The Lardner Report

Unleash your creative superpowers!

Learning To Trash The Perfect Plan

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(Pic #1) The perfect set. Who knew? Josh knew.

Embrace what’s taken away.

As an artist, you know the inspiration can come from anywhere. But you have to be open to that inspiration, and sometimes, the preconceived notion we have about a piece, can actually stifle that.  Last weekend I had finished painting a couple of new jackets and wanted some creative photos of them.

(Pic #2) Our newly-recruited model “Ainslee” helped bail us out.

Typically, on Memorial Day weekend, we often head to Santa Barbara for the day to check out the i madonnari chalk festival at the historic Mission. So the idea struck me, how cool would it be to get shots of me (or preferably a model) wearing the jackets against the backdrop of all that quirky, colorful pastel street art. So off we went. Unfortunately we arrived early Saturday morning, so most of the artwork had not been completed. No great backdrops to shoot against. That plus the fact — that with so many people walking around — a clean photo was going to be hard to get.

I stood on the steps of the Mission looking over the courtyard where all the chalk artists labored, and knew with absolute certainty that this was a wasted trip. I had the picture in my head, I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like, but there was no way to make it happen.  Time to go home. That’s when my husband said, “Hey knucklehead, turn around.”

So I did. And suddenly I was facing the front of the mission. He pointed and said.. “Go pose against the wall.” The pink pillars, the texture of the whitewashed stone were stunning. So we shot there. I even found a model in the crowd who agreed to help us out. I love these shots, even though they were nothing like what I had envisioned.

I had closed myself off to other possibilities because I was locked into that one “ideal” image.  Josh wasn’t, so all he saw were opportunities. So here’s the lesson I hope I learned: knowing what you want to create beforehand is a good thing. Thinking it’s the only thing worth creating can prevent you from seeing extraordinary possibilities.

(Pic #3) Ainslee  duet, courtesy Photo Shop.

 

Defiant Disorder In My Art? WTF?

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(Pic #1) The finished product, with a splash of defiance.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a real thing.  Johns Hopkins University defines it as “a pattern of defiant, uncooperative, hostile behavior —typically toward authority figures.” Experts say about 1 in 6 children and teens are struggling with ODD at any time.

Last week, I was tasked with creating a wearable art piece for the co-owner of one of sports’ most iconic franchises, the Boston Celtics. I had visions of exploding shamrocks splattered all over the sleeves, and showcasing the team’s official colors: Green, black, white, and gold.

(Pic #2) First shot at the background: Laker purple, really?

Like many artists,  I’m fascinated by contrast. When creating a color palette, I always like to see what colors will POP against others. For the Celtics jacket, I mixed up a stunning shade of lavender to sit next to a kelly green stripe. I was genuinely excited about energy the two colors sparked.

Husband Josh walks in as I was painting the background (Pic #2) and barks (in his best John McEnroe) “You can’t be serious about using Laker purple on this piece! Do you even have a clue about the bitter rivalry between the two teams?”

Well, yes, I do have a clue, and it did cross my mind that I should stay away from opposing team colors. But he was unconvinced.  Based on years of defiant behavior, he knew I would carry into my art project a sharp stubbornness that rears its ugly head every time I’m told there are rules — some form of conformity to which I must adhere. Lord, just writing that right now gives me the willies.

When I began to argue that the color was actually lavender — not purple — he knew I was fighting one of those fights — the kind that are based on nonsense , but I will defend to the end. I even tried lightening up the lavender paint with more white, about which he said, “it still reads Laker purple.”

Grudgingly, I gave up. The formerly “purple” stripe is now shiny gold (Pic #1) which is lucky, considering that’s part of the official Celtics’ brand, and oh, by the way, looks way better than what I’d painted first.

Okay, defy this, bitches.

Laundry Art: Who Knew?

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(Pic #1) “Zelda” (Zebra) by Helga Stentzel Yes, it’s basic laundry, with a twist.

Creative Drought? Look around the house.

Her canvas — is a clothes line. Her materials? Shirts, pants, towels and socks —  and a keen eye for shapes and story. Helga Stentzel’s “Clothes Line Animal Series” cleverly breathes life into everyday objects. With her magical touch — clothespins and cotton weaves — landscapes transform into a whimsical menagerie of animal characters, each with their own personality.

Stentzel is a Siberian-born multidisciplinary artist based in London.  She says her art is about “finding magic in the mundane.” She says she hopes her work will help us connect with our inner child, and “savor the little visual delights.”

(Pic #2) “Laundrosaurus” by Helga Stentzel

(Pic #3) “Camella” (Camel) by Helga Stentzel

(Pic #4) Polar Bear by Helga Stentzel

(Pic #5) “Pegasus” by Helga Stentzel

(Pic #6) “Smooothie” by Helga Stentzel