Ann Vargas

More pictures on a darker note.

2011-11-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

On a lighter note.

2011-11-20T10:41:00.001-08:00

I recently did a series of mixed media collages depicting some of life's darker moments, such as feeling lost, or having lost something, hiding and wearing a mask, feeling trapped and caged in. That was an important step for me. I have always felt that I needed to bring only positive messages in my art, to inspire and uplift, and of course that hasn't changed. But I now realize that the allowing of the darker aspects of life to have their being can be transforming and healing. Ignoring, denying and pushing them away can make them fester and morph into bigger problems. I am not suggesting that we need to wallow in our misery, oh no, but we need to allow those emotions space and time so that we can process them, learn from them and let them sort of break us open to new depths and insights. The picture in today's posting though, is on a lighter note again. Enjoy.

On a darker note.

2011-11-16T11:41:00.001-08:00

Collective Art Show in Ballard.

2011-11-13T01:14:00.000-08:00

My daughter's dresser.

2011-11-11T23:35:00.001-08:00

I made my daughter's dresser prettier.

Christmas Cards 2011

2011-11-11T23:34:00.001-08:00

Just an idea...

2011-11-11T23:30:00.000-08:00

I over heard a woman talk about how small she feels when she looks at the giant clouds in the sky. I played around with that thought in my mind and came up with this.

2011-10-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

The first one is about connecting to one's power, symbolized by the horses in the back ground and about how sometimes our inner creative forces seem to have a life of their own and how when urged to go in new directions we feel scared and excited at the same time. The second one I just did without any particular message or theme.

Art on old book covers.

2011-10-17T23:01:00.001-07:00

Connecting to the past.

2011-09-26T06:14:00.000-07:00

These pieces are inspired by how our lives are so interwoven with the lives of our ancestors and how even our communities, towns and world has grown out of what went before.
They way I did these was a little different from my usual creative process. Normally I already have an idea of a theme and then I look for elements that will support that theme. This time I was just randomly looking through my collage images and picked out the ones that spoke to me, even when I did not know why at the time. I started putting the pieces together and "listened" to what they were telling me.
For me this is a very powerful way of creating true authentic pictures, because they come straight from deep places within us that haven't yet been allowed to be analyzed and edited by our thinking.

Two new pieces.

2011-09-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Do you sometimes get the feeling that at times you've got it and at other times you don't? Making these I felt as if the muse had left me, as if I just physically created these but that thay lack "soul" or content. I mean the pictures are "pretty" alright...but there's definitely something missing. I wish I could just push a button that would activiate the soul and then automatically my art would come to life, to spiritual life.

Autumn Leaf.

2011-09-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

I went for a walk with my dog Hunter and I'm getting very inspired by all the leaves on the ground. Sometimes we may feel sad when nature is done blooming and summer is over, but there is beauty in that too.

2011-09-12T23:05:00.000-07:00

Something a little different.

2011-09-11T23:24:00.000-07:00

Less than perfect.

2011-09-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be great if everytime we made art we created a master piece? Sometimes it's frustrating to have to accept the fact that life is not always perfect, and that we often end up making tons of crappy art before we finally create something that we feel satified with. Knowing this can be very comforting and the sooner we give ourselves permission to mess up, fail and produce really bad art the sooner we can create really good art. What if the farmer only sowed one seed, investing all his hope into that one seed? What if that one seed didn't make it? We have to continually plant many, many seeds, continually produce and never get discouraged by our flops and less than perfect creations. Just keep going. When a well hasn't been used in a while and we start pumping the water it usually comes out dirty or rusty, but if we keep pumping, it'll come clear. The same is true for our inspirational well, we need to keep pumping until we get to all those master pieces hiding deep down within us. Here are two pieces, that I am not at all satisfied with, they're not that ugly but they bother me, they're not IT, but it's all part of the process so I still honor these.

Love.

2011-09-05T00:47:00.000-07:00

Look what my daughter Sanna created at the beach today, with rocks that she found.

Earth Angels

2011-09-05T00:18:00.001-07:00

Fly.

2011-09-03T19:23:00.001-07:00

Grateful.

2011-09-02T11:28:00.001-07:00

The Wild Bird, the process step by step.

2011-08-31T15:58:00.000-07:00

I enjoy seeing other artists' process as they create , here is a step by step view of how this picture came into being

More homemade background papers.

2011-08-25T17:35:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited about making my own background papers. Some of them have words, my own words, my poems. It feels so right, because now my art is through and through an expression of who and what I'm about.

Making my own scrapbooking/background papers.

2011-08-24T02:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some more of my freshly made, homemade scrapbooking slash background papers. This is fun. I will make more tomorrow.

Truly inspiring words by author Kelly Corrigan.

2011-08-23T17:23:00.001-07:00

http://youtu.be/c6jQ4VNEA9I

A great solution.

2011-08-23T00:50:00.000-07:00

I love using scrapbooking papers in my mixed media collage/paintings, but then I realized and learned that many of the designs on scrapbook papers are actually not considered just craft material, but they're copyrighted....so if I decide to make a lot of prints or say, greeting cards, I might get into some trouble. So, I started making my own "scrapbooking papers" and my own background designs. Problem solved.

PUBLISHED

2011-08-22T17:25:00.001-07:00

Ancestry

2011-08-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

New picture....old theme...am boring you? I always seem to paint the same thing...a girl, a girl with a bird, a girl with a butterfly...maybe I should start doing something completely different, like horses, or space ships, or fire engines...

New art room

2011-08-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

I moved my studio to my son's old room, which is bigger and brighter. I found a new, much bigger table to make art on that I painted and stenciled. The e-course with Kelly Rae Roberts is inspiring me to expand, to take my art seriously and this new studio space is an expression of this. Please enjoy this little photo tour.

Bringing it up a notch.

2011-08-17T01:12:00.000-07:00

I am so inspired by the e-course I'm taking with Kelly Rae Roberts. It is making me take my art from hobby to business. It's giving me a lot of confidence. It is giving me the guts to say out loud "I'm an artist, damn it". Yesterday I bought a scanner/printer and today I went to look at computers. I have a website (for those of you who haven't had a chance to see it yet, hop on over to www.annvargasart.com ) but I am planning on building a brand new, freshly updated one, I will keep you posted. I am so embarrasingly computer illiterate, but I'm learning and taking tiny little baby steps.

I want to encourage all of you to make progress with your creative endeavors, whatever it is that you do so wonderfully. Even if it scares you and you don't think you have what it takes. You'll be amazed at what you're capable of if you just take it step by step.

This is a very useful quote I read on a card: "Sometimes the only acceptable mode of transportation is a leap of faith".

From the book Rework by Jason Fried

2011-08-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a very good and useful book that I would highly recommend. Here are my favorite quotes:
"Commit to making decisions. Don't wait for the perfect solutions. Decide and move forward."
"Don't make things worse by overanalyzing and delaying before you even get going. Stop imagining what's going to work. Find out for real."

Lots of postings.

2011-08-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I have been posting a lot recently, due to a sudden burst of creative energy, so don't forget to scroll down.

Metamorphosis.

2011-08-13T01:10:00.001-07:00

The Bird of Sorrow.

2011-08-12T18:33:00.001-07:00

This time when the Bird of Sorrow came to visit, she didn't chase it away, but instead held it gently. When we allow ourselves to feel what we feel without resisting and escaping, we can find find blessings in disguise, see the silver linings and discover hidden treasures.

Bring out your inner witch.

2011-08-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

I posted this piece a few days ago, but I need to post it again because I have some new "thinkings" to share about it. And I'm adding another witch piece as well.

The sign reads, "Bring out your inner witch", and initially I thought about it, as in bringing out into the light, your negative feelings, your lower self. It is important to do this, as opposed to stuffing everything inside and let it fester and grow until it explodes all over the place, which could possibly cause harm to ourselves and others. Consciously bringing that part of ourselves out in the open, in a safe place, will give us a chance to resolve those feelings and for healing.

Then, I realized that witches aren't all "bad". In the olden days, women who were very intuitive, and who had deep wisdom about herbs and natural healing were often refered to (mostly by men, who felt threatened by this feminine energy and power) as witches. So, "bring out your inner witch" can also stand for, reclaim your feminine power and wisdom, reclaim your intuition and shine your light.

The benefit of getting old...

2011-08-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

I was reading a post on Kelly Rae Roberts' blog www.kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com about getting older and how we deal with the fact that we don't look the same as we did 10-20 years ago, before we had kids...and I had an epiphany.

I realized that getting older, gaining a few pounds perhaps, or discovering some wrinkles on our faces, puts us in a excellent situation where we have no choice but to look at beauty from a whole different angle. It gives us a chance to go beyond our narrow concepts of what beauty is. It forces us to think outside the box, and deepen our perception. And isn't that just a wonderful thing?!

The only constant thing about life is...change. And change is a wonderful way of preventing our life from becoming stagnant and stale. Change makes us grow and expand. I recently read a great book by Irwin Kula called "Yearnings-Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life". Here is a very useful quote: "Not seduced by certainty, we can be open to truth".

Not seduced by the myth that only youth is beautiful, we can begin to appreciate the beauty that comes with age.

My home land.

2011-08-12T00:42:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine found an old, old Swedish school book, from way back when everything you studied at school was contained in one book. It made me so nostalgic. The words in her head and the quote is from the book. I miss Sweden.

Vignettes from my studio.

2011-08-11T11:20:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the pretty things in my studio, or as I like to call it, my art room, and yes, I admit, it is very cluttered. But the truth is, every little knick-knack, every picture means something to me, so why not?! And this room is MY space and I can keep it any which way I please, so there.

I believe we all need a space in our lives where we can be ourselves, truly ourselves, without pretences and masks. A space where we can let it all hang out and freely be in our own personal element. We need to be able to protect our creativity from judgement and criticism until it has had a chance to grow and mature. Critique, constructive critique is healthy and useful, but our art has to incubate for a bit before we take it out into the world. Our art needs to marinate for a while in the juices of our own loving acceptance and care.

My art room is a sacred haven for me, it's where I go whenever I need to restore my sanity and to touch base with myself again. Do you have such a place in your house? Even if it's just a tiny corner somewhere, or a closet, or a shoebox where you can keep what is authentically yours. I sincerely wish you can find and /or create that place soon.

Clearing my desk, clearing my mind.

2011-08-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a wonderful e-course called Flying Lessons (see badge in sidebar) with the lovely, prolific and highly creative Kelly Rae Roberts. She is helping me bring my artistic dreams into sharp focus. As a result I had the urge to make more room on my desk and more room in my mind.

Here are before and after pictures.

New art

2011-08-10T15:44:00.001-07:00

I have been thinking and strategizing...and I realize that I need to make more printable art. That way more people can enjoy the pictures I make.

But I had these shadow boxes lying around in my studio begging to be used, so I decided to just do something...any-thing with them, even though you can't really take good pictures of them because of the shadow.

So here they are. Enjoy.

Check out my new book.

2011-07-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.blurb.com/books/2308596

Nap time

2011-06-01T00:25:00.000-07:00

I hurt my shoulder and my life has been put on hold....it's very frustrating because I just want to keep doing things, but I have to keep my shoulder still so that it can heal. Life is teaching me that "sometimes the only sensible thing to do is to take a nap". Sometimes it's good to hit the pause button and just do....absolutely nothing at all. My cats agree.

2011-05-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Take good care of yourself.

Befriending your inner longings.

2011-05-15T23:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we hide. We are afraid that people will not approve of who we are. This piece is about how we can befriend that inner longing to fly, to leave the nest and to spread our wings regardless of what people say. It's about being true to ourselves.

2011-05-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

She finally remained quiet long enough to hear her soul speak.

Four faces.

2011-05-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

Be Still My Soul

2011-05-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

If you stay quiet long enough you will hear the voice of your soul. It might take practice.

The Creative Juices Are Flowing Again.

2011-05-06T00:47:00.000-07:00

I haven't made art in a while, and I'm ok with that. I'm beginning to adjust to the fact that life has a certain rhythm.

The definition of rhythm is "the pattern of regular and irregular pulses caused in music by the recurrence of strong and weak melodic and harmonic beats.

Sometimes my creative beats are weak, and other times very strong. One day my artistic pulse is regular and the next day curiously irregular...and it's all good, because it is what creates the melodic, harmonic rhythm of my life.

Here are two new mixed media pieces. The first one talks about how we often live in the past, regretting and missing, or in the future, daydreaming, wishing and worrying. The girl in the picture is being called back to the present moment by the gentle summer rain.

The second one is about a girl concerned about getting a fish back into its element. The fish symbolizes herself and her need to be where she belongs, among like minded people in an environment that will support and nourish her.

Trusting that Spring will come

2011-04-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

This piece is about trusting that things will get better...we all go through times of darkness and emotional frost, but "this too shall pass" and springtime will come, in due time.

About loss

2011-04-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

"She thought she had lost everything, but noticed that eventhough the leaves were gone the tree remained intact."

Suffering comes from wanting things to stay the same in a world where the only constant is...change. Seasons change. Birth, death and rebirth are part of nature's rhythm. As flowers wilt, however, they go to seed, seeds that will one day become thousands of new flowers.

The tree loses its leaves in the fall and stands naked and vulnerable. But although the leaves are gone, the tree itself endures, and in the Spring new leaves grow.

When we experience loss, we feel a similar sense of vulnerability and emotional nakedness. We may lose a job, an opportunity, or money, but our innate capacity to recreate all of it remains intact.

We may lose our "cool" and the ego lays shattered. In that moment we may feel as if we are disintegrating, but our real, inner selves stand untouched.

We might lose a friend or a loved one dies and the pain is so intense that we may feel as if we can't go on, but amazingly enough, we do, and we find a deep strength within us we never even knew we had.

About Staying True To Oneself

2011-04-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

"She proudly wore her party hat and magnificent butterfly wings, knowing full well it was so last season."

A while ago I created a beautiful mixed media collage. It depicted a woman with butterfly wings. A little while later, I read an article in an art/mixed media magazine , about how using butterfly wings and party hats is so overdone. Looking for example at Somerset Magazine it seems as if every other picture has a person with either a party hat or wings of some sort or another, or both.

As a result of reading that I redid my collage....off with her wings! But then I started thinking about it. I love putting wings on my people in my pictures! So why shouldn't I? I know, there are probably people out there who are tired of it, but I'm sure that there are also many who, like myself, will never tire of it. Like I said in an earlier post: there are so many flowers, and they are all flowers, but each one is different and it never gets boring or overdone. Do what you love and you will never go wrong, even if it's last year's fashion.

Homing

2011-04-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

I added some words to this picture. And I'm also posting a painting I did a while ago, on the same theme. "Homing is the ability to return to a known goal over an at least partially unknown flight route". I found these words in a book about the migration of birds, but they could also be about our own built-in ability to return to our known goal: our innate, divine origin. We may not always KNOW it consciously, but deep down inside, we do. It is our beginning point as well as our destination. The flight route might be partially unknown, and sometimes we find ourselves on various detours, but we all have an inner compass, a homing instinct, that forever guides us back home, home to our Source, our authentic selves, our inner reality. So, trust your homing instinct, your internal GPS and at the risk of sounding kliche-ish, spread your wings and fly!

One more

2011-04-15T18:52:00.001-07:00

"Just as the caterpillar thought it was all over, it became a butterfly" -Anonymous

Still working on my Deck of Cards

2011-04-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

I love working on these pictures. Sometimes I start doubting myself thinking that there are millions of pictures out there that are sort of like these...why would anybody want these? But when I think about it I know that there will be people with whom these pictures, my particular style, my special expressions, will resonate. I mean, there are thousands of flowers, mountains, lakes, trees, dogs, cats , forests, people, oceans, and so much more out there, but we never ever get tired of it. Every mountain is different, a flower is a flower, but one flower is never the same as the next flower. We are all people and have so many things in common, but we are all different. Art is art but each piece is a unique expression. So I will continue to make art and not be discouraged, never, not ever.

Two new mixed media collages

2011-04-11T22:16:00.000-07:00

She felt a pressing need to, every once in a while, return to her own element.

She held her pain gently, and in her warm embrace it melted. She came through to the other side where everything became poetry.

Thoughts about patience

2011-04-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

I love mixed media collages. And I have to confess it's partly because I am a bit lazy and impatient. I love the fastness of it. In the time it takes a serious oil painter to finish one master piece, I can whip out 25 collages. The great thing about it is that instead of painting a little bird with all its details I can cut out a picture of a bird and just glue it on....is that so wrong? Does that make me less of an artist? Am I not a "real" artist because of this...? I think I love this media, this method so much because I have so many ideas in my head, and it would drive me crazy if I had to spend a week or two on each of these ideas. I have to work fast. Now that doesn't mean that every once in a while I won't sit down and invest time and effort into an actual painting. I just did one for my friend's mom, and every little bird and flower and everything else was painted, from scratch, with every little detail, and I did enjoy it. So maybe my conclusion is....it's ok to do both. Whatever floats your boat, kick starts your scooter, tickles your fancy...well, you get the picture. I will post the painting for my friend's mom later if it's ok with her,

2011-04-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

New, updated blog.

2011-04-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

I just deleted everything in this blog! Making a new fresh start. This blog will be all about following my bliss, pursuing my passion and making my dream a reality.

Doing that is obviously not without challenges, hurdles and obstacles...but I have come to believe that all that is actually a vital part of the journey. It makes me think of the story of how someone decided to "help" the butterfly by prematurely breaking open its cocoon...and the butterfly died. The butterfly's struggle to crack open the cocoon by itself strengthens it.

I will share about the struggles as well as the break throughs, in the hope of encouraging and inspiring all of those who read this blog.

So what is my bliss? My passion and my dream? What would my mission statement say? I want to create art that can comfort, encourage, empower and nurture people on their inner journey to their authentic selves, their higher selves.

I believe that we all have a sense of what that is but so often we forget, or get distracted by daily life. Sometimes we come across words of wisdom and guidance in poetry, stories or sacred literature that can serve as a reminder of what we need to focus on. I often write important quotes on pieces of paper that I either carry around with me or put on my desk where I can see it often.

I had the idea of making a deck of cards with words of wisdom to act as reminders. Cards that can be placed throughout your house, or kept in your purse, what do you think about that idea? Feed back would be appreciated. Above this post you can see some examples.