Thank you…

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A week ago I began this blog because my wife insisted it was a good idea. I am glad I did. So far, the site is getting 100+ views daily and people seem to enjoy reading. I am thankful for her an all the effort she is putting into my career. She has been always my inspiration and motivation. I want to thank you too for reading the blog and for those leaving comments. I appreciate that a lot. Look forward for a daily post and leave comments. I like that.

6U4A3108It is my hope that I can contribute the little I know to help someone reach their potential in the arts and in other learning domains. Learning to learn is an essential part of growing and developing intentional learning. It helps motivate and make the right decisions. I will continue creating a bridge between art and learning psychology by sharing what I know and what I’m learning everyday. I will continue sharing these magnificent experiences when teaching and when working on my new pieces.

If you haven’t been to a sculpting party before I recommend you do. You can allow someone else to go as a gift from you. We have 2 sculpting parties coming up: November 20 Sculpting Party at Cafe Atlantique in Milford, CT and December 13 Sculpting Party at The Gallery at Elemar, New Haven, CT. You need to sign up for these. The spaces are limited. You can also sign up for private lessons and even online private lessons. Contact me for details.

One last thing. Don’t forget that the opening reception for the show TORSOS is Saturday, November 22, 6-9pm at The Gallery at Elemar. It is going to be great.

Sculpting with your Heart

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Take time to disconnect from your brain and connect to your heart. Allow your fingers to appreciate the texture of the clay as you get lost in the slow waters of your emotions. Taste every second as it was the last. Turn noise into silence. Get lost!

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Sculpting Workshop at The Milford Senior Center

I was sharing some time last Wednesday with an excellent group of people at the Milford Senior Center. I wish you could experience what I perceive from them when they got immerse in their creative process, in their inner peace, in the sensation of the clay on their fingers… Time seemed to stop. In fact, they were working on their pieces in complete silence for about 10-15 minutes but the energy in that room was mesmerizing. In their faces was reflected a great sense of commitment and accomplishment, and an attitude of ownership. “I’m making this! I love how it looks! I can’t stop now!” What a great moment! I felt so proud and honored to witness this moment. Believe me when I tell you that I enjoyed it. They were lost in their task.

According to Picasso we are all artists as kids, but along the way we lost our acceptance of our creativity and imagination for a more “real” and concrete world. At some point in our development we compare the reality we see with the reality we can create and give up when the measure lacks in our eyes. We think too much about it and silence the heart. Then we impose this coward attitude into others (No need to say that art programs are being eliminated from schools). We are missing the point! “Thinking” so much blinded our sensitivity and forced our creativity to decrease to death. Creativity is proven to increase problem solving skills, allows connectedness with ourselves and the world around us, increases and restores confidence and self-value, and relieves stress. Need I say more?

I see transformations in all my classes and workshops with people of all ages and backgrounds. Read the testimonials. The only one stoping you to try something creative is yourself. No matter the age or the situation creativity is ready to rise up and give you a new spark in life. Let inspiration flow. Don’t think about it so much. Let your heart take control.

Thank you to Always Best Care in Milford for sponsoring this.

How to Explain Your Art

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182297_10150256163239956_22866031_nI honestly enjoy talking about my art, the process, the technique, the historical influences, and the possible story behind each piece. I believe that being able to explain your art is very important and increases credibility as an artist. I guess it applies to any craft. A while ago I posted something about this subject on twitter and it caused a little outrage from people who misunderstood “learning about your craft” with “going to school” and getting a formal education. Let me clarify that getting “formal” education is a good thing, but that’s not what I refer to. Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was autodidact. I guess that clarifies the point. It is not about formal education but to seek understanding about what you do and why because it helps you grow as an artist. If you can explain it, people will be more interested in what you do. This is what I suggest to aspiring artists:

Find yourself in time

Newsflash!!! “There is nothing new under the sun“. This is at times an ego check to artists. You are only as unique as the variation and “spirit” you provide to your art. I suggest you look into an art history book and find yourself in time. All we do have an origin and an influence somewhere in the past. Get to know the arts that influence your art, and where your inspiration draws from. Don’t be intimidated by comparisons from artists from the past. That should be a compliment.

Assess your logic

No matter how “random” you think your art is, there must be a logic behind it. This logic can be found in the use of color, the strokes, rhythm, as it can be conceptual and philosophical. You can find this logic in every movement of art including modern art. Find your logic. When you do and explain it to people they will feel more involved with your work than you could imagine.

Assess your emotions 

Maybe the explanation to your logic is found in what you feel when you are working. Art is a sensorial experience after all. Some people like to listen to a specific kind of music to get in a specific kind of mood. Anger, happiness, relaxation, tension, hope, sadness, loss, loneliness… there are many emotions that transpire in our work that if we can’t identify them someone would.

Now you can tell your story and provide the viewers with the “spirit” of the work and engage them even more. The more you immerse yourself in understanding your craft, the better you get at it, the more inspiration you find, the more engagement from your viewers you reach. Learn about other styles too, specially those that came before and after the one that identify yours. The more you know, the more your confidence as an artist will grow too. Educate yourself to explain your art.

Influence and Influenced

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AQUA

AQUA

We influence our environment as our environment influences us. We are not in total control over our circumstances but neither totally controlled by our circumstances. This is something I aim to project in my artwork. You may notice in my work the composition of a calm figure with a peaceful demeanor surrounded by a very dynamic and often chaotic environment. We can’t control what happens around us but we can choose to assume self-control and self-regulation to influence our environment. This is one of the principles of  Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and Triadic Reciprocal Determinism (TRD). It might sound a little complicated but it is not.

For several years now I’ve been immersed in trying to understand how people learn. I know it is not as cool as being an artist but learning and teaching are areas in which I’m very passionate about, and it is also part of my research. According to SCT and TRD our perception of who we are and what we can do is determined by the interaction of 3 factors: environment, behavior, and cognitive factors. I will explain in greater detail how these factors interact and how they affect our perception of ourselves and our capabilities. These factors also affect how we interact in social settings (Stay tuned for that post)… I bet you didn’t know that! Well, yes, I am a scholar too.

Today is a good day to consider how the environment is influencing us. Are we letting our circumstances take total control of who we are? Have we consider our role to influence our environment? We are not in control of our circumstances, I understand that. Nevertheless, we cannot be controlled by our circumstances. In the middle of the craziness surrounding us we can still be in peace and making a difference not only in our lives but the lives of others.

Connecting Back to Yourself

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Have you ever felt disconnected? I am not talking about solitude. We all need time alone where silence is the only noise. I am talking about loneliness. What’s the difference? Solitude is the state of being alone while loneliness is the sadness of being alone or feeling alone. Many individuals experience loneliness even when surrounded by others. That disconnect not only separates yourself from others but it separates you from you. Sometimes it is necessary to connect back to yourself as a means to understand your disconnect with everything else. Clay sculpting is one way to help you connect back to yourself.

Slide07I don’t believe art is the solution to the issues in your life. I do believe art and specially clay sculpting is a tool to connect you back to yourself. Consequently, it will help you connect back to your surroundings and the people around you, and hopefully with your Creator. The act of touching is one of the most primitive forms of communication. Through touch we get to know our parents when we are born and this same touch affirms how much they love us. Babies touch everything around them. They trust their tact more than their eyes. Kids have the need to touch to feel in connection with the surrounding reality. Seeing is not always enough. How many times you had to be told not to touch stuff in the stores?  Affection is known through hugs and caress.  Many lives had been truncated and crippled by unwanted touch. Healing often occurs through touch as it is in many traditions. God had to form the first man to feel a deeper connection with him. Thomas had to touch Jesus after His resurrection to believe.

Clay sculpting opens neurological paths to our emotions helping to open our souls and prepare us for healing. It is not only a creative outlet which benefits are compared with meditation, but also a bridge to our intimate feelings, good experiences and traumatic experiences. I love to observe and listen to people in my private classes and sculpting parties. Through the process of creating a clay sculpture they reveal their insecurities, both physical and emotional, and they feel free to talk about it. That is a good step towards healing.