Art to influence and inspire!

Hello! Happy Black History Month! Happy Mardi Gras! Happy Lunar New Year! Happy Valentines Day! And Yes! to LOVE in general, and always. There’s a lot to be angry and sad about. AND there’s much to celebrate and to be hopeful for. If cynicism is compliance, then hope is revolutionary. And LOVE is truly the most powerful force in our world. This month’s newsletter is about being informed and inspired. I believe sharing creative expression from the studio, the classroom, and beyond, can be a balm and spark for hopeful hearts in these hard times. Let’s get into it…

Pictures & Words

After an intense year in the studio working on A Language of Stitches, and my exhibition Material Worlds , I found it hard to get back into the groove. I spent weeks “cleaning” (aka moving piles of paper) then slowly started playing with paper scraps. The drone of endless news influenced me, while the excitement for Valentines Day at school, inspired me. So far, I’ve collaged about 20 of these 4” x 4” hearts along with a few words as reminders to stay hopeful, stay active, and believe love wins.

Art in School

How do artists get serious about play?

1st grade artists studied artist Stanley Whitney. After learning about his creative development and influences (Roman architecture and Giorgio Morandi, for starters) we began, like he does, with sketches. Starting in the upper left corner we intuitively colored each box to create the grid.

Next, we painted our grids on large paper, following the same format; start in the upper left and paint each square intuitively. Some 1st grade artists remained faithful to their sketches, mixing and matching color to color. Most abandoned strict adherence to the sketch for a more freeform approach. All were successful in creating beautiful and dynamic paintings. Oh, and we listened to cool jazz while we worked, just like Stanley Whitney does.

“I start at the top and work down,” explains Stanley Whitney. “That gets into call-and-response. One color calls forth another. Color dictates the structure, not the other way round.”

If you’re not familiar with Stanley Whitney, there are some wonderful videos and online articles that cover his life and approach to painting. I highly recommend a deep dive into his work.

2nd and 3rd grade artists are studying four artists: Jean Michel Basquiat, Beverly Buchanan, Amy Sherald, and Anthony Grant for our Influence Project. They are learning to take notes and document what’s important about the artists’ lives and work. Next, they will chose one of the artists and create their own art, demonstrating how knowledge of the artist influences and inspires their own work. More to come next month. *Links to videos and website are the ones I show students, chosen for clarity and brevity.

Workshop News

This month I’ll be doing an intergenerational collage workshop and book talk at Bay Farm Island Library in Alameda on February 28th. Check out their calendar for the details.

I’ll be doing a collage workshop and a book GIVE AWAY on Creativebug LIVE, Wednesday, March 4th.

Last month I did a collage workshop inspired by the images in A Language of Stitches for the African American Regional Education Alliance. The keynote speakers were beyond inspirational. I walked away with renewed excitement for teaching and making. The speakers are amazing authors. Checkout The Battle for the Black Mind by Dr. Karida L. Brown and Rooted in Joy by Deonna Smith. I highly recommend both.

My class on Creativebug.com Inspired by Picture Books, is a daily practice that will spark your imagination with prompts based on a new picture book every day. This is a class for curious creatives of all ages. It’s available any time and can be self-paced.

Thank you for taking time to read. Please forward this newsletter to anyone who might enjoy a monthly dose of creativity in their inbox, or send them over to constancemoore.com to join my list.

I truly appreciate your support.

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