Too Much Stuff: Portfolio?

Books I've Read Recently

Chris Cleave: Little Bee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Little Bee is not a happy book, but it does have joys. It's beautifully written, and I enjoyed discovering the gifts the author had left me on its pages. The book will leave you angry at a system that does not recognize individuals and their situations, and it will leave you loving the character that is Little Bee. Most of all, it is a book about choices, and it will leave you examining the choices you make.

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Will North: Water, Stone, Heart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I certainly wasn't disappointed. I didn't want it to end because I'd grown so fond of the characters. Although you know a crisis is coming, much of the book is like a visit with friends in the countryside of Cornwall. That fact alone made the book very attractive to me. It reminds me a bit of Rosamunde Pilcher's books, some of my favorites. When the crisis comes, the characters deliver. The characters are believable and broken, just like real people. If you don't fall in love with Lee, the young girl in the novel, then there's something wrong with you. She is pure magic. The cover compares Will North's writing to James Patterson. I find North's writing more real, his characters more believable. This is one book I'll be keeping because I know I will want to read it again.

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Cinda Williams Chima: The Demon King

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It took me a while to get into this book, but I ended up liking it. I'd really liked Chima's Heir series, and I had high expectations for this book. It was a bit slow to start for me, but the plot ended up as engrossing as I was expecting. It's a fantasy book intended for a teen audience, but adults will find much to like. Although it takes place in an imaginary land, I found it much like old England which probably added to my enjoyment. I didn't love this book because of the slow start, but I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series. The author did a good job of developing the characters as the book progressed, and you will have a difficult time not getting engrossed with the two main protagonists. If you liked the Heir series, give The Demon King a try.

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Gina Showalter: Unraveled

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Not as good as the first book, Intertwined, by a long shot. The voice of this book changed, almost as if the author were told to pander to teen girls only. The vampires and werewolves become vamps and weres, there are sparkly fairies, and there's way too much titillation and tongue-flicking. The sad thing is that Intertwined was full of promise and could have been a genre-busting novel with wide appeal from teens through adults. Instead, it failed to fulfill its promise, and this second book continues the downhill slide. There are moments when the promise peeks through, but for the most part this book is, as my teen son says with disgust, "only for girls."

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Welcome to my updated scrap space. I hope my storage solutions will help you make better use of the space you have. Updated September 2007 - there have been a number of changes since I originally posted pictures of my scrap haven. I've replaced the old photos with new ones. And about the CD player mentioned below, it's still there because it's integrated with the clock. BUT I rock out to tunes on my iPod now. :-) You won't see my CD player - but there's one there. You also don't see my sewing machine and lots of other cool stuff like fabric - they are in the opposite corner of the room. This is a sewing/scrapping/have fun room, so there's lots of stuff packed into a VERY small space. Enjoy.

February 02, 2007

Portfolio?

Today's Studio Friday topic is Portfolio.

"I've never put one together. I would be very interested to see and hear what everyone else has as a portfolio and what makes up one"

~ Jo

Hmmmm. Interesting. I thought about the topic for a bit, and my thoughts led me down the familiar path. YOU know what path I'm talking about, the "I'm just a scrapper, I'm not an artist path." Oh, boy. Not again. Yes, again.

I got dumped right at the head of the path when I began to think about my portfolio. WHAT portfolio? The scrapping layouts I've posted - do those count? What about the ones that aren't posted? Or maybe I should only count the PUBLISHED layouts. Oh, boy. I have a portfolio of a single thing. One. Not much of a portfolio. Not much of an artist, right?

See? See how easy it was to head right off down that path? And here I am waaaaaaayyyyy down the path arguing with myself.

"You are NOT an artist. You don't even have a portfolio."

"Am too an artist!"

"Are not. You don't have a portfolio"

"I am TOO an artist. I have paint."

"Yes, the little cheapie acrylic paints from the craft aisle at Michael's. Big deal."

"NO! I have REAL paint. I have Lumiere. I have Golden's glaze medium. I have Bristol board and at least 1 $15 dollar brush. I have some SERIOUS artist's materials. See? I AM an artist!"

"And you do WHAT with them? You paint clipboards and cigar boxes. Big whoop. Ever paint a canvas or make a piece of REAL art?"

"Um, I don't know. Maybe not. Maybe I'm not an artist. But I DO have some serious artist materials. I'm just going to put my fingers in my ears, sing LA LA LA LA and PRETEND to be an artist. Argument over."

See what a good dose of denial can get you? I win! I AM an artist. Wait, I'm getting another thought here. What about Ali Edwards? Oh, sure, she's a graphic designer. But she bills herself as a LIFE ARTIST. She scrapbooks and documents life. THAT'S what I am! I'm a life artist! Forget about the Lumiere paint and $15 paintbrush. I document my family's history and daily activities. I'm a LIFE Artist. See, I AM TOO an artist! And you can see my portfolio to the right - the albums of Layouts and the lone Published Layout. You'll just have to trust me on all the other not posted stuff in my albums on my shelves. OK?

11:12 AM in Studio Friday | Permalink

Comments

Read "The Artist's Way" and you'll be reassured that you ARE, indeed, an artiste!

Posted by: Deb | February 02, 2007 at 02:39 PM

This is exactly why I asked. I am in conflict too and often don't know what to say to someone who asks me. Thanks for sharing :)

Posted by: Jo | February 02, 2007 at 04:03 PM

Oh! how funny we scrappers ARE! I had a similar argument with myself when I first read the topic this week! I love your blog, LOVE IT. I have bookmarked you and will visit on a regular basis!
Have a lovely weekend!
~Gabi
http://goingforgreatness.blogspot.com

Posted by: Gabi | February 02, 2007 at 06:26 PM

Great entry! I too worked my way through the Artist Way and know I'm an artist within today :-)

Posted by: mereteveian | February 03, 2007 at 02:14 AM

i love your post for SF!! such a common thought among scrappers!

Dena :)

Posted by: Dena Simoneaux | February 03, 2007 at 06:35 PM

Boy have I run those exact thoughts through my head more than once.. I looked up the definition of 'artist' at dictionary.com and here is one of the six definitions it gave: "a person whose work exhibits exceptional skill." Doesn't specify what kind of work, or what kind of skill.. just exceptional.
Sounds to me like you fit the bill perfectly.
:) Abbie

Posted by: Abbie | February 06, 2007 at 01:29 PM