Adventures in Arting Podcast

Lydia Leonard left this comment on my YouTube channel:

“I’ve been following you for years and always marvel at your genius! Moving walls? So smart! I sort of have the same thing but I have a hard time putting everything back where it belongs! I’ve been trying to reorganize but I get distracted by all the cool things I find. Do you have any focusing ideas to keep me motivated?“

Specific to her magpie issue, which is also an issue I have, is the notion of “future me.”  I do things for future me.

“Tomorrow me will love that this is all put away. Tomorrow me will be glad that I did this today.”

But I thought we could wander into a larger conversation about focus.  One of the tenets of my art practice is “consistency.”  I think consistency and focus are deeply intertwined.

Consistency is running a steady 6 minute mile during a marathon.  Focus is thinking about your breathing, the finish line, how your body is moving.

All of that is to say that focus is part of consistency and consistency requires focus. On the podcast, we talk about why focus matters to an artist.

Links:

Thanks for listening and subscribing!

I like to think of the podcast as a conversation — between me and Mom — between me and Mom and a guest — between me and Mom and YOU! Thank you so much to all of you who leave comments and send emails. We read them all and appreciate them all. This Listener Mail episode is packed with so many thoughtful comments from you guys! Thanks!

Links:

Thanks for listening and subscribing!

As I mentioned in the previous podcast, Mom and I snuck in the night before the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) here in Boston — The museum’s annual Art in Bloom event at the end of April.  This is always one of my favorite events of the year. 

In case you don’t know what Art in Bloom is: It’s a weekend festival that transforms the MFA’s galleries into a floral showcase, with floral designers and garden clubs from across the region carefully crafting arrangements inspired by the museum’s artworks. 

The MFA invented the “Art in Bloom” idea in 1976.  Since then many other museums have taken up the idea (it’s a good one) and there might be a museum near you that does it!

“Visitors are treated to a sensory experience as they wander through the galleries adorned with imaginative floral interpretations. The captivating aromas of freshly cut blossoms fill the air, while the visual delight of artfully arranged blooms against the backdrop of world-class art stirs the imagination. The juxtaposition of natural elements with centuries-old masterpieces creates a dialogue that transcends time and medium, inviting visitors to see art from a fresh perspective.”

It’s also an invitation for selfies galore and just tons of photos in general.  This is why we went the night before.

The main feature of Art in Bloom is the collaboration between floral designers and the museum’s curators. Each floral arrangement is carefully placed next to its corresponding artwork, enhancing the aesthetic experience and creating a captivating conversation between the two art forms. And a fun conversation to have with a fellow visitor about how/if the floral arrangement captures the artwork’s essence.  There is no other time of the year when strangers are so willing to talk to you!

Art in Bloom is always a super fun experience. If a museum near you holds an annual “Art in Bloom” festival, be sure to attend.  It’s an experience you won’t want to miss!  Because these are real blooms, it’s always a short exhibit – 3 or 4 days.  So don’t miss out!

Here are the photos from the podcast, in the order we discuss them:

Links:

Thanks for listening and subscribing!

Mom and I snuck in the night before the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) here in Boston — The museum’s annual Art in Bloom event at the end of April.  This is always one of my favorite events of the year. 

In case you don’t know what Art in Bloom is: It’s a weekend festival that transforms the MFA’s galleries into a floral showcase, with floral designers and garden clubs from across the region carefully crafting arrangements inspired by the museum’s artworks. 

The MFA invented the “Art in Bloom” idea in 1976.  Since then many other museums have taken up the idea (it’s a good one) and there might be a museum near you that does it!

“Visitors are treated to a sensory experience as they wander through the galleries adorned with imaginative floral interpretations. The captivating aromas of freshly cut blossoms fill the air, while the visual delight of artfully arranged blooms against the backdrop of world-class art stirs the imagination. The juxtaposition of natural elements with centuries-old masterpieces creates a dialogue that transcends time and medium, inviting visitors to see art from a fresh perspective.”

It’s also an invitation for selfies galore and just tons of photos in general.  This is why we went the night before.

The main feature of Art in Bloom is the collaboration between floral designers and the museum’s curators. Each floral arrangement is carefully placed next to its corresponding artwork, enhancing the aesthetic experience and creating a captivating conversation between the two art forms. And a fun conversation to have with a fellow visitor about how/if the floral arrangement captures the artwork’s essence.  There is no other time of the year when strangers are so willing to talk to you!

Art in Bloom is always a super fun experience. If a museum near you holds an annual “Art in Bloom” festival, be sure to attend.  It’s an experience you won’t want to miss!  Because these are real blooms, it’s always a short exhibit – 3 or 4 days.  So don’t miss out!

Here are the photos from the podcast, in the order we discuss them:

Links:

Thanks for listening and subscribing!

The title of this episode is a bit of a double entendre.  We’re going to discuss my personal art practice and the parts I’ve devised for it, but in doing so, we’ll also be discussing the framework I’m using for the online community: My Art Practice. On the podcast I begin by talking about where the idea for My Art Practice came from and then I talk you through the vision…

…the various parts of the core curriculum…

…and then what I think you’ll take away from the membership:

I hope you’ll invest in yourself and join the My Art Practice community!

Reaching your art goals takes more than just techniques. It’s about creating an art practice that suits you, your schedule, and your goals. Don’t just learn art, make it a sustainable lifestyle. Create your unique journey with My Art Practice, because your art is about you. Join today.

Links:

Thanks for listening and subscribing!

We have a very special guest for this episode of The Adventures in Arting Podcast: Carolyn Dube!

Carolyn Dube is a mixed media art explorer and educator who found freedom through play.

She explores the colors of the rainbow, avoids rules whenever possible, and lets the little kid inside her free as she shares her colorful journey.

You can find her sharing the play at aColorfulJourney.com, designing stencils for StencilGirl Products and teaching workshops.

On the podcast we discuss how to turn inspiration into action. Carolyn has been a guest on the podcast before – back in May 2020 on Episode 99: Carolyn says Oops.  So, if you want more, go back and listen to episode 99.

And don’t forget that Carolyn is the Guest Artist during this cycle at My Art Practice.

This is your reminder to visit MyArtPractice.com on Monday, May 27, 2024 and sign up. 

Let My Art Practice help you reach your art goals. The sign up period begins on Monday, May 27 and runs for one week. Membership won’t reopen until August 2024.

Links:

Thanks for listening and subscribing!

On today’s podcast, Mom and I are discussing self-care, the Worcester Art Museum, and a mixed media collage class I taught in Hartford.

Links:

Thanks for listening and subscribing!

This one is a doozy. Mom and I definitely do not see eye-to-eye at all on this topic and it makes for a very lively conversation!

Maria Popova at The Marginalian wrote a 2013 blog post called “Art as Therapy: Alain de Botton on the 7 Psychological Functions of Art”  It’s an exploration of the book “Art as Therapy” by Alain de Botton and John Armstrong.  I read an interview with Alain de Botton and I loved everything he had to say about the function of art.

“Art can help us with our most intimate and ordinary dilemmas, asking: What can I do about the difficulties in my relationships? Why is my work not more satisfying? Why do other people seem to have a more glamorous life? Why is politics so depressing? The purpose of this book is to introduce a new method of interpreting art: art as a form of therapy. It’s the authors’ contention that certain art works provide powerful solutions to our problems, but that in order for this potential to be released, the audience’s attention has to be directed towards it in a new way (which they demonstrate), rather than towards the more normal historical or stylistic concerns with which art books and museum captions are traditionally associated. The authors propose that the squeamish belief that art should be ‘for art’s sake’ has unnecessarily held back art from revealing its latent therapeutic potential. This book involves reframing and recontextualising a series of art works from across the ages and genres, so that they can be approached as tools for the resolution of difficult issues in individual life.”

This is what he said about the 7 functions of art:

“art works can help us to remember what matters; they also lend us hope; they dignify sorrow; they expand our horizons; they help us to understand ourselves; they rebalance us; and lastly they make us appreciate the familiar anew.”

This is the Matisse painting I referenced during the podcast, “Woman on a High Stool”:

Links:

• Mo Issa’s Desensification of Time article
• Tip the Artist: PayPal.Me/balzerdesigns
• Sign up for the Friday FREE newsletter: https://forms.feedblitz.com/bco 
• Monthly Membership: https://bit.ly/JulieMembership 
• Take an online class: https://balzerdesigns.com/Classroom/
• Shop: https://www.juliebalzer.com/shop.html 
• Let’s connect on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balzerdesigns/ 
• Favorite Things: https://www.amazon.com/shop/balzerdesigns 

Thanks for listening and subscribing!

I stumbled across a post from Dr Louise R Mayhew on Instagram: @louisermayhew that blew my mind.

She shared a post with a cover slide that says: “Did you know that there’s more than one art world?”  There are at least four she goes on to say:

• Experimental
• Traditional
• Retail
• Community

On the podcast Mom and I discuss the details of the categories as Dr. Mayhew lays out and add our own thoughts to the mix. I find it to be a really useful rubric. What do you think?

Links:

• Tip the Artist: PayPal.Me/balzerdesigns
• Sign up for the Friday FREE newsletter: https://forms.feedblitz.com/bco 
• Monthly Membership: https://bit.ly/JulieMembership 
• Take an online class: https://balzerdesigns.com/Classroom/
• Shop: https://www.juliebalzer.com/shop.html 
• Let’s connect on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balzerdesigns/ 
• Favorite Things: https://www.amazon.com/shop/balzerdesigns 

Thanks for listening and subscribing!

You guys leave so many great and thoughtful comments. Mom and I wanted to discuss them and I hope to make this a regular feature of the podcast. Keep the great comments coming!

Links:

• Tip the Artist: PayPal.Me/balzerdesigns
• Sign up for the Friday FREE newsletter: https://forms.feedblitz.com/bco 
• Monthly Membership: https://bit.ly/JulieMembership 
• Take an online class: https://balzerdesigns.com/Classroom/
• Shop: https://www.juliebalzer.com/shop.html 
• Let’s connect on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balzerdesigns/ 
• Favorite Things: https://www.amazon.com/shop/balzerdesigns 

Thanks for listening and subscribing!