I don’t have much to show myself… my arm is doing better every day but still not healed properly, so I art journal a bit but only for short periods of time – building up a spread takes a couple of days that way but at least I can CREATE a bit! This week I also started working at my job again. Only two hours a day to see how that goes. The first day I was very tired afterwards but it is getting better every day. We build it up carefully.

I took a photo of my desk early this morning so you can see what’s on…

WOYWW #606

If you read my former post you know that I was interviewed by a journalist of a local door-to-door news paper (do you have those abroad? A free newspaper with local news from your city?) He took a lot of photos of me and my art and the article should be in the newspaper today (only, it wasn’t in the mailbox, so I haven’t seen it printed yet)

but that’s not all…

He got so excited about everything I do that he also made a video-interview! It’s in Dutch, of course, but in case you are interested to see (and hear) me talk and move, you can view it HERE

Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you are doing well in these bizarre times… we’ll get there eventually, keep hangin’ on and stay safe!

MAN, some week we had huh? In the Netherlands we also saw the terrible scenes on Capitol Hill, what a world we live in! I think of all my American friends – are you OK overthere and can you find peace of mind after what happened? I send warm hugs your way!

On the other hand, I myself had a nice week. My arm is getting better every day and I payed my collegues at work (Zeeuws Archief) a visit. Because of the lock down, there were only view people in the building and at a safe distance we drank coffee and chatted for a bit. I will get back to my job in the restauration and conservation atelier next week, only for a few hours, to test if I (and my arm) are up to working again, and I will build up from there. I’m looking forward to that!

There’s more to tell but let me post this week’s haiku first…

Friday haiku

The photo is taken by Lena Schreijenberg

I submit this haiku to Recuerda Mi Corazon where our lovely hostess Rebecca brings us all together to share a haiku on Friday: Haiku my Heart

As you know, I couldn’t create while recovering from surgery. Weeks went by without playing in my art journals so the moment I got back in my atelier, my Chronicles art journal showed a lot of blank “week-spreads” to fill. I turned to an ‘easy trick’ to fill the blank weeks: I printed the ‘update emails’ that my beloved and I sent to friends in November and December and glued those on the weekly pages. That way, my journal keeps the story without me having to write it all over again. Those pages are in the photo gallery on my website. There’s only one week that shows some creativity.

The Chronicles of Marit 2020 – Week 49

I bound a new Chronicles journal to use in 2021 before I had surgery (knowing I wouldn’t be able to bind a book in the weeks after…) but I had not decorated the cover yet. I managed to make something of it late December… it’s simple (some paint and big, bold lettering) but I like it nevertheless.

The Chronicles of Marit 2021 – Cover

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I choose ‘one little word’ to focus on. For this year I picked the words ‘unlimited spontaneous’ (it has ‘Carpe Diem’ as a subtitle.) I could tell you the backgrounds, my considerations and the whys that led to choosing this word but I guess it’s pretty obvious for all who know what I went through the last couple of months.

The Chronicles of Marit 2021 – First page (“OLW”)

I hardly created this page when I got the opportunity to ACT to it… last weekend a journalist approached me and asked if he could interview me for a local newspaper. With ‘my words’ in mind, I said yes right away. Last week he came by and got really excited about my work. We talked a lot and as an addition to the article, he filmed me too – it’s already published online and although it’s in Dutch, you might want to ‘see me move and talk in person’- so HERE’S THE LINK.

Thanks for stopping by today, have a lovely weekend and stay safe!

Je t’embrasse

I plan on interviewing an artist every now and then who deserves extra attention. Enjoy this first interview post – I hope many of these posts will follow.

FABIO ESPOSITO

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a London based Italian artist and I’ve been living here for almost 7 years now.
From a very young age I’ve always felt a connection to visual arts in general and when I moved to Rome I started experimenting with photography. Later on,  moving to London allowed me to collaborate with different kinds of creative people, mainly in the fashion industry, and it has been a truly rewarding experience. However, I didn’t feel like my research was complete so in the last couple of years I turned to art and painting and somehow it expanded my creativity and made me want to learn more about it. I am mainly self-taught but I have started to attend classes at The Art Academy in London Bridge around 6 months to be able to explore the art world more.

You say that you began taking painting seriously only a couple of years ago – what made you decide to paint? Was there a special trigger that made you decide to become an artist?

Moving from photography to painting has been quite a natural step for me. As a photographer I am drawn to dark atmospheres blending into strong colors and I’m obsessed with perfection. These are all elements that are important, and that I appreciate, in making paintings. The main difference is the approach: the solitary relationship between me and the canvas in the studio allows me to feel a wider sense of freedom.

Floater

I’ve always argued with people who don’t consider photography a form of art but I have to say that even tough in my work as a fashion photographer I’ve always been inspired by art, it’s much easier to let your full vision come to life in a painting rather than a fashion shoot. There are less restrictions in general. Therefore I don’t think there was a triggering moment, I believe it has always been at the back of my mind and was just waiting for me to explore it.

Portrait of a Normal Family

What made you decide to take a one year course at the Art Academy? What are in your opinion the benefits of having an art education versus autodidact/self-taught?

I am a perfectionist and I like to be in control of my work. Some consider this attitude to be a bad thing but to me it’s all about knowledge. Once you know the basic skills and experiment with different techniques, I believe you become more confident with your style and acquire a better sense of what you want to achieve. This is the reason why I started attending classes at The Art Academy and it turned out to be perfect for me because I was after learning the practical and technical skills. The Academy is a vibrant and eclectic place where you can choose the kind of education you get according to your needs. I believe this still gives you room for your own creativity and that is important to me. I don’t think I would keep studying for too long because I don’t want to be stuck in those strict academic ways of seeing things but I do believe it’s important to know the basics of what you love in order to use them as creative tools.

How do you work and approach your subject? Where do you find inspiration?

First of all, I really need to be by myself in my studio/home.
Inspiration can come from anywhere… Sometimes it’s a feeling of uneasiness towards our society. Other times it can be very personal and psychological or coming from someone else’s story that I relate to in some level or I just empathise with.

I can really connect with the Surrealist movement, it’s extreme beauty but also the overwhelming darkness and tension. In the end of the day I guess all artists explore what they do or don’t know about themselves.

How would you describe your artistic style?

My work tends to be very much figurative and surreal. I think it’s because to me it is all about my inner world and how it relates with today’s society.

Rise Above

In order to bring to life my emotions it comes natural to do it in a surrealistic, distorted way. It’s a paradox but the more surreal it is the more I think you can find a deeper meaning and make a connection. Having said that, my priority is to always produce something that is honest, seductive and with a distinctive out of the ordinary edge.

“I think of art as something very personal and yet so exposed” you say. Do you ever feel uncomfortable visualizing your inner depths, feelings and thoughts and putting it out in the open for everyone to see and how do you react on comments?

Words Can Hurt

I am very critical myself of my work so it is not about what people think, even though it can affect me on some level, but more about if I am happy with what I produce. When people look at a painting they either connect to it or not and that’s fine. You can talk for hours about a painting, the artist and his/her inspiration but it is ultimately something to be enjoyed visually. When I go myself to exhibitions I become extremely quiet, I guess my eyes take over and I just enjoy absorbing everything without over-analyzing but just feeling it. The most beautiful thing is when your work manages to speaks to someone, revealing something that you didn’t even put there intentionally. You see, it’s like giving up control and discovering something new about yourself through other people’s sensibility.

You are working on a new series titles: “The Lost Myth of Androgyny” for your first exhibition: The Art Academy’s Graduate Show in London in July. Why this theme?

There is a lot of talking about gender lately and besides the media frenzy, I wanted to know more myself. What interested me as an artist was the pain and suffering of not feeling in your own skin and body. This is what I wanted to depict, together with a sense of “here it is in your face, either you like it or not”.
Also, in a wider sense, I was fascinated by the fact that we all evolve throughout our lives and only by removing layer after layer we can reveal our true selves. I think of it as a journey towards acceptance. Accepting our limits and ourselves. I’ve been researching on gender dysphoria, looking up various theories and got fascinated by ancient myths that once glorified people who were different rather than judging them… of course before Christianity came along.

I am really excited about this show and in order to make it the way I always wanted to, I’ve started a Kickstarter Campaign so hopefully people will make it happen.

Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

What would really make me happy is to keep doing what I am doing and more. Being able to do something you love is the ultimate pleasure of life.

About the artist Fabio Esposito is a 33 year old, London based Italian artist. From a very young age Fabio always felt a connection to visual arts in general and when he moved to Rome he started experimenting with photography. In the last couple of years he turned to art and painting. Last year, Fabio started to attend classes at The Art Aademy in London Bridge. At the moment, Fabio is raising money through Kickstarter to finance his first art exhibition at The Art Academy’s Graduate Show in London. website:  www.fabioesposito.co.uk instagram: @fabioespositoart facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabioespositoart/ twitter:  @FabioEsp

January 31
January Theme: The Blank Page and How to Face It!
Art Challenge: Under Paper (paper on your work table that gets all inky while you work)
Journal Prompt: What Lies Beneath?

At first I thought about tearing this page up, or gesso over it, and start anew ’cause I don’t like it very much… but I decided to leave it as is and turn the page for the next challenge. After all, not every page I create turns out to be “WOW” and that’s OK.

The blue part is created with old, inky tissue paper (I use it to wipe of my stencils.) I combined it with a torn photo from a picturebook and a (almost not readable) quote from Herman Melville (Moby Dick)

“There is one knows not what sweet mystery about this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath”

Last Saturday’s challenge was more up my alley, I started this page as soon as the challenge was published online and finished it in no time.

February 7
February Theme: Layers You Will Love!
Art Challenge: When Not To Stop
Journal Prompt: “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough!” (Ooh)

I glued parts of mono prints to the background, there’s also torn and inked paperscraps from an old encyclopaedia. I stamped acrylic paint (with bubble wrap plastic and a toilet roll.) The small text (upper right corner) is stamped with a text stamp and Stazon ink. The dancer is cut out from yet another mono print. I outlined and added shadow using my watersoluble crayons. Last but not least, I handwrote a sentence from the lyrics “Wild Child” by the Doors (not very visible… it’s vertical, to the right on the page) “With hunger at her heels, freedom in her eyes, she dances.”

Last but not least…. I got featured on Arts Illustrated!

A while ago, Arts Illustrated interviewed me for their website and the interview is now online, so hop on over and READ THE INTERVIEW HERE

See you next Wednesday.

Haiku My Heart

More haiku every Friday at Recuerda Mi Corazon

Every Day Matters – Drawings

You thought I didn’t draw anymore?
Ha!

EDM #2 – Draw a desk lamp or other lamp

“When my beloved and I went to live together, he brought this desk lamp
in to the household. I can not remember that it ever stood anywhere else
than the window sill. In the summer, when I sit outside in the evening to
read, I aim the light through the window right on my book pages. Perfect!”

EDM #3 – Purses, Wallets or Bags

EDM #4 – Draw your mug or cup

“I drink my coffee every morning from this mug. I use it in the morning only.
Later on in the day, the ‘ordinary’ coffee cups are put on the table. I got this
white mug from the guy that renewed the roof of the shed. The logo of his
roofing company is pictured on the mug. I found it actually an ugly thing.
He also gave us an umbrella that I found much more enjoyable but ah, well,
some things turn out differently than you pictured them. This habit somehow
made its way into my life and now it is a daily recurring ritual.”

The Pulse: Take Two

.

Last Monday, Seth of the Altered Page
announced that he is working on a follow-
up  of his book ‘The Pulse of Mixed Media.’

I knew already that he was working on this.
Ha, guess what…?
I WILL BE FEATURED IN THE BOOK!!

OHMY, I was over the moon and honoured
when I received his email, asking me (who,
me? Yep, me!) to be part of his next book.

Of course I can not tell you any more. I leave the telling to Seth.
Hop on over to The Altered Page to read the announcement here.

FEATURING magazine

Issue 2 is in the make and you can expect it
to come out by the end of August. I copied
the following text from the website:

The FEATURING team values the opinion of
our readers. That’s why you, when you order
the debut issue of the magazine, will receive
an email afterward with a link to a poll where
you can give your honest opinion about the
magazine.

A lot of people already received that email and filled out the poll,
which gives us a great and honest view on what you think and
it helps us fine-tuning  the magazine.

Your opinion is not only important to us, it could provide you with
something too. Among the people who fill out the poll, we raffle the
second issue of the magazine. We are working on issue #2 as we speak,
and we expect publishing it by the end of August.

So, what are you waiting for?
Order issue #1 right now, give your opinion and make a chance
to win the next issue!

 Tammy ‘Daisy Yellow’ interviews ME!

.

Tammy Garcia, who blogs at Daisy Yellow
(that name is well known to the art journal
community – some people even think
Tammy’s name is Daisy) started a new series
on her blog: The Interview Series.

She will interview artists from time to time
and the series start with… ME!

She asked me a lot of personal questions about me, the magazine, my art,
my way of working and a lot more. Oh, and that one picture ‘with the gold’
is an art piece I made for my graduation exhibition back in 1989.

Find the interview here.

Enjoy Summer, dear ones.
Enjoy life, smell the roses!
See you next week.

I tell you all about it and there’s a lot of photos coming too,
starting with the one for Haiku my Heart Friday.

Written for ‘Haiku My Heart Friday’.
For more haiku and photos, visit Rebecca at Recuerda mi Corazon.

I had an appointment yesterday with a lawyer and  expert in copyright and
interviewed him for an article in FEATURING. You all know we art journalers
love to use pics from magazine, photos and quotes but are we allowed so?
What’s the risk in using those images? What are the ‘do’s and don’ts’ and what
does the law tells us about copyright? I learned all (well, not all, but a lot!)
about it after speaking 2.5 hours with him. My head spun when I stepped
out of his door and I’m glad I taped the whole interview so I can listen back
to everything he said and use it to write the article.

Nout was with me to take photos, the interview was held in Amsterdam (the
capital of the Netherlands) and since I had not been there in years, we spend
the rest of the afternoon in that city. Here’s that typical ‘Amsterdam view’

After the interview, we walked back to have lunch at the big  square in the
centre of the city (‘De Dam’.) Nout thought I looked gorgeous in my long,
leather coat so he took some photos of me at the ‘monument op de dam’.

I had read about an exhibition in Amsterdam and I was anxious to see it.
Nout agreed, as it was something he would love to visit too.
There was not much time left, but we took the bus to the ‘Westergasfabriek’
to visit the exhibition.

The exhibition is called
‘A Perfect Day’ and if you
are anywhere near Amsterdam
you should AB.SO.LU.TE.LY
go see it, and you better hurry,
’cause it is only open until Sunday,
February 26th, but MAN is it
worth the trip!!!

The names of all the exhibited artists
are on the image, click to enlarge

I can only show you a small
amount of what we saw, but
you can find more images and
all the information on the site

www.aperfectday.info

(Click ‘English’ at the top menu
for the translated version)

This exhibition is paradise for art journalers and here’s a selection of my faves.

Leonard Cohen

I think it was a linoleum print, I love how this self portrait
is made with just a few lines.

..

Paul Faassen

I don’t know if you can see what it is – click to enlarge. On the stage
to the left is a ‘rockband’. The singer asks ‘hebben jullie er zin in?’
(hard to translate, something like ‘Are you guys eager/feel like it?’)
This drawing was real big, and hang from the ceiling at the exhibition.
A lot of rock bands came to mind when I saw it (no, I won’t give names 😉 )
and when I told Nout, we had a good laugh! This  drawing is major funny!

Mark Johns

Small drawings on post-its… a lot of post-its on the wall and
every one  of the small drawings is worth wile to look at.
Funny or pretty or ‘wise’ or philosophical – it’s all there!
Here’s one in close up.

“He made air quotes so often that eventually a pair of real quotes
materialized on either side of his head.”

I hate people who do that – make ‘airquotes’ I mean – so this yellow
post-it made me smile from ear to ear!

I don’t remember what the name of the artist was that made this big text-cloud,
but I thought it was a funny text and Nout made a photo of me ‘saying it’.

On our way back to the train station, I bought the latest CD from Leonard.
I’ve been wanting to buy it and now seemed the perfect time to actually step
into the music store, get my wallet and finally GET IT!

The light in the Amsterdam Central Station in the late afternoon was gorgeous
(see first photo) and Nout and I agreed that this was indeed A PERFECT DAY!

I wish you all a perfect weekend!
(Go see that exhibition now!)