(Please click on first photo to enlarge all.)
https://jennifernicholewells.com/2014/01/28/one-word-photo-challenge/
“We Were Framed!” One Word Photo Challenge: Frame
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Tag Archives: images of retablos
Circus
This is a piece I did a few years ago entitled “The Circus.” It deals with that part of us that wants to run away and join the circus. The porcelain doll has my mother’s face superimposed on it. Over my mother’s face, I put several layers of Frida Kahlo’s face, peeled off in varying degrees. Over Frida’s face is a miniature antique paste mask that can be pulled aside or allowed to fall into place. In her hands are a tiny pair of silver scissors and around her waist is a tiny bag woven of morning glory vines. She rises out of a toy chest decorated with Loteria cards. On the chair to her left is a small clown figure with wings. He is painting a portrait of Frida. Many discarded portraits of her lie crumpled and discarded on the floor. They are all the same. Below him are circus animals and a juggler who have spilled from the pages of a tiny journal that has a story written inside about creativity, sides of the brain, intuition vs. reason and imitation vs. unique inspiration. The overall piece is about the importance of coming from a unique place in ourselves rather than depending upon judgement and imitation. For me, the purpose of art is that experience of going into new realms of ourselves—to allow ourselves to do what most of us couldn’t do when we were young—to run away to join the circus!
More Retablos, Closer Up
More Retablos, Closer Up
These are not the most accomplished photos, but I am so happy at having retrieved them from the bowels of the “Photos” labyrinth, that I’m posting them. They are a few of the more formal “Retablo” series that I’ll be displaying January 31 from 10-3 in addition to the “Found Art” collages I posted yesterday. Since the Art Walk is tomorrow and I’ll be busy (I hope), right now I’m going to go for a walk of my own on the beach and for a swim! (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Pushing and Shoving: Favorite Quotation
Pushing and Shoving
“If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”
I’m trying to set up for the art walk this weekend, but it is tricky when you are away from home without the usual display materials. I did a photo shoot this morning, but all of the photos mysteriously disappeared after I edited them. Hmmm. This is a quick shot of a display of retablos set up in the bedroom. I need to avail myself of all available surfaces!
I envy people who can throw things together with great flair, but I’m not one of them. I need to experiment, nudge things around, walk away and come back and have another look, leave the room and walk back in to surprise myself and see if I really like it, seeing it as a stranger of sorts.
When my friend Patty had me come help her arrange things in her new house after her old house blew away in a tornado, she said, “I’m going to have to leave the room while you finish. It drives me crazy watching you fuss!” Ha!!! I always think of this every time I am pushing things this way and that.
I blame this on my mother. From the time I was little, we would wait until my dad went to bed and then rearrange the living room furniture. We’d sit with our backs against big heavy pieces like the piano and push with our legs and backs against the heavy beast to budge it without risking popping a muscle or tendon. Then we’d sit and survey our work, move one thing or another. I think my mom in this way made me a collage artist before I even knew the meaning of the word. It was performance art where we could actually walk around in the assemblage and tug it around.
When I work in the art studio, I usually work on 12 to 20 pieces at a time. I arrange them, then come back the next day and take out one thing, add another. Pieces can take a week to come out right or a year–or, after a year I sometimes take them all apart and start over. I don’t know why a piece finally feels right. I just know when it does.
Yes, when it comes to art, decorating or setting a table–I think “If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”
The same goes for cooking! If it doesn’t taste right, I just start adding things until it tastes right. I like lots of flavor in a dish. Subtle just doesn’t do it for me in either decorating or cooking.
The Prompt: Do you have a favorite quote? Tell us what significance it has for you.
Passing Time
Detra de las Puertas Cerradas (Behind Closed Doors) One’s own living room can become entirely too comfortable. Shutting the drawers to the past may open the doors to the future. (retablo by Judy Dykstra-Brown)
Passing Time
The means of our escape from life are numerous and various,
and there is nothing wrong with getting thrills that are vicarious.
Movies, sports and novels are fine for entertainment;
but if you’re only viewing, there is no sense of attainment.
Looking back on your own life, like opening a book,
isn’t really living life, but just having a look
at the life of someone who you no longer are.
You aren’t really living life by viewing from afar.
Escape is necessary and our choices for it vast,
but there’s no satisfaction in living in the past.
Life is to be spent, not to be hoarded and rethought.
Better just to live the rest of the time that you’ve got!
Fond memories are something that I’m sure none of us lack,
but there’s no time of life to which I’m yearning to go back.
The only thing to do with time’s to live it and to love it.
I have no wish to turn back time, I only want more of it!
The Prompt: If you could return to the past to relive a part of your life, either to experience the wonderful bits again, or to do something over, which part of you life would you return to? Why?
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/if-i-could-turn-back-time/
Means of Expression
Means of Expression
I have two means of telling a story–words and art. Here are a few of my retablos :
Jugetes (Toys) 
Santa Cecilia (Patron Saint of Poets and Musicians)
Self Portrait
Hidden Kiss 
Sunrise Madonna 
The Circus
Our Lady of Notions
Ganesha
Homage to Picasso
Rainy Season
H
Macho
The Prompt: Express Yourself!!! Do you love to dance, sing, write, sculpt, paint, or debate? What’s your favorite way to express yourself, creatively?
“Juguetes”– Shannon’s Creative Photo Challenge/Games
“Juguetes”–Shannon’s Creative Photo Challenge/Games
“Jugetes” is Spanish for “Games,” and I made this retablo to honor all the favorite games of the past. Perhaps you’ll recognize the little numbers game, where we had to shuffle the tiles within a set frame to get all the numbers into sequence, or a harmonica, games pieces from different games including Monopoly and Scrabble, a toy duck, doll, toy boat, a guitar, toy horse, dice, toy car, soccer ball, paint and marbles. The star shapes are cut from a plastic Slinky toy made in the shape of stars. I was very happy to see this prompt, Shannon. Thanks so much!
Mexican Train is wildly popular among expats in Mexico. This particular version is called “Chickenfoot.” Strangely enough, the Mexican name for Mexican Train is Cuban Train–“Tren Cubano!”
For more pictures on the topic of “Toys,” go here:
http://abstractlucidity.com/2015/09/16/shannons-creative-photo-challenge-games/
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 