Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2010-03-13
End Time: 12:00

Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2010-03-13
End Time: 12:00

And yet here I sit. I do not know what I am to write out, per se. Something to do with passion, with helping people understand and see the beauty of their own soul, with teaching, with children and their laughter. I have no vision, in my mind’s eye or even in the real world, of what my new life or daily existence will be like. I was asked today to provide a 5-year plan. I smiled as I honestly answered that I didn’t have one – and I felt good with that. Beyond the fact that the past 6 months have been earth shattering in regards to change, I have experienced enough death within my own family and friends to know fully well that the plan is to live each day to the fullest, because tomorrow might not happen. I also know that although 5 years will pass in the blink of an eye, people change, situations change. A 5-year plan needs to be made in pencil, not pen, so that new routes and possibilities and dreams can be erased and added on. A 5-year plan needs to be alive with flexibility, not just be a simple and concrete example of how driven or determined or successful you are as a person.

I did not know one specific person whom to address this writing to, and since this blog has been a mishap of my differing writing skills and topics, I thought that my rumblings could be shared with the world. Perhaps one of you out there could resonate, perhaps someone out there knows exactly what my new path looks like and is willing to share.

This past month has been filled with booking art shows and events. It has been a month of constant movement, so much daily events happening that I have been asked by family members to finally make a household calendar, so that they know my whereabouts because a mental checklist just won’t cut it any more.

It has been a month of extensive new artwork. I have so far, and the month still has some time left, drawn five new pieces. I will be tackling at least two more in the coming week. This makes it my most artistically productive month ever. Within all this drawing, this touching of pastel dust and the visual treat of new colors, I have thought of the phrase reflection. My artwork is my way of beautifully reflecting back onto the viewer a sense of peace, calm, fulfillment, self-worth, self-esteem, and love. It is a reflection of my quietness and stillness while I sit and listen to people, providing them with a safe environment to share their individual uniqueness and beauty. My art classes are a reflection of my artwork: the creativity is an end-result that cannot be ignored, but it is the process and the unique perspective of each child that captivates my thoughts.

We live surrounded by products that everyone must have, by houses that look the same, by clothes from the same stores, by foods from the same markets. We live surrounded by anonymity, so much so that we forget who we are as one person. We are easily clumped into groups with labels and quickly forgotten. We are encouraged to be a team player and yet it is more about playing along than bringing to the table your one skill that all the other team members lack.

Perhaps that is why there is so much searching. Amongst the crowd, we are lost. And we may be okay with that for a while. But there comes a time, a situation, a place, that forces us to look in the mirror. Often, we see no reflection at all, or maybe if we are lucky a glimmer, a hint, a distorted view of us is present. It is at that time, situation, and place that we come to the fork in the road where we must choose whether to continue as non-entities with no reflection or if we dive into the looking glass and partake in the Alice of Wonderland excursion to find ourselves all over again.

However far we progress in life, in age, in circumstances, our true identity, our true purpose, our true passion keeps looping about us, keeps bringing us back to the same center. We might differ in experience, in our way of tackling that passion, but the passion, the belief holds true regardless of how improved our vocabulary has become. My endless loop is reflecting individuality and self-worth. I do not know, as of 5:30AM this morning, how that will shape my coming years. I do not know how to place that on a resume and convince a company to hire me just on that basis. I do not know how to make an entrepreneurial living out of that loop.

But just as my drawing style has been with me since my youth (and I wanted to steer away from it when I began drawing full time), this passion has been quietly revolving around my life, in small corners and big farm fields, directing me on a path that is unknown further than this hour. It has driven me to wake up in the middle of the night and write. Who knows what is to come…

There will be 3 artists and photographers exhibiting there amazingness, along with 6-7 vendors giving Estuary Art Attackers the perfect varied selections, just in time for Valentine’s Day gift purchases!

Open Drinks and Food Bar, and beats by Dirti Hari will be a part of this part-swank, part-love atmosphere.

When: Friday, Feb 12, 2010
5pm-11pm

Where: BridgeHead Studios
2516 Blanding Ave, Alameda, Ca
Start Time: 17:00
Date: 2010-02-12
End Time: 23:00

Morning Breath :: 12x12" pastel pencil on paper. Copyright 2010 Pia Walker

To purchase the original, print, or as a beautiful greeting card, visit  the gallery!

This new piece of art is a perfect emblem of a January morning (with a December sky). I am not, by nature, an early riser. However, I can, when needed, get up at the crack of dawn, without a frown or complain. Once I’m up and going and out the door, I love being surrounded by that morning calmness that starts each day. The soft haziness of the sun slowly awakens my eyes to the quietness and stillness of my surroundings and I find myself smiling. The few open coffee shops have perhaps 1 person in them, there are no other cars on the road to avoid or worry about, there is actual quiet. It is as if the world is all mine, as if I am the only seeing it awaken.

This pastel drawing was made in that spirit, in the awaiting of a new day, with all its possibilities. This is a morning without Internet or BlackBerry, just a simple quiet start. Being surrounded by the mountains of Northern California and driving mostly on back country roads, these landscapes are quite common in my every day. I am always amazed at how sharp the contrast is, between this quiet natural world and Silicon Valley just 30 minutes away. In those California freeways, the buzz never stops, and even in the early morning hours, as I try to crank my next to see the sun come up over the Bay Area, I am passed (whizzed by) those rushing to a job that must be extremely important (although I doubt that it is as important as that!).

Those quiet mornings wipe away the darkness of the night, the reminder of the stars that another day has passed. Breathing in the stillness, I forget, for minutes, what I did not accomplish the day before. I let my past wash away and look only towards today and tomorrow. I am gladdened by that daily cleansing

Pia

• Newsletter update.
  Newsletter subscribers will be seeing some new products (including free downloads) in the upcoming weeks. I love being able to connect with fellow customers through this medium, letting them know about new drawings and product ideas. These downloads will be great ways to give something back to these great supporters. You can check out old newsletter archives or sign up to see what’s happening “in the studio.”
• Creative arts for children classes.
  The Creative Art for Children class began because I like to do art experiments. As an artist, this is a good thing: it leads to new concepts, new techniques, new images. As a child, however, experimenting in art leads to really fun, creative things: coloring with figs or pomegranates, mixing tacky glue with balsamic vinegar, and adding sand or dirt to acrylic paint.
  In the classroom, I try to emphasize how we all see the world differently. Our optical lens translates images uniquely for each of us, and our soul and language decipher that image in a vibrantly, singular way. Art becomes useful when music or speech or writing isn’t sufficient or doesn’t provide the appropriate vocabulary. I love sitting back and seeing children proceed in finding their own expressive views, with no artistic boundaries. Whether a student wants to create an abstract piece made up of fluorescent pink paint and blue/silver yarn, or a crafty piece with flowers, glitter, and a decorative border, or draw a realistic hillside filled with California poppies, it is all “correct” in my class.
  The first sessions of my Creative Art for Children and Creative Art Thru the 5 Senses start this week!
• Creative projects for children.
  As an offshoot of my Creative art classes, I’ve come up with loads of simple art projects for kids. These projects primarily use recycled products as well as found objects from around the house or backyard. Once a week, I’ll post one of these art projects up on the web. If you are interested in more ideas beyond the blog, visit my daily creations webpage for more products.

This week’s art activity – creating colorful birds – is a recycled art project.

A "Green" Bird

Materials: a single newspaper page (or used gift wrapping paper), 30 yards of recycled ribbons (or yarn), a dozen leaves (or newspaper), 2 thin branches (from either a plant or tree), 1 unopened flower bud, scissors, toilet paper roll, glue (optional)

I used camellia leaves (due to their availability during the winter) but you can pick any leaves as long as you keep the stem. As for the ribbons, you can choose 1 single ribbon/yarn type or mix and match any widths or yarn mixtures you like (this is a perfect project for any left over ribbons, yarn pieces, or great after a birthday party!).

You’ll start by tying all the ribbons together to create a long string. Mix and match the ribbon/yarn colors. Try to keep the most interesting ribbon for last, as that will be the one that will show the most.

After you have created your long ribbon string, wrap it around a toilet roll. Start rolling it from your most favorite ribbon. It’s a great way to keep it from tangling up!

Open up the piece of newspaper. You are going to twist the paper (like a necktie) around the top 1/3 of the paper. Once you twisted it, it should look like a bow tie.

Starting from the smallest third, crunch the newspaper towards the twist. Once you have crunched the top 1/3 of the newspaper into a ball (don’t worry about it being perfect), do the same thing to the other 2/3 of the paper. This is the body for your bird.

Grab your ribbon string and tie it around the “neck” (where you twisted the newspaper).

Start rolling the ribbon around the biggest newspaper ball. This is where you can start shaping the newspaper, since it is crunchy and will give way.

Once you have covered all of the biggest part of your bird, start wrapping your ribbon around the small ball section (this is the bird’s head).

Tuck the very end of the ribbon onto another ribbon strand (with all the criss crossing, it should hide quite well). Also tuck in any other pieces of ribbon that may be sticking out. Now you have your bird’s body!

Collect your leaves. You’ll be using approximately 3 per side (but you may add more if you wish). You don’t need the whole leaf (but you do need the stems) so fold – or cut  – the leave slightly above the spine stem. Notice on the photo how I’ve cut 3 leaves with the stem facing left and 3 leaves with the stem facing right.

(If you don’t have access to fresh leaves, use your extra newspaper to cut out some oval shaped leaves. Once you cut them, glue them on top of the ribbons to create the bird’s feathers.)

Once your leaves are cut (and the more irregular the tear the better!), tuck them into the bird’s body. The criscross of the ribbons should give you plenty of hold. Start by placing a leaf towards the bottom back of the right side of the bird. Above it and slighlty closer to the bird’s head place the next leaf. Continue doing this in a step ladder method. Repeat on other side of bird.

You may glue the leaves together or leave them as is. Also you can decorate the back of the leaves by cutting them at a 45 degree angle and then cutting straight lines to create individual feathers.

Now it’s time for the beak. Insert the unopened bloom into the front center of the face area. It should be tucked nicely into the ribbons and the newspaper inside.

Finish the bird off by placing the two little twigs on the bottom part of the bird, creating it’s legs.

To show off your bird creation, loop a small piece of string through the center top of it’s back, and tie that to a windowsill or ceiling hook. Then simply watch your bird fly!

A "Green" Bird

I hope you have enjoyed this fun and simple art activity, using everyday objects that can be found in your home or backyard!

"Shadow Selves" :: 16x20" acrylic and pastel on canvas paper. © 2009 Pia f. Walker

Wimpy, full of pink, and lacking in character is exactly how this canvas art piece started. There is a beautiful magazine clipping that I’ve had for years – tropical pink background, soft creamy pink bowl, filled with exotic purple, pink, and yellow flowers. That was the inspiration, the starting point for this mixed media canvas. Yet my weakness in paint, and in knowing exactly what to do with a brush, made for a boring start.

I placed this canvas aside and continued painting. After several tries at maneuvering the brush and seeing it simply wipe paint on the canvas, I gave up and looked towards a pile of recycled, heavy stock cut papers that were remnants from my greeting cards. I’m not sure what gave me the idea or inclination to use that as my paint applicator, but off I went. I immediately loved the spackle effect, the vibrancy that remained in the paint and therefore on the canvas.

After finishing off a dozen or so other canvas I returned to this heavily pink piece. I tried again, placing heavy reds and burgundies on the painting, mixing them sparingly with white and a dusky yellow. I played too much, perhaps, but I found myself looking down at a canvas filled with life, a sunrise of colors awaiting to explode. Never had I worked on a color so daring and I wondered how the pastels would be able to match, or play off, the intense colors and texture.

Slowly, the idea of a woman attempting to stand against the colors crept into my sketches. I’m not sure if she is overwhelmed by the colors, by the vibrancy of life and a new day. I’m not sure if she is strong enough to tackle that much passion and life. But her shadow is. Albeit a less colorful character in this drawing, she is the backbone, the crutch helping the main figurine stand up to life, to challenges and adventures.

Sometimes we find ourselves as mere shadows of who we once were, a percentage point of what we were born with, of the character that we developed and believed in. Whatever the fear, the desperation, the compromise, I hope that your shadow self is holding you up, even as your knees buckle. And I hope that some day, you may find her again and become complete.

Pia

I am, in the beginning of this year, more unsure of where to step lightly next that I find myself wavering, on a single foot, balancing over a cascade of water. The irony is that I spent the better part of December 2009 planning. Yeap, in deep contrast to my first endeavor into the art world, I made a conscious decision to plan out 2010. There were goals attached to this planning, there were ideas, there were yellow pad sheets of paper filled with scribbles and brilliant ideas.

And yet I find myself, two weeks into 2010, staring at all that planning and ideas like they are alien foreigners. And that’s when it hits me: something doesn’t feel right. Not all the planning is off base, and not all the planning is recyclable material. Some really great thoughts arose out of those early December mornings when I found myself alone in a quiet living room, breathing in my own existence and being exhilarated by it, while others in the house slept.

I had plans for this blog. But there were a wrong fit, fulfilled the wrong purpose, pushed me to be, and write, in a manner that is, well, incomprehensible. I’ve stepped back in the last week, let this white screen sit idle, while earlier drafts teased me as to what I “should” be doing.

In the late nights that have transpired in that week, I have concretely hit upon what does feel right. Art is an experience. It transports me, and the viewer, into an event or moment or place. And while the final piece does the transporting, it is the creating itself that is the ultimate experience. In those finite seconds when I find myself staring at a work in progress, pastel pencil in hand, and have thoughts like “a convoluted conversation of tangents…veins of prior conversations,” those are the experiences that I wish to share in this blog, along with the final pieces of art themselves and some new ideas.

After writing down some more scribbles and thoughts (this time on a quad ruled notebook), after looking at several pages of notes and bubbles and arrows leading everywhere, I found myself looking at three simple words: Art, Activities, Myself. That is what I want to write about.

It may not get me the 1,000,000 readership that is so highly promoted and preached about. It may not get me the 100 readership. But it will feel right. I am a writer of convoluted conversations, tinged and tainted by veins of prior conversations and experiences. I am an artist that finds herself at an extreme crossroads of life (of which I have been at many times). If social media is to be about relationships, about being and sharing who you really are, then this is me. Long winded at times, strange and incomprehensible at others, naive and childish way too often, and attempting to be grown up most of the time.

Pia

From initial quick sketch…to something more substantial…

to a more minimalist sketch, focusing on the child…

to a color palette that makes sure the focus is on the little girl…

to a test drawing to see that all the colors work together…

to the progression of the finished drawing.

“Round Peg” :: 12×12″ pastel pencil on paper. Copyright 2009 Pia F. Walker