Resources | kelly angard, kelly a. fine art & photography

This piece began with a self portrait and a custom made stencil which I taught in one of my Technique Tuesdays. Photo art is definitely one of my passions; I love that the printed photo is the canvas in which I build upon….

“Leap of Faith”

Boldness has genius, power and magic.
Engage, and the mind grows heated.
Begin, and the work will be completed.
- johann wolfgang von goeth

Here’s a few more cool urban art/graffiti sites that I think are worth taking a look at:
Creating a 3-layer multi-color stencil design can be found at Stencil Revolution
How to make street art at Visual Resistance
Download wall stencils from PB Teen

Take a look at these amazing works of art:
“The Bus Kiss” image posted on flickr by LeFleneur
Butterfly stencil wall from “The Toyshop Collective”
“Pulp Fiction”posted on flickr by “the wacky doodler”
urban art Adidas style
…and last but not least, the epitome of “cool”…Johnny Cash stencil art: and “Walk the Line” poster art

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04/01/2006 by kelly angard

the loudest voice

The greatest battles of our life
are the ones we fight daily
in the silent chambers of the soul.
- David McKay

I was reading one of Robert Genn’s wonderfully eloquent and informative letters (The Painter’s Keys) the other day, in which he was addressing the struggles of living life as an artist: “We have chosen to be this way…” he writes.

But have we really? For those of us who create, have we chosen to do so or have we just surrendered to an inner voice that has finally spoken louder than those around us?

I don’t know if the decision to live my life as an artist was really a choice at all…it simply happened the day that I stopped fighting myself. By removing myself from the inner ring of contention, I simply began doing what I knew I must do. And suddenly, I was at peace…no longer trying to quell that restless urge to keep searching for something that did not even have a name.

Maybe the choice Robert Genn speaks of has to do with choosing to choose ourselves…I’m thinking this may be because I have definitely found that it is easier to deal with the external pressures and repercussions of living this creative life than it is to fight the tsunami of curious, analytical and expressive energy inside of me.

“I want to cultivate the seed that was placed in me until the last small twig has grown.”
- Kathe Kollwitz

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03/24/2006 by kelly angard

Urban Art Resources

My current fascination with Urban and Street Art has me finding all kinds of cool resources…

Tutorials:
- I found all the instructions one could ever need at Stencilry…many thanks to Amanda for offering here knowledge and free dowloadable stencil designs (see link below)
- bar code painting animation, very cool mini movie!
- so you want to make a stencil? from the Children’s Media Project site
- detailed silkscreen tutorial (which I’d love to try one day!) from Stencil International; they also have a nice list of resource links.

Artists:
-Logan Hicks, whose detailed hand-cut stencils are themselves works of art! I especially love his patterns of nature collection…stunning!
- I love the opening page to Coro36Ink’s site…take a look at this graffiti-artist turned fine art oil painter who integrates his urban art style with pop art technique…great stuff!
- here’s a cool site by UK artist DeLarge…he graciously offers free posters
to download and print as well as stickers and wallpapers for your desktop.

Galleries:
- amazing french stencil art gallery gives a whole new meaning to stencil art…
- a few flickr galleries of urban and street art captured internationally: here, here and my personal favorite, here (street art flowers)!

Stencils & Fonts:
- my favorite site for free downloadable stencil designs is Stencilry; stencil artist, Amanda, is kind enough to offer here collection for personal use only…
- Looking for somewhere to purchase some reusable graffiti stencils? Then you’ve got to see what’s available at Stencil 1…these definitely aren’t your mother’s stencil designs!!!
- cool handcrafted type fonts to download at Delarge, and DaFont

Misc. Sites:
And no perspective of Urban Street Art is complete without perusing the pages of The Wooster Collective and the infamous Banksy and of course, Graffiti TV!

If you have any more to add to this collection or incorporate Urban Art styles into your art, feel free to post a link in the comment section so I can add it to this list…

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01/26/2006 by kelly angard

The Art of Crafting Your Life

I originally wrote and posted this entry back on June 7th, 2005 the first week I started my blog. It has been awhile since I’ve read my early entries, but I was reminded of this one when I saw a link on Ali Edwards’ blog. I’ve decided to post it again because the Manifesto is powerful beyond the words that spell it out. See if some of it speaks to you…

You’ve got to love the moment of discovery…no matter what it is or how you get to it. The process of unveiling a sparkling gem that speaks to you reminds us that life is a serendipitous adventure.

I find that this is especially true when I discover something that targets the core of everything I believe in; something that resonnates so deep, it lingers for days. A simple truth, in any form, affects the way in which we look at ourselves and those around us…which in turn affects how we craft our “art”.

I had one of those moments when I discovered An Incomplete Manifesto, written by internationally-acclaimed designer Bruce Mau. This inspiring body of work illuminates the dark crevices of our hearts and minds where fear tends to hide, grow and steal our sense of wonder. Mau’s concise collection of 43 belief statements speak to the art of designing one’s life with passion and conviction. They are easy to read, but difficult to digest…which is what I love about them. Simple complexity; complex simplicity…an unfinished look at ourselves where beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

Here’s five of the 43 statements that speak loudest to me:
#1. Allow events to change you. You have to be willing to grow. Growth is different from something that happens to you. You produce it. You live it. The prerequisites for growth: the openness to experience events and the willingness to be changed by them.

#2. Forget about good. Good is a known quantity. Good is what we all agree on. Growth is not necessarily good. Growth is an exploration of unlit recesses that may or may not yield to our research. As long as you stick to good you’ll never have real growth.

#5. Go deep. The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value.

#18. Stay up late. Strange things happen when you’ve gone too far, been up too long, worked too hard, and you’re separated from the rest of the world.

#20. Be careful to take risks. Time is genetic. Today is the child of yesterday and the parent of tomorrow. The work you produce today will create your future.

Do yourself a favor and take a minute to read all 43 statements…and if you’re so inclined, let me know if any of them speak to the heart of you.

NOTE: with this reposting, I’ve decided to add one more to my list of favorites:
#17. ____________________. Intentionally left blank. Allow space for the ideas you haven’t had yet, and for the ideas of others.

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01/23/2006 by kelly angard

Mail Art: “The envelope is the museum…”

“expedition”

The envelope as a portal of possibilities…I love the thought! I found this wonderful description at the Electronic Museum of Mail Art. I have been familiar with the concept of mail art for some time, but only recently began participating in a mail art group led by Shimelle. The postcard above, “Expedition” was the first piece that journeyed out across the country…I do not know yet if it has been received, but I do wonder the hands it has passed through after learning about the Cameramail Camera Project. I have not participated in this project…yet! But my curiosity is definitely piqued…

“art”

I am finding that Mail Art can take many forms…from a simple artistic postcard, to a recycled piece of junkmail. The piece above, “art” has taken on a new life after it came to me carrying my phone bill. I sliced open the envelope on three sides and had a little fun disguising the generic look it previously held…the perfect canvas for whatever came to my mind!

Ruud Janssen, founder of IUOMA (International Union of Mail Art) has one of the best websites and blogs I have found pertaining to the magic of Mail Art. His posts include art sent and received from all over the world…one of the wonderful curiosities of Mail Art…as well as historical facts and photos about the history of Mail Art. Do take a wander over to his sites and you’ll find worldwide links that are sure to send you to your local post office with something wonderful in your hands!

Oh…and look what I found! A 2006 call for entries: “The Graceful Envelope” sponsored by the Washington DC Calligraphers Guild and sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. Whether you would entertain the possibility of entering, you simply MUST take a look at the 2005 winners…jaw-dropping creativity! (source: Ed’zZ Blog)

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06/26/2005 by kelly angard

Color Your World…

Here’s an invaluable tool to bookmark…
I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely a visual girl; I need to see things in order to process them, especially when it comes to working with color. Whenever my mind can’t seem to pull together a new color combination, I look through photos or magazines for inspiration. Then, I’m off to The Color Schemer so I can see how the colors I’ve visualized will look together. The Color Schemer is the original on-line generator of color combinations and palettes that can be used by anyone. Select a color on the wheel, choose what kind of combination you’d like (triad? analagous?) and the schemer will put a combination together. You can also play around with the sliders and change the value (light or dark) or chroma (bright or dull) of your selection. Pretty cool.

If I’m still undecided or in the mood for looking at a menu of working color combinations, I’ll cruise on over to Colour Lovers. This suprisingly mellow site displays colors and color combinations that have been submitted by artists and designers for artists and designers.

After visiting these two sites, my head is always swirling with a number of colorful options…