So Work of Art is finally over. I enjoyed the ending, but just like every other episode, I really wish we could have seen more of the art and more of the process. Oh, well. I must say that I was routing for Peregrine instead of Abdi, though they both did amazing work.
It seems as if there is another season in the works. Hopefully they'll work out all the kinks and the second season will be everything we wanted the first to be.
That being said, we are on the verge of something new and exciting in the world of Mommy Moon. The new website design is coming together and photos are being taken. Keep an eye out because it won't be long!
-Jennifer Gayle
Friday, August 13, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Grand Finale or Grand Finally?
Hopefully for the past few weeks you've been watching Work of Art with me. Although I haven't been really inspired enough to write every week, I have been keeping up with the results (usually in the early mornings or late at night while Chris is in bed).
About halfway through we were introduced to the product plugging that Project Runway is so well known for. Only this time instead of incorporating some kind of art supply we were asked to watch contestants observe an already well designed building and then design something even better about it. And then came the team challenges. These were not unexpected, and it was not unexpected to have to use the word cluster to describe them at times, but overall they achieved their purpose of eliminating contestants. I do have to say, however, kudos to Jacqueline in the second team challenge. It certainly takes a lot of guts to put a painting of you doing a 'certain intimate sexual act' on national television, especially when you were encouraged by a spoiled kid who just wanted to see if he could get you to do it. I say Bravo!, and as a piece of art quite stunning.
So, now we're at the final three. As with PR, we are not at all surprised to see the young, spoiled artist with some marginal work in the finale. Although I would have like to have seen an only 1-man finale, I do agree with their assessment of Abdi's growth as an artist (his final piece was stunning). I will certainly miss Nicole, but I'm curious to see what Peregrine will show up with.
As for my work--I have finally gotten the opportunity to get some things shot. How long they'll stay in the camera is another story, but at least they're on their way.
If I say nothing else today, I will give a simple morning tip. Don't take your Prilosec, etc. with orange juice. Not the wisest of choices. Now, enjoy the day!
About halfway through we were introduced to the product plugging that Project Runway is so well known for. Only this time instead of incorporating some kind of art supply we were asked to watch contestants observe an already well designed building and then design something even better about it. And then came the team challenges. These were not unexpected, and it was not unexpected to have to use the word cluster to describe them at times, but overall they achieved their purpose of eliminating contestants. I do have to say, however, kudos to Jacqueline in the second team challenge. It certainly takes a lot of guts to put a painting of you doing a 'certain intimate sexual act' on national television, especially when you were encouraged by a spoiled kid who just wanted to see if he could get you to do it. I say Bravo!, and as a piece of art quite stunning.
So, now we're at the final three. As with PR, we are not at all surprised to see the young, spoiled artist with some marginal work in the finale. Although I would have like to have seen an only 1-man finale, I do agree with their assessment of Abdi's growth as an artist (his final piece was stunning). I will certainly miss Nicole, but I'm curious to see what Peregrine will show up with.
As for my work--I have finally gotten the opportunity to get some things shot. How long they'll stay in the camera is another story, but at least they're on their way.
If I say nothing else today, I will give a simple morning tip. Don't take your Prilosec, etc. with orange juice. Not the wisest of choices. Now, enjoy the day!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
A Week Late, But At Least I Made It
With the holiday weekend, and various other activities this past week, I wasn't able to get my Work of Art review of the shelf when I wanted. And I still have a list of other topics backing up. Alas.
I wanted to briefly remark on Work of Art's tackling--if not so well--of a sensitive subject- Shock Art. Contestants were presented with a gallery of work by well-known shock artist Andres Serrano. He's known for his entire exhibition called 'Shit', photographs of bodies in morgues, and perhaps most famously for his work called 'Piss Christ', which gained much notoriety since it was at least in part paid for by public National Endowment of the Arts funds. Because of the graphic nature of his work I leave it to you to follow his Wikipedia page to get a glimpse of some of what he has done.
The contestants had a day to create something shocking, something that would catch not only the eyes of the regular judges and viewers, but of Serrano himself. Certainly no small task. It doesn't help to put on an exhibition for a man who can say, "I've done that, only grosser." Personally I don't think anyone really stood out as 'shocking'. In fact Chris and I laid in bed for a while trying to decide what our work of art would be if we were in their shoes (my mind instantly went to the morgue, but since Serrano did that in 1992 I couldn't claim first rights).
Abdi was the winner of this weeks challenge, with a piece I never truly understood or found that shocking, and two contestants went home. The first was Nao, a performance artist who herself didn't know what she was performing, and the second was John, winner of last week's challenge. I personally got his concept, but agreed with the judges that he didn't go as far as he could with it.
So, everyone set your DVRs or sit down for tomorrow night's episode so we can find out what new, and hopefully interesting, challenge the producers have in store for us.
-Jennifer Gayle
I wanted to briefly remark on Work of Art's tackling--if not so well--of a sensitive subject- Shock Art. Contestants were presented with a gallery of work by well-known shock artist Andres Serrano. He's known for his entire exhibition called 'Shit', photographs of bodies in morgues, and perhaps most famously for his work called 'Piss Christ', which gained much notoriety since it was at least in part paid for by public National Endowment of the Arts funds. Because of the graphic nature of his work I leave it to you to follow his Wikipedia page to get a glimpse of some of what he has done.
The contestants had a day to create something shocking, something that would catch not only the eyes of the regular judges and viewers, but of Serrano himself. Certainly no small task. It doesn't help to put on an exhibition for a man who can say, "I've done that, only grosser." Personally I don't think anyone really stood out as 'shocking'. In fact Chris and I laid in bed for a while trying to decide what our work of art would be if we were in their shoes (my mind instantly went to the morgue, but since Serrano did that in 1992 I couldn't claim first rights).
Abdi was the winner of this weeks challenge, with a piece I never truly understood or found that shocking, and two contestants went home. The first was Nao, a performance artist who herself didn't know what she was performing, and the second was John, winner of last week's challenge. I personally got his concept, but agreed with the judges that he didn't go as far as he could with it.
So, everyone set your DVRs or sit down for tomorrow night's episode so we can find out what new, and hopefully interesting, challenge the producers have in store for us.
-Jennifer Gayle
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Belated Birthday Gifts and a Work of Art
Before I get into anything else, I must first make sure to acknowledge my friend Taiya, whose birthday was June 24. It's not really that I haven't acknowledged her birthday, it's just that I am terribly late in making her birthday gift. Seeing as how she's probably my biggest and bestest fan (aside from my hubby) and my best marketing tool (read: brag book) I have to make sure that her presents are always special. So after more than a month of brainstorming, You Tube-ing, and driving my husband crazy with indecision, I finally came up with the perfect idea for her present. Only I haven't had the time to make it yet. The foundation has been laid (hint-there are three envelopes glued together), but so far schoolwork and studying has kept me out of the studio. So I've decided on a new tactic. I will leave clues as I get a step completed. This way by the time it is finally complete and it arrives in the mail she can't help but be excited to see it. Sounds like a good plan to me. :-)
The other topic I wanted to cover during this blog update has also been pushed aside due to studying. Has anyone else been watching Bravo TV's Work of Art? Think Project Runway meets the art world. I think it is Bravo's attempt to reclaim some its glory since losing Project Runway this past year. The show's not half bad, though I never would have known about it if I hadn't been watching something else on Bravo. It didn't help either that the series premier came on at 11pm. The show as settled into it's regular schedule of Wednesday nights at 10:00 est. As I said earlier, it's not half bad, but it certainly leaves some things to be desired.
If we're considering Work of Art to be a Project Runway replacement, I think a simple comparison between the two is the best place to start. And when you think of Project Runway the first person you think of when you think of is Heidi Klum. Work of Art's answer to Heidi is China Chow and Heidi Klum she is not. I don't blame China, it's more the fault of the writers. China has the attitude, but she lacks the catch phrases that Heidi is known for. As a result it leaves her looking meek. No "You're out." Instead it's "You're work didn't work for us." What's that supposed to be? And while we're on the subject of tag lines, they didn't do much better for Simon de Pury, the Tim Gunn of Work of Art. There is no "Make it work." There is no anything. He speaks and the artists don't even realize he's leaving the room.
There is a good side to Work of Art. You get to see works of art in progress. With Project Runway everyone is sewing. Great. It's the finished product you're looking to see. With Work of Art you actually get to see it being made. You get to see the thought process and the design process of the different artists, all of whom work in different ways. My only complaint about that is that there is not nearly enough time to explore them all and really get an in depth look at what they're doing. I'm sure as the number of artists is whittled down we'll get to see more. For now what we'll have to do with what we get.
Despite its faults, I do enjoy Work of Art and would recommend it to others. It's a bright, creative spot on the summer line-up. And we can always enjoy some creative television.
~Jennifer Gayle
The other topic I wanted to cover during this blog update has also been pushed aside due to studying. Has anyone else been watching Bravo TV's Work of Art? Think Project Runway meets the art world. I think it is Bravo's attempt to reclaim some its glory since losing Project Runway this past year. The show's not half bad, though I never would have known about it if I hadn't been watching something else on Bravo. It didn't help either that the series premier came on at 11pm. The show as settled into it's regular schedule of Wednesday nights at 10:00 est. As I said earlier, it's not half bad, but it certainly leaves some things to be desired.
If we're considering Work of Art to be a Project Runway replacement, I think a simple comparison between the two is the best place to start. And when you think of Project Runway the first person you think of when you think of is Heidi Klum. Work of Art's answer to Heidi is China Chow and Heidi Klum she is not. I don't blame China, it's more the fault of the writers. China has the attitude, but she lacks the catch phrases that Heidi is known for. As a result it leaves her looking meek. No "You're out." Instead it's "You're work didn't work for us." What's that supposed to be? And while we're on the subject of tag lines, they didn't do much better for Simon de Pury, the Tim Gunn of Work of Art. There is no "Make it work." There is no anything. He speaks and the artists don't even realize he's leaving the room.
There is a good side to Work of Art. You get to see works of art in progress. With Project Runway everyone is sewing. Great. It's the finished product you're looking to see. With Work of Art you actually get to see it being made. You get to see the thought process and the design process of the different artists, all of whom work in different ways. My only complaint about that is that there is not nearly enough time to explore them all and really get an in depth look at what they're doing. I'm sure as the number of artists is whittled down we'll get to see more. For now what we'll have to do with what we get.
Despite its faults, I do enjoy Work of Art and would recommend it to others. It's a bright, creative spot on the summer line-up. And we can always enjoy some creative television.
~Jennifer Gayle
Friday, June 18, 2010
What to do? What to do?
I'm sure this question has been asked by all of us at some time. There are so many ways out there for us to express our creativity, too many for me to possibly name. I've tried a bunch of them. There were some I didn't particularly like--doing watercolors is the first that comes to mind. I still remember vividly the class I took one summer. My Mom and I lied to the rec center where the class was being held. The age limit was 15, but I had just turned 14. Needless to say, I was the youngest in the class. The instructor had a tendency to treat me like the young student that I was and was fondness for taking my brush out of my hand to show me how I should be doing things. Perhaps it was this that turned me off of watercolors, or maybe its lack of instant gratification. All I know is it's not something you'll see me doing anytime soon.
I may not be doing watercolors, but there's no telling what you will see me doing. I have a voracious appetite when it comes to learning new things. I played four instruments in three years of marching band. I've been fortunate in the past couple years to be able to take advantage of stores like Panopolie (I'll have to hit up Ornamatea now that she has closed) and Archiver's. I've dabbled in jewelry making, metal etching, and have been shown card making techniques that would have made my Mother's head spin. And the DVR has exposed me to even more art forms than I could have imagined.
But that's the problem--there's more. There's so much more. And I want to try it all. I don't necessarily have to become a master at it. Take weaving. I don't really want to be a weaver, but wouldn't it be cool to say that you've actually done under-water basket weaving? There's a really cool pair of earrings that I'd like to have, the only problem is that they only exist in my head. So, why not learn how to make them? Maybe someone else would like to have a pair just like them, so I'll make a few. Maybe I'll dislike the process so much that they become true one-of-a-kinds. But I won't know until I try, will I.
So, I ask myself the question, what to do? Alas, I don't think I'll ever find a final answer to the question. At least not as long as there is some form of creative expression I haven't tried.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Identity Crisis
One of the great advantages of taking an e-course with hundreds of people is that you get to share in the creativity of those hundreds of people. Every one has their own take on the same thing. For a while now I've been kind of bored with the look of my blog. It needed something, I just didn't know what--or how to achieve it for that matter. Then at the beginning of the Flying Lessons course by Kelly Rae Roberts all the participants took the time to introduce themselves and share their websites and blogs. All of a sudden I was inundated with designs of all types--elegant, fun, wacky. Above all they were creative. And I was dying to be one of them. Lucky for me the blogs weren't the only thing that was shared. A few generous souls were kind enough to share how they came about designing their unique blog. So for the past few days I have been playing around with the design of my blog. The current look is from a website call ShabbyBlogs.com. They've got some great pre-made blog templates. Before that I played around with an image that I had created years ago. I've also used a couple templates provided by Blogger. For now I think I'm going to stick with the glitter heart design from Shabby Blogs. The glitter makes me think of Mom, since she was often known to have glitter in her hair. I'm sure, however, that I'll be playing around with the design again before too long. I guess that's one thing about being creative--I'm always working on something new.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Mommy's Day
Felicia Gayle Hudgins
November 26, 1959-May 30, 2004
Today is what I label on my calendar as 'Mommy's Day'. While it is the anniversary of her death, I choose it to be a day to celebrate my Mommy and all that she has done for me. Anyone who has had the opportunity to read the entry on why I named this blog (and my upcoming website) Mommy Moon knows that my Mom is the one who taught me what I know, and who instilled a sense of curiosity and creativity in me. I would be nothing today were it not for my mother and the way that she raised me. So today I celebrate my Mommy. I celebrate what she was and what she made me. Whenever we lose a loved one we have to remember not to dwell on the day we lost them but on the days that we had them. Therefore I mark today as Mommy's Day. She is in my heart always, and I think of her constantly, but instead of making today a day to mourn her death, I make it a day to celebrate her life! I love you, Mommy!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Going Flying
It's kind of fun to see life at work. A little over a year ago a friend of mine sent me a book that she thought I would like. It was called Taking Flight: Inspiration + Techniques to Give Your Creative Spirit Wings, by Kelly Rae Roberts. It's part companion, part guide, and part journal. It's the kind of book that makes you want to run to the craft room and lock yourself in until you're covered in paint and have little scraps of paper stuck to various parts of your clothes. I was all raring to go when I was hit with my ten-month forced hiatus from creative life. The book, along with many other things, got packed away and moved.
Fast forward to last week. The same friend sent me a link to a website. She had seen an artist's work in Hallmark and fallen in love. She wanted to share the artist's site with me because she knew I would love her work too. As I started surfing through the site I realized that there was something familiar about the artwork. Low and behold, the artist who had caught her eye was also the author of the book that she had sent me last year--Kelly Rae Roberts. I would say it's a small world, but I don't believe in coincidence.
I am at a point in my creative career where I could use some guidance. I've mostly decided what I want to do, and where I want to do it (read: new website coming in the near future). But I'm not too sure on the how. I can build a website, I can write a blog, but how do I share it with an audience. Enter Kelly Rae. As I was browsing her site I noticed a page for her e-course, "an inspiring and informative e-course where I share everything I know about how to start, grow, or expand your creative business." It was everything that I have been looking for. Depressed about not being able to afford to go to CraftyCon this fall, I was elated to find a source for all the information I've been looking for and it was only $99. Again, Kelly Rae is going to be a companion and a guide to those of us who want to share our creative spirit with the world (or at least the parts of the world who are interested in wearing things like Lego earrings).
I am totally elated, and grateful, that I have this opportunity. I look forward to learning all that I can, and hopefully someday I will be able to share my expertise with a whole new generation of crafters.
-Jen
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