Artful Life By Cathy

Photo links from exhibitions...

2012-02-28T17:37:00.000-08:00

Setting a New Course....

2012-02-28T15:02:00.000-08:00

As an artist, it is tempting to rely on the "same old ideas, materials, or concepts" to get me thru the next exhibition. My conscience keeps me from entering down that road - i want each exhibition - which is a gift in and of itself - to cast a different light on my work. I want some semblance of authenticity in my approach and execution of the creation of the work.
Perhaps it might be a new material, a different tack on a similar concept or even something entirely new which will motivate the work. I am drawn by an exhibition i will have this summer to engage some new ideas - The title for the exhibition is: "Above, Below and Beyond". I have a ton of ideas swimming around in my head, all calling me for attention. More than anything, it conjures up the natural world to me - at least as a frame of reference. I see the natural world and its events as being in control of our universe in many respects. It grabs me intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. I will be surprised to see what i come up with. It will be interesting to use the title of the exhibition as my jumping off point.

Cathy's recent video of gallery talk and art pieces hanging at soka university

2012-02-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

https://vimeo.com/37032682
I wanted to document my recent gallery talk/opening reception at Soka University's Founders Hall, in Aliso Viejo, Ca. (link can be copied and pasted into browser to see)
It can be a bit overwhelming to see 18 pieces of one's work in one space - it definitely gave me pause - I have had an opportunity to review the development of work created over a 6 year time frame. My critical side tempts me, but more productively, it is a chance to understand where i have been and helps in generating ideas of where i want the work to go... It is never a definite thing, as my ideas and concepts change all the time but
at least it helps to chart the general course ahead...

Thoughts on recently installed exhibition.....

2012-01-21T14:45:00.000-08:00

Every artist looks forward to exhibiting their work - that is a certainty.
It is the culmination of the creation of alot of work - and the result of the creative process which is both complex and exciting . As I reflect on the 18 works which I will have in my upcoming exhibition at Soka University, I think about the act of creating, how those works became a reality from research, thoughts, ideas and concepts, experimentation with materials and techniques and much conflict and resolution. I am left with the sense that the process of creating is as much "art" as the finished "product". This intangible "place" in a sense is the "art". It is that illusive treasure chest within my being where the intent, subject matter, and "soul" of my work resides. I enjoy sharing my work with others and I feel fortunate when i am given the opportunity to do so....

Now begins the next phase, beginning a new body of work...

Great Street Artist Works to Check Out....

2012-01-06T15:15:00.000-08:00

I am always interested to see great visual art in unexpected places - in streets, in alleys, in nature, there are a ton of wonderful images to see on link below.....

http://www.streetartutopia.com/?p=5982

very inspirational, unexpected, clever and thought-provoking...
Recognizing good art in surprising and unexpected places through close, focused and deliberate observation widens my appreciation of life in general and adds more rich value to my world.

Living Full

2011-12-21T17:49:00.001-08:00

Living Full

Opening the new day’s page –

Crisp and clean, squeaky ready

for the next scene of my life.

Grabbing whatever thought comes.

Fresh, standing tall, unaware of how quickly

it can be thrown to the ground.

Wrestling my words to make some sense,

I greet the day.

Pounding the pavement as I whisk past.

Trees, bushes, flowers, people, - ocean breezes

kiss my skin as I pass through space.

Elevating a sense of well being,

I turn to unwrap the day.

Pockets of Prayers

2011-12-21T15:58:00.000-08:00

Adding my poems to my blog.....
see link.

My opening and gallery talk at Oceanside Museum of Art - See 10 minute video

2011-12-05T16:15:00.000-08:00

http://vimeo.com/33137232

Today I have my video from the opening and gallery talk at the Oceanside Museum - the exhibition will be up through February 12th....
My first video....more to come from future exhibitions and talks....
There is always a flurry of activity preparing for an exhibition, lots of work, then as quickly as it came, it is over!
I do very much enjoy being at the openings and meeting people and hearing their thoughts about my work - I get energy from those encounters and that energy is what i take with me to the next exhibition and it helps propel me when i run out of steam.
I thank everyone who attends my openings - I am currently working toward more shows for 2012 and hope to be present for those as well.

Speaking Out........Personal Challenges

2011-12-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

Today, I found yet another Ted talk worth viewing - link below. I don't want to give it all away so i will say the focus is on moving beyond our liimits and boundaries to live a life that fulfills our wishes and dreams. Sounds kind of corny, yes, but so tough to do. I do believe in challenging myself w/out freaking myself out - so taking things to a limit I can handle. It is very affirming and motivating to watch others do this too. Personal stories can transcend and transform and i will never tire of listening to people w/ the courage to speak out about their own personal stories....

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_purdy_living_beyond_limits.html#.TtfJAv1o0ZI.email

Talking about my work as a way of clarifying thoughts, ideas and direction.....

2011-10-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had the priviledge of giving a gallery talk to 100 visitors at the Oceanside Museum of Art - it was also the opening reception of my new solo exibition: A Matter of Space. The backstory is that putting together a "talk", per se, is a process of organizing my thoughts, ideas and concepts - It forced me to clarify exactly what i believe to be true about my work - about this current exhibition but also about priorities.... like what is important to me about being an artist, what concepts inspire me, artists who inspire me, as well as people in general who have influenced my work. It is an invaluable process of sifting through time's memories and bringing to light things that ask to be heard. It is nice to be able to share my ideas about being an artist.

I hope to post a video of my talk soon.....

Two Wonderful Talks (about Expanding Our Minds and creating a company) to Listen To on Ted.com

2011-10-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for reading or hearing about a person's personal story and that is why I enjoy listening and watching to Ted talks. In the last few days I found a few that were very thought provoking and interesting. One was by a Nigerian woman
writer named Chimananda Adichie and the title of her talk is "The Danger of Telling a Single Story" which basically focuses on the idea that we all have "one story" that we play in our heads about a particular person, culture, country or concept and tend not to expand that story by learning and reading more. It made me think about how limiting my ideas may be and makes me want to read and research more about everything!
The other talk is by a plastics engineer, Mike Biddle, who started a worldwide recycling company called MBA Polymers, located in various countries around the world. He was motivated to start the company by his overriding need to get rid of waste. Its really an amazing story about his "story" and how his company evolved.
See below for links for both talks:

http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_biddle.html
www.facebook.com/cathybreslawcontemporaryvisualartist

World's Most Powerful Ground Based Telescope, named "Alma", has begun showing images....

2011-10-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Alma, the world's largest land based telescope, still under completion is already producing amazing images of galaxies in outer space - take a look at lots of videos - The telescope is in the mountains of Chile. I can't help but feel how much our perspective on the world will change as a result of Alma's images and new knowledge gained from it's work.

Spoken Word Poetry, great talk - link

2011-09-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

I recently watched a ted talk by Sarah Kay, - it is "Spoken Word Poetry" called "If I had a Daughter"..
It is inspiring, moving and wonderful to watch. link below:

http://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter.html

Anatomy of an Exhibition -Thoughts on my Upcoming Exhibition - A Matter of Space

2011-09-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

"There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle."
Albert Einstein
I love this quote - the important words are "as though" because how we experience our lives is often dependent
on how we frame our experiences. If we "think" its a bad day, it is a bad day. That is not to say there are all
good days but often we can improve our mood and sense of well being by living "as though" things are well.The other idea i enjoy in this quote is that of "miracles". I believe i can find awe and beauty in some small detail
of my daily life and by choosing to be conscious of these things improves my daily life.

photo of beginning thoughts about Oceanside Museum exhibition

So, I am having a solo exhibition at the Oceanside Museum in Oceanside, CA with an opening reception on Saturday, October 22nd, 2-4 pm. I will also be giving a gallery talk at that time. This exhibition has been a challenge for me because the space i was given is very small in relation to the usual scale of my work. My works are often 3' x 6' and larger. So I was faced with the question "How do I approach this exhibition?" Usually I create wall, floor and hanging installations and have the opportunity of selecting among my works to install. This time, my "usual" approach did not work. I began thinking about the space, taking photos, making notes, and brainstorming some ideas. The concept of "space" kept popping up in my thoughts - what is space, how deep is space, what is in space? After all, I've never been in outer space, and can't see what's in the space around people and objects in space on earth. Yet, the thoughts were compelling and it is basically a conversation I have had with myself for a long time and was beginning to be present in some of the installations I was making. So began a several month process of investigation, research, thoughts and experimentations in the studio.....

detail of hanging installation - 'Worlds Within Worlds'

The Magic of Truth and Lies on Ipods - Ted Talk -short but absorbing.

2011-09-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.ted.com/talks/marco_tempest_the_magic_of_truth_and_lies_on_ipods.html

Ted Talk: The Magic of Truth and Lies on Ipods
Fascinating 5 minute Ted Talk by Marco Tempest - Artful Use of Ipods and clever discussion about magic
and its edging on the border of truth and lies. Check it out....

Artful Life By Cathy blog

2011-09-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

Follow my recent posts on Artful Life by Cathy blog.

Materials Inspire My Work

2011-09-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

I began my visual art as a painter who used mostly waterbased materials like watercolors, inks, acrylics, but my curiousity about materials led me to using other materials that had a transparent-like feel to them like tissue papers, mylars, rolls of transparent plastic wrap, plastic bottles, mesh fabrics, and glass. Several years ago, on one of my trips to southeast asia(family business takes us there), I found an industrial plastic mesh and was able to visit the factory in Shanghai, China. The owners, Mr and Mrs Tsai, took me on a tour of their factory and explained that the machines you see in the photo(left) created the mesh by using multi-color plastic pellets and as they melt into the extrusion molding machines they produce a plastic mesh that resembles fabric in many different colors and patterns. I use the mesh, along with lots of other materials to create my work.

In this photo, left, the factory owners are showing me some of the products they make with the mesh - products for the wholesale grocery industry, decorative industry and construction industry and are shipped in room-sized containers on commercial ships all over the globe. I enjoy the process of experimenting with materials - manipulating them by twisting,layering,stretching,cutting,shaping, applying heat,and using whatever means I can to expand the possibilities of the materials.

I have the point of view that "all things are possible" and with that perspective, I approach materials as opportunities to create and express my ideas and concepts.

Beginning Thoughts......

2011-09-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Life is art - art is life, at least my life. Being new to blogging, it was tough coming up with a title so 'artful life by cathy' seems to cover alot of ground. As an artist, being 'artful' comes naturally but living artfully is a conscious day to day choice and journey that may or may not include 'art'. I want my blog to be mindful of all people, not just artists or the world of art,because after all, life is about so much more...

Like family - This photo is of my son Adam,a naval officer who just returned from a 7 month deployment last week. I am so proud of his service to our country and he is an inspiration to my life and to my art. Watching his ship pull into port was a feeling of pride, and overwhelming emotion.

Then there is my other son, Micah who with his humor, questioning and spunkiness, adds art to my life and life to my art. It has been with my children that the aspect of 'playfulness' came into my work as an artist. So with making my art, i begin with 'play'. I have a curiousity and love of materials - all materials - for making my work seeking out any thing that might bring meaning or expression to my thoughts and ideas.

So this is an introduction to my blog....to me and what makes my world go round. This photo was taken of me at my exhibition at the Bakersfield Museum of Art in March,2011. More photos of my work to come..