Zen What? What is a Zentangle?

So I am searching all these "new/old"  Zentangles that I can possibly find.  Should I conform to this and add it to my works of art?

As an artist, I see something new and think should I add this to my works of art?  Should I subtract other items to make sure this works better?  What to do as an artist?

Ask others right?

Size and scale and so much to do with Zentangles.  When I think of a Zentangle design I think of a tiny little scale.  Should I make them bigger and would this make them appear less complex?

Feel free to answer....

My Definition of "What is art?"

Art is everything and everything is art.  This is my motto and one that I teach.  Any student I come in contact with knows that I believe art is everything and everything is art. 

If you look at anything in this world it is art.  There were design artists working on the cell phone you look at all day long.  Everyone is an artist no matter how bad or good one can draw, paint, etc.  Everyone is an artist.  People need to realize everything is art!

What do you get when you gelli plate on paper and add it to an eraser board?  ART.. Here is a picture of what I made.  The ingredients are: Mixed media: acrylic paint, paper, monoprinting, water base sealer, satin finish, 8.5 by 11 dry erase board

Recently I have fallen head over heels for my Gelli Plate.  I made a home made gelli plate and I love it!  My Gelli plate I waited for it to set for a few days before working with it.  I am in the process of perfecting my recipe for it as I want to make more plates and get into t-shirt making with a gelli plate and with textiles/clothing design. 

 

A Home Made Gelli Plate

I made a home made Gelli Plate and I am very surprised it turned out as well as it did.  I am very happy and ecstatic to share the prints I made with my home made Gelli plate.

May...

I have been teaching this year! Of course, with the school year at an end I have decided I need to get back into making art. I enjoy teaching, however I love to paint and this friend is the start of something great I believe. For years, I have attended church on and off. I have listened to "this little light of mine" song over and over again. At the church I attend it is usually one of the last songs while people walk out of the congregation. In a way, I have been inspired by a long term pastor at the church I attend. I feel like I need to paint, draw, and just do what I can in life to make these little lights shine. Again, keep in mind this is a work in progress. I am not sure if this little light will ever be complete without a proper owner.

I am unsure as to gift it to the church or give it as a gift to the pastor.  I plan on making more candle like paintings and possibly start into something that just feels right to me. 

now on deviantart.com

I am now on deviantart.com as artbyheatherlynn.  Please come on over and check out my artwork. 

Finding myself in paper

I am an artist and a craftsman in many areas.  I enjoy arts and crafts (in no particular order) photography, painting, woodworking, web development, drawing, sketching, papermaking, the list goes on…  I do pretty much everything but knit and crochet.

In the area of papermaking people ask me all the time questions that I think I would like to share with others as a form of education?  Is there glue involved with making paper?  The answer is no.  To make paper one needs a screen and deckle, Hollander beater, cotton linter, water, press, and additives if color or other essences would like to be in the paper.  So onto other questions about papermaking doesn’t everyone know how to make paper?  No to make paper by hand it is a timely process and involves both an art and craft side to be able to pull it off.  The best question anyone can ask me is how much?  How much do you sell your paper for?  It depends on the size of paper, if there is flaw or not in the paper.  So my prices are quiet reasonable at five to ten dollars for a sheet of homemade 100 percent USA made paper.  What can anyone purchase that is made in the USA now days for that reasonable price?  There is not much!  So who buys my paper?  Other artists that do not know how or want to make their own paper all the way down to the lady down the block wanting to do scrapbooking with my paper.  The deckle edge and scrap bookers go nuts over the paper.  I can make and bind my paper to make a book as well if need be for others.  Book binding is more, it depends upon the amount of pages and what the consumer would like to use as the binding method.   

As I do not use big heavy equipment people wonder how do you make paper outdoors in your little studio.  Will sorry my studio is off limits to the general public.  Keep in mind I do make paper in front of my child and husband and I believe they would know how I make it.  I am a private artist in a sense that once my artwork is ready one can see it.  I am married but I define myself more as being a parent and a mother.  I do not consider myself a homemaker (perhaps it’s my feminist point of view).  I am a parent, an artist and a student.  Yes in that order!

Recently I had two paintings displayed at the Gordon Park’s Gallery.  I have had my photography also featured in the Haute Dish.  I am very proud to be on page seventeen of a magazine which one can also view online by going to www. hautedish.metrostate.edu in the summer 2012 volume 8 Issue 2.

I dislike not knowing what is going to happen.  I do not care for surprises.  I like to be able to know what to do in certain situations before they happen.  There are many events in my own life I would change if I could…  Unfortunately I cannot change my past I can only rely that my future will hold bigger and brighter agendas. 

In the summer I love wearing sundresses; hair tied up in a pony tail and if you are lucky will see my paper hanging off of my home drying in the breeze in the natural elements.

I dislike flowers and for some reason people do not understand my distaste for them.  I would rather grow in my garden lettuce that I can eat than a flower that will make me sneeze.  I have indoor plants for air quality purposes that do not cause me to have sneezing attacks.  I am happy I have no carpeting in my main living areas however my basement is carpeted.  If money was not an issue I would put in a heated floor in my basement and get rid of the carpeting tomorrow.  That is how much I dislike carpeting. 

I recycle more than I throw away.  I use found objects as well for my works of art.  I try to make my artwork as free and clear to allergies as possible.  I have been offered commissions to make paper with roses and dead flowers.  I turn people down on this all the time.  First of all I will sneeze from the flowers and they will not last long and the paper will not look nice in a few years.  I have actually given a business that has sold dead flowers on homemade paper to consumers.

I am a cancer and my feelings can be hurt easily but I am not afraid to talk to strangers and ask if they want artwork in their business or perhaps a website if they do not already have a website for personal or business reasons. 

I dislike being critiqued as a Georgia O’Keefe style painting and or drawing.  I feel as if I am an original.  My favorite artist is a male Vincent Van Gogh.  I am proud to state I have been overseas and have visited the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.  I would live in that museum if they would allow me too.  I love art and art feeds my soul! 

Heather's Artwork: Keep on a moving

Heather's Artwork: Keep on a moving: I keep moving forward with my artwork.  I am now using Twitter as "convo etsy" and Facebook "Convo Etsy" and I even have decided to start ex...

Keep on a moving

I keep moving forward with my artwork.  I am now using Twitter as "convo etsy" and Facebook "Convo Etsy" and I even have decided to start expanding more.  What if an artist decided to make all items from scratch.  I mean from the bare minimum.  I know how to make paper therefore make the paper.  Next I need to purchase pigments and or learn how to make paint or some sort of writing utensil.  Would people flock to see artwork that an artist totally did from scratch??  I wonder how many would care.

Heather's Artwork: Enjoying Papermaking-- Happy Mother's Day

Heather's Artwork: Enjoying Papermaking-- Happy Mother's Day:      I have been enjoying papermaking in my senior year of college.  I have also been showcased in The Gordon Park's Gallery.  It's been a w...

Heather's Artwork: Enjoying Papermaking-- Happy Mother's Day

Heather's Artwork: Enjoying Papermaking-- Happy Mother's Day:      I have been enjoying papermaking in my senior year of college.  I have also been showcased in The Gordon Park's Gallery.  It's been a w...

Enjoying Papermaking-- Happy Mother's Day

     I have been enjoying papermaking in my senior year of college.  I have also been showcased in The Gordon Park's Gallery.  It's been a wonderful year thus far.  Today is Mother's Day and I needed to blog HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all women.

     Around eight years ago one of my lovely sisters gave me a Mother's Day card.  She new how wonderful I was as an aunt and that someday she new I would be a wonderful Mother. 

     I am a Mother now and so to all the future Mom's, Mom's, Aunt's, Grandmother's, Female Neighbors, and Special People that play Motherly roles in your lives and others do not forget them. 

    Today is a wonderful day and as my nephew thinks and told my sister "Today is kids day also.  Can we go out shopping for a new toy."  said by my Nephew S.   

WOW it's been a while

I decided to add myself to talenthouse and do some work on there.  It has been a crazy year with school almost ending and the beginning of so much in my art life.  Recently papermaking has taken over my life followed by painting.  Now I enjoy painting on canvas but seriously painting on paper that one presses themselves is so super awesome.  Words can not explain the use of paper making in the sense of wanting to live in the book shop and making paper and having a great hydrolic press (which I wish I owned) to press it out.  Papermaking has changed the way I do art and thus expanding myself into 3d objects...  I made a book from scratch literally mad the paper and put the time and effort to follow through on it and make it my own.  It is so amazing to say I made a book...

Feeling Paintings! SUPER PRODUCTIVE DAY!

Today, December 7, 2011 has been an extremely productive day.  I am currently working on my third, yes, third painting.  I feel at ease currently as I am done with classes for the semester and able to focus on what I want to focus on.  I am still using monochormatic work and using my creativity and a feeling as I paint these paintings.  I feel a sense of love and thoughtfulness when I think of someone as I paint my feelings about them.

This first painting is red and is currently in progress and is inspired by a rose painting I did years back.  It is more of what I feel in the past and in my present state.  The size is 24 by 30 on canvas using acrylic paints. (a bit larger than the others- painting is so much better in real life than this picture- picture does no justice yet as it's in progress)

The middle one is a feeling titled "Mark" as a dear friend of mine is in his first year of teaching, as he is trying- that is a feeling.  Hence the triangular figures.  I thought of him as I was working on this painting.  I think he could associate well with this 16 by 20 canvas using acrylic paints.

The last one is of my wonderful mother- titled "Mom" I thought of her the whole time I painted this painting.   Again this is also a 16 by 20 canvas using acrylic paints. 

Feelings of uneasy-ness

Was treasured on etsy by an unknown party. 

This at times is a bit uneasy when someone I do not know uses my artwork to hopefully sell there's and others.  Does one take it as a compliment, perhaps as there are times where selling artwork is hard to do.  It is even harder to sell artwork on a website of all art- ie etsy.com- which I am on- convo.etsy.com---  I have had other feelings as of late...

I recently had my oil changed and on my way home my car had car problems and the muffler completely feel off of my car.  I asked when taking the car from the car place how the tires were, the oil, if it was good to go, any problems the machnic saw?  I thought I was a smart consumer in asking them.  The manager informed me, nope nothing wrong at all.  So off I went and not even a mile away from the place bam tail pipe gone- thanksgiving plans changed.  All in all my feelings were almost unsettling.  I pulled over and called the shop.  He said he could fix it but not today.  Really, I thought to myself.  Here you tell me nothing is wrong with the vehicle and this happens.  I was an angry consumer.  I called a different shop, and got the repairs done days later at a different shop. 

So the new shop, quoted me 500.00 - I was like no!!!  I said how about in the 150 range as I would not pay that kind of money for this vehicle to be fixed as I just paid a ton for my husbands vehicle for brakes and everything else.  So then I said, "Isn't there a universal part."  All of a sudden the manager new, I new cars and said, "let me check."  He called me back and low and behold there was.  So the 500 went to 275 he said, when I picked up the car it was 282 and some change but whatever right. 

So I show up, pay for the repairs with the lovely credit card.  Talk to the manager as I have never been to this place before.  He showed me what was wrong and why I needed a gasket and pipe.  Then I told him I apprechiate him for looking for the universal part and saving money.  In a way, I did not as I new there should be a replacement, but whatever.  He checks me out.  I tell him I volunteer at a homeless shelter, go to school, and have a child.  All of a sudden he hands me a free oil change.  Now is that his way of saying to me thanks for volunteering at a shelter or his way of feeling bad that it cost more than the 275 as discussed on the phone, who knows.  I am not sure all I know is that I got a free oil change which by the time my car needs one done will be lost somewhere in my home or expired.  All in all I still have not found a good automotive place to take my car too, I miss my old repair guy in Saint Cloud, MN- Family run and operated Kennedy Transmission.  I can honestly say, he was the best repair guy I had!  There are days where I feel like driving to his shop even though he is hours away instead of having someone here over charge and over price me and be dishonest with me. 

Heather's Artwork: Turkey Time!

Heather's Artwork: Turkey Time!: Only a few Turkey's left on the market for selling! http://www.etsy.com/listing/59333336/black-turkey-bird-on-white-high-quality

Turkey Time!

Only a few Turkey's left on the market for selling!  
http://www.etsy.com/listing/59333336/black-turkey-bird-on-white-high-quality

Realizing the future!

     The other day, I sat down, talked to my husband, and reminded him what it was like when we went to college full time and worked part time.  I remember it so clearly, when we had all this time together, but we really did not.  We were both studying, going to class, working part time, and the little free time we had spent in a small auditorium watching a free movie at our campus.  Yes, we were very poor but super happy we spent Friday nights doing this.  We were and are non-traditional students! 

     My husband is no longer a college student, but I know in my heart he will go back to college and receive his master’s degree in the near future.  Currently, my husband loves his job and that makes my job easier. 

     My current job is taking college classes and finish college, spending time with our child, reading, homework, showing up on campus for class, doing laundry, dishes, cleaning, volunteering, and various other tasks. We both realize that in the future I will be going to galleries, art museums, art shows, art fairs, ect... and a perfect job for me is to work in these fields and or work with people and help get out of poverty.  I personally have never been homeless but I have this strong connection of wanting to help homelessness (my volunteer is helping homeless) this since of helping makes me happy to make someone smile.  I always realize that helping never hurts helping negates hurt. 

     My artwork is still about feelings and a monochromatic color scheme.  This may change and overtime may add more colors to what I have worked so hard on keeping one single color.  However, one single color is so hard and I like challenges.  I see the fall colors change outside and think one single color, what if the world was one single color or we were colorblind and saw certain colors but some were just grayish.  What if I never spent the time I had in the past with my husband and our Friday night free movie night at the college?  A lot has changed for us as three years...  I became a mom, my husband received a wonderful full time job, and we purchased our first home.  The one item that will not change is that I will remain an artist, no matter what!

So how is it changing?

As I previously stated in my last blog, my art work is changing.  I feel as if my artwork is not work at all but a pleasure to do instead.  Recently, I have asked friends and family members what there favorite color is. I am taking there favorite color and making monochromatic mixed media artwork.  I find it interesting how so many friends and family members choose the same color as there favorite. 

I started with my monochromatic mixed media do to the fact that my good friend Jessica Welch  recently moved back home, far, far away from me.  I find it super easy doing mixed media for her even though her favorite hue is purple.  I have sent her some of the works of art so she can enjoy her favorite color in her home as I live far away from her now.  It is so important to me that I am asking and including outside sources for my monochromatic mixed media.  More pictures to the blog will come soon!

Take Care!
Heather Schillinger

Heather's Artwork: Artwork Evolving!

Heather's Artwork: Artwork Evolving!: "It has been a long time and yes, I am still using this blog. I have recently changed my artwork over the past few months. The art is evolv..."

Artwork Evolving!

It has been a long time and yes, I am still using this blog.  I have recently changed my artwork over the past few months.  The art is evolving into awareness more so than anything.  Recently I completed a class on disability in the workforce.  I received an A in the class but more importantly, this class has helped me realize that disabilities exist a lot more than I realized. 

The national averages from the ADA is, "...1 in 4 people have a disability..."  The statement is very strong as so many of us either know someone with a disability or have a disability.  I believe this new venture in disability awareness through my artwork will help others also realize that even though you may not always see a disability it can still exist. 

I will be posting pictures soon for those that are interested in the artwork. 

Sincerely, Heather