art

The best relationship art depicts the highs and lows of the authentic couple.

Collages of Reality
“Everything happens for a reason.” Were the harsh words that penetrated my ears and echoed in my brain at the age of 13. My sister died. What reason was there for that!? I spent years thinking back to that moment when someone offered those words as a form of their sympathy and condolences. I said to myself, “they should have just said nothing!” Every time I thought of it, I became angry. There is no reason for my older sister to be buried in the ground. I could not even bring myself to stand over that ground; or think of that ridiculous phrase ˗ everything happens for a reason!
By Alee5 years ago in Humans
A Body of Yarn
Teaching is an embodied profession. I bound in front of the white board to add a new idea from a student during a class brainstorm session. You can find me coughing through axe body spray or mango hand lotion as I lean over to ask a leading question of a collaborating small group. I circle students at desks in the back of the room, one hand holding the short story in front of my face, the other gesturing as my posture and vocal intonations shift back and forth between Bilbo and Gollum exchanging riddles in the dark.
By Sarah Frase5 years ago in Humans
How my HANDS became the gateway to my Incredible new life
My hands, a true reflection of my dining room table, both having weathered the storms of the pandemic and years prior. Fingers that were once slender now slowly trying to escape the memories of quarantine fifteen. The streaks of brown engrained in my skin, each having its own story; battle scars as a reward for completing a new recipe or learning a new skill to keep the mental demons from coming in. Unpolished, untrimmed fingernails, excess skin blocking the lunula, cracked, dry hands once a representative of rigidity like concrete, built for providing strength and resilience, now a product of repetitive tensile stresses.
By Ali SP5 years ago in Humans
Mixed Together
About 5 years ago I met someone new who gifted me a mix CD after much reluctance to accept it on my end. I was scared the songs would forever be tied to this person and I would no longer enjoy them on their own. The mix had a cut out piece of paper colored to look like a rainbow with a simple title and list of songs and artists. I still think of the process they went through: choosing and ordering the songs, titling the mix, coloring the case. I picture them on the floor cutting out a slip of paper to fit perfectly in the case and rearranging the songs before burning the CD. About a year ago I decided to make one. I loved the process and thoughtfulness required to craft the perfect mix and I now have no fear of the connection that is also crafted as a result of a gift like this. Music is a beautiful connector since every song can evoke different memories from one person to the next and thinking of someone when a song comes on should be craved not feared.
By Casey Bergin5 years ago in Humans
Little Fishes (Creature Fear Music Video)
Being a creative can be pretty difficult sometimes. Especially when you need to support yourself financially through what you love. It can often turn into a love hate relationship and you can start resenting the thing you adore the most. Despite this struggle, the passion for it always wins when you realise it fuels you, makes you happy and feel alive. When COVID hit, our relationship with creativity had to change drastically and move quickly with the volatile environment we were all thrown into.
By Amy Pollock5 years ago in Humans
You will become dizzy
Nobody cares when I dance at the thrift store, the place where my passion begins. I can’t help but move to the Motown, disco and rock as I flip through hangers in a slot machine player’s trance. Will the next shirt be a winner? Will the next tee show an orange tabby cat riding a unicorn toward a space ship? As I flip and groove nobody seems to care. The other customers are caught up in their own dreams of what a new, old piece of clothing can bring – maybe money, confidence or love.
By Edie Everette5 years ago in Humans
A Joy Named Sue
I thought that choosing a craft that brought me the most joy would be easy. I thought that choosing a craft that uses scissors would make the decision even easier. How many of my hobbies could possibly use scissors? I instantly thought of sewing, but then I also considered basket weaving and the careful snips made to shape the many reeds into their proper sizes. I was returning from a trip across the country and had plenty time to think on the long ride home. As it turns out, most of the crafts I'm proudest of use scissors. The outfits and cute stuffed animals I love to sew require both proper scissors to cut various fabrics and the "baby scissors" in my sewing set that I always make a point to hold up for my dad to chuckle at. Who doesn't like smaller versions of things, after all? Often times I'll use a sharp set in lieu of a knife while cooking as well. Garden sheers have become a must as I finally learn how to keep my plants alive long enough for them to grow out of control, and growing out of control alongside them is my rarely tamed mop of hair. My hair and I are certainly no strangers to a pair of scissors and a late night vision of a style that will most likely be a bit of a shock in the morning. My crafts, my food and my looks are all artforms to me. I am proud of my skills and I can laugh at the mistakes. It surprised me when I realized how much I depend on scissors for these things. My new challenge was deciding which of my artforms was the most important to me. Which one could represent me better than the others? When I finally made it home, I knew the second I saw her.
By Claire Nicholson 5 years ago in Humans
The Fragment of Ourselves
Our first house was a two story 1930’s brick town house. It had that dusty wood smell that should have made me feel at home. There was an old fireplace and a bricked in patio with French doors. The rooms were all small with cream walls. They warned us about lead in the paint.
By Umbrella Jack5 years ago in Humans
Hemmingbird
I was taught at a young age that you learn to do by doing. My life has been built by a series of coincidental experiences; events that are all connected to the same theme. Sewing is what I do to make a living and it seems to be all that I know. The first thing I ever made was a floor length skirt in silver satin at age 12 . They say you never forget your first project! I followed my childhood passion into my mid Thirties. Now I’m stuck in a career rut wondering what I want to be when I grow up. What should I do now? I enjoy what I do. Sewing is something that I’ve become good at with practice. I am comfortable...Why would I ever want to change? Money... that’s right. More money is what my life requires for me to stay out of poverty and feed my children. Does money make us happy? I don’t make a lot of money. However, what I do for a living brings me great Joy.
By Kayleen 5 years ago in Humans
Healing Beads
My craft is jewellery making and design. Ever since my Sister taught me how to repair and make certain jewellery pieces from bracelets to ear rings, it has been a favorite art form of mine. We used to spend quality time crafting together, and sometimes I can still see some of her style within my own art, making a beautiful handed down tradition that we share. I sometimes sketch out ideas in my pocket sketch book for more elaborate jewellery dreams. Sometimes I am inspired by a particular bead, color, stone, story, image, etc. or possibly I may even be inspired by the person I might be making the piece for.
By Amy Chris Keiper aka LC Harrison5 years ago in Humans
Painting in the rough
It all started one night when I was taking my rubbish to the basement of my apartment building. Propped up next to the industrial waste bin, was a lonely, tattered canvas painting ready to go to landfill. Thinking back to my high school art days, some 10 years ago, where I expressed my creativity though paint on a blank canvas and forgot about everything else that was bothering me, I thought to myself, it would be so good to paint again and it would be such a shame for this old piece of art to go to the rubbish dump.
By Jessica Roderick5 years ago in Humans
Creating (and Sharing) My Happiness!
Spotting a pair of scissors has always brought me excitement and taken me down a long, wonderful road full of memories of my creations. My grandmother began having “Goodtimes at Grannies” on the last Sunday of every month shortly before I was born. During those Sundays my Grannie would have arts and crafts planned for all of her grandchildren; she even set us up our very own craft room! I spent countless hours in that craft room and while it may be a walk-in pantry today, I still cherish it as the incubator that fostered the artist in me. My Grannie has kept (almost) every piece of art made for her by her grandchildren. My childhood portfolio may not be as impressive as my college portfolio, but it’s a gift to have that I can look back at.
By Kennedy Reed5 years ago in Humans