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e.m.PD Therapy

~ … a Night Owl dealing with early morning Personality Disorder

e.m.PD Therapy

Category Archives: OPC

Discovering other people’s creativity

Graffiti House

29 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by Gert in OPC

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Tags

art, culture, Day of the Dead, graffiti art, West Texas

graffiti art

I snapped these photos last Summer while visiting with my daughter in West Texas. They pop up fairly often when I’m searching through my picture files to locate visuals for my articles. I always find myself wishing that I had snapped a few more angles and taken the time to learn the story behind the work. But it was soooo hot. I don’t like to be hot. The locals boast about the “dry heat” they have in West Texas, all I can say to that is – there’s ‘dry heat’ inside my oven as well…

It was a beautiful day, but when I got out of the car all I could think about was how quickly I could make my way to the nearest air-conditioned building. Instead, this little building caught my eye and I was compelled to endure the scorching dry heat to try to capture the images portrayed on it.

Graffiti House

Graffiti House is the name I attributed to the building when I saved the photos to my files. I have recently learned that Joey Martinez, Graffiti Artist and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, is responsible for this mesmerizing artwork. He has depicted himself on the back, left corner of this shot holding a spray paint can. To the right, he depicts an image of a woman battling breast cancer and turning to her faith.

Day of the Dead

The theme of the installation is heavily influenced by the artist’s culture and celebration of the Day of the Dead. You can use your favorite search engine to read more about that event.

Sugar Skull  Day of the Dead

Here is a link to an article I found that talks about the artist and his art. I think it’s fascinating, and I would be very interested in seeing more of his work.

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Bob Ross

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by Gert in OPC

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bob Ross, discovery, inspiration, joy, painting

Bob RossI love Bob Ross, and I just happened to notice that yesterday, he would have turned seventy-one years old.

Discovering Bob Ross was one of those “happy little accidents”. I was looking for a way to stay occupied during my morning walks – on the treadmill – and found him on the PBS Create channel.

I know. Normal people usually try to find something with a rockin’ beat to work out to. Something that will get their heart pumping and the oxygen flowing. Well, I guess I won’t claim to be anything that I’m not…

I first heard of Bob Ross years ago, long before I started my workouts with him. But, I wasn’t especially motivated to watch him paint, or anybody else for that matter. I’m just not into the whole watching paint dry thing. Truth be told, I am actually drawn more to his process, rather than the finished product. I think it may be the calm demeanor and the soothing tone that has me hooked. It’s very therapeutic.

I read somewhere that a stint in the Air Force helped him discover who he wasn’t, and a television show about oil painting helped him discover who he was. I can relate to that. In life, you may have to “do what you gotta do until you can do what you wanna do”. And no, that isn’t a Bob Ross quote. But this is:

The secret to doing anything is believing. Anything you believe you can do strong enough, you can do. Anything. All you have to do is believe.

Bob Ross October 29, 1942 – July 4, 1995

Bob Ross

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Essentially Woman

06 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by Gert in OPC

≈ 2 Comments

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art, clay, creativity, inspiration, spirit, vase, vessels, woman

Essentially WomanThis piece speaks to me. I have always wanted to say that! But seriously, if you look closely, you can see the silhouette of a woman standing tall like a tree – in her community, in her village, in her home – where her roots run deep, drawing her strength from all that surrounds her. There is a child-like figure at her feet, reaching up to her as a mother, a mentor, a friend. She is there to nurture, and guide, and love. There is a hustle and bustle of people and activity all around her, but she remains grounded and steadfast, a beacon to those who need her. She is their refuge, their hope, their joy, always at the ready to give of herself and of her heart. If you look just a tiny bit closer, and to the right, you can see the silhouette of another woman, sharing her strength and love in her community, in her village, in her home.

The artist, Shannon Walton, describes herself as a woman who wears many hats, and is many things to many people, but in all things, she is essentially woman. She created the pieces in this collection as a tribute to the women who have influenced her life, and to give homage to their quiet strength. She arranged the display to symbolize a “gathering of women” – this speaks to a special bond that exists among women who gather in a spirit of love and support. In a moment of retrospect, Shannon notes that she often finds her own strength and comfort in these gatherings.

Here is an excerpt from her Artist’s Statement that explains the collection:

I have created clay vessels that resemble the figure of a woman. Like women, each piece is different in both proportion and size although the general shape of each piece is similar. I’ve focused on accentuating the main features that makes a woman’s body different from a man’s – wide, curvy hips, concave waist, and plump breasts. These vessels have become a tribute to those women who have influenced and impacted my life.

Here’s another look at the collection and the artist. If you’d like to find out more about her work send me an Owl Gram and I will gladly pass it along.

Clay vases
Clay vases
Clay Vases
Essentially Woman
The Gathering
Essentially Woman
Clay Artist Shannon Walton

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A Really Big Bird

27 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by Gert in OPC

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Tags

art, metal, rooster, upcycle

business sign for art WurksI had driven past here several times before I actually stopped to snap these pictures. Although I noticed the sculpture on our first trip through the area, I was usually in a hurry to get to Tallahassee, or to get home, or it was dark, or raining, or traffic was heavy and I didn’t see it in time to stop safely. Always seemed to be something. On this particular trip, I had made up my mind that, barring an act of God, I would stop and get my pictures. These were taken with my cell phone and a little Nikon Coolpix L20 that lives in the bottom oRooster head shotf my purse.

I was disappointed to find the little shop closed that day, I would have liked to ask the owner a lot of questions about this special bird and explore the creative mind behind the art. I didn’t realize just how big it was until I stood near it

I have done a bit of research since that trip, and I discovered that the artist who created this amazing work is a gentleman who goes by the name of Larry Godwin. Mr. Godwin appears to enjoy a wonderfully artistic life and his work can be found on display at various locations around the world. I love this piece. Who could have imagined that old car bumpers would ever hold such an allure? If you’d like to see this masterpiece for yourself, the shop is located in a little town called Brundige in southern Alabama, somewhere between Troy and Dothan. You can read more about him in this article posted by The M.A.D. House Artists.metal rooster

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I'm just an Owl trying to make it in this Early Bird world. I'm dealing with early morning Personality Disorder...and other issues surrounding the sleep-wake cycle. You can call me Gert, and this is my Therapy Journal. Welcome to my world.

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