In March, we took a trip with a small group of creatives to Greece, where we explored historically rich monuments, learned to throw clay from a local ceramicist, and experienced breathtaking views from atop the country’s many mountains. We recently posted photos from the adventure on our Flickr, which you can check out here!
Today is the spring equinox, a date that marks the first day of Spring. The equinox is an occurrence that happens twice a year and marks the date on which the sun crosses the celestial equator, causing the amount of daylight and darkness to be the same. This is a day that represents new beginnings and balance, and following the full moon in Libra last night, we are now resting in a powerful time marked by a need for balance and harmony. This is a time of beginnings, as this day marks a new astronomical year and a transition into Aries season. The equinox’s are historically very ritualistic days, making today a perfect time to look inward with a tarot spread - but first, let’s look a little bit deeper into the history and significance that comes along with the equinox.
The spring equinox is representative of the return of light, as all of the days that fall after the spring equinox but before the fall equinox are longer than the nights. New seeds are planted, new ideas comes to light, new paths open up, and all things brighten. Historically, this day was charted, tracked, and revered in many cultures. This date was often greeted with rituals involving cleaning out old energy to make room for the new. This is why the equinox marks a perfect time for spring cleaning of physical space, energy, and emotions. This makes for a perfect time to start a new endeavor you have been contemplating for a while, or to revive an old idea you cannot seem to shake. It is important to acknowledge, reflect, and begin to look forward when the seasons change. After all, this is the day when the light overtakes the darkness that has ruled it all fall and winter.
This 6 card tarot spread comes from Crystal Bar Blog, and is created specifically for the spring equinox. It is set up in three sections.
Cards 1-3 represent rebuilding, 4-5 represent learning to rebalance, and card 6 represents rebirth. These are the themes for the rows of cards, but each individual card has specific meaning assigned to it as well. That said, let’s begin the reading.
This first card is is one of acknowledgement - recognizing where you are at this time. The card we have in this placement is Canes Venatici in reverse. Canes is representative of partnership and collaboration, but since it has appeared in reverse, it is likely that it is representing a breach of trust. Perhaps within a romantic relationship, a friendship, or even a business partnership, someone in your life has crossed a boundary. There have been some trust issues, and one or both parties have, unfortunately, let the other down. If someone has broken your trust, consider the possibility that they do not realize they have done this. Try to explain to them how you truly feel, and how exactly their actions were not ok with you. Clear communication is the most helpful thing to have during times like this. Try to release your fear in relation to this specific topic, and clearly share with the other, or others, your true feelings.
Card two represents accepting where you are currently at, and recognizing what changes you need to make. Here we have the Lovers card, as well as Cancer. This card speaks to loved ones and connection. Matters involving the home, family members, and friends hold much importance at this time. Perhaps the breach of trust that we discovered in the first card is between you and someone else who lives in your home, or exists in your close circle. At this time It would be best for you to focus your energy on these important relationships as you move forward into the new season. Putting a sympathetic and loving energy forward would be beneficial to all people involved with you, and trying to understand the hurt behind people's actions while clearly explaining to them how those actions sometimes breach your boundaries will bring positive change. This situation may be in motion in order to teach you to be a more loving, caring and understanding person. Try your best to love others this spring, and to see things through the lens of their personal reality. If you want them to see things the way that you do, look for a way to properly communicate what the situation is in your personal reality.
Card three will shed light on a new path for you, and let you know where you will need to adapt. Corona Borealis is placed here, and this card is representative of triumph after hardship or sacrifice, as well as new beginnings. This is a perfect card to have here, as the energy that the equinox brings forth is very similar to the energy that this card is alluding to. When this card appears, it is a sign that love will find its way here. This is a new beginning after a time of heartache. You are now able to move forward in the new and refreshing energy of the spring. You may have had a very hard time with someone that you really care about, something happened and they acted in a way that has hurt you. Maybe you do not know if you will be able to trust this person again, even if you still care about them. Proceed with love in your heart and on your mind and it will find a way through. Perhaps you are the one whos has breached the trust, and if this is the case, it is even more important that you proceed with a loving energy. The situation will work out exactly how it is meant to in divine timing, and things are about to get better for you. Stay true to your heart, listen to and follow your emotions, and get ready to begin again. Love will be triumphant over all else here.
Card four speaks to advancement. Here we have the card Comet, a card that’s all about fate. This comet is a sign of fate - a signal from beyond yourself that your wishes are going to come true. This is a card of hope, faith, and trust. Have you been putting all of your faith, or lack thereof, in yourself and yourself alone? Have you been putting all of your faith into another person, possibly the one who let you down? To move forward, it may be time for you to put your faith in something beyond yourself. Trust that things will play out how they are meant to, and try to go with the flow. Everything happens in divine timing to help bring you closer to your life purpose. Trust in the universe to get you to where you need to be, when you need to be there. Ask the universe to give you signs that you are making the best choices and going in the right direction.
Card five represents retreat - things that you may need to step back from. Vulpecula is representative of a sly person who may be deceiving you. This could be referring to one of the people referenced earlier in the reading that has breached your trust. Look at the people who are surrounding you at this time, ask yourself how they make you feel. Are the feelings associated with these people generally more positive or negative ones? Do you feel safe and comfortable with those around you at this time? Who appears in your mind when you think of feeling uneasy and unsafe? Whoever comes to mind in a negative light when asking yourself these questions are the people that you should begin to take a step back from, or to question why they may be so significant in your subconscious. Perhaps this encompasses the majority of people in your life and you need to step back from all of your relationships to get a clearer picture of where you stand. Perhaps you are the one with alternate motivations that you are not consciously recognizing. Healthily withdrawing from your relationships at this time is recommended, as it will give you more insight on what relationships you want to nurture and bring love to, compared to what connections you may need some time away from.
Six is a card of renewal, and represents who you will become this spring. Coma Berenices is a card of minor sacrifice for something important. In reverse, it specifically speaks to promises made in the past, and the time to live up to those promises is approaching. Although the aforementioned trust that you had was broken, living in the spring with love and honor can potentially restore what was lost. Think it through, then proceed to carry out what you know is right, with honor. Perhaps you recognize that you owe somebody an explanation, one that comes in love and sympathy. Maybe you need to ask for someone's forgiveness, and maybe you will have to accept that it might take more time for that person to give it to you. If you truly love them, you will be able to accept and understand this. Once again, trust that all things will play out in divine timing, exactly as they are meant to. This spring you are going to become much more contemplative, and you are going to learn about where debt is owed and where sacrifices must be made for the good of all. Maybe you are the one who needs your own forgiveness - maybe you are the one who needs an explanation and loving understanding from yourself. Perhaps you have breached your own boundaries, and even resent yourself for it. Now is the time to come back into trust and alignment with yourself, and the rest of the universe. There seems to be a bit of work for you to do this spring. What was in the dark is now emerging, and it is now the time to work through these things in the light.
Tonight will be the full moon under the sign of Libra. Libra is the astronomical sign that represents justice, intuition, equilibrium, and most of all balance. Full moons are seen as powerful and important occurrences in the metaphysical community. As full moons occur monthly, the full moon is a perfect time to reflect and look forward with a tarot reading. The spread we will be reading is specific to the full moon in Libra, and comes from Noble Lion Prints. Please check out their blog if you get the chance!
The Libra card from the Cosmos Tarot has been placed in the center of this spread intentionally. We purposely put this card here in order to better channel the essence of libra. If you have the Cosmos tarot and want to try this spread for yourself, consider placing it here as a sort of theme card. If you want to do this spread but do not have the Cosmos Tarot deck, the card The Chariot will do, since in the Cosmos Tarot, Libra and The Chariot are one and the same. You can also place an item here that represents balance and harmony to you. Anything can be used for this - for example, you could use a crystal, or plant, or a personal item that you feel carries the essence of equilibrium.
In this placement we have Andromeda, the devil card, showing you the ways in which you have lost touch with yourself. Upright, this card tells of Andromeda’s freedom - the ability to break away from limiting habits and patterns that promote stasis. Have you been listening to your inner guidance, or have your harmful thought patterns taken you over? This card showing up here may mean that you have lost touch with the part of yourself that is free. Whether you were conscious of what you were doing or not, you have likely gotten yourself into a pattern of self-oppression. You have stopped listening to your freedom, and are trapped in limiting, fearful thoughts. Could this be because you do not trust the part of yourself that wants to act in pure freedom? Are you afraid of what you may have to let go of in order to become completely free? Andromeda is showing up to let you know that it is time to reexamine the relationship that exists between your thoughts, actions, and freedom. It is likely that this relationship within yourself is way out of balance, and severely lacking harmony.
Here, we have the card Wormhole for what you are projecting onto your relationships right now. This card is about trying to discover what exactly connects your soul to the souls of others. However, it also speaks to shortcuts and an easy way out. Perhaps you are trying to find this shortcut, perhaps you believe that people in your lives are taking the easy way out. The placement of this card asks you to pay attention to the way you are viewing interpersonal connection. Do you think someone in your life is trying to take the easy way out? Or, in actuality, could it be possible that you are the one who is trying to take this shortcut? Could you be using this projection of the other person trying to take a shortcut, as a shortcut or escape for yourself? It may be helpful to contemplate where this idea comes from, and why you have assigned it to your relationships. Going back to the first card, could this projection be a form of self-oppression that you practice in order to preserve yourself and prevent growth, and eventually freedom?
In this placement, we have Sextans and Octans representing the old wounds that are healing at this time. This card appearing here indicates advancement in education and understanding. Though old wounds have made you feel lost and confused before, those wounds are now closing, those feelings now fading. This is a perfect time to begin investing in learning about something you hold interest in. Taking a class or finding a mentor is advised at this time. As your wounds close, what has been keptin the dark will start to come into the light with this full moon. Maybe you have felt that you did not have the resources in the past to truly achieve your freedom, but that does not mean you will never be free. It is time to look forward with a lighthearted attitude and a critical mind. It is finally time for you to understand why you had to go through whatever hurt you so much, and through this understanding your wounds will begin to heal.
In the placement that stands for what you need to let go of or move on from, we have Grus in reverse. Grus, the crane, represents longevity, commitment, and the eternal. In reverse, this card can be pointing to something brand new in your life. Maybe you have gotten yourself into a new partnership, taken up a new hobby, or moved to a new place. Maybe you have not done any of those things yet, but you have been thinking about it. Now is a time to let go of fearful thoughts relating to commitment. It may be hard let go your worries about whether or not things will last, or if it is even worth your energy if it is not going to last forever, but if order to restore internal balance you are going to have to let go of some of these things. Enjoy the moments as they come, and trust divine timing to take care of the rest. Just because something may not last, that doesn’t mean it is not worth doing and enjoying. These are things to think about and recognize if you are looking to embrace your freedom and personal truth!
Finally, we have Taurus reversed, standing for the outcome regarding this full moon in Libra. Taurus in this deck is also The Hierophant. This card speaks to systems set in place, ones that are hard to work around, and keep you from moving forward. You are at an impasse thanks to the authorities that you continue to submit to, despite knowing that they keep you from what you really want. Think about what this reading has shown you about your current level of harmony. Your fearful thoughts have drowned out the sounds of our freedom, making it easy to make “practical” choices that are not in your best interest. Maybe you want to avoid conflict, and that is why you continue to submit to the tradition and systems in your life. Maybe you are convinced that these systems fulfill a need of yours that you could not possibly have fulfilled by anything else. The best advice for you now is to turn your attention inward, to try and reconnect with the part of yourself who longs for freedom, and to listen to and respect that part of yourself. Try to speak with this element of yourself out of love and understanding, rather than fear. Listen to your inner freedom and trust in it’s guidance; perhaps this will help you to manifest more options of escape from this place where you are currently stuck. This will help you begin your journey back to internal harmony.
Ashley Floréal is a Haitian-Canadian illustrator living in Toronto who graduated from Sheridan College in 2013. Her work has spanned a variety of creative industries, from editorial and children’s illustrations to gallery art, game design and visual development. She draws inspiration from film, music and her own experiences to create work that balances and offsets the deeply personal with the visceral, eerie and fantastical. Check out the interview below to learn more about these influences, and how she creates her work!
Can you describe your creative journey thus far? What was a pivotal moment at the beginning of your creative career?
I’ve been freelancing sporadically since I graduated, but I feel like I’ve been stuck in my creative infancy until very recently. I didn’t have a lot of experience besides high school art classes and my own doodling before art school, and spent my time during and immediately after college trying to get a handle on any medium and find my niche, and only in the last few years do I feel like things have fallen into place and become effortless. [This came] mostly through letting loose, opening up and worrying less about sharing my own experiences and feelings in my art.
I discovered the work of James Jean when I was a teenager, and in perusing his art and digging deeper into other illustrators from there, it occurred to me seriously that there was a way aside from full-time gallery work to make art a career, and that there were a variety of avenues to do that. Album art, cover art, and comics, to name a few. [These are] all things I loved, but had never really considered where the art came from. It seems ridiculous now, but I feel like a lot of non-artists spend a lot of time absorbing art in their day-to-day without putting much thought into the source.
How do you think your environment affected the kind of art you make and the subject matters that you focus on?
I didn’t grow up surrounded by or exposed to much art other than what I worked on in my spare time, and even after exploring more illustration on my own, I rarely saw myself reflected in the work being praised or the art I appreciated. This was an experience I was already used to in my day-to-day life, and rather than challenge it, I assimilated, however subconsciously. The subjects of my work were always societal “defaults” in terms of race, weight, and features, and yet I never questioned it. It didn’t occur to me what I was doing, even in art school — because it fit the status quo — until a classmate vented to me about how much she appreciated that I didn’t “just draw black people all the time”, implying a commitment to representing yourself or your own community was somehow annoying or unappealing. Aside from being a ridiculous thing to say to someone, it got me thinking about why that was the case for me. Since then I’ve made a major shift in trying to center black women and women of color in general in my work, and centering some of my personal experiences or tough-to-work-through emotions. I feel so much more pride in standing behind what I create as a result.
On your site, it mentions that you are inspired by surrealism when exploring ideas about race and identity. Can you talk more about some of the important themes within your work?
I struggled with injecting anything remotely personal into my work for a long time — which is why a lot of my older work is restricted to mock movie-posters. I wasn’t comfortable sharing aspects about myself, so referencing things that inspired me directly was the safest way to communicate “me” through my work. Now, I try to work through personal struggles and issues that resonate with me artistically without shame. Rather than sit down with “I want to draw _____” in mind the way I used to, I tend to think “What does ______ feel like?”, and try to capture that in what is hopefully a more conceptual, evocative way that people can relate to, regardless of whether their own experiences line up perfectly with mine. I have inherently weird interests, so the symbolism I use to get a message or emotion across is often strange and/or grotesque. I’ve always wanted to embrace and highlight the stereotypically ugly by contrasting it with the stereotypically beautiful — [such as] soft, feminine colors or bright, high contrast palettes when working with dark concepts, or contrasting that darkness with florals, gemstones, etc. I’m all about juxtaposition.
What/who are your current inspirations? Books, movies, events, artists, etc. Are there any recent films that have really captured your imagination?
I can’t and won’t pass up any opportunity to talk about Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy from last year. I own the movie and I still must watch the trailer at least once a day for a concentrated hit of the atmosphere and aesthetic of the film that really feels like somebody yanked it out of my personal creative center. It really satisfies the part of me that loves the tug of war between this vibrant neon manic energy and moody, encroaching darkness — something I hope comes through in my work, or at least will going forward.
Film has always been a huge influence on my art; I was able to hear [director] Barry Jenkins speak about his cinematographer James Laxton and colorist Alex Bickel, and the art of lighting black skin with fearlessness - employing rich, dramatic color and never shying away from contrast. I try to keep the way the characters in Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk are saturated in mind when I’m picking a palette for a piece that involves figures of color with darker skin tones. Other than that, I’ve also recently rededicated myself to my longtime love of horror fiction and am making a conscious effort to inject creepy and/or crawly into my work.
We love your work for the show! Can you tell us more about the piece you created for the Tasteful Nudes Exhibition?
I approached this piece thinking about specifically two of my favorite classical paintings of all time: “Witches on the Sabbath/Faust’s Vision” and “Balance of the Zodiac” by Luis Ricardo Falero. Specifically, their mythological energy, the feeling of weightlessness, and the way the bodies are intertwined and the poses affectionate. I also looked at a lot of classical religious paintings - the kind with gold embellishments and an intense variety of complex patterns in fabrics and backgrounds - and paired that down to the gold filigree in my final piece.
The original idea was for the painting to be really busy with that kind of varied pattern-work, but in the end I felt like it was important to give the bodies room to breathe and visually speak for themselves. I’ve been working with a lot of bold accent colors lately, so returning to something so soft and neutral was a departure.
One thing that has been really interesting working on this project has been trying to navigate appropriate/inappropriate content, taboos, and our cultural understandings of nudity, sexuality, and humor. It has been incredible to see the responses and focuses of creatives from around the globe. Is there anything specific you learned from this project, or were challenged or liberated by?
For me, personally, I define a ‘tasteful nude’ as one that isn’t explicitly male-gaze or objectifying. From the get-go, I wanted to subvert the often hyper-sexualized depiction of black women with something that had a gentle, sensual energy and was truly all about the women involved. Drawing fuller figures was most definitely a liberating experience and forced me to be made extremely aware of my own biases toward the social “norms” (despite the fact that the figures in this piece look more like me than any others I’ve drawn) and to work at every turn to subvert them. It was shocking how often my hand defaulted to a smaller shape, even as I traced over my own sketches. Depicting only one type or shape of person does both others and myself a disservice, and I want to take that with me in all of my future work.
Can you tell us about any upcoming projects, concepts, or things we can watch for?
I’ve got a backlog of old or half-formed ideas I’m hoping to have the time to revisit and give a chance now that I’m more comfortable in my creative skin. I actually just stumbled upon some unfinished college work where my plan was to take a variety of songs that have clear narratives and retell them sequentially in paintings, without the lyrics as supplement. I’m really interested in storytelling without the use of words to help me paint the picture.
What things are you looking forward to this year?
Aside from hopefully expanding to take on work outside my current repertoire (so many years later, I’m still hungry for covers and album art!), [I’d like to] take the time to experiment with traditional media again. I developed the way I paint digitally based on how I used to work with gouache, and the one time I was able to try my hand at painting traditionally again last year, I couldn’t believe how rusty I was. Ideally, I’ll be able to make it a part of my week to do studies and small paintings I can share on a steady, regular basis.
Ashley is constantly coming up with new amazing work that expresses her unique style. To find more illustrations you can visit her website at ashleyfloreal.com which she updates quarterly. She also posts most frequently on Tumblr (ashleyfloreal.tumblr.com) and is relatively new to Instagram and Twitter so check out @ashleyfloreal (Instagram) and @ashleyfloreal (Twitter) for more amazing content!
Our everyday lives are filled with hectic rearrangements. Sometimes, it’s nice to take some time with a good book that gives sound advice on making things manageable. These six books cover a variety of the whys behind aspects of everyday life while bringing an encouraging, insightful, and wholly unique voice to their subject.
1. Routine - Daily Rituals
This book explores 161 methods and approaches to living a creative lifestyle. Throughout the course of the book’s exploration, we are given insight into a myriad of habits. Some expected patterns emerge (such as a fondness for caffeine, long walks, and naps), while other habits are less expected (such as doing handstands to clear the head). The book makes no effort to encourage a specific regimen or eccentricity for all to adopt, but instead offers an insightful plethora of great ideas for fresh ways to organize your day.
Mason Currey is a writer and editor living in Los Angeles. Daily Rituals’ sequel, Women at Work, was just published in the beginning of March 2019.
2. Environment - Places of the Heart
Our relationship with space is an important and oft-overlooked area of interest. This book gives insight into how our surroundings affect our moods and behavior. While environmental psychology is very rooted in the realm of architects and urban planners, Colin Ellard touches on the deeper, metaphysical layers of how physical boundaries and mental maps intersect. This is a very useful book for if you’ve ever wondered about what makes an environment give off a certain feeling.
Colin Ellard is the author of You Are Here: Why We Can Find Our Way to the Moon, but Get Lost in the Mall. A cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Waterloo and director of its Urban Realities Laboratory, he lives in Kitchener, Ontario.
3. Comfort - The Little Book of Hygge
The Little Book of Hygge also talks about our environment - however, while Places of the Heart focuses on the broader reasoning and implications of being in a space, author Miek Wiking zooms in to focus on methods of promoting hygge (a feeling of appreciation in comforting surroundings) in everyday life, covering the ins and outs of interior lighting, companionship and friendly get-togethers, and a variety of hearty recipes. While reevaluating your home lighting and investing in sweaters aren’t the only way to achieve a feeling of coziness, Wiking provides a good insight into methods of finding happiness that work for you individually.
For further insight from the Happiness Research Institute, here’s Wiking’s 2016 TED Talk, the Dark Side of Happiness.
4. Cooking - Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
It would be silly to classify any one cookbook as a paragon of its kind - interests, needs, tastes, and access to ingredients vary wildly, after all - but Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat comes quite close. Seasoned chef Samin Nosrat offers a fresh, insightful perspective on the preparation of food, delving into kitchen science and art of creating something delicious. The book comes with a plethora pie charts, graphs, and cheat sheets, beautifully illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton - and a Netflix miniseries to watch while you cook!
5. Hobbies - Flora of Middle-Earth
What, you might ask, is a book about fantastical plants doing on a lifestyle book recommendation list? Sometimes, it’s useful to sit down with a hobby book. We all need our esoteric interests and pastimes, and the thoughtful, nuanced exploration of an admittedly niche subject makes this my favorite book on the list. If you’re not a Tolkien fan, I encourage you to flip through if only for the beautiful woodcut illustrations - but understand that this book’s placement on the list is largely symbolic of something that explores your own personal nostalgia. I encourage you to search for books related to your own nerdy, niche interests - chances are, someone who shares your fervor has written about them.
6. Inspiration - Art Matters
Bringing the list full circle to the topic of creativity is Art Matters, a collection of four essays on creativity written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Chris Riddell. Don’t let the relatively slim size fool you - this is a book brimming with vitality. Gaiman’s prose and Riddell’s illustrations complement each other wonderfully, bringing forth amusing insights and illuminating anecdotes in turn. Through their sheer enthusiasm and passion, this book is instrumental in establishing the monumental importance of art in life.
Thank you to everyone who came to the opening the other night of the Innuendo, Tasteful Nudes and #Lovesona shows. We had a wonderful time getting to see everyone even with all of the snow!
The event was booming with people all night busy with various activities. Not only was everyone looking at the beautiful work, but there was also card making and tea tasting! The energy was magnetic.
The shows included many prints and originals with a variety of different mediums. In the Innuendo show, we has lots of different small stickers, postcards, pins, zines and more. Lots of people headed home with their very own special innuendo piece that most likely included some sort of peach, pear, banana or whatever scandalous food you can think of!
The shows will run through April 19th. You can find work from the works from the shows in our shop: https://shop.lightgreyartlab.com/ to buy a piece of your own.
You can find all of the photos from the show at the Light Grey Art Lab Flickr : https://www.flickr.com/photos/lightgreyartlab
And you can find more #LOVESONA portraits at the Lovesona Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/my.lovesona/
Meet B. Mure. B Mure is an illustrator and comic artist based in Nottingham, UK with a particular interest in cooperatives, social issues and exploration. They recently published their first graphic novel, Ismyre, with Avery Hill Publishing and are working on a second as well as continuing their strange webcomic series, Boy Comics. B. Mure was a resident in the Light Grey Art Lab Norway Creative Residency Program 2018 and currently exhibiting in the Innuendo Exhibition at LGAL.
Is there anything that is key to your process or your work space for making work? How important is your creative space?
I’m quite fidgety and I often get bored working in one place! Obviously there are jobs that require staying with a particular bit of kit but I enjoy moving around, or popping out to a coffee shop if I’m in the idea generation stage. I actually often struggle working in studios, sometimes if I’m stuck going to do the washing up is really helpful.
Can you tell us more about your creative community? Do you often have an opportunity to collaborate? In writing/drawing/comics?
I have a lot of friends in Bristol, where I studied and lived for nearly 7 years, who are artists of various kinds. A lot of them have gone to live elsewhere in the world so I get to meet their creative communities wherever they live. Tabling at comic conventions has been great for this too! My sister who I live with is an illustrator too, as is my partner. I feel like I should be doing much more collaboration than I actually get time to! But I have some things I’d like to do with various people when I can carve out the time.
Where do you get the ideas for your boy comics and what is your favorite part about making them?
I think of the Boys as weird creatures who have learnt about human interaction just by watching lots of sitcoms. A lot of it is just thoughts I have I think are funny as I fall asleep. My favourite part is when I make myself laugh while drawing them, that’s how I know it is just good/bad enough.
You mainly use animal characters to convey your ideas in your work, is there an animal character that you enjoy drawing the most? What animal traits are you most drawn to?
I definitely enjoy drawing rabbits the most! I love drawing ears and eyes, they add so much expression. Having said that, I also really like drawing non mammalian animal people (one of my favourite characters is a crocodile lady from the first book).
What was you inspiration for your graphic novel Ismyre?
I’ve always been really inspired by Evan Dahm’s work, especially Rice Boy and that was a big driving force. A lot of it came from a workshop exercise I did at university with the illustrator Graham Rawle, who gave us prompts to write and illustrate a 100 word story. It stuck in my brain for years! Those exercises can be really great for sparking something.
What draws you most to fantasy themes in your work?
I always really loved fantasy stuff as a kid! Games as well as books and comics. I loved sci-fi too, but always really really wanted to write a big expansive fantasy novel (and somewhere there are abandoned chapters of various stories about necromancers and werewolf packs and stuff). It was just always the thing I was the biggest geek about, making fantasy based work feels really homely to me.
What is your process when making your larger scale graphic novels? What are some of the biggest strides in this area of work you have made in the last year?
I tend to write a summary rather than a script and estimate how many pages I might use to tell it. This bit involves lots of noodling about, walking and thinking and phoning people to ask them if a thing works or not. Then I do a lot of thumbnails and sketches and editing, before going through the lightboxing, inking and painting (which I do in a kind of conveyer belt way, I have a tick sheet where I make a mark every 10 pages I sketch/ink/colour). Then there’s usually edits to do at the end. It sounds organised but there’s usually a lot of chaos and flapping in there too, but I’ve got a bit better at giving more time and space to things (which is a necessity when it comes to your wrists!) and not freaking out as much.
When making your work, what is your most important idea that you focus on conveying?
I always want to get across the feeling of a thing, whether it’s meant to be forlorn or hilarious or frivolous. I think I can always get better at it! But the emotion is the most important thing to me.
What do you enjoy most about working on long term projects like Ismyre and Terrible Means? What kind of challenges do you look forward to?
Before I did Ismyre I actually didn’t think I was capable of doing a long term project. I always really wanted to but would get distracted part way through and leave things on the back burner. So it’s enjoyable to prove to yourself you can! With every book I definitely learn a lot too and it’s a fun challenge to think of things to draw and go, “I could never draw that” and working out how to do it.
What plans do you have for your work in 2019? Any projects in the works? New mantras?
I’m working on another graphic novel set in Ismyre, called The Tower In The Sea that’s due out in the autumn, so that’s exciting! I’m also currently doing an MFA too and I’m having fun playing with some larger scale illustrations and getting into doing ceramics. I’m trying to put less pressure on myself this year and remember what it’s like to really enjoy making things in a more conscious way.
You have said that you like to make playlists for your projects; in honor of the Innuendo show, what are your top 10 love songs?
I cannot tell you how long I thought about this and how many songs got deleted and then put back in again. Here’s a playlist for you! https://open.spotify.com/user/gutss/playlist/4FtP8Z4WNr3ikGYo2qlw9S?si=XOsUgrvIR5C5MX71WMyBlg
Somewhere - Tom Waits
Thinkin Bout You - Frank Ocean
You Love Me - Kimya Dawson
House - Patrick Wolf
Gallant Hussar - Eliza Carthy
Say a Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
Mystery of Love - Sufjan Stevens
Disney Girls (1957) - The Beach Boys
There Will Be No Divorce - The Mountain Goats
Versatile Heart - Linda Thompson
Thanks B! You can find their work as a part of the Innuendo exhibition running through April 19th. You can find the rest of B’s work at their website : https://www.bmurecreative.co.uk/ , their Instagram https://www.instagram.com/b_mure/ or their Twitter https://twitter.com/beemure .
Meet Adriana Bellet. Adriana Bellet/Jeez Vanilla is an editorial illustrator that delights in painting spirited faces and colourful spaces. She draws and paints for various international publications, both for digital and print projects. She has been freelancing ever since graduating in 2009 with a postgrad from UAL’s London School of Printing and she’s still loving it thanks to her awesome clients which include The Washington Post, NBC, The Guardian, GQ and Penguin Random House.
Originally from Barcelona, she now works out of her home studio in Stockholm, Sweden. These days she prefers working digitally with her iPad but occasionally she will dig up her acrylics and paint away, but regardless of the medium, there’s always a steaming cup of coffee by her side. You can read more about Adriana below. Adriana will also be exhibiting work this coming Friday, Feb 22nd in Tasteful Nudes.
Hi Adriana! What does your ideal workspace look like? Is there any aspect of your process that is essential for you when creating work?
Until about a year ago, I mainly worked in acrylics and used to sit at my studio desk, then located in the kitchen. But then I got an iPad Pro and my options grew exponentially. Now I work from wherever the light is better, or the best coffee is; sometimes from the sofa and every once in a while from my studio desk, now situated in the back of my lounge. So all in all, I’m pretty un-precious about the working backdrop!
What have you learned about your creative habits over the last few years?
I am a big procrastinator, oddly even when it comes to do what I love most. With time I’ve come to realize that the only thing that matters is that I actually pick up the pen and start drawing, after that everything flows. And so, to start my days on the right foot, I routinely doodle for 20 to 30 minutes every morning with pen and paper, before opening any digital devise and getting sucked in the whirlwind of emails and social media.
Since color is an important aspect of your work, how do you go about choosing a color pallet for your pieces? Can you tell me more about the color theories, symbolism, research, or considerations for these projects?
I was born and grew up in Spain, where colour is everywhere and in all kinds of crazy combinations. And I hated it. Then I moved to Sweden, where everything is Nordic-black-and-white-with-a-slight-touch-of-birch. After my southern upbringing, I loved the new colour sensory deprivation, for a while at least. After a few years, I started to really miss the vibrancy and warmth of the reds and yellows that I grew up surrounded by. And so, I made it my goal to learn how to tame colour and use it in my illustrations as a way to tell as much of the story as the lines do. I read many books, started paying attention to the photography in the movies, looked at the colour combinations in the street and slowly trained my eye to the tones that I connected with the most. Nowadays, I’ve internalized it enough that when choosing colour combinations I can afford to go with my gut feeling. But if I had to choose, I always lean towards warm colours and analogous palettes with a pop of color to balance it out.
What have been some of your favorite projects to date? If you had the option to choose any format, object, book, illustration, textile, what kinds of things would you be making?
I am kind of an excitable puppy when it comes to work and get energy from trying new things, so unless things are going terribly wrong, I tend to think whatever I’m doing at any given moment is the best thing since chicken soup. However, I am now working on my first book cover and I’m pretty sure that really is the best thing ever! :)
What is your creative mantra?
Never abandon a piece, because an idea that your gut thought worth pursuing deserves you discovering what’s at the end of it. Perhaps you won’t work on it for months or even years, but eventually it will be the right moment for it, when your skill has leveled up or your frame of minds finally fits the idea perfectly. And then that piece might become the best thing you’ve ever done. Or it won’t, but at least you will find out.
How has your work developed and changed since you first started creating? Can you share any of your current creative goals/resolutions?
It’s seems crazy now, but when I stated illustrating I would do so only in black and white! I am self-taught and now I understand that my preference for monotone came from a fear of working with colour, but back then I swore that it was my preference! With time my skill improved and I discovered acrylic, and with it colour started to leak into my pieces but I wasn’t very good colour mixing. My turning point was when I let go of my prejudices and tried painting digitally. Within days I realized that I had found my perfect medium and my skills leveled up almost instantly. My big dream now is to have the guts to tackle creating a comic but used as I am to creating one-off illustrations, I’m baffled by the shear size of the task!
What plans do you have for your work in the upcoming year? Any projects coming that you can speak about?
I hope to keep working on editorial projects because I love that these kind of assignments allow me to learn things I would never have otherwise. Besides that I’m working on opening an online shop with illustrated stationary.
Could you speak more about your piece for the Tasteful Nudes exhibition on February 22nd?
Muse is a mix of all the influences that are strong on me these days. I recently became fascinated with the characters in Tamara de Lempicka’s work. And last time I was in Kyoto, I went to the National museum and became fascinated by the paintings of every day life of women at the turn of the century. The images elevate any small task to one of delicate beauty. I wanted my piece to have embody both of these inspirations while keeping the cheecky-ness that I like my personal pieces to have.
Where can people follow/find your work? (links)
The quickest way to find me is in Instagram at @jeezvanilla (https://www.instagram.com/jeezvanilla/). And the best to know me is by signing up to my newsletter at “A Much Abridged Journal” (http://www.jeezvanilla.com/about). Thank you! :)
The card CANCER from our Cosmos Oracle & Tarot deck. This corresponds with the classic Lovers card of traditional tarot.
"Love is an act of will - namely both an intention and an action. Will also implies choice. We do not have to love. We choose to love."
~ M. Scott Peck
Without contraries is no progression. Attraction and repulsion, reason and energy, love and hate, are necessary to human existence.
~ William Blake
We arrive once again at Valentine’s Day. It’s a day of tenderness and good company; of sweethearts and old flames and everything in between. In this moment, while the air tastes like those little candy hearts and dog-eared romance novels lie sitting on the table, let’s take a moment to focus on a card near and dear to the day: The Lovers.
The Lovers, from one of the Visconti decks.
http://l-pollett.tripod.com/cards31.htm
The Visconti Decks
Some of our earliest glimpses of the Lovers card are in the sumptuously hand-painted Visconti decks of 15th century Italy. Intended as playing cards for the wealthy rather than tools for divination, the decks were supposedly gifted to nobles on special occasions, such as weddings or anniversaries. Here, the Lovers card had a special significance as a symbol of the courtly couple’s union, and a clue to the identity of the original owners.
The Lovers card, from the Tarot of Marseille
https://www.tarot.com/tarot/cards/the-lovers/marseilles
The Tarot of Marseille
Rather than depicting a couple, the Tarot of Marseille (also from 15th century Italy) shows a man standing between two women. The women’s identities have bounced around over time – perhaps they are Vice and Virtue, or individuals emerging in the querent’s life. These figures represent an ultimatum between two choices; here is a crossroads, and you can only go down one path. Both Visconti and Marseille decks (and many that follow) include imagery of a cupid, often blindfolded and primed to fire an arrow. This figure is often thought to represent the willpower behind the inevitable choice.
The Lovers card is kind to those who are new to tarot; you don’t have to reach very far to get its relation to romance. But we are often encouraged to see the broader applications. You don’t have to get romantic to understand the difficulty of choice and the responsibility of willpower. Many decks from the 19th century onwards have drawn on connotations of innocence, purity in emotional love, and a darker theme of implicit decay. In fact, if you’ve flipped through the Major Arcana in a traditionally designed deck, you may have caught the similarities between the Lovers and the Devil.
The Lovers card is well-rooted in the concepts of connection and choice. At the intersection of these meanings, you will find harmony. The Lovers encourages us to bring together two forces, often in opposition; otherwise, we must let one go. Accept what can and cannot be reconciled in your life, and place importance in what will bring contentment.
-Hannah Jerrie, Intern at Light Grey Art Lab
Opening Reception February 22nd, 7-10pm
Hosted at Light Grey Art Lab
Click here for facebook event
Prepare your senses, and your heart, for a steamy collection of the suggestively quirky and the salaciously spicy. Like a sip of red wine on satin sheets, Light Grey Art Lab’s February exhibition promises to be a perfect event for a romantic rendezvous or self-love celebration. Concepts of love, the body, and art have always coexisted - with great emotion comes great art, and naturally, creators frequently work to find unique ways to express these complex and beautiful facets of being a human.
Tasteful Nudes
The delicate curves of a body emerge through the settling dust of chalk pastel. The artist peers over their drawing board at a trusted model, reclining elegantly on their vintage lounge sofa. Their masterpiece is complete… An exploration capturing the inherent beauty of the human form. The Tasteful Nudes Exhibition includes 50+ creatives and is a celebration of the sensual, the subtle, and the sensory aspects of the human form. From sexy self-portraits and boudoir-esque paintings, to romantic reclining poses, to suggestive silhouettes, 'Tasteful' is the key word! Works include original drawings and digital illustrations.
Preview below by JB Casacop
Innuendo Exhibition: a tongue and cheek(s) exhibition
Innuendo is a collaborative exhibition of artwork and goods featuring playful allusions to the lewd and salacious. The 80 featured artists have come together for Light Grey Art Lab’s yearly swap event, in which each artist creates enough of their chosen artwork or object to share with their fellow exhibitors. Participants have created a range of limited edition art objects including pins, postcards, stickers, zines, patches and more that dance around taboo subjects with humorous imagery. Limited quantities of each item will also be available during the opening reception and on Light Grey Art Lab’s online store.
Features below by Lillian Duermeier, Andrea Pereira, Anne Passchier, Joy San, Sam Sherrill, Anouk van der Meer, Em Roberts, and Shannon Kao
#LOVESONA
Online Project + Exhibition celebrating creative singles!
This February, we want to put a spotlight on the beautiful and unique singles that make up the creative community. Creatives have a unique way of looking at the world and themselves, and we want to celebrate what makes them great partners. Participants in the #LOVESONA project draw a portrait of themselves or a creative friend, write a bio about their/their friends’ deepest passions and interests, and then post it with the hashtag #lovesona! Along with these profiles, we’ll also be creating interactive content and activities on the Lovesona instagram, to help people dive deeper into what makes their Lovesona unique. Go to the instagram for more details on how to participate, take quizzes, and see the community!
SABER Vol. 5 Release
From the organizers of SABER: “SABER magazine is a quarterly publication created by a collective of ambitious artists in the Twin Cities. The work featured in the magazine is a collection of interviews, stories and visual art, designed to be a reflection of the wonderfully vibrant community that has fostered its growth since 2017. On February 22, SABER will be releasing its fifth volume, which will premiere at Light Grey Art Lab.The goal of SABER is to create a platform where everyone is given a spotlight, regardless of genre, medium, or background.” Pieces from the magazine and issues of Vol. 5 will be available to peruse and purchase.
All work will be available through the Light Grey Shop + website starting February 22nd!
SEE YOU SOON!
The start of 2019 is still fresh in our minds, the Year of the Pig has just begun, and many of us have exciting plans just waiting to be fulfilled. There’s no denying that the beginning of the year invites in exciting new energy and prospects for change in many aspects of our lives. Today, with Valentine’s day in our sights, let’s take some time to reflect and focus with some of the most important people in our lives.
First things first, this spread is for a 10-card reading so it’ll take some time to get through. We find it’s good to set aside and hour or two for this, so we’d recommend waiting till later if you don’t have that kind of time to spare right now. Secondly, we find this is infinitely more enjoyable to do together with your partner(s). You can do this reading by yourself if you wish, but we believe the energies of those present are incredibly important when it comes to tarot, so having all involved in the same space can be truly special.
We recommend you go somewhere you find really comfortable, take some deep breaths, momentarily let go of your current responsibilities (they’ll be there after the reading, we promise) , and be truly present as you do this reading.
Take care and enjoy, friends.
Find more interactive content over on Instagram @my.lovesona
We are pleased to announce the 50+ artists who will be in February’s Tasteful Nudes show, opening alongside INNUENDO and #LOVESONA on FEBRUARY 22nd, 7-10PM! Tasteful Nudes is a celebration of the sensual, the subtle, and the sensory aspects of the nude form. From sexy self-portraits and boudoir-esque paintings, romanic reclining poses, to suggestive silhouettes. 'Tasteful' is the key word!
Participating Artists: Lillian Duermeier, Carmen Chow, Rachel Quast, Christine Griffin, Varsam Kurnia, Kring Demetrio, Grace Kim, Patricia Thomasson, Kristin Vogel, Kristen Acampora, Ashley Floréal, Sarah Hudkins, Paige Carpenter, Jesse Lindhorst, Reiko Murakami, Gica Tam, Chelsea Harper, Chrissy Curtin, Kendall Quack, Cleonique Hilsaca, Shelby Hacker, Aimee Fleck, Laura Galli, Caroline Dougherty, Ejiwa Ebenebe, Chelsea Marquette, Sandra Brandstätter, Rafael Mayani, Jo Yeh, Diana Van Damme, seosamh, Christopher Hegland, Kristin Siegel-Leicht, Sara Pace, Helen Mask, Daniel Gray-Barnett, Tidawan Thaipinnarong, Lydia Guadagnoli, Savannah Schroll Guz, JB Casacop, Jasmin Dreyer, Jimmy Malone, Jess Schultz, Micaela Dawn, Adriana Bellet, Lucas Durham, Stephen Wood, Saleha Chowdhury, Nadia Rausa, Sheena Klimoski, Victoria Roden, Natalie Shaw, Primary Hughes, Calvin A.
We are thrilled to announce the artists of the upcoming Innuendo exhibition! On February 22nd, 7-10pm, Light Grey Art Lab will be hosting a collection of cheeky pins, postcards, stickers, prints, whatever else tickles the artists’ fancy. These items will be available in the gallery, and the participating artists will all each receive a full collection of each other’s goods. Come through and join in the fun!
Innuendo Artists: Allison Chan, Ama Teibel, Anaïs Marmonier, Andrea Pereira, Angela Bardakjian, Anne Passchier, Anouk van der Meer, Ashley Nordan, B. Mure, Bomani McClendon, Brian Gilman, Caroline Dougherty, Carson McNamara, Cassandra Mazur, Caytlin Collins, Cecilia Palacios, Chelsea Harper, Chrissy Curtin, Christopher Payne, Claire Kho, Clarisse Tanjo, Crystal Chang, Dani McCole, Deena So'Oteh, Derek Meier, Diogo Lando, Elam Bonebright, Elizabeth Jean Younce, Em Roberts, Emily C., Francisco Santoyo, Gabriela Lutostanski, Hallye Webb, Heidi Phelps, Hunaid Taj, Isabela Cruz, Izzy Marbella, Jaime Chong, James Turowski, Jamie Loughran, Jennifer Bilton, Jenny Wells, JK Phan, Josh McKenzie, Joy San, Kaley McCabe, Karen Krajenbrink, Kashmira Sarode, Kels Lund, Kendall Quack, Lachlan Herrick, Laura Loch, Lauren Franklin, Leon Lee, Lillian Duermeier, Lindsay Tebeck, Lucinda Wei, Lucy Comer, M. Amneus, Molly Stanard, Patricia Thomasson, Raven Jones, Rose Bousamra, Sage Coffey, Sam Sherrill, Savannah Schroll Guz, Scott Michael Walling, Shafer Brown, Shannon Kao, Siyin Tse, stc019, Susan Lin, Sydney Long, Tasli Shaw, Valerie Von Rubio, Vicky Leta, Yessenia Rodriguez, Yetunde Ekuntuyi
INNUENDO
Does that mean what we think it means?
A tongue in cheek(s) exhibition in a small package
OPENING RECEPTION IN MINNEAPOLIS: FEBRUARY 22nd, 2019 • 7 - 10pm
In coordination with the #LOVESONA exhibition and the Tasteful Nudes exhibition
On display though March 22, 2019
Light Grey Art Lab - 118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis Minnesota 55406 - 612.239.2047
Peach, Sausage, Eggplant, Melon, Pie, Taco.
Every year we host a special swap-like exhibition where all participating artists get a copy of every piece in the show, and this one takes the hilarious cake.
This one is a public call for artists, so please tell your friends!
We are looking for artists who want to have a bit of fun and find clever ways to hide *ahem* spicy words, imagery, or meaning in any number of collectible objects in subtle or not-so-subtle ways.
Artists will make 100 copies (could be pins, postcards, stickers, zines, patches, or anything else you can hide a little *wink wink* in.) and send them our way for the exhibition in Minneapolis, where they'll be on display & a full stack divvied out to each participating artist!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
We are looking for artists interested in creating a work featuring their favorite innuendo in the medium / style of their choice for the gallery exhibition and artists swap opening February 22nd in Minneapolis.
We will be featuring one copy of the works of art / items in our brick and mortar gallery in Minneapolis for the duration of the exhibition. 10-15 copies per batch (depending on the final number of participating artists) will be listed online for sale to the public, and the remainder will be divvied out to the creatives participating in the show so each artist receives the full collection of works!
The full collection of innuendo filled items will be shipped to the artists right after the exhibition opening reception via USPS priority mail (Medium Flat Rate Box for USA artists, and other accommodations will be made for international folks)
If you are an artist that would like to join us for the Innuendo exhibition, apply below with your name, email address, and a link to your work online! If you’re new to our calls for art, all you have to do is submit your links and we will be jurying and announcing the final list of participating artists via email and the LGAL blog after January 14th as well as following up with a big sign-in page with information on the gallery, pricing, shipping, and important dates and deadlines for everyone in the show!
Example:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com
** Please submit in the links in the comments — we get quite a few emails and so I’d hate for your entry to get lost in the shuffle!
JANUARY 12th : Put your name, email and links in the comments by the 12th!
JANUARY 14th : We’ll email all participating artists with a link to the artist info page (which has info on pricing, shipping, sending digital files, etc.) And announcing the list of creatives that will be joining us for the show!
FEBRUARY 1 - FEBRUARY 12TH: Artwork due to the gallery (More information will be sent via the artist info page)
FEBRUARY 22ND: Opening Reception at Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis, 7 - 10pm. Exhibition on display through March 22nd. Special artist packages will be shipped after the exhibition opening date.
Thanks again and please share! :)
Questions? Send us a note! hello@lightgreyartlab.com
A Note from Lindsay, founder at Light Grey Art Lab
For the past 15 years I’ve been a teacher. Throughout the years I’ve felt more and more connected to the idea that giving isn’t necessarily always about providing, but it can be about mobilizing. At my most introspective, I wonder if I was meant to be a catalyst for change, and that the biggest contribution to positive progress I can make as a single individual is in assisting others in achieving a greater concept of their own potential.
I believe in the ripple effect of happiness and progress. I believe that success (in the emotional and spiritual form) comes from chasing opportunity and gaining perspective from the process. I think confidence grows from understanding and living, and with that confidence, great, new, different things are possible. So -- when I think again of what I can personally give, I think about support, about promoting innovation, about embracing research and investigation, and about subtly shaking things up for and with others in order to open up new pathways. Maybe this is how I’m meant to make my biggest difference.
- Lindsay Nohl
Jasmin Dreyer is an illustrator based in Hamburg, Germany, whose colorful works glow with energy and motion. Her playful works portray a variety of people, animals, robots, and otherworldly creatures, all existing in the same space (and having a pretty good time doing so). Read below to hear her thoughts on giving, especially within artistic communities.
What is your definition of "giving?" Can you tell us about a time when you think the act of giving was life-changing for you? (Either you as the recipient or the giver?)
I think this is actually a very essential concept in the art community! Having fellow artists you can turn to for help and support and in return always being open to giving help and feedback has been such an important part in my creative development and I am forever grateful for it.
Do you have any personal exercises, mantras, or reminders that help you work towards being a positive force in the world?
We are all influenced by the constant flood of visual media around us (for better or worse) and we as picture makers have this very cool opportunity to create positive diverse representations of people and normalize things like different body types. I don‘t have any specific exercises for this, but I am always thinking about the way I portray people in illustrations and try to challenge myself on a regular basis.
Also, I hope that my work always has an aspect of joyfulness in it and that it can make the world a more colorful place, even just for a little bit.
What made you choose the organization that you are donating to? What is this organization doing that you find especially important?
I chose the Humane Society because I love animals and I think living beings all deserve to be treated with respect. And we as humans still have a long way to go when it comes to how we are treating animals right now.
Beyond the causes represented in the SAFBC show, what are some worthy causes worth contributing to?
There are so many really. Two organizations that come to my mind are the Trevor Project, which provides suicide prevention resources for LBTQIA+ people and Rainbow Railroad, who help queer people in dangerous living situations immigrate to safe countries.
You can see Jasmin Dreyer’s work on her website and instagram.
A note from Jenny, Gallery Manager at Light Grey Art Lab
Happy New Year from the Light Grey Team!
I hope your year is filled with curiosity, giving, and collaboration!
This is my favorite time of year. I live for curling up in a big chair with coffee, notebooks, and a calendar making plans for the future. It is exciting (my moon virgo is thrilled) to make lists of the things that were difficult, surprising, true experiences, and full of love this last year. I rarely stick to my resolutions (r.i.p. quickbooks) but it is interesting to follow the trail of how things diverted to create a new constellations made of current obsessions, mystery books, and the cause and effect of choices. I am so thankful for the soft, snowy days where the world outside mimics a sense of infinite possibilities.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt.
This quote has been ringing in my head all year. One of the Iceland artists-in-residence, Irma Del Valle Nachón, reminded me of this quote when talking about her own business, hiring local craftspeople and what it means to be a responsible maker. This is something that I remind myself of often when feeling helpless by the current political realm, trying to protect the environment, make a difference, be a good person, and also create in a meaningful way. In all of the possible ways to contribute, some of the most potent and impactful can be right here.
Personally, giving back and altruism looks like teaching, sharing skills, getting involved with organizations, and being kind. It is not always necessary or even possible to contribute in a monetary way, and that is okay. This year, I will ask myself, what can I do as an individual/collaborator/friend/manager and what skills/time/thoughts do I have to share. I look forward to posting some serious plans this week and hearing your resolutions and ways that you give back as well! If you have reflections or resolutions, you can tell us about them here.
Sincerely,
Jenny Wells
Niky Motekallem is an Ohio-born, Minneapolis-residing illustrator whose work celebrates both life and death, especially that within the natural world. Using vibrant, eye-catching palettes and a unique blend of media, her work embodies an attention to, and compassion for, the world that surrounds her.
Have you used your creative voice / or your presence in the past toward bringing awareness to a cause? What was it / why did you want to participate?
The one that stands out most to me at this moments was a companion piece for a performance curated by Essma Imady in the MIA. It was shortly after the 2016 election. Before the performance began, flashlights were handed to the audience. Attached to the flashlights was a flier that I illustrated, reading "1. Use your privilege and experience to stave off injustice. 2. Don't take a break from being an ally. 3. Adopt a zero tolerance policy for overt hatred." The audience didn't know the purpose of the flashlights until they entered a dark auditorium where a dancer performed. They were suppose to use the flashlights to light the stage. The purpose of this event was to remind us how to be an ally. To remind us that no matter the circumstance we need to prioritize our humanity over anything else. To adopt a zero tolerance policy for overt hatred. I think it's really important to remember that even when we get worn down.
Do you have any personal exercises, mantras, or reminders that help you work towards being a positive force in the world?
The sentences "Be gentle. Be kind. But be firm" often pass in my head. It reminds me of the kind of person I want to be. The ideal version of myself is gentle, kind, but unyielding. I'm not that version of myself yet, but this mantra helps. I think there is great power in being gentle and kind. But that doesn't mean we yield and bend to those who wish to do harm. So be firm. Be kind and warm but also tall and strong when other's can't.
What kind of positive change would you like to see in the next five years?
Maybe it's sappy, but I really want to see more kindness. More empathy. I think a lot of the world's problems come from an unwillingness to be empathetic. Personal interests muddy those waters. A lot of harm happens because there're profits on the line. So I hope in the next five years there's more empathy and compassion.
What made you choose the organization that you are donating to? What is this organization doing that you find especially important?
When I saw videos and photos of the damage the wildfires caused, it made my throat tighten and my heart drop. Losing my home is one of my biggest fears. And so many people had to face that fear and are still struggling in the aftermath of all those flames. I picked the American Red Cross Wildfire Relief because they are helping provide shelter and resources for those who lost their homes, support emergency responders who have risked their lives, and create recovery plans.
You can see Niky Motekallem’s work on her website and instagram.
Part of the proceeds from Niky’s work will be donated to the American Red Cross.
You can find all of the work from the Small Art for a Big Cause show on the Light Grey Shop here.
Work will be on display through February 1st, 2019.
A Note from James, team member at Light Grey Art Lab
The last couple of years, I feel like I’ve really had my eyes opened to just how powerful the voice of creatives and the creative community at large, really is. But, the responsibility we have to use that voice for positivity is hugely important. We have this wonderful ability to influence, educate, and support whoever and whatever we believe in, and now more than ever we have the means to get our work in front of those who need to see it most.
It honestly feel silly to say, but sometimes I feel like we have a super power. We have this part of our brain with the ability to visualize and process this radiating web of connected thoughts, individuals, movements, and feelings, AND we have the know-how to influence it. It’s incredible to think that someone can be inspired to make a difference or support a cause, simply based off something you created.
Our hands are the tools of change that can make a difference in our lives and the lives around us.
- James Lavella
Emory Allen is a Minneapolis-based illustrator, designer, and organizer, whose work focuses on whimsical characters and their fun, imaginative worlds. Recently, Allen has co-founded a studio with his partner, Alicia Allen, called Foreign Fauna, which uses animation and design to advocate for issues important to the duo. But as Emory himself puts it, these issues can be tackled in the same lighthearted way that he handles his independent work. “Foreign Fauna takes making the world a better place very seriously, but we want to have fun with it, you know? That's why are motto is ‘Empathy through humor and surprise.’" Read more about Allen’s thoughts on giving and advocacy below.
What is the value of the creative voice - as compared to a monetary value - for something like raising awareness for good causes?
It's exactly that "voice" part of "creative voice". When you donate money, you're letting people know what is important to you. But, when you create something, you get the chance to explain why it is important to you.
Have you used your creative voice / or your presence in the past toward bringing awareness to a cause? What was it / why did you want to participate?
Foreign Fauna recently created a piece to try to get people to vote by helping them understand that even though they may have just one vote, all of those "just one votes" add up to something greater than themselves. Voting is teamwork with a team you've never met.
Do you have any personal exercises, mantras, or reminders that help you work towards being a positive force in the world?
Our secret motto at Foreign Fauna is "Don't worry about changing the old. Focus on building the new". It's kind of a different way of saying "be the change you want to see in the world". We often catch ourselves saying stuff like, "Why is this thing this way? I bet we could make them change it", but we've found that it takes way less energy to create something new than it does to get someone else to change their ways to our ideals. That might sound like giving up on someone, but it really allows us to help more people. By not spending time trying to change one person's mind, we have the time and energy to safe/nurturing spaces for many more people.
What kind of positive change would you like to see in the next five years?
It's easy to have this mentality of "this issue doesn't affect me, so it must not be a problem". So, I would just like to see more people exercise empathy when confronted with a weighty issue instead of only seeing things from their perspective. I believe that trying to understand someone else's pain can only lead to positive changes.
You can see Emory Allen’s work on his website and instagram, and you can check out Foreign Fauna on their website, vimeo, and instagram.
A Note from Calvin Bauer, team member at Light Grey Art Lab
At some point in human history, our species shifted from a desire to support the community, to a desire to support the self. Maybe not just one point, but many points, that have lead to a world where many of us exist individualistically. This mentality leads us to forget our responsibility to each other: to help ensure that each human is able to live as beautiful and healthy of a life as we do. Further, this mentality relates to our connection to the Earth and its non-human inhabitants, and our responsibility to these as well.
Realizing that we exist within the ecosphere of the Earth, and not above or on top of it, leads one towards recognizing that creating healthy communities and working towards a healthier Earth in turn would make all humans healthier, safer, happier, and more in tune with their individual strengths.
As we exist on such a massive, global scale (and within all of the violence and selfish aggression that permeates so much of our societal world), it’s ultimately heartening to know that there are, and always will be, large groups within our strange and eclectic species that truly want to see a better world created. How can we ensure that we are one of these people, working to lessen the violence (meaning, in this case, verbal and subtextual violence as well as physical) within our own communities? Within our day-to-day interactions? Within our own mental constructions? How can we continue to break down barriers, moving towards a world that can truly coexist and help each other thrive? And what kind of benefits could this have on our physical, mental, and spiritual health? I think this pursuit is lifelong, and it requires us to remain ever aware of the Earth’s (and humanity’s) unique beauty, and our ability to promote and prolong that through the way we live our lives.
- Calvin Bauer
Jessica Roux is an illustrator based in Nashville, Tennessee, whose work celebrates animal life and the natural world. We recently reached out and asked her opinions on altruism and the power of the creative voice, in light of our recent Small Art for a Big Cause exhibition. Read along below.
What is the value of the creative voice - as compared to a monetary value - for something like raising awareness for good causes?
Creative voices can bring beauty, awareness, and understanding to organizations and good causes. For me, making art is a way I process things like suffering and my impact on the environment - it helps me come to a greater understanding of the world around me. I think talking openly about it and sharing the work that comes out of those thoughts can help more people see and understand the causes I believe in, and hopefully create a sense of urgency and willingness to contribute in a meaningful way.
Think about the concept of altruism. How much do you think the idea affects how you go about your daily life? For example. do you think about doing things for a greater social purpose often? Does this ever include teaching, volunteering, assisting others, ... or anything else?
Absolutely! As artists, one of the most valuable resources we have is our skills, and sharing them by educating others allows even more people to create work that will inspire change. I love teaching and sharing what I’ve learned with others. I would not know anything if it wasn’t for previous teachers, mentors, and friends who I’ve asked for help - and I’m so thankful and lucky that it was given willingly and kindly. The least I can do is share that knowledge and make more seats available at the table, especially for underprivileged voices that need and deserve to be heard.
Roux’s piece for Small Art for a Big Cause
Do you have any personal exercises, mantras, or reminders that help you work towards being a positive force in the world?
I tell myself that my efforts matter and that they count toward something. Taking individual responsibility is so important, especially when we’re talking about our impact on the environment, so taking any steps at all to help out is major! It’s very easy to get overwhelmed and then do nothing, or pass the responsibility onto larger corporations in the hope that others will make the change for you. When you tell yourself that your actions can have a massive impact on the world, it makes it more difficult to shrug things off - and easier to take small steps toward change.
What kind of positive change would you like to see in the next five years?
I would love to see more (and more effective) protections put in place to save our environment, as well as more individuals taking responsibility for their actions. It’s truly scary to think about losing my main source of inspiration - nature - because of selfishness and corporate greed. I’m so afraid that nothing will change until it’s too late.
You can see Jessica Roux’s work on her website and instagram.
Thanks to everyone that signed up for our 2018 creative swap! Below are your partners!
If you've never participated before, here is some info for how to proceed!
1. Reach out to your partner and introduce yourself! Feel free to tell them a bit about what you like, what kind of creative work you do, and anything else you think would be fun. It's always nice getting to know someone through their interests, things they collect, stuff that is kind of fun and personal, and anything else you think makes you, you!
2. Make sure to ask for your partner's address!
3. The art swap is open to any type of creative work! You do NOT have to make something new or custom, but we find that most people decide to do something special for their partners! As long as you made the thing you send, it's perfect.
4. Make sure to send out your gift before the end of the year so your partner can celebrate with you! If you think you'll be late, make sure to check in and tell your partner when they can expect a package. As we all know, the holidays are a time to travel and we wouldn't want anyone to miss receiving their package.
5. If you'd like, tag #lgalmakemyholiday or @lightgreyartlab on any images you share online! We'd love to see what you received / made for your new friends!
** If you have any trouble reaching your swap partner, let us know and we can try to help!**
THAT'S IT! Happy swapping and thanks for being a part of this year's Make My Holiday!
Questions? Send us a note! Hello@lightgreyartlab.com
Nadia Rausa - hello@nadiarausa.com
Heather Franzen Rutten - heatherfranzenrutten@gmail.com
Amelia Blair Langford - amelialangfordart@gmail.com
Antonia G - akira.c@gmx.de
Iyla - practicemakeswater@gmail.com
Alekai Newton - aleknewton@gmail.com
Sara O. Macias - saramaciasart@gmail.com
Kati - katilikesturtles@gmail.com
Louise Mackay - Louise.mackay96@gmail.com
Chloe Russell - chloeruss@gmail.com
Andrea Edstrom - andrea@andreasartgallery.com
Catherine Suh - catherinesuhart@gmail.com
Anjali G - anjaligunaseelan@gmail.com
Natsuko Suzuki - nas228@cornell.edu
Joanna Birch - joannabirch_2696@hotmail.co.uk
Bronwen MacDonald - Bronwenmacdonald@gmail.com
Kathleen Pilatzke - kapilatzke@gmail.com
Mirelle Ortega - ortega.mirelle@gmail.com
Amanda - mandy.wn@gmail.com
Tricia Beal - tricia.beal@creativecatsstudio.com
George Outhwaite - g.outhwaite@hotmail.com
Ashley Caswell - ashley.e.caswell@gmail.com
Ashli & Kai Aaron (aka Cleave) - projectcleave@gmail.com
Clarissa Filice - thewildforlorn@gmail.com
Maria Kozmin - Maria.kozmin@gmail.com
Jessica Eith - jessicaeith@gmail.com
Rhodora Jacob - r.a.jacob@gmail.com
Ines Borba - Info@inesborba.com
D Woo - dwoosaur@gmail.com
Stephen Kissel - hello@stephenkissel.com
Hannah Bishop - Hannahbishop@comcast.net
Katherine Kuehne - Katherine.kuehne@gmail.com
Paula Lucas - contact@paulalucasart.com
Micah Lewis - micahlewisart@icloud.com
Keli Kristine - kelikristine3@gmail.com
Channing Winget - Cactus.joe@gmail.com
Monica Davila - monica.c.davila@gmail.com
Rebecca Horne - rebeccahorne@outlook.com
Bailie Rosenlund - bailie.rosenlund@gmail.com
Nicole Miazgowicz - hello@nicolemiaz.com
Austin Sherman - Austin.w.g.sherman@gmail.com
Gossamer Bray - gossamersart@gmail.com
Jillian Judkins - CatnRaven@gmail.com
Ruth Rondeau - ruthrondeauart@gmail.com
Jay Rasgorshek - jrasgor@gmail.com
Diana Jordan - artofdianajordan@gmail.com
Chrissy Curtin - chrissy@chrissycurtin.com
Kim Bogeman - kimbogeman@gmail.com
Catherine Miller - cmmiller.coldpress@gmail.com
Nicole Filiatrault - myowlhasantlers@gmail.com
Jared Pechacek - jaredpechacek@gmail.com
Ameer Malkosh - ambairz@gmail.com
Mary Cindrich - marycindrich@hammyhaus.com
Cassandra Mazur - Cass.mazur@gmail.com
Mary Daugherty (BitterOath) - bitteroath@gmail.com
Joli Grostephan-Brancato - Jgrostephanbrancato@gmail.com
Aina Habib - ainahhabib@gmail.com
Sarah L - joichi.maki@gmail.com
Kat Birmelin - katguevara@ymail.com
Margot Valois - margotvalois06@gmail.com
Julzy Hickox - julzyful@gmail.com
Brandy Heinrich - brandyeheinrich@gmail.com
Mina Martinez - minamartinez0@gmail.com
John Dellomes - jdellomes@gmail.com
Adrienne Dowling - adriennedowling@gmail.com
Alexis Amann - alexisamann@gmail.com
Katie Santoro - Katie.santoro@hotmail.com
Katrin Sapranova - sapranova.katrin@gmail.com
Chris Sisti - csisti36@gmail.com
Margaret Huey - mhuey@mica.edu
Béatrice Dutaret - beatrice.dutaret@gmail.com
Sarah Andrews - andrewsso@vcu.edu
Ashley Masog - ajmasog@gmail.com
Sarah Saunders - artofsasscontact@gmail.com
Ryan Carter - ryancarter7926@gmail.com
Ricky A - ocean_f@live.com
Lisa DeWaay - ldewaay@gmail.com
crussell@mwsservices.org
Alyssa McCathie - mccat002@umn.edu
crussell@mwsservices.org
Vicky Leta - vickyleta@gmail.com
crussell@mwsservices.org
Lika - nighty.lik@gmail.com
crussell@mwsservices.org
Stephanie Weinger - Sweinger66@gmail.com
crussell@mwsservices.org
JOIN US FOR THIS YEAR’s COOKIE PARTY!
RSVP HERE ON OUR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE!
Winter is coming and what better way to beat the chilly weather than by indulging your holiday sweet tooth with delicious treats and great company? Join us for our 8th Annual Light Grey Cookie Party on Sunday, December 16th, from 1 - 3 PM!
As always, the Light Grey Cookie Party is a massive cookie swap! So bake a batch of your favorite cookies, sweets, clusters, donuts, cupcakes, or bars to share, but don't forget to bring a container to take an assortment home with you! Variety is the (sweet) spice of life!
No pressure, but prizes will be awarded for a variety of tasty categories, including best looking, best tasting, and 'most unique,' so break out a classic family recipe, go nuts with decadent decorations, or challenge the idea of what 'cookie' even means!
Feel free to post what type of cookie on our FB INVITE and invite your friends!
Roll up those sleeves and get baking, we'll see you soon!