Tag Archives: creativity

Nov16

nothing more nor less.

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early evening in the washington boulevard historic district of detroit

i’m reminded of the whimsy of willie wonka’s chocolate factory

—

‘genius is nothing more nor less than childhood recovered at will.’
-charles baudelaire
*Charles Baudelaire was a 19th-century poet French poet, critic and essayist who explored themes of modernity, urban life, and decadent beauty. He is considered a father of modern poetry and an influential figure in Symbolism, a movement he helped inspire through his exploration of subjective experience, mortality, and “spleen”—a state of melancholy and ennui.  

Baudelaire was fascinated by the details of the bustling, modern city and its inhabitants, capturing both the beauty and the decay he saw in everyday life. 

Aug14

expression.

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DZ’S (the artist) ART

while at the downtown library

with my young student, EZ

formerly in my class

where we met once a week this summer

as he strengthened his reading and writing skills

by using them to write and illustrate a book

we discovered a tiny work of art

tucked in at the bottom of a crumbly pillar

created by local chalk artist David Zinn, DZ

who likes nothing better

than finding little cracks and imperfections

 filling them in with his whimsical art

leaving them for people to discover

what a lucky day this was

EZ finished writing his very first book

a huge accomplishment

he came so far

we had our last lesson together

he is ready to move ahead

he plans to put on a special outfit

do a world premiere reading

of his book

for his whole family

and we discovered a piece of DZ’s tiny secret art

double happiness.

downtown ann arbor library

EZ’S (the boy) BOOK

—

David Zinn, DZ, (the artist’s)  link  

https://zinnart.com/pages/about-the-artist

—

‘man needs spiritual expression and nourishing…

even in the prehistoric era, people would scrawl pictures of bison on the walls of caves.’

-Fernando Botero

Jul18

creative endeavors.

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here we meet again

 my former kindergarten student

now at the annual Ann Arbor art fair

having grown into a wonderful human

and innovative artist.

—

‘creativity is like scientific research in that it involves things that haven’t been done before. as such, creative endeavors are essentially experiments, and if they really unique, you have no idea what will happen.’

-tina seeling

 

* tina seeling is an american educator, entrepreneur, and author of 17 books on creativity and innovation. she is a faculty member at Stanford University and currently the executive director of the Knight-Hennesy Scholars.

 

https://www.masonkupina.com

Sep29

coffee art.

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on international coffee day

Meet the Italian Artist who creates Incredible Works of Art From Spilled Coffee

Italians are known for their love of coffee, but while most enjoy espresso for its taste, artist  Giulia Bernardell appreciates it for its creative potential. She turns spilled coffee into works of art that look like detailed watercolor paintings.

Many of us start our day with a cup of joe, but Bernardelli indulges in a dose of inspiration, too. Her bio reads, “My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life.” Bernardelli’s journey to creating coffee art began by chance. One day, the artist accidentally spilled coffee over her canvas as she was working. But rather than clean it up, Bernardelli grabbed a spoon and used it to guide the brown liquid around the white space.

Today, Bernardelli continues to use spoons in lieu of a paint brush, but she also uses matchsticks to achieve intricate details. From architectural sketches to studies of the human face, Bernardelli takes inspiration from everywhere. She even recreates Italian Renaissance masterpieces in her coffee art style. She’s “painted” the  Mona Lisa and The Creation of Adam,  using spilled coffee as pigment.

Since making a name for herself as a respected “coffee artist,” Bernardelli has branched out into new, edible mediums. She also creates art from melted ice cream, fruit, vegetables, and much more.

—

“coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with.”

-terri guillemets

 

—

art credit: spilled coffee art, guilia bernadelli

source credit: mymet, emma taggart

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Giulia Bernardelli

 

 

 

 

 

Aug11

canvas.

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a front door, a message, and a yard, in support of ukraine and the pollinators

—

one of the reasons i love walking so much

is for the surprises waiting to be discovered along the way

when walking through the neighborhood

i travel with eyes wide open

people are so creatively expressive

flower pot art

a snake in the grass

smiling and made of latex, upon closer inspection

a front yard mini vineyard

a tiny village

—

“this world is but a canvas to our imagination.”

-henry david thoreau

Jul13

kinder-kat.

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What better place to learn your ABC’s and 123’s than inside of a giant building shaped like a cat?

The kids who attend Kindergarten in Karlsruhe, Germany, do so in a giant feline.

Constructed in 2011 and designed by artist, Tomi Ungerer and architect, Ayla Suzan Yöndel, the whimsical kindergarten is in a big white cat building that includes a door for a mouth below a whisker-lined nose, windows for eyes, and a classroom in its belly. For added fun, kids can even ride down its tail that doubles as a slide.

In terms of architecture that inspires a playful imagination, the Kindergarten Wolfartsweier is remarkable for its embrace of an alternative, animalistic design for what a school can be.

“design is where science and art break even.”

-robin mathew(s)

 

—

source credits: Atlas Obscura, My Modern Met, Milk magazine, inthralled.com,

 

 

Apr24

24 hour theater.

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what an unforgettable time

 my grandson spent

with his schoolmates

helping to create

an original play in 24 hours

writers, actors, stage crew, director, light crew, props, costumes, staging, sound

it was a such a joy to see it all come to life on the stage.

—

“the theatre is so endlessly fascinating because it’s so accidental. it’s so much like life.”

-arthur miller

Apr21

sailing off.

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mac does its part with loose parts: an earth day art show

—

the children have been learning for weeks

about recycling, reusing, and repurposing

many kinds of materials

in honor of tomorrow’s holiday (earth day)

 using the voice of art as expression

each child created an original sculpture

repurposing used items

finding new beauty in these discarded things 

putting them together in new ways

 inviting their families 

to their ‘gallery opening’

each child filled with pride in their work

and a realization that they are artists. 

“art is a form of exploration, of sailing off into the unknown alone, heading for those unmarked places on the map. if children are not permitted-not taught-to be adventurers and explorers as children, what will become of the world of adventure, of stories, of literature itself?

– michael chabon 

Feb16

gallery.

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the kinder have begun to create their own art gallery in the space where they play.

—

“art is too important not to share.”
-romero britto
Oct24

continual celebration.

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surrounded for a long weekend by big people who choose to live creative lives

 working daily with little people who quite naturally live creative lives

i realize they are the same kind of people

who are, in spite of everything,

open, honest, vulnerable, full of wonder, bravery, creativity, joy, passion, and spirit

i feel such an admiration for them and kinship with them.

—

“life should be a continual celebration, a festival of lights the whole year round.

only then can you grow up, can you blossom.”

-rajneesh

happy diwali to those who celebrate!