First Entry / Expression

Hi! My name is Christy Grace. I am an artist, cake decorator, and face and body painter. This blog will be about those pursuits.

There are so many things that I could write about but I will start by explaining one of my recent pieces. Apologies about the quality of the photo - it was taken quickly with my iPhone before rushing off to display it in local coffee shop, Fair Trade Coffee. I chose this piece to write about first because it explains a lot of the thoughts and feelings that go into the creation of my art.

This piece is called 'Expression' and it represents ideas bursting forth because they can not be contained any longer. If I don't paint or draw for a while, I get what I call an 'itchy soul'. Life is busy so sometimes I go for quite a while without creating any personal art and I start to feel uncomfortable. Once I get a chance to create, it is like air being released from a balloon that was stretched to almost popping. Ahhhhh.

The rainbow vomit represents ideas spewing out. Right away, there are so many concepts and they are all twisted together so sometimes I work on multiple projects at once. The colors go from warm as they come out to cool as the ideas form and solidify. The person in this painting is left pale and colorless with the knowledge that the color/ideas will soon return.

I had a lot of fun creating the texture in this lava-like shape. I used a thick paint medium that has tiny glass beads in it. I also used my good ol' glue gun to add drips and to secure each of the objects into place.

The objects are all ones I had in my 'junk' bin - a large container where I keep found objects and memory pieces that I think I will someday use. I am sure a lot of my art friends know the struggle against becoming a pack-rat. A lot of items that might be tossed out bring the thought of a possible project so it has been a growing up experience for me to have a more discerning eye.

A lot of the objects that I hot-glued to this canvas have pretty literal or obvious meanings. Some carry more personal meanings.
• The cork at the bottom represents an uncorking of ideas. The tiny watch represents time management and the measurement of life responsibilities to personal needs and goals.
• The light blue inside an old soda screw-top says, "sorry, try again", and speaks of failures, road bumps, closed doors, closed minds - all things that you might run into while creating in a field that is based a lot of personal tastes and opinions.
• The round piece that looks like a big hole is actually one lense from a pair of childhood sunglasses. When seen in the right light, the glasses show a hologram-like effect of snake eyes. I included this because of a lot of my art calls on memories and the emotion of those memories. I wore these sunglasses while on a childhood vacation that contained events that shaped who I am today, both good and bad.
• The computer piece says 'Ctrl' and represents either giving up or demonstrating control in both creations or situations.
• The little cardboard box is the cliche of thinking in or outside the box. Though it is a common representation, it still is something to be aware of when you are a people pleaser (like me!). I over-think what I am making. I wonder if people will like it, if they will judge me or relate to me, if they would buy it, if the idea is good or bad, if the execution is poor or acceptable... all boxes I am trying to put myself in when art is what it is and should be left at that. Creating my own art should be a freedom that I rejoice in and if others enjoy or relate to what I create, that would just be the cherry on top!
• Though you cannot see them, there are two little buttons. One button is for pushing buttons, challenging minds, pushing boundaries and expectations. The other button is for securing myself and protecting myself because no matter the brave face I put on, I am still a sensitive and somewhat insecure artist.
• Also not seen very well in this photo is a little twisted wire. The wire is from telephone wire that was meant to be thrown away that my sister and I found when we were little. It is the same kind that you can make into twisted rings and bracelets. This wire represents the connections made through art, old and new. I cherish the links I have made and the wonderful relationships that have begun because of shared creativity and love for anything artistic!
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Thank you so much for reading my very first art blog! Hopefully it is the first of many! It took a while for me to get the courage to write but I had some very encouraging friends and family members <3 Thank you and I love you!

Site: www.artofchristy.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/artofchristy