Art in Barbados, Experimenting with Art

Cover by Lilian Sten-Nicholson

APRIL 2022 issue of the BARBADOS VISUAL ARTS MAGAZINE 

Free Online magazine

Every month Artist and Publisher Corrie Scott produces a online publication of all the art and creative events taking place in Barbados. It is packed with information about current Visual Art events happening around Barbados and by Barbadian artists further around the globe.  It normally comes out on the 1st of the month.

I have always found it a valuable resource to have and keeps you abreast of what is going on in the island.  Check it out HERE

Click on the link or the image to take you to the listings, so you can see all the amazing events that have been organized this month, with some of the events happening online. 

Experimenting Styles

I have continued to experiment in the studio in my art journal with the Neurographic Art, allowing myself to continue to be inspired.  Every image I create whether it is a portrait or an abstract scene, seems to call out for the essence of Neurographica.  I am continuing to be guided to see how it impacts on my style or adds to the stories being told.

Foam Stamps Art

This week I also shared my painting for the week from the foam stamps that I had created last week, I love this stage of their development where, you can see the video of the page creation below. 

If you would like to see the stamps daily you can check out my Instagram HERE

You can check out the supplies used to create the paintings and foam stamps HERE

********************************************

I am also taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge and you can check out the posts HERE

Day 17

********************************************

Mixed Media Art Courses to Check out

SALE - Enjoy $10 OFF all courses until 30th April Click on the image to see the course.

Use the Code at the checkout - create2

Catapult Caribbean Creative Online - Come and Join Me

 

I recently was awarded a Catapult Caribbean Creative Online Grant and join a wide selection of amazing artists from around the Caribbean who will be sharing and showcasing their work online. In this video you get to find out a bit more about me and my work, motivations and inspiration.

I share some of the ways in which art and creativity impacts on our health and well-being both as creatives and those that either participate or who are observers.

You take a walk with me in my garden and see how the garden inspires through the use of natural materials - Moringa Wood, Sea Island Cotton and Eco Dyes. Come and check me out on some of my platforms and see some of the other work I am doing: Social Media Links Website – https://www.realityarts.co.uk Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/amandatrought Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/realityartss/ Blog - http://realityarts-creativity.blogspo... Podcast - https://anchor.fm/realityarts Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/realityarts Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/realityarts/ Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/realityarts Twitter - https://twitter.com/Realityarts For more information on the CATAPULT and their grant partners you can check out their links below Instagram: CATAPULT - @catapultartscarib American Friends of Jamaica - @afjcares Kingston Creative - @kingstoncreativejm Fresh Milk Barbados - @freshmilkbarbados Facebook: American Friends of Jamaica: @theafj Kingston Creative: @kingstoncreativejm Fresh Milk Barbados: @freshmilkbarbados

Arts and Wellness Cafe - Artist Materials Bank

Welcome to the Arts and Wellness Cafe, in this video I will be sharing about the Materials Bank that I have visited and picked up some items to create with.

The Materials Bank was initiated by the NCF (National Cultural Foundation) to provide a space at the Queens Park Gallery for supplies and materials that creatives can access for FREE.

Check out some of the things that I got on this visit.

I would also love for you to share about your creative journey, what are you working on at the moment, what creative challenges have you been having.

As always, stay blessed and be a blessing.

10 Essential Laws for Living Exhibition - Barbados

I was part of the Exhibition 10 Essential Laws for Living in Barbados recently and did a brief interview with Artist and Curator Margaret Herbert.  Take a look at the video to see some of the work that was on display.  

Art Exhibition in Barbados

Participating artists include: 

Adrian Richards, Amanda Trought, Cy Hutchinson, Doreen Edwards, Juliana Inniss, Lisa Smith Fields, Margaret Herbert, Mark Gajadah, Oneka Small, Roslyn Watson, and Walter Bailey.  You can find most of them on Facebook to see more

of their work.

Come and create with me!

Join me on Patreon

Come and Check it out

Stay Blessed and be a blessing

Artists Talks - Nala, Malcontent - A Work in Progress

Recently spoke to artist Nala at his exhibition Malcontent.

Artists - Alan Springer, Heather Dawn Scott, Nala, & Oneka Small

He spoke about the way that his work can be viewed as social commentary of the things that he hears and experiences.

Artist Nala

The link between the art created and mental health and well-being, the things that inspires him as he works.

Artist Nala shares insights to his art

And where he sees his work moving to next, the combination of theater and expression is one of the ways in which he addresses topics and themes that arise out of his creativity both as the art on the canvas and in a theater setting.

Artist Nala

100 Day Project - 100 Pastel Sketches 33 - 40

Here are the images 33 - 40 of the 100 Pastel Drawings that I have been doing on the #100dayproject2019

I had a couple of days where I didn't feel like creating which is weird, but kept going, you have to, and reminded myself that I am showing up for me.  The project isn't about anyone else, but wanting to go on a journey with the pastels and use the supplies that I have.

If you would like to see the daily images you can come visit me on Instagram.  Next week I will begin sharing some of the videos that I will be creating weekly for some of the images, it is always great to see how artist approach their work, and I hope that you find some inspiration while watchin.

You will be able to see the first of the weekly videos here when I share videos 41 - 48 or join me on YouTube, I am hoping that they will inspire you to get out your supplies and create.  I will be sharing the full video on my Patreon Site, which you are welcome to join.

To see a selection of pastels and accessories on Amazon click HERE

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Art and Wellness - Lisa Mona - Podcast Episode 81

Welcome to the Episode 81 of the Podcast and the Arts and Wellness, where the focus is on the Arts and how it can impact our health and well-being. I will be talking with artists, looking at activities that you can do to be more creative across the board and for those who are carers tips and strategies that you can use. I will also be sharing reviews, resources and other insights. I will be looking at the nuggets that the artists share and see how we can apply it in some way to our own lives, what ever your interests.

Lisa Mona - Artist

In this Episode I spoke to artist Lisa Mona who was exhibiting at the Caribbean Fine Art Fair. Lisa Mona was born in Barbados with a diverse cultural background which has fashioned her artwork in an eclectic way. Her body of work is influenced by the beauty of simplicity itself, natures's colors and its organic shapes. She expresses herself through photography, jewelry, design and abstract paintings.

Listen to her interview below:

Watch the Video on YouTube

So some of the takeaways from Lisa was the connection with nature and looking at the fine detail when she is putting her work together.

When we think about arts and health some of the ways in which we can incorporate some of the things Lisa does in her work is to take time out to notice things in nature.  Step outside, open your windows and get some fresh air, listen to the sounds that you can hear around you, the colours and the shapes, what do they remind you of?

If you are a carer you can think about reminiscence and looking at old photos and getting your loved one to talk about the people and actions in the pictures.  If you don't have access to photos you can get together a selection of well known celebrities that they would recognize and have a conversation about them.

Take some photographs yourself, go for a walk and see what things you can photograph, especially within their local area that they could talk about or could be a starting point to a conversation.

The appeal of nature

Being out in the sunshine, feeling the breeze on your skin is important for us all to experience and with the majority of us being Vitamin D deficient it is important to spend time daily where possible outdoors.  

I hope that this has been useful.  Sign up for my mailing list and YouTube channel for more ideas on being creative.

You an connect with Lisa Mona on: - Facebook - Lisa Mona Art, YouTube, Instagram

If you would like to know more about photo montage, check out a couple of titles from Amazon HERE

For information on arts events in Barbados check out the Barbados Visual Arts event online Magazine Published by Corrie Scott.

The Mixed Media Play Date is in full swing, You can sign up for the course HERE or click on this link - http://bit.ly/MMPAT19 to get the bonuses (email me once you have booked)

You can also find me in other places on social media:

YouTube   Instagram   Pinterest   Website

Blog   Twitter    Facebook

Art and Wellness Podcast

I have started a new episode of talks on the Podcast, which covers Arts and Wellness.  I will be talking to artists about their work and how it impacts on their wellbeing, reviewing books, materials and supplies that promote using art as a therapeutic tool and more, and also talk about ways in which we can use art more in our daily lives.  Over the next few weeks I will be sharing short interviews that I had with a variety of artist who exhibited at the Caribbean Fine Art Fair which happens in March every year in Barbados. 

I got to talk briefly with Minister John King the Cultural Minister for Arts here in Barbados while he opened the Caribbean Fine Arts Fair a yearly Art Exhibition, bringing in Artists from all around the world.  Minister John King he shared briefly on some of the plans they have for the arts and National Art Gallery in Barbados.  Minister King started his career as a singer/performer and brings his experience as to his role and insight to some of the needs of the arts here in Barbados.

Here is the brief talk with on my Arts and Wellness Episode with Minister King.

Some of the takeaways from the talk is the need to raise awareness of the arts and artists in Barbados, showcasing the work of artists and looking at building that are empty and can be utilized better. 

Artist, Mother, and more - Mavis Trought

Part of my experience is as a carer and an artist with the elderly with dementia and their carers and running art and creativity workshops. Some of the things that he said about the buildings that had been disregarded and left to run down – with so much history that they could tell us about Barbados, struck a similar note in the way that the elderly are treated around the world.  

One of the things that seems to be changing as a community is the lack of value that we place on our elderly within the community, with so many feeling isolated, on their own, families fragmented and they get forgotten.  There is so much wisdom that they have that can often be lost over the generations and we have to find ways to harness their knowledge and find a way where we can create inter-generational projects to pass on their wisdom. 

In the fast paced life our elderly become casualties, like the throwaway containers their knowledge becomes undocumented, distant until no one remembers.  We have to spend more time with them and each other have meaning conversations and experiences, understanding their lives can still be fulfilling and find ways for the generations to interact and learn from each other.

So something for you to think about in your creative interactions is how you can utilize your creative skills to impact on the life of someone who is an elder and living on their own, or in a care home.  How can you be of service and be a blessing touching the life of someone else.

The next Arts and Wellness podcast will feature artist and photographer Lisa Mona.  Sign up to my mailing list and join me each week.  The show scheduling is as follows:

Mondays - Creating in Faith

Wednesdays - Arts and Wellness

Fridays - Inspirational Shorts

100 Day Project - 100 Pastel Sketches 25 - 32

Here are the images for the next 8 Pastel drawings, I totally forgot to share these.  I have been using a selection of pastels to create the images, and beginning to see that some I favor more than others.  I have been using my Rembrant Pastels - check out the selection that I share on Amazon

I would love to see what you decided to do for your challenge, remember to share.

I will also be showing you a weekly process video showing you how I create an image in pastels, you will be able to see how I start the images using the pastels, I am finding the more I create, the more I am able to find ways that suit me.

 If you would like to see the daily images you can come visit me on Instagram.  You will be able to see the first of the weekly videos here when I share videos 41 - 48 or join me on YouTube, I am hoping that they will inspire you to get out your supplies and create.  I will be sharing the full video on my Patreon Site, which you are welcome to join.

To see a selection of pastels and accessories on Amazon click HERE

Stay blessed and be a blessing.