Strange Circles and Creations

Hi there! I am a Vancouver, BC based artist. This blog is used to update everyone on projects I am currently working on, upcoming shows and available products for sale. I have been creating visual art in many forms since I was very young. I've dabbled in animation, comic book, realistic still life and portraits, mandalas and pattern based art. I like to include quite a bit of story telling and hidden symbols or meaning into my creations.

[strangecircles]

Its been a while

As a man, and as a man who has previously been diagnosed as bi-polar, manic-depressive, passive-aggressive and an asshole, I find it very hard to verbalize my emotions and thoughts. I've been trained, by others and myself, to beleive that my expressions of passion or anger carry a lot of weight. I can't tell someone I'm depressed because I know the gears turn in their head. In their mind I'm on suicide watch, or I need medication or I'm some sort of incurable crazy. I can't verbalize a bad day and have it be just that, a day. I also feel like I need to censor myself when expressing feelings of love. When I am in the moment, a very good moment, with someone it can be hard to say to say "you're awesome, i love you" and have it remain within the moment, or taken as just an appreciation of a good person at a good time. 

So I express through art. I put a lot of personal ties to a people in my art. I know it won't sell well because it doesn't have any meaning to anyone except the two people involved: them and I. That's okay. That is me saying "you're awesome, I love you and thank you." 

I can put my life-confusion into art. I'll tie together themes of nature and the greater laws of the universe and try form something which makes sense, If only to me. And again, maybe it won't sell, but if it sold well maybe I wouldn't be an artist but a designer. 

Where I have the most trouble is expressing my anger, fear and depression. Maybe those moments are brief, maybe I have trouble acknowledging them fully. Perhaps that is the hardest side of myself to share because it shows weakness. A powerful showing of anger or fear displays a lack of control and refinement. My adult life has been largely devoted to achieving a feeling of balance and stability. That much is obvious in what I create. But anger and resentment are hard to materialize into art for me. Those are not emotions I wish to direct at the world or anyone and I often feel like I have a reputation as "so chill I'm backwards" to maintain. I am but a lake, appearing calm on the surface but teeming with life and movement underneath. I don't always let people take a dip. 

[strangecircles]

Directions

I had an interesting conversation with someone at a party last night. I showed him what I create and told him what I've been doing with it. I said that I have been serious about my art as a business for about 4 or 5 months and that I sell stickers, buttons and stuff like that. His opinion was that I needed to simplify my creations and cater to a specific demographic. He said it was a waste of time spending 20+ hours working on pieces and I should spend an afternoon making something and I could turn around and sell it for 1500 to 3000 dollars to "stupid rich people". He said it doesn't need to meaning anything but maybe it means something to them. I am a polite man so I listened, I took mental notes and reserved my opinion (mostly because I found him to be obnoxious). This is not how I operate with my art. My art is personal, sincere, sentimental and colorful. I make pieces for specific people and I put a lot of effort into what I create. Sometimes I can convey messages by making simple pieces but generally life is complicated and thus my art reflects that. I don't intend to simplify or "dumb-down" what I create in order to cater to people I don't identify with. Fame is not my goal. Monetary fortune is not my goal. Connecting with people on a personal, intimate level is my goal. Creating something I want to create, and which I feel passionate about, is my goal. Expressing my true emotions and feelings is my goal. I sell merchandise to help offset my costs as well as use it as a means to meet new people and share my stories and messages. When I die I would rather have my art very personally touch thousands of people than touch millions on a surface level. I do believe my art will reach millions of people in the future but I won't sacrifice my vision for that outcome. Love me and my art for what it is, or don't. I will keep making it regardless.

[strangecircles]

I firmly beleive that when life gives you a shitty deal what it is really doing is testing you. Are you handling the worst in life with the best you've got? Will you embrace your situation? Are you ready to graduate? You'll keep getting the same test over and over and it will be painful until you break outside your thought pattern and do something new, something are pure-of-heart as you can muster, something containing your best effort. Then, you can move on, you graduate, and you'll look back and thinking "wow, it was so much easier than it felt.

[strangecircles]

Inspiration

Inspiration. A dubious word for any artist, any writer, any person really.

Where does it come from, how can I get more of it and why does it seem to dissapear when you want it most? In my personal experience, I feel most inspired when I feel like life is going well for me. Maybe I have bonded with another person that day and been inspired by what our personal alignment has created within me. I've been inspired by my personal journey in trying to figure out the many questions in my life. What are the larger forces in the universe which seem to have a say in how my world works? Where do my feelings develop from in reaction to the events of my life? My biggest personal challenge is trying to make a visual representation of how I feel so that someone else may be able to absorb or recognize some of this emotion in themselves. That could be why bonding with people is a source of ignition for me in an artistic sense. My art is the output (and cyclic repition) of that bond.

I enjoy story telling within my art. I like hiding symbols and imagery which may mean something to only two people. Myself and my muse. Does this limit my potential demographic? Maybe, but I never regret spending time on a project like this. My highest quality of work is always produced when I am not thinking of a monetary outcome but when thinking of the muse or subject while creating and being simply in the moment. Art is such a reflection of the artist in their current space and time. The most endearing quality of art is when you look at a piece and see something in the artist that they won't or haven't told you about themselves.

Sitting in a coffee shop, being around people and being caffeine infused always pushes me in an artistic direction. So much energy in that environment. I also enjoy getting together with my artistic friends and creating with them. Those art parties to not happen nearly enough for me! Finding this overwhelming artistic energy from within has always been a goal of mine. Most days I feel very low on energy and high on ambition. I have a fantasy about being that bright shining light bulb which shares a strong energy with my fellow beings. To be a lighthouse for those stuck in dark water. To inspire, or at least nudge, people to create.

When I don't know what to do with myself, I draw. When I know what to do, I draw.

[strangecircles]

First Update!

Hello!

Thanks for visiting my blog. This blog is intended to be a portal, and an invite, into the life and ongoing creations of this artist. Here you can keep updated on what I am currently working on, upcoming shows, new products, prints and some personal insight into life.

My drawing style ranges from animation and comic book style to realism or Mandala inspired art. I am often inspired by the people in my life, farming, food, other-wordly forces and the funny connections which tie us all together.

Stylistically, my influences are MC Escher, Michael Turner (Fathom and Witchblade comics) J Scott Campbell (Gen 13 and Danger Girl), Adriane Enns. I am influenced by patterns that are everywhere. Nature is full of patterns; Plants and flowers are beautiful self-replicating patterns. Humans, animals, plants: we're all connected and we're all such vital parts for a flourishing home planet. I like to express this in my art as much as possible.

Some current products I sell are stickers, prints and magnets. I create custom art which can be bought or traded for. Future products will include buttons, t shirts, pendants, fabric prints

I currently have a facebook group which chronicles my artist journey and has many previous creations posted. Below is the address:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Strange-Circle-Creations/194251547295339

I am also quite interested in collaborating with other artists and chatting/exchanging ideas.

Thank you again for your interest :)