architects of Air this week.  After buying my ticket  I was a bit leary of entering because I am very claustrophobic.  I waited in line and when I reached the entrance we all were required to take off our shoes.  I’m happy I wore socks because I’m a bit of a germaphobe, too.

Upon entering the weird pod world, every reservation that I may have had about being inside a large blowup structure disappeared.  The amazing colors and odd shapes of the interior put me in a strange state of mind.  I felt like it was a cross between Logan’s Run and a land that  Dr. Suess created.  The mysterious music put me in a mello mood.

As I walked around, I kept getting lost in the chambers of amazing blended colors and graphic lines.  I sat/lied down as many of my other fellow aesthetes were doing.  I looked up and I was consumed in color and sound.  I really enjoyed my experience in this maze of subtle hues  and tunnels of vibrant colors.

2012 Thinking

Now that the new year is wrapping up its first week, it is time for me to focus on a direction.  The beginning of the year is always a great time to gather clarity.   Freshen up old ideas, find new ways of thinking.   There are many ways of creative thinking.  First I decided I need to have more focus.  I guess like many artists I am very focused when actually creating art.  When it comes to the business end (orders, phone calls, email, supplies, etc) I am a bit scattered.  So I am going to start with being more focused all the way around.

Focused
I, for one have so many thoughts and ideas that it is hard at times for gather up all my ideas and focus on a few at a time.   A friend and former colleague of mine once told me that I needed an art wrangler for my brain.  Apparently, my ideas come in very fast.  I sometimes imagine putting all of my ideas in a large funnel.  As my ideas sift towards the bottom of the funnel I hope that they will pour out a few, really strong concepts.

How I can stay better focused this year? I think I will start by not looking at my email every time I hear the bing of incoming mail.  I am self-employed but still need a schedule.  This year I hope to hire more help.  Most of all… I will take time to go outside, and breathe.  I definitely have 1  scaly  and 3 furry aids  for ‘pet therapy’

Think Outside the Box
Then there is ‘thinking outside of the box’.  What does that exactly mean? I had to ask a few fellow creatives what does thinking outside the box mean to them.  ”When you disregard accepted methods and approach something differently” said Ed Moore of Peak Perceptions in Austin, Texas.  ”So, what is inside of the box?”  I asked.  His answer, “The approaches that have been used in the past.”

I feel that I have so many ideas that the box is not big enough to hold all of them. In this case perhaps I should take a look at my creative ideas that are split ’outside the box’.  So how do you know what makes something ‘creative’? Another friend answered, “Placing an unexpected twist or a personal touch on something normal.”   Ed Moore said “Something about it is different or new.  It doesn’t have to be completely different;  it just needs a new wrinkle.”  Maybe he is right.  Just approach the ideas you already have but from a new angle.   (different word than ‘wrinkle’ please?  I’m having another birthday this month)

Forward Thinking
So back to the answer “The approaches that have been used in the past”. This brings me to ‘Forward Thinking’. This phrase has been so over used in the corporate world.  It is like some streetwise lingo that has made its way into a suburban PTA meeting that is serving meatloaf.  On the other side of the scale this phrase could also sound like you just walked into an incense burning, tree hugging, newage mountain store.  I would like to start with the definition from the Cambridge Business Dictionary online.   Forward thinking:  Thinking about, planning for, or considering the future, rather than just the present.

When I first thought about defining my motto for the year 2012, I thought ‘Forward Thinking’.  I thought about how easy it is to think about the past mistakes that were made.  How many times has your mind taken you to the land of negative thinking?   “Why did I do that back then?”, ”If I could go back and change things I would.”    Time to turn around and face forward head into the future.  I am going to try this year to make my decisions and ideas today benefit my tomorrow.

Happy New Year Week One!

Braunschweig’s “Happy Rizzi House.”

Merry Christmas from Colortude.

Hope your day is Merry and (colorfully) Bright.

I saw a random photo online this morning and really like it.  But the  more I looked at it I thought something was off a little bit.  I just woke up so my vision is not to be trusted yet.

But there is was. The paint on the surface and the  paint on the brush are on opposite sides.  How could this be? Was this intentional?  When the photo was taken was the paint on the other side of the brush smeared so they flipped it? Why? Why? Why? The paint looks real.  Now I am wondering if the paint in the photo was real or a computer special effect.

How could I go from seeing a photo and thinking ” How Cool is that”, to  over thinking every aspect of the image?  My right brain felt something was off and my left logical side took over my thoughts.

Should I have simply looked at the photo and enjoyed it or was it okay to examine it so closely?  Does everyone think this way or just me?  Does everyone watch movies and wonder how did they make that prop or is that a set or on location? What about going to a gift store and having to figure out how every item was made and who made it?

So I guess before my brain explodes over a simple photo the last question I am going to ask is ‘How cool is that?’