Christmas Eve 2010

Art is a little bit of life given as a gift. Emotions poured out from the soul for all to behold. The gift of life, the gift of love, the gift of sanity from heaven above.
May each of you find the gift you need ... may you be empowered to receive.. to embrace.. to acknowledge... you are loved.

Clarification

Define who you are! Make every effort to educate others on what you and your art are all about. Do all you can to clarify your message. You and your art are unique on the entire planet! Act like it.. live like it.. speak like it! Let everyone know (in a kind respectful way) that YOU and YOUR ART are Special! Do not allow the words or actions of others to define you. No! Speak Out! Speak Up! Be Bold! Be Nice.. but Be Bold! Have courage to advance your Cause, your Dreams, your Name! Get it out there every way possible. It's Your Life, Your Destiny! Your Future! Press Forward in Power and Authority... for Your Good Name and the Glory of God! (Gal. 6:14)

Exercise

Our hearts continue to pump, hair and nails keep on growing, we blink, breathe and sweat all without our conscious input but we must choose to exercise, decide to stay healthy and fit. Inspiration seems to be the issue. That's where the stimulation art provides comes in like a flood! You've heard the term "Art Work" well, the operative word is Work! My approach to the creative process it extremely demanding, I work ten - twelve hours a day seven days a week, so being in strong physical condition is of utmost importance or i simply won't have the stamina to Make More Art! Not only do I need to be at the top of my game emotionally and psychologically but healthy in every way. soooo ... Excuse me ... but I have to go work out now! (wink)

Hip

Funny how some art seems 2 B "Hip" while other works get the "Wall Flower" designation. So what's it take to be hip? Andy Warhol would certainly be one to ask. But alas he's dead! soooo as I see it (see it... get it?) if you create art from your heart... from the passion brewing in the deepest parts you can't help but be cool & cutting edge.. ie. Hip! At least you can know it is honest and real... maybe even strong and inspiring.. maybe. But to be really HIP!?? Well, the only solution or answer I know is to simply Make More Art!! Then if it's in ya it will come out... eventually! And Yes, that's exactly what I'm gonna do right now! Make More Art!!!
ooooo I feel soooo HIP!!
http://www.stevenascroggins.com/
www.immersivecda.com/fineart/
http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/User/stevenascroggins

Shade

Summer.. Hot.. Long Days.. Shade? ? ?
All the way up till 5pm I can feel a cool breeze driftin thru my space as I stand on a west facing deck that has a five foot overhang providing protection. I stand with paint brush in hand, music blastin a variety of tunes, fragrance of Oil Paint wafting in and out, and the occasional passerby with an encouraging greeting. The shade is physical but can't help but think of an emotional type of shade. A way of saying if you stand out in the sun.. comparing it to the onslaught of spiritual and emotion attacks that come our way on a daily basis, you'll fry yer brain and heart too! sooo shade is good.. protection from the "elements" is good and needed. .. Yep.. just need a little shade sometimes.

respect

Respect is a lost art! Maybe not completely but certainly waining as a constant consideration in the general population. I may have become callous from dealing with the public as a small business owner but seems most parents no longer teach their kids to respect the property or personage of others. Aretha got it right... gimme gimme gimme some respect, just a little bit!!

Rainbow

Created a painting last nite... not quite finished (approx 6ft x 9ft Acrylic on Canvas) Started out with a few bands of bright primary color .. felt like a rainbow.. so after some thoughts and bit of time playing the Blues with my partner Heavy D decided to scrawl "Your Love is Like A Rainbow!" across the surface. Pretty cool thought... Art in general is certainly like a rainbow! Hope, Refreshing, New Beginnings, even a Light in the darkness all comes to mind and heart when i allow Art to speak to me. There will always be storms but ahhhh I believe there will always be Rainbows as well.

Deeper

Be Nice! Art has a way of getting our attention but it's not always nice about it! By that I mean, all art isn't pretty or sweet or even "traditional". Some art has the ability to speak in ways that irritates me yet when i press on thru the project the outcome usually is pleasing. Kinda like getting blisters when digging a hole to plant a tree. Blisters are painful but the outcome of the effort affords shade and clean air for years into the future and benifits not only the digger but so many others. I'm just sayin we need to keep our eyes on the prize, distant as it may seem, still, Victory is worth all pain it takes to get there.
Har! excuse me while i Dig a Little Deeper!

On Track

So easy to get off track! There are many enticements along the way or should I say distractions. mmmm Dis - Traction .. could mean loosing traction.. slippin all over the place instead of staying focused down the middle of the road.
My first job out of HS was working for the Penn-Central Rail Road in the Signal & Communication Branch out of Indianapolis, Indiana. One of the jobs our crew would be dispatched to was helping reinstall communication cables that were destroyed in train wrecks. It's a powerful thing to see a locomotive barreling down the track but when all that power gets Off Track it causes immense destruction. So too our lives. The impact not only effects our own path but also the lives of those around us. You've heard the saying, "their life is like a train wreck!" What a mess! Now I believe Art can be of great assistance by letting out emotions in a creative way instead of allowing all that pent up pressure to drive us off track. Sure, some disasters are unavoidable but we have the ability to release and refocus our energy in a positive manner. Sometimes we carry a heavy load but our good friend ART can provide comfort and protection along the way.
Soooo.. You Got It.... Time for me to get out into my studio and Make More Art! Woooot Wooooot!!!! (train sounds here)

Memory Day

Creating Art is so therapeutic! With Memorial Day rolling around once again reminds me just how much that therapy is needed! I only spent four years in the Air Force during the Vietnam era but it changed my entire life. Never been quite the same since. But compared to many of my Brothers I got off easy. Still, living with the emotional and spiritual scares has greatly impacted my life. So, Thank God for ART! Helps me release feelings in a constructive way. I'm so driven to create art, I work at least ten - twelve hours every day. Sometimes in tears and others in laughter but always in a state of gratitude that I possess sight, hands, legs and even stamina enough to function as an artist. So many of my friends didn't make it back physically whole or mentally and emotionally strong enough to even function in society. I think it's a good thing on Memorial Day to celebrate Life instead of death! May God have mercy on us all!
Now... I gotta go Make More Art!!!

Back Up!

Back up your files! Just a friendly reminder. Takes much less time and effort to regularly protect your information than it does trying to bring it all back from the abyss. Be safe instead of sorry!
Arrrrrrggg!! (mmmm was that the sound of conviction??)

Express Yourself!

Express Yourself!
How ever it comes out is fine. No right or wrong! Just allow the marks 2B made... with freedom, with power, with authority! Go on, let it out! Any medium will do.. any surface... simply know it's more than OK, more than important, more than needed to become the person, the artist the uniquely creative individual you are meant to be! Don't let anything or anyone stop or deter you. This is a Paramount Opportunity! so Go On... Express Yourself!! Make More ART!!!!

Change

Just got my first hair cut in ten years! Feels good... ahhhh change. Wanna embrace a new look, a new way of thinkin, a bigger brighter future. Did it just for me... got tired of fighting with it and besides almost always had it tired back ... so what's the point anyway?! This pruning could prove to be the catalyst that prompts a deeper confidence and stronger motivation to succeed on the World Stage with my art. For me, It is after all, mostly about what's on the inside more than on the canvas. Without an inner art there could be no outer art. That statement it strangely wordy but seems to ring true. So... change is good... but at the end of the day it's just a hair cut.

Family

The work I create is like a family to me. No matter where they go I still feel close, no matter what they say I still love them. Doesn't mean there isn't tension at times but the bottom line is I have part of me in them and HA! i do love myself... hard to deny me. Selfish? Self Centered? Self Absorbed? Well, sure... at times. Maybe everyone is? But I sure love my Art. I can accept criticism, even if not constructive but overall ... it amazes me how some folks don't understand how personal, private and deeply revealing my art is to me. Yet I become an exhibitionist baring ALL willingly.. putting it out there for better or worse. So be gentle but by all means take yer best shot. Just remember yer talkin bout my Family!

Opportunity

I'm guessin Opportunity Knocks way more often than we realize! We simply don't hear it! Maybe we're too involved in focusing on Hopes, Dreams and Plans we've already concocted or maybe we're just not listening! But I'm confident amazing opportunities are all around us. My Art Making proves this to me daily. I'll be in the throws of creativity, I call it the Zone, where everything disappears cept the art at hand and while in that mental state a revealing occurs as to what tools to use or materials to incorporate that will bring about the success of the piece. In the bigger picture of life, which i happen to believe is an amazing work of art all to itself, there will be opportunities arise thru which a much greater scale of success can be facilitated. Funny comparison: on one hand getting Lost in the art making process and on the other getting Found in the real world. Either way we need to be listening for that knock on our heart's door.

The Gift

Life is such a Gift! So excited bout opening it today and exploring the goodies inside! Gonna make good use of my gift today and Make More Art!
Gotta give God all the Glory here as I believe He is the Gift Giver! Each heart beat, each breath, each moment is a special gift from Him. So look you guys, don't think I'm being preachy... it's simply what i believe... what inspires me, Who I rely on and trust in. I'm just like a little kid opening that Big 'ole Christmas present... man, can't wait to rip it up, dig inside.. as I laugh, giggle n grin all the way! Yahoooooo!!! Gonna go outside in the fresh air & sunshine and create some ART! Now That has Meaning!! ;-)

Pain

Interesting how ART seems 2 B a fantastic way to deal with pain! Art is not always "Oh, that's beautiful!" but sometimes... " Yikes! that's scary!" Ya just gotta let it out! Whether emotional, Psychological or even physical pain it all has a way of cramping yer style. But I find if I confront the monster by Creating Art it turns the potentially negative vibe into amazing creative energy. So I try to push through the pain as they say and make myself work all the harder, all the more intense, even more aggressive. The doctors want to throw pharmaceuticals (ie. Drugs) at the situation but even tho there are times that could be the right or needed approach, my drug of choice to deal with pain is... Making More Art!!

Companionship

Living with Art could, or in my opinion should be, compared with living with a good friend. If we knew or understood every detail about another person we would soon get bored and complacent in the relationship. A good friend continually reveals new and interesting characteristics. They challenge, comfort, convict, inspire, draw out passions we were not even aware of and generally stir our hearts to become a better person. Time apart is valuable as well... ahhh the coming back together is exciting at so many levels. It should be the same when living with a fine piece of art. Allowing Art to come into our private, intimate space... to dwell with, experience special moments together, speak to and hear from makes for a rewarding investment. Like when people meet face to face. We see the surface, that first impression. Yet as we continue to explore an unfolding depth of uniqueness is enjoyed. So too with Art. We are surprised, often encouraged and an awareness develops as to the potential our new companion offers. Staying connected becomes important and a beautiful lasting relationship evolves.

The Truth

Interaction with other humans... mmmm Not that I'm all paranoid about being lied to but seems it's often difficult knowing if what folks have to say is full of truth. But when your Art Speaks to you, if you're really listening, there is nothing but Truth! Art has a way of being totally open and honest... revealing the deepest innermost emotions... laying it all on the line without hesitation or regret! Seems Art intends for us to find confidence and assurance in the interaction. Oh, how i want to learn to be more attentive, more focused, more tuned in. I feel so privileged to spend time with Art, anybodies Art not just my own. What a wonderful opportunity to glean insight and wisdom. Wouldn't want to totally miss out on the human experience... but to discover deeper meaning... I'll hang with Art anytime!

Perseverance

Sure, there are times when abandoning a project is the "right" decision, at least for the time being. But overall seems pushing thru the proverbial Love-Hate relationship that often evolves when creating a piece of art is Paramount to success. Life is like that. It's difficult to get anywhere if you're constantly sitting at the side of the road contemplating the next pothole that could be up ahead. Art making can be a fickle process but for me Pushing On continually pays off. Lessons learned of what TO Do or NOT To Do in creating that Masterpiece are certainly worth the effort. As we look to find meaning in our art making be encouraged to Persevere!

Choose 2B Happy!

Be Encouraged to Live yer Dreams! Simply deciding to Go For It, no matter what the outcome, will bring Great Happiness into yer life! Know you CAN Be and Do more than you think! Choose Happy! To me this is a huge part of the Meaning of ART! YOU are Walkin Talkin ART!!