The Daily Spectrum - Paints & Supplies

     Daily painting blog - day #3. Original art can be made on any surface - literally. Another painter I know is using pizza boxes for her creations. With this in the back of my mind, I plan to pursue odd shaped packing materials and see how things turn out. If anything, it should be fun and interesting!

     Student grade paints are okay for experimenting as it allows you the freedom to explore without worry of the cost. Craft paints do not hold up to the test of time very well. As your skills develop, you will want to advance to a professional grade paint for durability. In the world of art supplies, that old adage holds up - you get what you pay for.

     With today's technology, high tech prints can be made from a good photo printer of almost any brand. If you plan on making a living (or at least bring in some extra income), you can also print out your experimental pieces on decent photo paper and bring in more cash than your original via reprints.

     The bottom line is to play - express yourself! And don't worry about what it looks like!!

The Daily Spectrum - Is It Art?

     What is an abstract painting? And is it art?

      An abstract painting is one that has only intrinsic form with little or no pictorial representation (or basic shape). The picture below is not an abstract:

     I am facing a pot of daffodils in my conservatory window as I write this and waiting eagerly for spring!

     So what is art? Art is a sacred activity. It is a process of becoming whole, completely new and alive. A visual beauty. My life is my art. Everyone has good and beauty within them. It is up to us to look until we find it. With some people, we must search harder; look deeper; have more patience and be able to tolerate our differences.

The Daily Spectrum

     Daily painting blog - day #1. In line with Shakespeare's quote; "... to be or not to be", that is the question of life we all must respond to. For myself, "to be" is to paint on a daily basis. Without a daily brush stroke - I barely exist.

     Are you caught in the mid-winter doldrums? Craving something bright and new? Fresh air would be pleasant - or fresh cut flowers even better. We cannot just pick up and move to a different location, but there is another hope; we can pick up a paint brush and do some painting!

     I'm not talking about the drudgery of painting interior walls. I'm exonerating the hallowed fame of basic art supplies and water or acrylic paints. My name is J.M. Langdon and I've not only been a painter for over 35 years; I've grown into a fine artist. Self-expressionism is it's own form. How do we communicate with others?

     Traditional paintings depict scenes of reality for that particular time period - a recording of history if you will. Abstracts, on the other hand, record only the artists emotional status at that moment.

     I began exploring abstract painting back in November 2011 in preparation for a gallery showing that took place a few months later. Since my life is in creating, expressions of new realities flow through me from the land of light and love. The process begins with the design as well as the question - is this going to be a realistic rendering, or pushed beyond what it is into something completely different. This holds especially true in regards to my abstract works.

     The process itself takes over as I go into a trance (this is the best way I can describe it) and the painting becomes itself. This process used to scare me. Like many humans, I fear the unknown. We can be afraid of what we do not understand. However, the more I let go and let it be, the creative force takes over and masterpiece after masterpiece is created.

     Abstract painting is fast becoming one of the greatest opportunities for banishing malaise and reducing stress. I crank up the radio and dance to my painting. Michelangelo believed that sculptures were hidden in the marble he worked with. I believe visions are hidden within the blank canvases. It is my job to discover them. My work is to reveal the brilliance that wasn't there before. Each brush stroke brings me closer to the moment of crystal clarity, and in that moment I see a perfect reflection of myself.

Less Ordinary... More Extraordinary!

   
     If we had a dollar for every piece of negative advise, every getting-us-nowhere comment, criticism, and reason not to start Artscape Design Studios and market these designs - in all reality we probably wouldn't have to work for at least a month, if not more. It's not that people are trying to stop us from "making a big mistake" - in fact, they think they're being helpful. The bottom line is, is that they just don't understand. Things aren't all bad, however. If we had a dollar for every positive comment and encouragement, we could easily take two months off!

     Why these designs? Why now? First, we'll tackle the design aspect. Our designs literally scream; "fun... being alive...and kick up that mood another few notches". Think about it: Don't you feel a least a little more positive when you wear that yellow sweater than when you put on that gray sweatshirt? Clothing that's bright will help you be in a better mood and even make others around you feel better as they visually absorb your brightness and energy. That means you have the capability to help cheer up other people around you without even trying. Pretty cool, huh? During the winter, people tend to wear darker clothing, but the duller the colors you wear, the more depressed your spirit becomes. So be sure to wear richer, more vibrant colors because wearing lots of black and gray can cause depression. Or, as we say around here, "if it's cold - go for bold"!

     Patterns also amplify the effects of bright colors. When contrasting colors work in unison with each other, not only do the colors make the 1st shift towards being positive, but the pattern makes the 2nd shift towards that concept, because the mind is processing that information more intently, thus bringing it more to the forefront of consciousness.

     As for the second aspect of why now - we say, why not? Every day is a new start with no mistakes in it. One of the easiest aspects to change, even if a little at a time, is your wardrobe. Forget what other people, nay-sayers, and so-called experts think; do what feels right for you! In other words, less ego and more personal growth. Your ego can only live in the past or the future, and will attempt to feed on negative emotions. Bright colors and patterns as well as living in the now, will boost your spirits and your attitude. The better those aspects are, the more healthier you will be - literally. Don't believe us - Google it... go ahead.

     Those are some of the concepts we embrace here at Artscape Design Studios;
      - Less negativity and more inspiration
      - Less ego and more growth
      - Less fear and more confidence

     The bottom line here is, in a nutshell, more freedom. With our designs, there is a sense of true individuality. With almost 200 designs, there is literally a design for everyone. No excuses, no discussion about what is right or wrong, traditional or not, no labels and no limits. Maybe that touches your unconventional or outlaw spirit just a bit. If it does great. Maybe some of the designs speak to you on a level you can't quite put your finger on. If so, don't worry about it - just go with it.

     The ball, quite literally, is in your court, but we are still here to help you. Let us know what you think, what you like, don't like, what blows you away... whatever. If you feel like one of our customers who saw our designs and then tried explaining them to a friend; "They were absolutely awesome... incredible... beautiful. I love them! I tried explaining them to a friend of mine... but I couldn't. No words could fully explain what I saw. I told them they need to experience them, not just view them"... then we feel we've done a good job!

     Below are some more examples from our website http://artscapedesignstudio.wix.com/jadl
     Until next time, lots of light & love -
     Jill

New Year... New Beginnings

     OK - we'll be the first to admit it; the title to this post sounds a little cliche or corny. It's right up there with "something old, something new..." or "today is the 1st day of the rest of your life..." or the one that always has befuddled us, "...the more things change, the more they stay the same". What does that last one mean exactly? In our humble opinion, any positive change is good and guess what - whomever it affects doesn't stay the same.

     This leads us to who we are as a company. We are Jill & Dave and we are the proud owners of Artscape Design Studios. We've established an art studio and design company based out of the beautiful state of Maine where we have combined the original fine art done by Jill, which has always been dedicated to beauty, and have combined it with technology - which is where Dave comes in.

     Our mission is to promote individual style while raising societal norms. With an eye to the future and being dedicated to beauty, we strive to use the power of colors to improve self-esteem, promote a positive attitude, while working through global unity.

     Over the past two and half decades, the fashion industry has flogged into our craniums that black makes you look thinner... or mysterious... or mysteriously thinner. However, we have noticed in the past few years a shift in consumer thinking where color is a good thing. The benefits of color are numerous. It brightens the day and uplifts your mood especially at times when you (or more commonly other people) are stressed out. People have color preferences and usually base their choices of products they use or wear based on the vibes it creates when they look at it or use the item. They choose their wardrobe and almost everything they consume or use based on the color to some extent. People have their own favorite color as well. Jill noticed that when she wore clothing with bright colors and wild patterns that she liked, she was more in the moment and felt more exuberant. This concept lead us on a journey to find some way to transfer her art works onto fabric as well as other materials.

     After we found a company that would perform this service for us, we went to work on the designs. As far as the end results are concerned, again marrying the concepts of fine art with technology, the designs are truly incredible. Even when we were first "playing around" with ideas, we never imagined, in our wildest dreams - well okay... maybe in some of our more wild dreams - could have predicted how the designs finally emerged. Here's an example of what we mean;

 Going from this -

To this -

     Artscape Design Studios now has almost 200 unique designs that can be utilized on any number of items - ranging from clothing such as summer dresses, shorts, tops, swim wear and intimates, to wall art, prints, and other household items. We currently have finished the process of making up prototype apparel so we can show clients and consumers exactly what they will look like. We are also in the process of licensing these designs. Our website also features numerous designs that you browse at any time. Our address is; http://artscapedesignstudio.wix.com/jdl

     Feel free to contact us at any time about our designs and products. You can contact us via the web site or by clicking on this link. We will be updating the website with more fresh ideas, concepts, designs, and products in the months to come! We're going to be more visible on Twitter, Etsy, LinkedIn, as well as Store Envy. Be sure to drop by and pay us a visit there as well! Thanks to all of you whom have already supported us!!

     We'll end this entry with another before and after  -

     Going From this -

    
     To this -