April Art Giveaway 2015

This post pains me...I mean seriously, I smashed my finger with a hammer for this month's project. ;)

I made something new today... I've been sitting on this idea for quite some time, and it actually worked! THIS is a large part of what I had in mind when I first thought of doing these giveaways--I wanted it to be an opportunity to expand and try new things, learn new techniques, reinvent old techniques, etc. Here we go...

I've got two options for you to choose from- a small one, and a bigger one...

They're made from repurposed/scrap materials-copper wire and yarn to be more specific.

The idea behind it: life lessons can be rough... sometimes it feels like we get the crap kicked out of us in life, our hearts take a beating... but we have the opportunity to use that for good-to make ourselves better/stronger people, we have the ability to make something beautiful out of poopy situations...and that's pretty amazing. And we don't have to let other people, experiences, life, the world, beat out all that is kind from us. We can keep a warm soft spot in our hearts, even if it gets worn down or even needs to be rebuilt. This is my visual representation of this...

 

 

You can repurpose/make your own chain by cutting off the access yarn (leaving the knot/bow) or you can wear as is--tying the yarn or adding your own clasps. A variety of options. :)

 

To enter, please go to my www.facebook.com/NFGartist or google.com/+nNFGjolly and comment on the original video with which necklace/pendant you would like to try to win.

 

DEADLINE is Sunday, April 26, at noon (central). After that, I will randomly draw a winner, so keep an eye on facebook/google+ for the winner announcement.

 

Good luck! And thank you for the continued support. :) 

March Art Giveaway 2015

I struggled with this video... but here it is, despite being sloppy and delayed!

For the past few years, I've been doing quite a bit of collaborating with photographer Andrew Kufahl. I met him about 3.5 years ago, towards the end of his 365 project. I was lucky enough to be in the final two shots of that impressive project, and since then, we've been working together pretty consistently. The fun thing about working with Andrew is he is open to me having a good amount of creative input... I used to shoot my own self portraits quite often prior to meeting him, but started throwing my ideas out to him. His style and talent really help bring my ideas to a whole new level.

It is hard to pin point how exactly this particular shot started-who came up with what-because often times, there is a spark of an idea that gets thrown out between us, and we both work to build a final image. This shot was one of our earlier collaborations. I remember it being one of the earliest where I got to see some of Andrew's awesome lighting techniques... he treats lighting as though he's painting. What a cool process to see and actually be a part of! We used a technique that each of us has used in our own work (ghosting), but it was the first time we used this in a piece together... Andrew does as much as possible in camera, including this effect--which I had never seen done before.

The last time he said goodnight, was also his goodbye...

This specific print was used for display, so it does have some stuff on the back. It is mounted on foamcore, and you get to frame however you wish.

To enter: comment on the original video on facebook/google+ that you would like to enter...that easy! The DEADLINE is this Friday, April 3, at noon (central). Afterwards, I will do a random drawing for the winner. Good luck! :)