Versatility is the "Freedom to Create"

  One thing I love about doing Art Work is being able to be "versatile". What this word says to me is that, "it is the permission I give myself to have the power and freedom to venture into other areas of creativity using what ever means I have available to express whatever energy or emotion that I have at the time."

  Just this month, I have recently celebrated "The One Anniversary of my business, "Judaic Expressions and More", and I have reflected how I have grown over the course of the year in my creativity and versatility. I have been challenged to set goals, and try new ways of artistic expressions, and of course to do the not so exciting work of a business called the dreaded "administrative role." In and of itself, the Administrative Role is a vital part of the business life, and some of it is fun, but when it comes to doing the taxes...that is very much a painful experience; especially when I have so many ideas in my head that I want to do instead....I can see my weakness is a focus issue at times. I picture myself as a kid in a Candy Store that has been told to go find some vegetables, when it comes to the Creative Part of Art, as opposed to the Administrative Side. You guessed it!! I was the kid that sat and refused to eat her spinach and liver at the dinner table, but as I have grown into an adult I have learn that I love spinach and liver, so conclusively I am imagining that I will not mind the Administrative Area in my business before long! 

  I hope that all this talk has not made me out to be some one that is immature, or unreliable. No, I hope that you can relate to places and times in your lives that you can empathize with the growth process in your own nature and character, where you push yourself to see what you are made of.....that is where I am at in this Journey.

  Okay, enough of reflection for now......Today, I just wanted to write a short blog entry on a painting that I just recently completed and sold. I have posted it already on my "Judaic Expressions and More" Face Book Page. I have not really tried working in the Contemporary Style of Art as a Professional Visual Artist, so I thought I would just do a little dabbling with my acrylics. I rather enjoyed the day of experimentation, and at the end of the day I found there was one particular piece that I really couldn't take my eyes off of it. So then, I knew I just might have stumbled onto something. 


  Here is a couple of pics of the finish and framed piece......

 Contemporary Acrylic Painting 
 Titled: "What do you see?"

 9x12 matted to an 11x14  frame 

I had problem with the lighting on this pic not being bright enough, but at least you can see it more of an up close view.


     I chose to only use 2 colors a bold Primary Blue and White, because I knew on that white canvas that bold blue will have quiet a personality, as it does the painting for me as it blends to the white using only my pallet knife. I really love the "emotional pull" of the this painting as whole. I titled the painting "What do you see?" because there is so much personality that it lends itself to possibilities of what the painting could be a painting of, instead of a definite image. One could look at it as a "retro-desert scene" or possibly raindrops falling on a body of water. Some might go as far as trying to find images within the painting itself. I gave the title as freedom to be what the eye of beholder might assess it to be.

  In conclusion, I think I may have found an enjoyable area of Visual Art that really lets me unleash the power of versatility that I have been searching for to have fun and relaxation, but at the point of lending myself to a fading of all rules and boundaries in the Art Spectrum that are present in the traditional other styles of Art Expression.

 I hope that you have enjoyed today's entry as much as I have....it is always fun to share experiences and observations with you. Feel to comment and give your thoughts, I always love to hear from you.

                  Blessings on your day!!! ......Come back and again soon!!
                                                  Shalom!

"When One Door Closes..."

"When One Door Closes....." G-D often time opens another as He guides you on your journey through life. To update you since my last post, the Garland, Texas Storefront time came to an end very sadly but sweetly as we ended 2011. The positive side was that I was able to get my Artwork out there and people saw it!! I was able to make some good sales from it, and was in contact with some really awesome people!!! I know those awesome people are the best advertisement I could ever have; so, we learn that some seasons of growing are for a sort time...we just have to cherish them while we have them. And I so appreciate the time I was able to make use of the Storefront in Garland, with a huge thank you to Mr. Johnson the business owner that blessed me so much, I am so grateful to you!!

Now, 2012 has gotten off slowly with learning to do the taxes, and how to organize my business records for next years taxes....the uuugh!!! of the administrative part of business. I have so many ideas for projects in my head that I want to do I think I am just going burst!!! But, I'm still learning how to be patient, and get the stuff done that I don't like to do first so that I can have more time later to create.

I did get to do a custom ordered Bat Mitzvah Remembrance piece at the end of the 2011 year, I think it was one of my best yet. Here is a pic to visually tease you:

 
To tell you a bit about this piece, the Artwork I do for Bar/Bat Mitvah's is a culmination of that persons interests, talents, favorite food(s), sport(s), and some times a bit of the ancestry, and I will do a symbolism of some sort to depict the birth order as to how many siblings have had their Bar/Bat Mitzvah and how many had not (yet had theirs) as an encouragement to for them to follow suit. In this piece, the girl really likes watermelon and jelly beans they were the theme for the decorations at her celebration party. She loves to act in drama, sing, play the piano, the violin, and soccer. On the piano, there is some books, one in French, and one in German to suggest that she has French and German ancestry. The Script would be a guide for her life which is open to suggest the Tanakh etc.The girl, is painted to resemble the Bat Mitzvah on her Special day painted wearing the dress as close as to detail as possible and the same theme colors. In the watermelon slices is the Bat Mitzvah's given name, and Hebrew Name, the date of the service one in Gregorian date, and the other in Hebrew date. On the Torah that she is reading (and that is what is Bat Mitzvah celebration is, reading from the Torah for the first time and walking through the door of Womanhood. I put the name of Torah portion that she will be reading. The Torah is to be a light for her path, and a lamp unto her feet for guiding her through her life's journey, there is a supernatural light shining down on her, brighter than the stage lighting...suggesting that the spiritual always outweighs the physical. Oh, and I almost forgot...the Blue Birds are the birth order...she has 2 older siblings that are far off, that is a depiction of they never had their Bar/Bat Mitzvah and they are away from the Torah Lifestyle, but the blue bird that is near the girl...is a representation of her, she is right there grounded in the Torah with the Light of G-D's favor on her.

Would you like a hand-painted custom artwork piece of remembrance of your Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Wedding Day, or some special occasion? You are just a phone call away!!! Call right now!! 972-896-2499!!


Oh, and back to this year in focus.....I don't know what "Doors" will be opened for me this year. One thing I had thought of was for those awesome people that have bought some of my Artwork, if they would like for me to do a "personal in home showing" of some of my Artwork that would give in to opportunities to Artwork Sale parties, and I could take custom orders for pieces that they would like to have in their home.

But, who knows?......I know one thing is for sure, I will go through the "Doors of  Opportunities" as Adonai opens them for me.

Shalom and Blessings!!!
Deborah Kattner Ballard