WrendingRae

When I am feeling in a funk, I sit down a this exercise:

I ask myself what I'm afraid of. I write down everything I've been afraid of doing or saying or worried might happen  I write down what I've been avoiding and why I am avoiding them.

Last week I was avoiding starting my next painting. I have so many other stressors going on right now. I am still working on my divorce, still getting a handle on finances and daily to-do's. Still trying to make time to rest, relax, and take care of myself between errands and appointments. Trying to balance the time I spend teaching my son to be responsible with the time I spend having fun. It is exhausting. 

Adding a painting to that scares me. Scares me that I won't finish, that my art will never go anywhere. Scares me that failing will just add to the pile of abandoned work that tries to tell me my skill in art amounts to nothing. It is paralyzing. But if I don't do it, if I don't keep trying, I -know- it will never happen. For sure.

The last two years I didn't even know where I would live. Not doing much art then was understandable. But now? Now it is time to try. I already did one painting this year. I even finished it!

It is time for another.

What's -your- scary thing?

Just wondering who still pays attention here, though I realize it is hard to keep-up with DA notifications. I am exploring my art in more personal ways and wish I had more of a community to share that with. Contemplating being more active here again, but honestly after 20 years on the internet I'm getting tired of trying to be heard? I don't usually like to pity-party vent in journals, but there it is.

Anyone here use their art to explore their spiritual/subconscious reality?

Also, does anyone really use the new Eclipse DA? I feel it is aptly named, I can't see shit through the  new UI. Where the fuck are my feeds? How does anyone see when artists you follow post shit?  :/

Apologies for the repost, apparently Eclipse DA didn't post my journal for regular DA viewing. I wish the internet would stop trying to be sleek and new, they're just gunking-up what already works. :/ I'm am old-skool internet curmudgeon. Grumpgrumpgrump!

Heya folks!

I miss posting here regularly. Life has been hectic! And then my Cintiq Companion took a dive and currently needs to be sent in for repair (I hope they can fix it!). Downside of having a tablet and computer in one means I cannot digital art OR get online except via phone, lament!

On the bright side, I've been helping to manage my friend's Kickstarter, which is just $300 shy of funding with 3 days left in the campaign! Please consider backing if you like dinosaurs, books, or even my art! (I designed the bookmark and stickers!)

Check it out and read the first chapter here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/9…

Also on the plus side, I now have more reason to delve back into traditional art, whoo!

Hope you're all well!
Rae

Whoots! So I'm getting back into the swing of DA, perhaps more than ever before. Design sales and group participation and art I just do for fun will probably be the main focus of this account, though I do spend time on more serious endeavours. 

I've been looking around the Closed Species / Original Species scene and am so surprised to see how much things have developed, holy cow!

I've also noticed, a little to my dismay, that my Figment species is not particularly unique in concept anymore among CS. It is a little disheartening, I have to admit. (Not that masks possessing a spirit-esque entity is a new idea.) 

Originally, I started developing Figments for myself as a mental exercise to explore concepts of reality, conciousness, and the relationship between observer and the observed. At the same time, they let me explore my internal language of color, etc. Through my Figments, I learn to understand how I, personally, internalize the external world, and how to transelate this perception into a visual medium by which, hopefully, others might share something of the experience.

In other words, Figments are part of how I learn the fanciful art of evocation!

So I'll keep on developing my Figments. Because they are still an exciting mental exercise, and they still teach me how to grow and push my art.

And if it is one thing I've noticed in the world of CS and RP, people enjoy an interesting spin and a well-developed world. So if I'm really lucky, my Figment explorations might attract a group of like-minded folks. But if not, that's ok too. I'll still be having fun exploring. :3

I hope you guys have fun exploring, too, and wish you all happy arting!

Onward to adventure!
Wrending Rae

Apologies for the flooding. I'm currently uploading a chunk of my FA Gallery over here. Not everything, but a good bit of it. Works from the last year. All descriptions are just copy-pasted.

Rae

Update: Flood finished! Will be uploading here regularly from here on. And FA peeps can still find me at WanderingRae !