Poppies are my Favourite Flower

Flower pieces continue to be my favourites! This one is special because I handcrafted it with memories of my time studying in Italy... the colours are so bright and romantic ;) I've gotten so many compliments when I've worn it out!
Click the link below the image to see the listing in my Etsy shop :)

"Turquoise and Bright Red Poppy Necklace" by Mirilovelove

A Few Words on False Authority and Being a Developing Artist

One of the reasons I hesitate to post my own tutorials and resources is because I simply am not a master at anything yet; this is also why I choose to critique others with suggestions and a gentle voice. I do not believe I can speak with any kind of authority that my work will back up. In fact, one of my biggest pet peeves is people who speak with false authority, hiding behind big words and spewing out principles whose understanding aren't evident in their own work. In my opinion, there's no greater waste of time than listening to someone who speaks with false authority.

BUT. One of the greatest things about being a developing artist today is the wealth of resources that one can find to help stimulate progress, increase understanding, and enhance technical skill. Part of your job as an artist, along with beefing up those technical skills, is also discerning with wisdom what advice to follow, and what advice is not strategic for you - discerning between true authority and false authority. It is your right as an artist to decide what will help you and what will hinder you, provided you are doing your homework as to WHY. These things extend to more than just the technical aspect, because I do wholeheartedly believe that one's own relationship with their work is a emotional connection that needs to be nurtured, for better or for worse. Along with making sure that your resources are credible for developing your work, it is your right to decide which environments you thrive in, and which you do not.

Some people will tell you that if you don't listen to them, you're floundering, or you're self-absorbed, or that you have a huge ego. But I tell you this from experience: if you are seeking the information elsewhere, in an environment that is credible and helpful, and are truly disciplined and trying to apply it, you're none of those things. Most often, the people telling you that you MUST listen to them or perish as an artist are the ones with the biggest egos, and most likely speak with false authority. It is your absolute right to figure out what is the best environment for you, regardless of who agrees. Again though, this must be done through experience and careful discernment.

I recently made the decision to cut out what I believe to be a source of false authority, and I know loud and clear that there are some who do not agree with that decision. Interestingly enough, I have been involved in conversations concerning this topic for the past few weeks with quite a few people, here and there; and have found that many people feel the same way. I write this blogpost for you guys, and for me, and for any artist out there who is encountering a similar situation and has questions.

And I will say with great conviction, unapologetically:

I reserve the absolute right to make the best decision for me and my work, no matter what it is or who agrees or doesn't agree with it. I reserve the absolute right to make the decision between positivity and negativity, without having to be judged or ridiculed for it. I reserve the absolute right to pursue what will help me, and to cut off what is stifling me.

Period.

FRIDAY FEATURE

Ahoy, friends! It's Friday, and that means a healthy helping of art features coming atcha!

Today I have the pleasure of introducing Effuchu, an artist whose playful and thoughtful style is refreshing, and whose textures and tones will have you feeling super artsy!

"Luke-warm Red Tea" by effuchu

Commence the very official-like interview!

Q. First off, what got you interested in art? Tell me about your background.

A. Weeeell... to be honest, art hasn't really been something I’ve been interested in for very long, and I have no fantastic background in art. Initially I was interested in anthropology and psychology, which is pretty far from art to be honest. Drawing was just a hobby for me for a good part of my life, seeing as I saw no real future in it. Started pursuing art seriously about four years ago though, when my mother bought me a copy of Shaun Tan's 'The Lost Thing', which really opened my eyes to the opportunities that were out there for artists in Australia. I'm currently working on my Bachelor of Illustration, which I began just the other week (as well as my first life drawing lessons ever! I’m more excited than I probably should be. harhar.)

 "Leaves" by effuchu

Q. Before we delve further into your current work, I see you are from Australia. Do you have a funky cool accent?!?

A. Ahaha, I wish I had an awesome Australian accent. But, seeing as I am of Asian descent, I have this awful warped accent instead. I think I may have picked it up due to the sheer amount of television I watched in different languages as a kid.

Q. One of my favourite things about your work is the varieties of texture. Are there some pieces where you intentionally create the texture to enhance the message, or is it mostly a result of your medium?

A. I don't really add texture to my work to enhance the message, though I’d like to be able to say that I do. Mostly, I think it's just personal preference and technique. I like lots of texture, so I incorporate a lot of texture.

 "Soursweetbitterpungent" by effuchu

Q. What are your inspirations? I've heard your work called, "dreamlike"; do you take a lot of inspiration from your dreams? 

A. I like to take inspiration from every-day objects and from things like mythology and science-related subjects. Work by other artists tends to influence my work as well, especially work by Van Gogh and John Tenniel. Not too sure about dreams, seeing as I rarely remember what my dreams are about. I suppose it's possible that I could be subconsciously affected by them, which would be pretty cool to be honest.

 "Solitude" by effuchu

Q. I've seen you do all three: Do you prefer to work mostly traditionally, with mixed media, or digitally? Why?

A. I like being able to work in as many mediums as possible, because I think it gives me just that little bit more freedom of expression. For example, if I were to work on something that I wanted a clean-cut look for, I’d be more likely to work on it digitally rather than traditionally. It all depends on what I’m working on at the time, really.

Q. And finally, what are your goals for your work and your desires for the future as an artist? 

A. My goals? Well, I’d like to say that I have my whole artistic career mapped out perfectly by now, but that would be a horrendous lie. I’m still working out things for myself at the moment and taking life one step at a time. I’d have to say though, that my current goals are to improve as much as I can and to be able to support myself though my work in the future. Where that will lead me, I still can't really say.

"Freedom of Speech" by effuchu

A huge thank you to Effuchu for being part of my features and sharing her wonderful work!

Be sure to check out effuchu on the web! 

Deviantart // Blogspot // Tumblr

Men are haunted by the vastness of eternity.
And so we ask ourselves, 
Will our actions echo across the centuries?
Will strangers hear our names long after we're gone 
and wonder who we were?
How bravely we fought? 
How fiercely we loved?

"Serenity" by Erin McManness

They heard me singing
and they told me to stop.
"Quit these pretentious things
and just punch the clock."
Arcade Fire. via Sarah, the StyleNymph

Art, Fear, and the Waltz of the Jellyfish

I should post up more of my own work, shouldn't I? Hahah...

Okay, here is something I've been working on:

"Waltz of the Jellyfish" by Erin McManness

I've really been trying to tackle quite a few things lately... and I can't help but feel slightly overwhelmed. I've been getting a lot of honest and helpful critique, even though some of it is tough to hear. I admit that sometimes I look at artists I admire and just think, "Man, it looks so EASY! How does it just come to them?!" This is probably not the case, but the insecure side of me comes out and feels pretty derp-a-licious. 

Funny, I was thinking this all last night while working on this piece and really trying to be very critical of my colour usage. I thought, very honestly, "Man, am I REALLY cut out for concept art? There is just so much I don't know and so much I'm really not good at. How will I ever be good enough? Maybe I should start exploring other options..." 

Feeling admittedly a little down-hearted, I took a break, flipped on my phone, and read my horoscope. 

/cue twilight zone music: "If a fear is stopping you from realizing a dream, then your first order of business today should be to banish that fear. Don't make peace with it; don't go forth bravely but still fearful. No, you need to drive out that fear completely. Well, you must be thinking, 'that's easier said than done'. To accomplish this monumental feat, you need to imagine the worst that could happen. Come to terms with it. Know you're bigger than it. Once you're intimately familiar with it, you'll see that it really isn't all that bad in the big scheme of things."

TUTORIAL TUESDAY

Ahoy! It's Tuesday, which means it's Tutorial Time!

I've dug through my bookmarks list, and have decided to post up the amazing Alicechan's super-helpful texture tutorial for Photoshop. I don't use a ton of textures in my existing works, but I am planning to in the future, and I found this method not only very informative, but also found that it more thoroughly mixed the texture in with the painting. So enjoy!

Click the image for a larger version, and don't forget to go check out Alicechan's wonderful works and thank her for working up this tutorial!