One good thing about being home sick is that I've had more time to make art!! I have put TWO NEW PIECES in my shop. Both of these pieces (sold separately) are on stretched canvas just waiting liven up your wall. I think they'd look cool on a bookshelf, too.
This morning my brother, Lee (yes, Lee and Tod are both our brothers), pointed me in the direction of an article in the LA Times about some drama and some scrapbookers. My brother has already summarized part the article:
Scrapbooker Kristina Contes was inducted into Creating Keepsake magazine's Scrapbooking Hall of Fame based on an entry she did that included photographs of herself. Contes asked Creating Keepsakes to be sure to credit the photographer who took the pictures, which they did. When Contes' winning entry was published, with Contes and the photographer credited, scrapbookers went into a tizzy because the contest rules stated that entrants had to produce everything they used themselves -- and by using an outside photographer, Contes broke the rules. Apparently, neither Creating Keepsakes or Contes realized the mistake until it was too late.
Before the magazine even went to print, the editor should've made sure the winning applicant(s) met the criteria and that is all I am going to say on that issue. Something else in the article caught my attention. I do not know Kristina Contes and I do not read the blogs mentioned in the article or Creating Keepsakes Magazine. I do find it interesting that some people seemed really irked that Kristina was using- hold on to your hats people- pictures of HERSELF, things she LIKED (fashion!), and non-archival quality items in her scrapbook pages. I am also really surprised that in a hobby/lifestyle/whatever you want to call it all about preserving memories and all the little good moments in life, some people are so judgmental about how other people do things. Why does it matter that she used pictures of herself in her OWN SCRAP BOOK PAGES? WHO CARES?
Using photos of yourself (and your purse!) in ART seems normal to us. And, if you know us you know we think art is everywhere and in everyone. Over the last few years, we've been asked repeatedly about how scrapbooking and art journaling are the same or different. It's funny we get asked so often because we are not scrapbookers. We're also not knitters or violin players but nobody ever asks us the difference between art journaling and those hobbies. Though, I bet if you read our books, you'll see that you can incorporate our philosophies about self expression and art into knitting and violin playing, too. We have written an article about art journaling and scrapbooking for the spring '08 issue of Memory Makers Magazine. If you can't wait until spring, listen to the ScrapHappy podcast next week because I discussed the differences with Lain. We also discussed my fabulous art studio and the high tech thing I keep my journal pages in! I won't be listening to the podcast because I might die when I hear my own voice and I think I may have repeated myself too much or started each answer with the same thing, Well, for me.... AAAAAAHHHH! It should be Karen's job to do the interviews when they involve talking.
We hope that if you are a scrapper or an art journaler or a knitter or a violin player, that you are absolutely PUTTING YOURSELF into whatever you create.
Visit Linda Woods Artworks for prints on canvas, paper, or wood for all size spaces and budgets.
